Is Green Day still playing good music?

[Velocity]

This pathetic article written by LA's very own "Todd" is exactly what Im talking about. People are expecting only Green Day to perform like the mindblowing era's of American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown. When I say this I mean that why is it that Green Day is the expected band/artist to take advantage of the 2012 Presidential Election by releasing political music? Is that what respect Punk Rock music has these days? Because if it is, then I'm fucking pissed. There is absolutely no respect towards Green Day in this subject, and with that comes assholes writing articles about how they cannot change and do what they want. That "The band can live in the past, but the fans shouldnt."

... wow. I'm sorry, but this band just can't win. If they release a big political album, fans and critics want old green day back. If they release something fun and loud and akin to 'old green day'; people accuse them of living in the past.

Honestly, I can sort of understand where the writer of the article is coming from. For the last eight years Green Day has seemed like a really socially conscious band, they seemed like they were stepping up to the plate and 'maturing'. But now that they seem to be ignoring the issue almost entirely, especially in an election season, it makes it look like everything political they said over the last decade was an act to sell albums and get attention. I'm not AT ALL saying that that's the case, it just makes it look like that to someone who isn't a hardcore fan of the band.

[green day is]

Nope.

[DecanoLP]

Bastard of 1967, amazing post as always!

Honestly, I can sort of understand where the writer of the article is coming from. For the last eight years Green Day has seemed like a really socially conscious band, they seemed like they were stepping up to the plate and 'maturing'. But now that they seem to be ignoring the issue almost entirely, especially in an election season, it makes it look like everything political they said over the last decade was an act to sell albums and get attention. I'm not AT ALL saying that that's the case, it just makes it look like that to someone who isn't a hardcore fan of the band.

This is exactly what I noticed as well. It seems as they aren't committed to AI and especially 21stCB anymore.

Just take a look at their setlists from Europe this year. With Know Your Enemy (lead single) and Murder City (fan favourite) they only played 2 songs off it. For me, it looks like they want to forget about that record as soon as possible since it wasn't that successful anyway. They might not be even proud of it.

I'm not sure if that's the case for AI too because they're still playing 5-6 songs off it, but these are their biggest hits which they'll never be able to drop.

[joeysturkeyhead]

It's off-topic but because I'm French I have to tell you, here in France 95% of the population don't eat snails, that's fucking disgusting. That's just clichés on the French people.

You do know I'm not serious, right? What I meant was, do you like Green Day? If you do, then don't speculate too much about whether you do or not. Good or bad is just a matter of taste.

[Zelda]

One thing I absolutely HATE about being a Green Day fan is all of these fucking debates about the music. Can't we just enjoy it? God.

[Drop Dead Hideous]

to the OP.. something does not have to be complicated for it to be good

[SamMacs]

They do not only play good music, they are playing the best music! If we didn't like what we hear, we wouldn't be here.

And yes sometimes they are using the same chords, but it doesn't sound the same at all. I mean, Walking Contradiction, Jaded & American Idiot are all based on the same chords and it's entirely different songs.

[JellyTime]

I don't care about chords, rhytms and basslines. For me they're playing very good music, because they really enjoy what they do. Their songs are honest, flowing from their hearts. So as long as they remain themselves, they will be playing great music.

[Firecracker Lell]

I don't know if they play good music or not, but I think it has something amazing in it that a lot of people LOVE it!

[Anja]

Honestly, I can sort of understand where the writer of the article is coming from. For the last eight years Green Day has seemed like a really socially conscious band, they seemed like they were stepping up to the plate and 'maturing'. But now that they seem to be ignoring the issue almost entirely, especially in an election season, it makes it look like everything political they said over the last decade was an act to sell albums and get attention. I'm not AT ALL saying that that's the case, it just makes it look like that to someone who isn't a hardcore fan of the band.

Just because they released 2 political albums does not have to mean they have to continue doing so, do they? Besides, there's songs like "99 Revolutions" on the new records that still deal with social and political issues. And we haven't even heard 90% of the songs, so who knows if there might not be a lot more dealing with this kind of stuff?

I do understand your point and agree that it might seem 'fake' to some people but well, bands develope and Green Day can't write the same album over and over. I'm sure there's much more going on in Billie's mind than just political issues that he wants to release and write about.

[Elena]

well, i think most has already been said, but i just wanna add: sometimes simple is better...it doesn't need 20 chords to make good music, it needs 3 or 4 chords, the reason why so many bands use 3 or 4 chords is that these chords are the ones that fit together the best, the ones that everyone is familiar with, everyone can sing along to 4 chords songs etc..and from my own experience when you sit (or stand) there with your guitar and wanna write a new song, try out all different chord combinations, you always end up with the same ones, cos these are the ones that sound the best

...what makes the songs different is the combination between all instrument, the singers voice and the melody and i personally don't really care whether they just use 3 chords or 4 chords...

..and as someone said the Ramones did that for over 20 years and no one really cared, so why should we care when Green Day does it...i don't really understand why so many bands and singers do it and Green Day is the one that gets bashed for it

as to that article Andres posted: this band seems to always lose...when they do new stuff the people go all like "Oh my god, they change too much, that's not punk anymore" etc (except for that one person who meant they do all the same stuff since about 20 years and should change now ), then when they say they wanna go back to the roots a bit, people start to say that they live in the past ...and then there's the people who say Green Day have changed to much with the trilogy...

personally i think it's great that they always make something new, but also wanna go back to the roots a bit, cos i don't wanna hear the same stuff over and over again, they've already had Kerplunk! and Dookie and they've already had American Idiot and 21stCB, why should they do the same stuff again? i think what they do now is the best thing they could do: they put in a bit of the really old stuff (e.g. in Let Yourself Go), a bit of the newer stuff of AI and 21stCB (e.g. Amy or politically 99 Revolutions) and they put in completely new stuff they've never done before (e.g. Kill The DJ)...what's not to like?

[in_your_face]

wow well said.

[Vic_Rattlehead]

Who cares how many chords they use? Tomorrow Never Knows by the Beatles uses one (maybe two) chords, and it's one of the greatest and most important songs of all time. It doesn't matter how many chords you have, it's what you do with them. And there's only so many chords they can work with, they're not about to start using Dm6 and Am9 and shit like that.

[ghesboro]

If you think Green Day's music is good then yes, Green Day still plays good music. In my opinion the whole concept of "good music" depends on everybody's point of view.

[No Rhyme Or Reason]

Really interesting discussion! I agree that what is "good" is totally subjective - that becomes obvious when I learn that not everyone loves Green Day as much as we do. To me, they make some of the best music out there, but there are plenty of people who don't like their songs and think they make bad music. Different opinions and interpretations of what is good or bad will always exist, so I guess there can never be a truly objective statement that an artist made good or bad music. Some seem more obvious than others - isn't it common knowledge that Mozart or the Beatles made good music?? - but even then not everyone agrees, so it can't actually be confirmed what the quality of music was.

One thing that I do want to address: The arguments people make about "Green Day needs to go back to their roots!" vs. "Green Day needs to make music like AI/21CB!" - as with the article Andres pointed out and numerous reviews from other critics throughout their career, Green Day can never win. People either want them to make music that is more complex and political, and avoid the simple sound of their earlier records, or they want Green Day to be more like the band they fell in love with back in the early 90s an be more straightforward.

With the new trilogy, I think just about everyone should be satisfied. Uno is supposed to be more like their earlier stuff, a record that many fans have been longing for for years now. Its sound resembles that of Dookie or Nimrod, and shows that Green Day can still make simple, fast songs that are catchy and fun to listen to. On the other hand, there's Dos, which is definitely more experimental and garage-y - something Green Day hasn't really done before, to satisfy the people who want to see GD step outside of their usual musical box and try something new. That record should prove that Green Day isn't stuck in a rut, and they can experiment with different sounds and styles. And finally Tré. This is supposed to be the most epic and the most reminiscent of American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown - ambitious, big sound covering profoundly important social topics, and showcasing a more complex musicality than previously seen in Green Day's earliest works.

These 3 albums should satisfy all three desires fans and critics have. If you want hear them go back to their roots, listen to Uno. If you think they should prove how experimental they can be, give Dos a listen. And if you want to hear their progression from AI & 21CB, Tré will be perfect for you. If people STILL aren't happy, then that's too bad for them. Then GD really can't win no matter what they do, and you might as well just accept that you don't like anything by them. But I don't think that will be too much of a problem. This trilogy should really show just how prolific and capable Green Day are - they can still do any sound from earlier in their career (a la Uno and Tré), but they can also try new sounds and move forward in that way. And I think that that shows how great they are as musicians, that they can cover so much stylistic ground in such a short period of time. That's impressive, and just another reason I love Green Day.

In my opinion, Green Day has consistently made fantastic music throughout their career. Sure, there have been a few songs I just don't like (Dominated Love Slave, Fashion Victim...). But for the most part all the songs have been really good or great or epic. The new songs likewise sound wonderful, and I can't wait to hear the new records. I LOVE Oh Love and Kill The DJ, and once I hear songs like Wild One and Nightlife in their entirety, I'm sure I'll love them about as much. And Brutal Love, Missing You, and Forgotten all sound intriguing, and promise to also be incredible songs. It's all subjective of course - fan favorite Let Yourself Go is just a simple fun song, nothing special to me - but overall I think the new albums will fit in nicely amongst their other albums of great music.

[Nimrod2309]

Good topic. I think all that really matters is whether we (as individuals, not a collective) like what they're doing.....

Your entire post is beautiful. Spot on!

[Whatsername_the13]

Well, I love the music of Green Day. I do for 6 years know and my opinion doesn't change.

I mean, if it had, I wouldn't listen to them anymore, would I?^^

I like that they always have some surprisings songs you wouldn't expect from them. And even when they use always the same chords - who cares?

I mean, as long as it sounds that awesome it does, where's the problem? And what I like about it too: You even can play them on the guitar when you didn't had a single guitar lessons. You just have to learn a few cords and that's it. And that's awesome, I mean,it makes you feel good when you realize that you manage it to play the same songs like your role models, doesn't it?

And finally, what's more punk rock, than using 3 same chords all of the time

And how I said although they use the same chords it sounds different! I mean, that's kinda awesome, isn't it?!?

So, in my opinion: For sure they play good music!!!!!!!!!

[burnout409]

I personally think they they still and always have made the best music, and i think to me they always will!

But Everyone is going to answer differently because everyone likes different things, their can be no debate or argument in this question, just everyone's own opinion can be expressed but no one ever has exactly the same opinion about anything!

But yes Green Day to me always have and i hope always will make 'Good' music!

[Anja]

Perfectly said, I couldn't agree more.

We are getting 37 new songs - 3 new albums. That's more than most bands release in their entire career. So there really has to be something for everyone in those albums. I feel sorry for those who just can't be satisfied with whatever this band does.

[Tubbie Head]

what? They get better and better every time.

[DecanoLP]

One thing I absolutely HATE about being a Green Day fan is all of these fucking debates about the music. Can't we just enjoy it? God.

Do you know what I hate about being a Green Day fan? 90% of the fans get pissed or become personal when there are interesting discussions that might contain bad opinions about their music.

In my opinion, this is one of the best things to do in a community: Discussing with other fans in a critical sense.

[ChelseaDagger]

I'm with Nemo, good music is from different points of view.... I learned this after having watched the VMA's yesterday....having seen people give out award to ''artists'' like Nikki Minaj and One Direction.... It taught me that what's non-enjoyable in my taste can be obsessed by others

I totally thought about this too as I was watching. If for some reason, unimagineable to myself, people enjoy Niki Minaj and One Direction, and conect to their "music" in some way, then power to them. Good music is so subjective and depends on who you ask.

And about what Andres posted from that article:

Green Day = Damned if they do, damned if they don't. When they lean towards a different direction musically, people complain and say they aren't the same anymore. When they go back to their roots a little bit, people complain and say they are going backwards and that they need to be more.... musically complex?

Exactly. When they try something different, people want the "old GD" back. When they go back to their roots, people say "they need to move forward".

Whatever. I love it no matter what. I've been listening to GD for so long, I feel like it's a part of my identity. No matter what kind of songs they release, their music makes me feel something. Plain and simple.

It's not a question about good or bad music. It's about feelings, about emotions. About connecting with a band. As simple as that.

In the end, everything just is reduced to feelings.

Do you enjoy Green Day? Then fuck the "good music" thing.

I love this. Well said.

[Zelda]

Do you know what I hate about being a Green Day fan? 90% of the fans get pissed or become personal when there are interesting discussions that might contain bad opinions about their music.

In my opinion, this is one of the best things to do in a community: Discussing with other fans in a critical sense.

Well I apologize for wanting to just enjoy the music, when a new debate pops up every fucking week. It's almost always the same shit that people argue about, and I'm tired of it.

[Milo Goes To Pasalacqua]

green day are not overly talented musicians for sure (mike is a pretty good bass player though). the thing is, punk rock is generally a simple genre in structures, songwriting and use of instruments. that's the great thing about punk rock and green day IMO. everyone can get an instrument, write a song with simple chord progressions and verse-chorus-verse-chorus and rock out. it's not like symphonic metal or prog rock, where you have to practice for 20 years to write songs and play the instruments appropriately.

Agreed re:Mike's bass playing. It was him and Matt Freeman that showed me how basslines in punk could be like, and made me pick up bass instead of a guitar. Woulda said that Tré is a good drum player though. Apparently, when he first started playing for GD, he was too experimental, always going off on his complex little tangents. Which was great live, but a problem playing for radio or in the studio. So i learned to, as he put it, play the song, not the instrument.

[Milo Goes To Pasalacqua]

ANYWAYS...

Interesting question. I'd say, in my own arrogant opinion, yes and no. Listening to their new stuff, i am not altogether sure as to me at least it seems a little hit and miss. Carpe Diem, Stay the Night and Let Yourself Go have me excited. Yet Oh Love and Kill The DJ are not up to GD's usual standard. But i figure that's ok, i'm still willing to take a chance on the trilogy, cuz i think they need to put out some singles like that that will appeal to the lowest common denominator, and then there will be better deep-album tracks. Like with 21CB: (most of the) singles were not great but the album did have songs like Murder City and !Viva La Gloria! (and the album had strong lyrics as well). They put out more weak stuff than before but i still wouldn't call them 'bad' just yet, cuz they still, overall, seem to get it right.