Post Your Own Full Reviews Of 21st Century Breakdown

[Starbug]

Great post...thank you for laying that point out so clearly. I've been having trouble feeling Restless Heart Syndrome -- digging for the meaning in the lyrics and its place in the album -- and I think you just might have nailed it there. I'm going to give it another listen in a minute.

I don't see that in RHS so much... I think it's about depending upon medicine to try and make you happy. I don't think it's about getting fucked up and having fun, if that's what she meant. I can identify with it a LOT which is why sometimes it's hard for me to hear. I've been on anti-depressants and what not since I was about 13. I've learned a lot along the way, that pills don't fix everything, and a lot of times they're more of a detriment than a help. I think that's what this song is saying, at least to me. But again, all of these songs are fully open to interpretation and whatever the listener gleams from each song is exactly what it means

I love this album. I'm not gonna re-do my entire review rating all the songs again, but suffice it to say, all the ratings have gone up Except KYE, still not a huge fan of that one. This has definitely grown on me. It was a lot to swallow at first, a lot to get used to, but now that I have, and now that I've felt it and listened to it and experienced it fully and completely, I have to say this is the most ambitious, beautiful album they've ever put together. Sentimentally, it hasn't touched AI or Dookie, but I have a feeling it will by summer's end. I look forward to making new memories with this album as their soundtrack.

[Peel Slowly And See]

I'm having a hell of a week with finals. I'll get mine in when I can.

[peepee]

Here comes a more critical review. It's important to be totally honest and not just a "good fan" or whatever...

Song of the Century/21st Century Breakdown - 6/10 A pretty good opening but I'm kind of tired of it already. It doesnt do much to make me interested

Know Your Enemy - 2/10 I actually hate this song. Its repetivness is driving me mad. Play it one more time and I'll shoot you. I'm sure it will work great live though. But to hear BJ repeat "do you know your enemy do you know your enemy do you know..." oh my god kill me.

!Viva la Gloria! - 6/10 This songs is given a 6 because of its strong intro. It could have been one of the best ballads Green Day had ever made. A new "Time of your life" maybe but then heavy guitars ruin the song. BJ was too weak to follow through with the beautiful intro. It just had to be some rock n roll in there. This could have been a 10.

Before the Lobotomy - 5/10 Same with this song. It starts of great. I am really surprised but then...I dont even know what it turns into. Its like a nice Ferrari smashed beyond all recognition. Is it even the same song? I usually only listen to the beginning and then I change song. Sorry, you ruined a great song Billie.

Christian's Inferno - 6/10 I actually like this one. It's kind of fun. Not the best song ever written exactly but there is something about it. "Ooooohh christians inferno". I cant help to sing along.

Last Night On Earth - 6/10 I like the fact that the song is mellow and soft all the way through but I dont feel anything. Its too much beatles for my taste. I love the referens to the old days though "I walked for miles till I found you". I love that.

East Jesus Nowhere - 3/10 I dont like this track. It does nothing for me.

Peacemaker - 7/10 I like this. It's fast, it's fun and the intro as well as the outro is brilliant.

Last of the American Girls - 7/10 A good song. Not single material exactly but it works. Great tune.

Murder City - 3/10 One of the most boring songs on the record. Cant believe this was chosen before a track like "Hearts collide".

?Viva la Glroia? - 6/10 Good song. Not much to say about it really. Its not revolutionary. Just a good song.

Restless Heart Syndrome - 6/10 Nice song. Once again a little too much beatles for my taste.

Horseshoes and Handgrenades - 2/10 This is another one of the tracks I hate the most. Its totally uninteresting.

Static Age - 10/10 Great pop song. One of the best tracks on the album. This will become a Green Day classic I am sure.

21 Guns - 6/10 It's an ok song, but nothing more. Its too much like BOBD. It feels like BJ is trying too hard to make another mainstream hit like that. Feels like I have heard it before already. Nothing new. I dont like the theme of the song either. Sick of all the politics. Only really good thing about this song is the intro. Love that sound.

American Eulogy - 9/10 Two great songs with a lot of energy. I like it a lot. Real rock n roll.

See the Light - 8/10 Verse is alright but the chorus is something else. I love the chorus. Great ending to this album

Overall score: 6/10

[Starbug]

Here comes a more critical review. It's important to be totally honest and not just a "good fan" or whatever...

I have been totally honest, and I'm a kick ass fan, too. Amazing, isn't it?

I didn't like it the first time I listened to it. And just because we say we love it doesn't mean we're just trying to be 'good fans'. I hate when people say that kind of stuff, just because they can be 'honest' and say they don't like everything, well, that means they're being 'real' and not just a faithful fan.

Peh.

[Dylan.]

I'm not going to do a track by track analysis because I have done many of those. I'm simply going to give my feelings.

After American Idiot, even I doubted Green Day's ability to come anywhere close to what that album reached. Not that it couldn't be done, just that I truly didn't think Green Day had much more in them. After hearing 21st Century Breakdown, I am taken back. From beginning to end, this album captures you. 21st Century Breakdown takes you on a journey. You can't simply play one song from it. For me, I am now dissatisfied if I don't listen to it cover to cover. It's beyond worth an hour of my time.

What Green Day lacked in pure punk rock tracks in American Idiot, they made up with in East Jesus Nowhere, Christian's Inferno, Know Your Enemy, and American Eulogy. What they lacked in spectacular, they made up for with tracks like 21st Century Breakdown, Before the Lobotomy, Little Girl, and See The Light.

This album is complete in every aspect and in my mind, they have beaten American Idiot 1,000 fold. I simply don't believe any other album compares. I wouldn't be surprised if, within a year, people are calling one of the greatest Rock albums of all time. I guess that's truly the only word to describe it, great. It's not too hard, it's not too soft, it's great enormous, huge, whatever you want to call it.

I first heard the album when I realized that I had an hour to kill. The first listen was spectacular. I instantly fell in love with at least 10 of the tracks. I was doing it all wrong though. I listened to it while reading the lyrics. Don't do that. Just let it sink in. Once you know it by heart, you fall in love with it.

I will write a more complete and detailed review in a bit.

[Bastard of 1967]

After American Idiot, even I doubted Green Day's ability to come anywhere close to what that album reached. Not that it couldn't be done, just that I truly didn't think Green Day had much more in them. After hearing 21st Century Breakdown, I am taken back. From beginning to end, this album captures you. 21st Century Breakdown takes you on a journey. You can't simply play one song from it. For me, I am now dissatisfied if I don't listen to it cover to cover. It's beyond worth an hour of my time.

When I first heard that Green Day decided to leave Rob Cavallo's tutelage and hand the production reins over to a producer who used to handle Nirvana (whose sound I loathe) I got worried. No need to worry anymore, they went from good hands into better hands. From what I can gather from the interviews, Butch really knew how to help them take their music to the level they wanted to take it to, and even more importantly, help keep Billie Joe grounded and focused -- which I suppose is the best you can ask of any producer. No need to worry about the change in producers anymore: this shit ROCKS.

[ifmemoryserves]

For me, I am now dissatisfied if I don't listen to it cover to cover.

I just have to say that I absolutely love how you turned that phrase around.

And now, my review. I've listened to 21st Century Breakdown about 3 times today. I am still forming my opinions on it, but I'm in the mood for writing a review. As for the whole AI vs. 21CB debate, I am undecided. It will take many, many, MANY more listens for me to even come close to deciding which I prefer. I really wish I knew how many times I have listened to AI. It would be pretty scary to find out. But that's besides the point. However, I would have to say that I am impressed with how well put together and thoughtful 21CB appears to be (well, I would hope it's well put together and thoughtful. I mean, look how long it took them...) as I have to say I didn't think it was very possible for Green Day to top AI. But they appear to have, at very least, met AI's level.

And now I will do a track by track review.

Song Of The Century - I won't rate this out of ten, because in all honestly, it should not even be considered a song. This "song" is basically the equivalent of someone getting up to a faulty microphone in a coffee shop on open mic night and singing a poem instead reading it. However I have to say that Billie's voice is quite angelic on this track.

21st Century Breakdown: 9/10 - I love the beginning of this track and how it builds up to the woos and eventually the verse. And of course the line "My generation is zero/I never made it as a working class hero" is a stand out for me, on the song, and even on the entire album. (Although I won't be talking too much about lyrics because honestly I'm having difficulty understand Billie for most of the album. I'm not sure why. Yes, I could look up the lyrics, but really? Way too lazy. I'll wait for the liner notes) I also love when the track's entire mood is kind of flipped around at around the 3 minute mark. Very reminiscent of AI. The guitar riff reminds me very strongly of the Beatles.

Know Your Enemy: 7/10 - This song, while perfectly fine, and catchy, is extremely (and I mean extremely) repetitive. Even looking past the "Do you know your enemy?" (x100), the verses are to the same beat and melody as the chorus, or at least very close. I mostly only enjoy this song still because when I sing along, I sing the background vocals instead of the melody Billie is singing. Even the guitar solo does not add much enjoyment to this song. Also, it seems to me as if the song completely loses all its energy when it goes back to just the one guitar playing the main riff around 2:24 and from there it seems to be right back where it started. And when the other instruments start up again, it almost seems like you have started listening to the song again. Pretty annoying.

¡Viva La Gloria!: 9/10 - The piano that begins this song is very beautiful, and Billie's voice seems to melt in between the notes. And strangely, for such a beautiful beginning, when the guitars, drums and bass kick it at around the one minute mark, the beautiful beginning does not seem to have been tarnished at all. It belonged there. It still does. The melody and rhythm of the chorus is really catchy and keeps getting stuck in my head. One thing I don't really like about this song is the ending. It seems far too lame for such a good song.

Before The Lobotomy: 7/10 - The opening guitar in this song reminds me of the opening guitar in Silverstein's cover of Apologize (from Punk Goes Pop, Volume 2) every time I listen to it. (Seriously, please tell me they at least sound similar. Listen to the Apologize cover here) [Also please note that I'm not saying Silverstein somehow ripped off Green Day or Green Day ripped off Silverstein (honestly, why would they?). I'm just saying the two openings sound extremely similar] And while I appreciate the slow opening to this song, by this point I am kind of feeling as if Green Day is overusing the "slow-opening-with-pianos-and-soft-guitars-then-morphs-into-fast-intense-electric-guitar-song" formula. Overall I don't care much for this song. While not horrible, or even bad, it's definitely not one of my favorites.

Christian's Inferno: 9/10 - The song seems like it came straight off of a The Network album. Maybe minus the chorus. Seriously, if anyone ever doubted that The Network was actually Green Day, they should be directed to listen to this song, and they will no longer have any doubt in their mind. Despite the repetitiveness of the chorus (you'll be singing along by the second one) I really like this song. The laughing, while I'm sure was not intentional (because, like imitating Silverstein, why the fuck would they?) is very reminiscent of Cute Is What We Aim For's album "Rotation", which features laughter in the first few tracks that is similar to this song.

Last Night On Earth: 8/10 - A beautiful, slow song on the album, Last Night On Earth almost lulled me to sleep as I was driving to school this morning, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's so beautiful and calming, it's practically a lullaby. Not much else to say about it really. I like it enormously, although unfortunately it's the type of song I will usually skip over because I'm just not in the mood.

East Jesus Nowhere: 8.5/10 - This song, everything about it, just screams Foxboro Hot Tubs. The opening riff always reminds me of opening riff to Highway 1, even though, after re-listening to Highway 1, they sound well...not very much alike. I like this song a lot, but am not really sure what to say about it. I love the whispers around the 3:00 mark that are broken up by guitars.

Peacemaker: 7.5/10 - Everyone seems to love this song, but honestly, I see nothing all that special about it. Yes, it's different, it's a stand-out. But it's basically just Misery Part II, with a little more hop in its step. The whole song is basically a revisit of Warning. Not necessarily a bad thing (at all) but not really what I'm wanting to hear on this album. Nonetheless, it's not a bad song.

Last Of The American Girls: 7.5/10 - While it's a good song, it doesn't really stand out. It's a bit like She's A Rebel, both in this sense and a lyrical/thematic sense. Although I do really like the end and how the little beeping sound morphs into Murder City.

Murder City: 10/10 - Probably my favorite song on the album. I just love everything about it. It's the kind of in your face, rhythm guitar song I'm wanting recently. And the lyrics and the way Billie delivers them really stick with me for some reason. "Desperate/But not hopeless/I feel so useless/In the murder city". Just...Ah. I could listen to this song on repeat for hours.

¿Viva La Gloria?: 6.5/10 - Another song that starts slow and quiet and that bursts out with energy and noise. Honestly I've never liked this genre of song. It's too...western for me or something. I don't really know what it is. When I hear this song I just see a bunch of little people with accordions bopping up and down to the beat. Don't ask me.

Restless Heart Syndrome: 8.5/10 - I absolutely LOVE Billie's vocals on this song. I love the reference to KYE and when the guitar kicks in right after that. Love the lyrics to this song as well. And the ending is pretty cool.

Horseshoes and Handgrenades: 9/10 - Another one that reminds me of the Foxboro Hot Tubs. Maybe it was this one that reminds of Highway 1. I'm not sure. Honestly I never listened to FHT all that much. "I'm not fucking around" is such a great opening line. Although I have to say, most of the other lyrics in the song either appear to be mumbled or drowned out by guitars. I do love the part where Billie's scream gets repeated in short little bursts over and over though. Sounds really cool. If it had gone on much longer I'm sure it would have been annoying though.

The Static Age: 9/10 - Reminds me a lot of Insomniac or Nimrod, but with a ton more maturity. I really like this one, but again, don't have much to say about it.

21 Guns: 10/10 - Another one of my favorites on the album. Again, nothing much to say. Love the drums and vocals.

American Eulogy: 10/10 - Yet another of my favorites on the album. I like how it reincorporates Song of The Century. For some reason this song seems to strongly remind me of AI. Love Billie's little scream on "Gloria" and the repetition of "I don't wanna learn from the modern world". It's been said before and I'll say it again, Mike Dirnt owns this song. He could totally take over as lead singer if something (god forbid) was ever to happen to Billie's vocal ability.

See The Light: 8/10 - Parts of the melody in the chorus strangely remind me of Billy Joel, but I can't put my finger on what song. On second thought, maybe it's Elton John... But anyways. This is a good song, and I feel like it's a good way to end the album. I really like the reincorporation of 21st Century Breakdown and feel like it really ties every part of the album into a neat little bow.

OVERALL AVERAGE: 8.5

Overall I absolutely love this album so far and can't wait to continue listening to it.

I'll just let you know that this took me over two hours. Sorry for the length.

[Bastard of 1967]

Mike Dirnt owns this song

Contrast Mike's delivery on Modern World with "Nobody Likes You" from AI -- it's like listening to two completely different people. "Nobody Likes You," while effective and perfect for where it appeared in the AI story, still sounds laughable (as did a lot of Mike's vocals up through and including AI). But he just plain kicks ass on Modern World, as if the song was written by/for him. Not just there, either -- he harmonizes a lot with Billie Joe in other places on the album that can't just be chalked up to Butch's studio magic, you can hear the harmonies in the clips from 21CB's live performances so far, and these guys do not lip-synch. Think he got a voice coach sometime during the five years we've been waiting for this album? I mean, shit, Billie Joe teaches himself how to play piano and now Mike can actually sing...what next??

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hears a little Elton in "See The Light". The chorus conjures up "Philadelphia Freedom" for me.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts -- great post.

[ifmemoryserves]

The chorus conjures up "Philadelphia Freedom" for me.

Yes! That's what it was. Thank you.

[Green Daynger25]

I went through this album a good 5 times front to back and so far I am impressed.

1. Song of the Century=Green Day has been well known for putting some great album openers to start out their full length albums. From At the Library to American Idiot. Then they change it up to this? I like the whole radio static going on but this should of been scraped. 1/10(Based on the past 1st tracks)

2. 21st Century Breakdown=It goes along real well for a 5 minute song. It didn't bore me with alot of repetivness(not a word or I totally murdered it). I tend to know skip this song since I heard it(counting the demo) 100's of times and I want to know the others as well. 8/10

3. Know Your Enemy=I like this song alot. Repetitive? Yeah but it gets you moving. 7/10

4.!Viva la Gloria!= Not the only song on the album to start soft and get raunchy but this one did it best. One of the best songs lyrically on the album. 9/10

5. Before the Lobotomy= The sandwich song. Starts and ends the same lyrically but where the meat is, is where it shines. It didn't get to loud in the middle and it complimented the beginning well. 6/10

6. Christian's Inferno= The Network and Green Day become one. It could of been so much better. I still can't like this song. This has toaken Haushinkas place as my least favorite Green Day song. 1/10

7. Last Night On Earth= First time I heard this I wanted to skip it to get to EJN. But each time I listen it growns on me. Cheesy? Yes but this song can get some guys laid. 5/10

8. East Jesus Nowhere=If you don't have the volume all the way up, you are not doing this song justice. Not my favorite GD song ever but it is a top 5. Hell if a song makes me clap my hands I give it a thumbs up. 10/10

9. Peacemaker=First thing I thought of when the 1-2-3-4 and the guitar was Tenacious D and I had to start it over, cracked my ass up. But after I got that out of my head I loved it. Not as many Heys as Governator but it came close. The rolling of the tongue on the last saronade was uncalled for. 8/10

10. Last of the American Girls= Took me a few times to get into this song but it is well put together. Reminds me alot of the songs on Warning and that is enough to like this. 7/10

11. Murder City= I try so hard to like this song. It hooks well but it gets old to me after the first minute. 4/10

12. ?viva la Gloria? (Little Girl)=This is the one that is in my head the most. A great song with some real good lyrics. More Warning music and I just like the drums. 9/10

13. Restless Heart Syndrome= Billie Joe sounding like Tom Petty? I'm going to like the older Green Day. To be honest 4 minutes is too long for this. 6/10

14. Horseshoes and Handgrenades= WOW! This song blew me away. Nice and rough a must listen. 10/10

15. The Static Age=Was someone sqeezing Billies nuts while he sang this? Horrrid. The music was good. But thats it. 3/10

16. 21 Guns= I like this song but it's not that great. I love the meaning but they tried too hard to make this their BOBD. 7/10

17. American Eulogy=This song was too short. The choruses bland. But I hope to see some Mike sing a little more in the future. 9/10

18. See the Light=I liked the ending of the album. But out of all the songs this didn't sound like Green Day. 4/10

I give it an 8/10 in all. Is it better than A.I.? They are in no comparison. Apples and Oranges.

[Greenday_Aussie]

I'm not going to do a track by track analysis because I have done many of those. I'm simply going to give my feelings.

After American Idiot, even I doubted Green Day's ability to come anywhere close to what that album reached. Not that it couldn't be done, just that I truly didn't think Green Day had much more in them. After hearing 21st Century Breakdown, I am taken back. From beginning to end, this album captures you. 21st Century Breakdown takes you on a journey. You can't simply play one song from it. For me, I am now dissatisfied if I don't listen to it cover to cover. It's beyond worth an hour of my time.

What Green Day lacked in pure punk rock tracks in American Idiot, they made up with in East Jesus Nowhere, Christian's Inferno, Know Your Enemy, and American Eulogy. What they lacked in spectacular, they made up for with tracks like 21st Century Breakdown, Before the Lobotomy, Little Girl, and See The Light.

This album is complete in every aspect and in my mind, they have beaten American Idiot 1,000 fold. I simply don't believe any other album compares. I wouldn't be surprised if, within a year, people are calling one of the greatest Rock albums of all time. I guess that's truly the only word to describe it, great. It's not too hard, it's not too soft, it's great enormous, huge, whatever you want to call it.

I first heard the album when I realized that I had an hour to kill. The first listen was spectacular. I instantly fell in love with at least 10 of the tracks. I was doing it all wrong though. I listened to it while reading the lyrics. Don't do that. Just let it sink in. Once you know it by heart, you fall in love with it.

I will write a more complete and detailed review in a bit.

I feel the same way. I dont wanna call this the greatest album ever, because I feel AI deserves that, it came at a time where I was looking for change, and it did, it changed my life. Id put them on the same level, musically, Breakdown has a slight upper hand. Even though people are saying its poppier, Id almost say its more punk.

Shit, even over at Ultimate Guitar, they posted a link to the whole album stream in the news on the front page, HATERS ARE LOVING IT. This just may be the biggest GD album ever.

[Amanaman]

Hi everyone, I'm relatively new here. I thought I would share a review I've written on 21st Century Breakdown, which has been published on my university's newspaper website:

http://westerneye.net/story/album-review-g...ntury-breakdown

Hope it is of appeal.

[Jack96]

Thats a pretty awesome review very professional lol

[kodaye.]

wow, awesome review!

[Amanaman]

Thanks for the comments, it means a lot as I would like to be a professional reviewer one day.

[chewychorizo]

Good stuff

[Sharmellow]

Nice review. A little short and sweet, but professional.

[novacaine_kid]

You certainly know how to write. Well done!

[Dai.]

I'm going to merge this with the Reviews thread

[Amanaman]

Thanks!

Nice review. A little short and sweet, but professional.

To be honest, I normally write longer reviews as I like to be in-depth, but it was intended to be published in the university's newspaper and they have word count restrictions. They actually said it was a little long!

[josh_oliday]

I'll preface my review with this: I love American Idiot. Before that, I was into the whole singles and one or two song bit. Thrice's "Stare at the Sun" gets credit for drawing me into rock music, but American Idiot gets credit for me loving it (and on a better level, loving Green Day). Yes, I'm one of those hated American Idiot fans who first got into Green Day because of AI. But I have a huge appreciation for Green Day's older stuff. At the top of my list is Nimrod then Warning, and a mixture of the rest. I don't like Green Day because of AI. Now it has turned into liking AI because of Green Day. I understand better where they come from and where they are now. Again, I love American Idiot for its story, its emotions, its lyrics, its music.

So five years from when I first became a fan, lo and behold, a new album. I knew it was coming, but I didn't know what to expect. Green Day does what Green Day wants and they don't bend to fan backlash (like many elitist Dookie fans did at American Idiot). Thank God, because they have put out a great album. And I mean great. The sound is magnificent and although I'm not a fan of the Clash, the Beatles, the Who, and all those other "greats" that numerous review outlets have been comparing them to, from what I have heard from them, I would have to agree. There is a certain grandeur style in the new album that gives it a Beatles sound. But at it's core, it's still Green Day. Billie Joe's vocals have never been better. Tre's extra drumming lessons in Cuba seem to have payed off, and Dirnt shows of his own abilities as a vocalist while still giving great harmonies behind Billie Joe and giving everything that punk rock flavor with his bass lines.

I really can't give a rating on each song, because honestly, they don't deserve a critique like that. Sure there are some bad moments on the album (the rhythm ruining "Last Night on Earth" being one instance) and as stand alone songs, they would honestly not sound all that great. But much like Idiot, 21st Century Breakdown shows its brilliance in how all the songs together create something much more. Would "See the Light" really make sense without the horrifying ideals of "Christian's Inferno" or the apathetic punkishness of "American Eulogy?" Maybe, but not as much. The group brings a greater want of music to this album. Adding in the huge piano pits and toning down the guitars really gives it that aforementioned Beatles feel.

Unfortunately, this is where the negative hits. It doesn't feel like Green Day. Ok, well it does. As mentioned above, all the core Green Day elements are there. But there is just something missing that even the bigger musical style of American Idiot had: energy. 21stCB comes close. "Know Your Enemy" is probably the closest that Green Day gets too American Idiot. And there are hints of it other places. "Horseshoes and Handgrenades" hits up there but still has an oldish musical feel to it. "Murder City", again hits close, but the slowing and quieting of the guitars just doesn't have the same feel as it's predecessor "Letterbomb." Going back and listening to Idiot's title track, it is packed with energy. Like "holy shit, you just put out Minority and Warning, and now you are 30 something years old, where the fuck did this energy come from?" kind of energy. And AI only rockets up from there. Sure it slows down in places, but the transitions feel natural and even then, the slower songs like "Wake Me Up When September Ends" have a good bit going for them in the solos before slowing back down again. So what happened to it. I guess the band chose it consciously. Again, I have no problem with this choice. But more energy would have been appreciated.

Rating this album is difficult, because some of the songs are better than some of Idiot's offerings. "Before the Lobotomy" is one that just has a kick ass verse and chorusish line. American Eulogy, even being only half of "Jesus of Suburbia" has a huge feel to it. And "See the Light" even though I still think it sounds a fuck load like "You Shook Me All Night Long," is probably one of Green Day's best album ending songs. I can't imagine that song anywhere except at the end of a performance or as the last single of the album. It just doesn't fit anywhere else. If I had to choose a rating I would give it 4/5 because of the lack of energy. Sorry guys, you just shouldn't have wasted all that energy on the Foxboro Hot Tubs.

[danfoxh]

Time for another lengthy rant hopefully with good content, definitely with good intentions.

With the release of 21st Century Breakdown, I thought this might be the place to let loose my opinions of the album. Though I am writing this for the masses, someone may get something out of this, I really am writing it for myself. Sometimes we all just need to write something to clear our heads, you guys are my audience... SORRY IN ADVANCE!

Once again GD did not let me down. As I stated in my previous post, I can script my life to Green Day albums, the same goes with 21CB. The dynamics of this album are legendary. They take you on, in their words from AI, "a subliminal mind fuck" roller coaster journey that changes, turns, flips you around, and does it all over again. It starts out hard and fast, and ends hard and fast, the middle is a free for all of punk rock bedlam. This is one of those albums that you turn off the lamps, turn on the Christmas tree lights you still having hanging up on your wall, get the incense going and drift off to another world.

The 70's was the glory age of Rock N Roll. When you take bands like The Who, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Queen etc, and look at their albums, they may have one or two songs that hit your brain and your heart. GD has managed to do it with one album. Are there songs that I like more than others? Absolutely. When i listen to each song individually, there are a few i don't care for at all. When you listen to the same song, in its original context and order, its somehow makes sense and is now more enjoyable.

Lyrically, they put their balls on the line. As a writer, no matter the medium, we are all faced with that one piece that defines us. That one piece that we "risk it all" and to hell with what anyone else thinks, this one is for you. Its that moment when you finish the piece, that you realize that you actually ARE naked in the classroom (oh come on, we all have had that dream.) When you write that piece your life changes. Its about being honest with yourself, and allowing others to share with you. There is something great about that. Until you have had that defining moment, it is impossible to understand. I think i am still waiting.

I actually listened to every album consecutively since the release. If you listen carefully as the albums progress, they let us in to their minds a little bit, but always keeping us arms length away. With this album, they went all out. Naked in the classroom.

When you look back at life, and stop to realize that you were just a very small piece of reality, yet in the moment, reality seemed to be a very small piece of you. We all had feelings of helplessness that we thought would never end. Would that teasing never stop? Will that girl ever like me? How the hell am I going to survive? Yet if you are reading this post, none of that matters anymore. They stopped teasing because you grew up. She liked you or didn't like you, you moved on. You survived. Small piece of reality. Naked in the classroom.

I have drifted off from the album itself, and more on to what it means to me. Sorry for the long post. As always, if anyone has feedback, I would love to hear it. Email me danfoxh@gmail.com . Several of you responded from my last posting, look forward to more.

Dan

[Dai.]

I'm not so sure what to do with this, but I can't leave it open. I'll merge it with the reviews thread, hope you don't mind.

[danfoxh]

I'm not so sure what to do with this, but I can't leave it open. I'll merge it with the reviews thread, hope you don't mind.

Does not bother me at all. Just started writing something, figured i'd post it somewhere. Dont care where!

[Dai.]

Does not bother me at all. Just started writing something, figured i'd post it somewhere. Dont care where!

It was a nice read, which is why I didn't want to just close and/or delete the thread