134 replies to this topic

[Vic_Rattlehead]

I'm not sure if this is topic-worthy, but do you guys feel that Green Day get enough respect for their instrumental/vocal ability? I personally don't, as people tend to focus on their songwriting and lyrics rather than musicianship.

[tdlyon]

I think Billie is really underrated as a guitarist, mainly because he tends to hold himself back. It's awesome to see him letting loose on the trilogy though, Makeout Party and Wow! That's Loud fucking shred. He's also a great singer, (hell, he held his own in a fucking BROADWAY SHOW), but I think lots more people appreciate that. I wouldn't really call his singing underrated.

[GuitarPunk94]

I'm not sure if this is topic-worthy, but do you guys feel that Green Day get enough respect for their instrumental/vocal ability? I personally don't, as people tend to focus on their songwriting and lyrics rather than musicianship.

switch on the tv/radio/media..decide while listening to stuff like 'call me maybe' or 'gangnam style'..question answered..

[ThibautDookie]

Mike is pretty underrated on bass, people should do that he's an awesome musician.

[Vic_Rattlehead]

switch on the tv/radio/media..decide while listening to stuff like 'call me maybe' or 'gangnam style'..question answered..
http://www.greendaycommunity.org/public/... http://www.greendaycommunity.org/public/...

I think they're amazing musicians, Mike and Tre are probably the best rhythm section in rock at the moment, and Billie has incredible range and vocal ability. I just feel like outsiders, as it were, think they're just a three-chord pop-punk band, which they ain't

[Justin]

I think one of the bands key features which always get's overlooked is the harmonies between Billie and Mike.

[nmycon]

People still tend to group Billie in with now-irrelevant mid-90s punk wannabes. I think he's far past that now.

You can't really tell from the albums, but if you just listen to some of these solos he pulls of during live recordings (and I'm not just talking about recent ones, listen to the "On The Radio" session from the early 90s), as well as his few solo songs and the stuff that he's done as FBHT/Network and with Pinhead Gunpowder.

21CB introduced us to Billie's piano playing and it looks like we get more of that on Tre.

Billie can do so many different styles so well, he's not the typical 3-chord playing, snobby "I-dress-like-a-punk-so-I-am-a-punk" that most "non-fans" make him out to be.

I could definitely see Billie having a long and successful career as a solo artist should the time come, he would certainly be more than capable of playing guitar/bass/drums/piano himself, though I doubt he would.

I can't say quite the same for Mike or Tre, but they add a distinctive sound to the band that would definitely be missed should (god-forbid) either of them decide to leave.

I've watched tons of attempted Green Day drum covers on YouTube, and there are some of Tres fills that are pretty much unanimously regarded as being impossible or insanely hard to pull off.

[Vic_Rattlehead]

I've watched tons of attempted Green Day drum covers on YouTube, and there are some of Tres fills that are pretty much unanimously regarded as being impossible or insanely hard to pull off.

Yeah, I consider myself a pretty decent drummer, and the fills in Who Wrote Holden Caulfield are totally impossible to pull off! As well as his insanely fast right hand

[The Forgotten]

This isn't really an answer for the topic, but I was watching Green Day's cover of Hybrid Moments on youtube, and a comment said "I wonder if they picked that song cause they weren't good enough to do a Metallica cover". My jimmies were rustled

[Vic_Rattlehead]

This isn't really an answer for the topic, but I was watching Green Day's cover of Hybrid Moments on youtube, and a comment said "I wonder if they picked that song cause they weren't good enough to do a Metallica cover". My jimmies were rustled

Yeah, because I'm sure they could do a reasonable version of Master of Puppets, Billie's played the riff at gigs before

[Céadóg]

Up until Warning, Mike was definitely one of the best bassist in punk. Songs like Stuck With Me, Castaway, 86, Emenius Sleepus, She, 16, and J.A.R. are nothing to be sneered at. That said, during the American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown period, Mike was sidelined and his basslines became boring and predictable. It got so bad he was almost edited out of Awesome As Fuck and Bullet In A Bible. It's nice to see him trying to get back to old ways, but nothing has stood out, aside from a few bass solos on Nuclear Family and Makeout Party. Mike was never a bass soloist. It was the fills where he did his damage.

The same goes for Tré. Not too much has stood out yet, but he's showing signs of being back to his best.

[Justin]

Up until Warning, Mike was definitely one of the best bassist in punk. Songs like Stuck With Me, Castaway, 86, Emenius Sleepus, She, 16, and J.A.R. are nothing to be sneered at. That said, during the American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown period, Mike was sidelined and his basslines became boring and predictable. It got so bad he was almost edited out of Awesome As Fuck and Bullet In A Bible. It's nice to see him trying to get back to old ways, but nothing has stood out, aside from a few bass solos on Nuclear Family and Makeout Party. Mike was never a bass soloist. It was the fills where he did his damage.

The same goes for Tré. Not too much has stood out yet, but he's showing signs of being back to his best.

Agreed some of his old riffs and fills were just awesome, i mean Jesus Of Suburbia bass solo compare that do say Stuck With Me. What happened.....

[Vic_Rattlehead]

Up until Warning, Mike was definitely one of the best bassist in punk. Songs like Stuck With Me, Castaway, 86, Emenius Sleepus, She, 16, and J.A.R. are nothing to be sneered at. That said, during the American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown period, Mike was sidelined and his basslines became boring and predictable. It got so bad he was almost edited out of Awesome As Fuck and Bullet In A Bible. It's nice to see him trying to get back to old ways, but nothing has stood out, aside from a few bass solos on Nuclear Family and Makeout Party. Mike was never a bass soloist. It was the fills where he did his damage.

The same goes for Tré. Not too much has stood out yet, but he's showing signs of being back to his best.

This is true, however they've proved they can still play these old songs (such as a 2012 performance of Stuck With Me I saw on YouTube, Mike NAILED the solo! ), so it's definitely not a loss of ability, it's just a change in the way they write bass and drum parts. Also, the offbeats in Makeout Party are really hard to get spot-on on drums!

Agreed some of his old riffs and fills were just awesome, i mean Jesus Of Suburbia bass solo compare that do say Stuck With Me. What happened.....

JoS definitely isn't a bass solo to be fair, the one in Nuclear Family is just Mike playing down a basic scale, the bassline in Nightlife is much more impressive, as it's well-written and melodic

[Justin]

JoS definitely isn't a bass solo http://www.greendaycommunity.org/public/... to be fair, the one in Nuclear Family is just Mike playing down a basic scale, the bassline in Nightlife is much more impressive, as it's well-written and melodic http://www.greendaycommunity.org/public/...

Haha i just mean, it could have been so much more.....

[kaylubd]

I don't think they get enough recognition in that vein. I feel like Billie has really improved as a guitarist over the years, yet no one really points it out and Mike is an awesome bassist and has come up with the sickest bass lines ever heard in music and he gets just about 0 credit for anything when it comes to press. Also, whenever someone does talk about Billie's vocals it's always how he does a fake British accent and how it makes he an ass or something (I've actually read that before) and sure maybe he doesn't have the best voice out, but I think it's unique. It's one of those voices that when you hear it without even seeing him you know it's him right away. And after listening to UNO it seems like his vocals have even improved.

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[Céadóg]

This is true, however they've proved they can still play these old songs (such as a 2012 performance of Stuck With Me I saw on YouTube, Mike NAILED the solo! http://www.greendaycommunity.org/public/...), so it's definitely not a loss of ability, it's just a change in the way they write bass and drum parts. Also, the offbeats in Makeout Party are really hard to get spot-on on drums! http://www.greendaycommunity.org/public/...



JoS definitely isn't a bass solo http://www.greendaycommunity.org/public/... to be fair, the one in Nuclear Family is just Mike playing down a basic scale, the bassline in Nightlife is much more impressive, as it's well-written and melodic http://www.greendaycommunity.org/public/...

It's just I know they're capable of so much more, that's all. I like Mike's bit on JOS. It didn't need to be anymore than it was. It's just that during those two albums, he barely did any fills at all. And that's what was part of the Green Day sound from the beginning. Even 3 chord songs like 16 and Paper Lanterns sounded incredible because of Mike. I don't know if it's because of all the arm injuries he's had, but he just doesn't write the lines like he used to.

My brother had a mini freakout over Makeout Party, haha. Again, it's a case of being capable of so much more. I'm thinking Tré will showcase that. It's looking to be the strongest of the 3 albums.

[Kayfabe]

Billie's guitar ability gets underestimated by people that mistakenly think Jason White is there as a crutch. His voice has always been quite distinctive though, I think he shows it off well enough.

I think one of the bands key features which always get's overlooked is the harmonies between Billie and Mike.

THAT. Mike's backing vocals are honestly awesome. Listening to songs like Hearts Collide you wonder how he sustains that pitch for so long..

[C-Lee]

Mike Dirnt is the most unrecognized bassist around.

Insomniac is a bass player's dream.

[Drake Epoch]

oh look it's this thread again

[Schlappy]

It's nice to see him trying to get back to old ways, but nothing has stood out, aside from a few bass solos on Nuclear Family and Makeout Party.

Really? i think the trilogy is some of the best bass playing ive ever heard from Mike... like ever.

Even my dad, who can be a voice for all old people who dont understand crazy kids and their rock and roll music, admits that Tre is an absolutely amazing drummer and Billie vocals are great. He tells me he can actually sing instead of just screaming all the time, haha makes me happy. To anyone who questions Billies singing ability, go watch clips from the musical. There are no questions.

I'm honestly still not sure what kind of guitar player billie is due to the lack of recorded solos. Then when he sneaks some in live sometimes i'm like holy crap! other times i'm like what was that... It's probably because i joined the Green Day train after Jason white joined the party. I'm really excited to see Billie rip apart these trilogy solos. shred little man, shred. I know he's capable by virtue of the old material, i just havent really seen him do it yet.

[Céadóg]

Really? i think the trilogy is some of the best bass playing ive ever heard from Mike... like ever.

Insomniac, Dookie, and On The Radio are the best showcases of Mike and Tré's ability. Also, they're pretty much the worst examples of Billie's, haha.

I'm not even going to discuss Billie's singing. He used to kinda suck, now he's good. End of discussion.

As for his guitar playing, I have two words for anyone who thinks he can't play. Dry Ice.

[brianbags]

Tre holds back for some reason. He may be, as Billie calls him, "the best drummer in rock and roll", but he doesn't show it. His fills sound great, but you guys would be surprised at how much he does the same one. He broke out more on Dos than he has in awhile with Makeout Party and SWTRLF. Even Nightlife is good actually with his jazz beat on the ride at the end.

For the people talking about Holden Caulfield, no fucking idea how he plays it that fast on Kerplunk. ASF version is easy to play because it's slowed down.

Also, I feel like Tre isn't noticed as much. Like the least out of all of them. People are always commenting on the guitar and bass but not Tre nearly as much. Why?

[Blond-O-Sonic Shimmer Trap]

I don't think they are underrated as musicians at all, maybe Mike's bass work on the early albums doesn't get the credit it deserves, particularly on Dookie and Insomniac, but the other two aren't particularly great at their instruments. Some bands work because there's a great dynamic within the group, and I think they fit into that. Tre has a very limited range, Billie-Joe's rhythm playing is solid but unspectacular and he doesn't delve very far from their punk roots in that sense. When it comes to solos, he mostly plays the same two licks in every song. Their strength is in the combination of the band's energy and Billie-Joe's melodies and hooks. The lyrics also up until American Idiot are a huge reason of why they are so successful, they speak to a lot of people, particularly angsty teens (speaking as a former angsty teen).

[Schlappy]

I'm not even going to discuss Billie's singing. He used to kinda suck, now he's good. End of discussion.

As for his guitar playing, I have two words for anyone who thinks he can't play. Dry Ice.

i agree, i dont listen to slappy much because his voice really annoys me tbh. but now if Billie sang the friken phone book id have wet panties

yeah yeah dry ice i know, but that was a long time ago. I'm not saying he's bad! i just want him to show me, y'know? when i heard the first few solos on the trilogy sweet jesus it was a miracle.

[Céadóg]

i agree, i dont listen to slappy much because his voice really annoys me tbh. but now if Billie sang the friken phone book id have wet panties

yeah yeah dry ice i know, but that was a long time ago. I'm not saying he's bad! i just want him to show me, y'know? when i heard the first few solos on the trilogy sweet jesus it was a miracle.

The thing is, I'm still not sure how many of those he even wrote. Jason is a much better guitarist, it's likely he wrote and played at least some of them.

At least on 1039 Billie played everything.

[ChelseaDagger]

I'm not sure if this is topic-worthy, but do you guys feel that Green Day get enough respect for their instrumental/vocal ability? I personally don't, as people tend to focus on their songwriting and lyrics rather than musicianship.

I don't have anything really to add to this conversation, but I definitely agree with you.... the musicianship is overlooked.
But they have all our respect that's for damn sure

[SetOnOverdrive]

There's a reason Green Day are nominated for Best Live band year after year in so many different award ceremonies. These guys are fucking tight when they play live. Not just the free of them but Jason White and Freese (and the other dude who is so insignificant I forget his name).

[Schlappy]

Tre holds back for some reason. He may be, as Billie calls him, "the best drummer in rock and roll", but he doesn't show it. His fills sound great, but you guys would be surprised at how much he does the same one.

I really wish i could remember where but i read an article where Tre talked about how his job is to hold the band together and something along the lines of he wants the band to sound good and crazy drum solos just fuck up the music. He talked like it wasnt about showing off but that he has a job to do (probably the most important one) and he makes sure he does it damn well

[captain peroxide]

fucking shred

Heh, not quite. But it is good to hear more intricate solos coming from him, I'll agree.

[Schlappy]

The thing is, I'm still not sure how many of those he even wrote. Jason is a much better guitarist, it's likely he wrote and played at least some of them.

i'm preeety sure Billie wrote them... I remember him mentioning that he was trying to tighten up his solo chops again and mike was really encouraging him to do so. I dont really think Jason was there for the writing process, just recording. And i think he only recorded second guitar not the solos, according to an interview with Billie.
thats my evidence for it but i guess we'll have to wait for the DVD!