The Oldest Debate in the Books

[ClassOfEleven]

This always confuses me when people do this, its one band ! There is no 'old or new' its just Green Day. From 1039/SOSH to 21st CB, its all the same. If people compare the times, they're stupid.

Oh and anyone who is the same person they were 15 years ago has something really wrong with them !

[Alex.]

It's all good.

[Tre_Gina]

I only got into Green Day when american idiot came out but since then I have brought the entire catalogue and love it all.

x

[Spark of Insanity]

I like all of Green Day...simple as that.

But I love both old and new, they very in how they play and do things and I like the distinction in how they play. It is variety and an expansion of how talented they are and everything.

[Opezi]

i think green day kicks ass . (period)

[novacaine_kid]

I've been a fan for over a decade, and grew up on the old stuff. In a lot of ways, I relate to and almost prefer the older stuff. However, the last 2 albums have been incredible. The way they came back with American Idiot could not have been done any better. It was the perfect return, and made Green Day relevant again. Don't forget that after Superhits came out, it looked like the band were on the verge of splitting up, they weren't selling out tours, the sales for Warning were disappointing and it looked as though they were heading for a fall. I don't personally believe they would have given up that easily, but they needed a change in direction. I know a lot of people bitched about the new sound and the political statements, but they wanted to push themselves as a band, and for that I have nothing but respect for them.

Of course, I along with may others would love an old school Green Day style album, but I would not be upset if it never happened. They are better musicians now, they have a whole new dimension to their sound and they still play the oldies live, and although it may be a controversial statement, having Jason White play 2nd guitar on the old hits really gives them more punch than they had previously.

The thing I miss most about the old Green Day is the size of the venues that they play nowdays. It would be great to see them do smaller venues, but again, it really doesn't matter all that much. I used to say I wished the live shows were a little more spontaneous as well, but it seems like they have addressed that one by playing more rare songs and changing the setlists up.

The debate will never go away, but weather you are an old fan or a new one is totally irrelevant. I just get sick of the whole selling out debate. Theres nothing wrong with being successful. And few bands have achieved this much success after re-inventing themselves so drastically.

[Izzard]

I guess it sort of depends when you join the party...I first started listening to Green Day in 2002 so I guess i sort of have this weird advantage because I was able to here the stuff they did before AI and 21CB but I get to really get into Green day for AI and I thought it was great, it was the first time that I had ever heard Green Day talked about like mad and saw them on tv all the time so it was great for me. I love them now, I've grown up with who they are now more than who they were before because yes they have changed but everyone does as they learn things, go through life, and get a bit older; things just change.

They're 37 year old men with wives/girlfriends and children, obviously things are going to change. They had way too much talent to stay underground, and once they broke through to the mainstream, they realized that they can keep pushing themselves to new musical limits. Of course it caused a backlash in the punk scene, and they, I'm sure to this day, are plagued by it at least a bit.

The point I'm trying to get at is, making every album sound the same would've been boring and repetitive. I love listening to "old" Green Day, because of the simplicity of it, but at the same time, I love listening to "new" Green Day to hear the complex music and lyrics.

Yeah its great to be able to hear different stuff from them. I think it really shows there talent, and through everything they have still managed to stay Green Day. Its not like they went and changed everything about them selves, there mind set just changed/grew/expanded.

[caltrask]

Honestly, this sort of conversation blows my mind. It's seems to only be concerning to people who are perhaps thinking too much about what they should like, or what is cool, what's more punk, etc.----To be clear, this is a broad sentiment, I don't know any of the posters on here well enough to assume anything about them, but whenever I read things in articles or posts anywhere about the band selling out, maturing their sound, old vs. new, I think it's so dead-ended. I have been a fan for 16 years, I'm a long-timer. And to be honest. I know that with age I've reflected on all of their music with different ears. I was glued to MTV in 1994 whenever they were on, but listening to Dookie now, I feel like I'm truly appreciating it for the first time all over again. In recent years I've been re-introducing myself to all of their work, and again, it's like hearing it with fresh ears.

My point is, when you remove yourself from the moment, the hype, what's popular, what the pundits are saying and just take in the music for what it is, you truly don't care about these sort of questions.The music was good when it came out, and it ages very well. That's a sign of one hell of a fine band.

For instance, 'When I come around' means more to me today then it ever did. And when you pluck the gems off of their Lookout! releases, you see the makings of what is so great about their best work. And, as a longtime fan, let me say that American Idiot is a flawless album, one great song after another, tightly ordered, played to perfection. And when 21st Century Breakdown came out I listened to it front to back twice though. It is an amazing album, one that makes you wonder just how much better they could get, they've been a band a long time but they are still in the shank of their lives, after all.

There is no comparing, this is the same band who were great in the 90's, are shockingly good today, and only getting better. Music changes, it's the nature of it, but a band like Green Day are a rare occurrence, nitpicking is a sidelines exercise in tedium.