Green Day Q&A Thread

[fatherotti]

So in total how former band members does Green Day actually have?

There's good old Al Sobrante (John Kiffmeyer) who was of course the band's first drummer. I'm recently hearing about Aaron Cometbus, who (apparently) held the drum spot for a tiny bit after Al left. Finally there was a myth on here a while back that Mike HIMSELF wasn't even the band's bassist at first but the rhythm guitarist and that some other guy was on bass originally. Not sure how much merit that last one holds as it sounds kind of ridiculous lol.

[WhiteTim]

So in total how former band members does Green Day actually have?

There's good old Al Sobrante (John Kiffmeyer) who was of course the band's first drummer. I'm recently hearing about Aaron Cometbus, who (apparently) held the drum spot for a tiny bit after Al left. Finally there was a myth on here a while back that Mike HIMSELF wasn't even the band's bassist at first but the rhythm guitarist and that some other guy was on bass originally. Not sure how much merit that last one holds as it sounds kind of ridiculous lol.

Mike wasnt the bassist when they were Sweet Children a guy named Sean was if I'm not mistaken

[The Disappearing Boy]

So in total how former band members does Green Day actually have?

There's good old Al Sobrante (John Kiffmeyer) who was of course the band's first drummer. I'm recently hearing about Aaron Cometbus, who (apparently) held the drum spot for a tiny bit after Al left. Finally there was a myth on here a while back that Mike HIMSELF wasn't even the band's bassist at first but the rhythm guitarist and that some other guy was on bass originally. Not sure how much merit that last one holds as it sounds kind of ridiculous lol.

Mike wasnt the bassist when they were Sweet Children a guy named Sean was if I'm not mistaken

Yep. I saw it on a documentary once. The guy was Sean Hughes I think. Another guy was on drums and eventually he left, Mike moved to bass and John Kiffmeyer joined the band.

I remember seeing on GDA once, years ago, that a guy called Dave E. C. was on drums between John leaving and Tre joining. Could well be true, but as I understand it, they trialled a few drummers in that time, so I don't know if you can really consider him a former member.

[Todd]

Yes, you are all correct. Sean Hughes was bassist, Dave EC played drums a bit, so did Aaron and some other guy did in 1987, John joined in 88 I believe.

[tubbyfox]

A Good Riddance question. Rob Cavallo says he heard Good Riddance and sent the boys out of the recording studio and put strings on it and then got them back in telling them had a number one hit. Billie Joe says they had a whole string section in, which he kept paring down until they had just two violinisits and a cellist. Billie then asked them to make it sound less classical and more folksy (damned fine job they did too), making it sound as if he was very much involved in the process. So these are very different sounding stories. Anyone know which one is true? I know which one sounds most convincing.

[Certified Nimrod]

Since the Broadway Cast American Idiot album was recorded in a studio (something I recently learned) did Green Day play the instruments, or did the people that play with the cast at performances play them?

[Jon Benjamin]

Since the Broadway Cast American Idiot album was recorded in a studio (something I recently learned) did Green Day play the instruments, or did the people that play with the cast at performances play them?

Green Day did

[harry88788]

What is someones abandon that Billie says in lyrics. he says it in Viva La Gloria (Little Girl) and the Forgotten

[green day is]

What is someones abandon that Billie says in lyrics. he says it in Viva La Gloria (Little Girl) and the Forgotten

"the charlatans and saints of your abandon"

Charlatans are frauds (people who are frauds, not frauds in and of themselves), Saints are those acknowledge as virtuous, or as sinless as humanly possible. The whole album is filled with little contrasts like that (Heroes and Cons for example) and, though it's entirely up to one's personal interpretation, I feel it's mainly representative of the ups and downs of life, so to speak. Christian and Gloria (who are a contrasting duo themselves) live in very chaotic times.

[Edit:] Oh fuck, totally misunderstood what you were asking. I believe it to be a grammatically incorrect form of "your abandonment". The Forgotten's Like losing faith to our abandon is actually Like losing faith to our abandonment, meaning that the act of being abandoned was the cause of lost faith. Charlatans and Saints of our abandonment seems to me like another way of saying the ups and downs of our abandonment, as "Charlatans and Saints" is almost certainly not literal.

Hope this helps.

[Spike]

It looks like the 2012 remaster of American Idiot has been taken down from HDTracks. I'm really desperate to get hold of it, does anyone know where I might find it?

[MaraGreenDay]

Anyone knows where i can find that interview where Billie says that his grandma it's from Chihuahua, México? I can't remember where i saw that, i think it was a magazine

Edit: Nevermind, i find it....

[Jon Benjamin]

It looks like the 2012 remaster of American Idiot has been taken down from HDTracks. I'm really desperate to get hold of it, does anyone know where I might find it?

Torrents

[green day is]

Torrents

Doubtful.

[Spike]

I've found it now, but thanks anyway

It took me until the middle of Dearly Beloved to notice any difference from the original, but it does seem to sound marginally better overall. Worth it, I'd say.

[green day is]

I've found it now, but thanks anyway

It took me until the middle of Dearly Beloved to notice any difference from the original, but it does seem to sound marginally better overall. Worth it, I'd say.

Was it on a torrent site?

[Spike]

Was it on a torrent site?

Yeah but it wouldn't download due to lack of seeders. In the end I got a friend who lives in Chicago to download it from HDTracks and send it me (because I did find it on there in the end, but couldn't buy it because I'm not in the US).

[Todd]

Yeah but it wouldn't download due to lack of seeders. In the end I got a friend who lives in Chicago to download it from HDTracks and send it me (because I did find it on there in the end, but couldn't buy it because I'm not in the US).

Was it on a torrent site?

Hey, i'm downloading it now, but on HDTracks there are two versions, 96kHz/24bit and 192kHz/24bit. What's the difference, do you know? And which is better?

[green day is]

Hey, i'm downloading it now, but on HDTracks there are two versions, 96kHz/24bit and 192kHz/24bit. What's the difference, do you know? And which is better?

Fucking pleb.

192 is, on paper, better. In practice, it doesn't matter.

[Todd]

Fucking pleb.

192 is, on paper, better. In practice, it doesn't matter.

There's definitely a difference in the trilogy albums, they sound better on HDTracks compared to my itunes verisons

For example, the HDTracks version of Amy is fucking awesome, that preview is great with headphones on and shit, oh man.

[Spike]

Hey, i'm downloading it now, but on HDTracks there are two versions, 96kHz/24bit and 192kHz/24bit. What's the difference, do you know? And which is better?

The gains in quality start reducing the higher the conversions go, eg 88.2khz is significantly better than 44.1, but 192 is only slightly better than 96. I wouldn't say it's worth the difference to get the 192 over the 96, because the file sizes will be A LOT bigger. Plus you have to have a system good enough to play the 192s properly, so it might not actually make any difference compared to the 96 anyway. 96 has been the "in thing" from record companies for long enough for it to be good enough for me!

[green day is]

There's definitely a difference in the trilogy albums, they sound better on HDTracks compared to my itunes verisons

For example, the HDTracks version of Amy is fucking awesome, that preview is great with headphones on and shit, oh man.

Yeah cool that's nice and all but it isn't what those things mean. You asked if 96kHz or 192kHz was better. lrn2audiophile, and even more so lrn2readingcomp.

[Todd]

The gains in quality start reducing the higher the conversions go, eg 88.2khz is significantly better than 44.1, but 192 is only slightly better than 96. I wouldn't say it's worth the difference to get the 192 over the 96, because the file sizes will be A LOT bigger. Plus you have to have a system good enough to play the 192s properly, so it might not actually make any difference compared to the 96 anyway. 96 has been the "in thing" from record companies for long enough for it to be good enough for me!

Do you have any of the trilogy HDTracks? Dos sounded a lot better to me, but Uno doesn't sound any better (Judging by the previews)

[Spike]

Do you have any of the trilogy HDTracks? Dos sounded a lot better to me, but Uno doesn't sound any better (Judging by the previews)

No, I've just got AI at the moment, 21stCB will be next then the trilogy. I'll check them out on the previews now though.

[Todd]

No, I've just got AI at the moment, 21stCB will be next then the trilogy. I'll check them out on the previews now though.

Kill the DJ sounds great, but Nuclear Family still sounded 'compressed' to me, but then again, what do I know?

[Spike]

Kill the DJ sounds great, but Nuclear Family still sounded 'compressed' to me, but then again, what do I know?

Yeah, I've had a quick listen to a few tracks and didn't think Uno was that special. That said, the backing vocals in the chorus of Stay The Night are way louder, which is a massive improvement. I'd buy it on the strength of that alone. Amy, DRB and X Kid all sound marginally better too.