Unpopular Green Day Opinions

[Marrymebilliejoe]

I thought Billie's singing was excellent when I saw them in April. Like really, really phenomenal. Much better than past Green Day concerts I had been to.

Unpopular opinions:

The crazy laser light show that has been going on during this tour doesn't do it for me. At all. I felt so distracted during the concert, and it was hard to see the band at times because of all the damn flashing lights. I mean yeah, it looks cool, but its just too much. Also, I miss they pyro horribly.

There are some wonderfully written songs on the trilogy that I find completely amazing. But many of them, I feel, are a huge step back lyrically. And its not that I need them to always write about dark, heavy topics (although I do enjoy such songs) - what I really miss is the humor. I feel as though a lot of the clever, funny lyrics are missing from the trilogy that have always been present in Green Day's writing. In the trilogy, their slower songs have brilliant lyrics, but quite a few of the more upbeat songs just aren't at the level I'm used to with their lyrics. Not all of them, of course - some of the faster songs are also wonderfully written. But still. Overall, I'm disappointed in the lyrics.

I feel as though when looking back at the band's career, this time will go down in history as "the lost era." To the outside world, it is as though nothing even happened in Green Day land in regard to new music. Like, I hear Oh Love on satellite radio occasionally. That's it. And it makes me sad, because a lot of work went into the trilogy and it possesses some excellent songs. But you can tell it has already basically been swept under the rug.

I would agree with A LOT of this. I really think that the trilogy will be swept under the rug. Almost in a sense like Warning was, however, I think this is a bigger blow to them than Warning was. Not that a lot of effort wasn't put into that album, but I think the trilogy was something for THEM. Like they just came off American Idiot and 21st century, really heavy albums, and these albums definitely reach back to their roots, and you can tell they had a fun time writing these 3 fresh new albums. And I would agree about the lyrics as well. I was, for the first time, disappointed in some of their songs. But on the flip side their were some amazing ones! So, you take the good with the bad I guess. However, I have faith that their next album will blow everybody off their feet. No question abut it.

[HolyHandGrenade]

I thought Billie's singing was excellent when I saw them in April. Like really, really phenomenal. Much better than past Green Day concerts I had been to.

Unpopular opinions:

The crazy laser light show that has been going on during this tour doesn't do it for me. At all. I felt so distracted during the concert, and it was hard to see the band at times because of all the damn flashing lights. I mean yeah, it looks cool, but its just too much. Also, I miss they pyro horribly.

There are some wonderfully written songs on the trilogy that I find completely amazing. But many of them, I feel, are a huge step back lyrically. And its not that I need them to always write about dark, heavy topics (although I do enjoy such songs) - what I really miss is the humor. I feel as though a lot of the clever, funny lyrics are missing from the trilogy that have always been present in Green Day's writing. In the trilogy, their slower songs have brilliant lyrics, but quite a few of the more upbeat songs just aren't at the level I'm used to with their lyrics. Not all of them, of course - some of the faster songs are also wonderfully written. But still. Overall, I'm disappointed in the lyrics.

I feel as though when looking back at the band's career, this time will go down in history as "the lost era." To the outside world, it is as though nothing even happened in Green Day land in regard to new music. Like, I hear Oh Love on satellite radio occasionally. That's it. And it makes me sad, because a lot of work went into the trilogy and it possesses some excellent songs. But you can tell it has already basically been swept under the rug.

I'd rather have the band keep the current SFX with no pyro than hemorrhage cash like they apparently did last tour. In fact, I think the lack of fancy lights makes small theater/club shows even more intimate relatively.

Comedy wise, I think their peak level of witty, dirty, entertaining lyrics was Nimrod (plus Walking Contradiction, Brat, parts of Shenanigans, etc..) basically the late nineties. A.I. and 21CB didn't really allow for that of course. Now, with the trilogy, they returned to the dirty, but forgot the witty and carefree things. The only one that does it 100% for me is Fuck Time, a FBHT song. After that, Kill the DJ? Troublemaker? Stray Heart and X-Kid's music video?

[Strayheart1219]

I think that green day is very underrated.

[HolyHandGrenade]

I think that green day is very underrated.

Amen lol.

by the way, it's unpopular opinions among us GDCers not the world

[stories and songs]

Comedy wise, I think their peak level of witty, dirty, entertaining lyrics was Nimrod (plus Walking Contradiction, Brat, parts of Shenanigans, etc..) basically the late nineties. A.I. and 21CB didn't really allow for that of course. Now, with the trilogy, they returned to the dirty, but forgot the witty and carefree things. The only one that does it 100% for me is Fuck Time, a FBHT song. After that, Kill the DJ? Troublemaker? Stray Heart and X-Kid's music video?

I think you hit the nail on the head. And that's the problem for me - the dirty without the witty and carefree is just kind of...meh.

[HolyHandGrenade]

I think you hit the nail on the head. And that's the problem for me - the dirty without the witty and carefree is just kind of...meh.

The premise was straight up, nothing held back, just singing about sex and drugs and partying. A decent, interesting premise, but if you say something with a straight face, no matter how funny it might seem, don't expect a fit of laughter in return.

Tre isn't even supposed to be entertaining in that sense. If it's the so called rehab, the recovery after the party, there's nothing to laugh at. Exception made for The Hangover, I guess.

[stories and songs]

I think that green day is very underrated.

I agree. And yes, I realize they have had much commercial popularity at times in their career and have a large fan base. I think they are underrated in that they really should be getting a lot more respect than they do for how lasting and impactful their career has become. When they first started, I'm sure no one felt they would last past the Dookie era. The fact that they had a second peak in popularity with American Idiot is nothing short of amazing. Not very many bands experience that. Their continuously growing fan base filled with young listeners is also impressive, as many bands who have been around 20+ years are still getting such a huge influx of young listeners.

They are truly a band made to last. They've made it over 20 years without changing their core lineup. They still actually WANT to play together. They've managed to stay true to who they are while branching out and trying new things. Their album was made into a Broadway musical, for god's sake.

All this, and still I don't feel they're respected. Maybe it takes longer than this for most bands to receive respect, but truly, I feel as though that when all is said and done, they should be up there with The Rolling Stones.

[Cath]

I agree. And yes, I realize they have had much commercial popularity at times in their career and have a large fan base. I think they are underrated in that they really should be getting a lot more respect than they do for how lasting and impactful their career has become. When they first started, I'm sure no one felt they would last past the Dookie era. The fact that they had a second peak in popularity with American Idiot is nothing short of amazing. Not very many bands experience that. Their continuously growing fan base filled with young listeners is also impressive, as many bands who have been around 20+ years are still getting such a huge influx of young listeners.

They are truly a band made to last. They've made it over 20 years without changing their core lineup. They still actually WANT to play together. They've managed to stay true to who they are while branching out and trying new things. Their album was made into a Broadway musical, for god's sake.

All this, and still I don't feel they're respected. Maybe it takes longer than this for most bands to receive respect, but truly, I feel as though that when all is said and done, they should be up there with The Rolling Stones.

i agree that they're not respected enough from what they've done. people still see them as the guy wearing eyeliner and a gay band or whatever.

i don't know if one day they'll be as respected as the RS, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Guns N Roses, well those big known bands.

[HolyHandGrenade]

I agree. And yes, I realize they have had much commercial popularity at times in their career and have a large fan base. I think they are underrated in that they really should be getting a lot more respect than they do for how lasting and impactful their career has become. When they first started, I'm sure no one felt they would last past the Dookie era. The fact that they had a second peak in popularity with American Idiot is nothing short of amazing. Not very many bands experience that. Their continuously growing fan base filled with young listeners is also impressive, as many bands who have been around 20+ years are still getting such a huge influx of young listeners.

They are truly a band made to last. They've made it over 20 years without changing their core lineup. They still actually WANT to play together. They've managed to stay true to who they are while branching out and trying new things. Their album was made into a Broadway musical, for god's sake.

All this, and still I don't feel they're respected. Maybe it takes longer than this for most bands to receive respect, but truly, I feel as though that when all is said and done, they should be up there with The Rolling Stones.

It scares me that without American Idiot, it would have been flip of the coin as to whether they would ever get into the hall of fame. They're a cemented candidate now.

For the unpopularity - all the haters are total hypocrites. We all know they were singing Holiday in the shower in '05

Just be glad GD isn't a boy band

i agree that they're not respected enough from what they've done. people still see them as the guy wearing eyeliner and a gay band or whatever.

i don't know if one day they'll be as respected as the RS, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Guns N Roses, well those big known bands.

With those bands comes a tornado of righteous, holier than thou fans and critiques. I don't care for that.

[Strayheart1219]

I agree. And yes, I realize they have had much commercial popularity at times in their career and have a large fan base. I think they are underrated in that they really should be getting a lot more respect than they do for how lasting and impactful their career has become. When they first started, I'm sure no one felt they would last past the Dookie era. The fact that they had a second peak in popularity with American Idiot is nothing short of amazing. Not very many bands experience that. Their continuously growing fan base filled with young listeners is also impressive, as many bands who have been around 20+ years are still getting such a huge influx of young listeners.

They are truly a band made to last. They've made it over 20 years without changing their core lineup. They still actually WANT to play together. They've managed to stay true to who they are while branching out and trying new things. Their album was made into a Broadway musical, for god's sake.

All this, and still I don't feel they're respected. Maybe it takes longer than this for most bands to receive respect, but truly, I feel as though that when all is said and done, they should be up there with The Rolling Stones.

Yeah you pretty much took the words right out of my mouth. This band is just not respected enough and they have worked so hard! I can't wait to see them at the rock n roll hall of fame, not to represent a band but to be represented.

[Insomniac45]

I honestly think the reason that the trilogy didn't blow up as big as it should of is because of the current music scene. Pop-rock, punk-rock and just rock in general isn't the big thing at the moment. It's all about the electronic music and variations of it. Dubstep, techno, etc. And I honestly think that's a pile of horse shit, because quite frankly, all the electronic music IS shit. I mean honestly, dubstep is terrible. (No offense to any of the electronic music fans out there, I'm simply just giving my opinion.) Call me crazy, but I actually like connecting to the music I listen to and actually feel what the band was feeling at the time that they wrote that certain song, lyrically and instrumentally.

[Strayheart1219]

I honestly think the reason that the trilogy didn't blow up as big as it should of is because of the current music scene. Pop-rock, punk-rock and just rock in general isn't the big thing at the moment. It's all about the electronic music and variations of it. Dubstep, techno, etc. And I honestly think that's a pile of horse shit, because quite frankly, all the electronic music IS shit. I mean honestly, dubstep is terrible. (No offense to any of the electronic music fans out there, I'm simply just giving my opinion.) Call me crazy, but I actually like connecting to the music I listen to and actually feel what the band was feeling at the time that they wrote that certain song, lyrically and instrumentally.

Yeah but then I think about Fall Out Boy and it blows my mind. Fall out boy is pop rock and I think green days music today is imo pop rock too and Fall Out Boy got so much attention. Could have been because they weren't alive for awhile but still. Idk I'm just talking.

I truly believe tho that if Green Day actually tried to promote the albums like pay for commercials or do some interviews the trilogy could still be a success !

Oh and a nightlife music video wouldn't hurt

[Strayheart1219]

fall out boy only got a lot of attention because they were on hiatus or whatever for long enough that i'm pretty sure everyone thought they were done for good, or at least i did. the new fob record sold 154,000 in it's first week and uno sold 139,000 in it's first week and that doesn't seem like a really huge difference to me? especially considering it had been five years since the last fob album and only three since the last gd album. they're both pop-rock bands but they don't sound anything alike and i think fall out boy lean more towards the pop side of things especially on save rock and roll which also probably has a lot to do with it.

Yeah true I guess in reality FOBs music will get played on the radio more because they don't have songs like fuck time and kill the dj haha. No but yeah I see what you're saying. It just sucks that this is how it planned out.

[stories and songs]

fall out boy only got a lot of attention because they were on hiatus or whatever for long enough that i'm pretty sure everyone thought they were done for good, or at least i did. the new fob record sold 154,000 in it's first week and uno sold 139,000 in it's first week and that doesn't seem like a really huge difference to me? especially considering it had been five years since the last fob album and only three since the last gd album. they're both pop-rock bands but they don't sound anything alike and i think fall out boy lean more towards the pop side of things especially on save rock and roll which also probably has a lot to do with it.

Really? FOB was at the top of the iTunes chart its first week, so this surprises me. No, that isn't much of a difference at all. I was under the impression that FOB's new album did way better than any of the trilogy albums, but I guess not! Save Rock and Roll is FAR less rock-oriented than their previous music. Very indie rock/pop sounding. I like it, but it is obvious that it fits current trends rather than sticking with FOB's older sound.

Agreed, though, that rock simply isn't "in" right now. Popular music ebbs and flows, and rock music isn't where it was at when American Idiot came out. It seems to mostly be indie rock and hip hop at the moment. That drastically effects album sales even for artists who are overall considered to be popular. The trilogy would've done better had it gotten more promotion, for sure. But I don't think it was ever going to be a huge commercial hit, because that kind of music isn't popular right now.

[HolyHandGrenade]

fall out boy only got a lot of attention because they were on hiatus or whatever for long enough that i'm pretty sure everyone thought they were done for good, or at least i did. the new fob record sold 154,000 in it's first week and uno sold 139,000 in it's first week and that doesn't seem like a really huge difference to me? especially considering it had been five years since the last fob album and only three since the last gd album. they're both pop-rock bands but they don't sound anything alike and i think fall out boy lean more towards the pop side of things especially on save rock and roll which also probably has a lot to do with it.

Blink 182 begs to differ. They've remained in the shadows relatively since Neighborhoods.

[casey1251]

More videos with the Farm League! I know they weren't the standard music videos, but "Stay The Night" & "Nuclear Family "are great performance pieces that really shows off how tight & in the pocket that band is.

[SmoothedOut]

I honestly think the reason that the trilogy didn't blow up as big as it should of is because of the current music scene. Pop-rock, punk-rock and just rock in general isn't the big thing at the moment. It's all about the electronic music and variations of it. Dubstep, techno, etc. And I honestly think that's a pile of horse shit, because quite frankly, all the electronic music IS shit. I mean honestly, dubstep is terrible. (No offense to any of the electronic music fans out there, I'm simply just giving my opinion.) Call me crazy, but I actually like connecting to the music I listen to and actually feel what the band was feeling at the time that they wrote that certain song, lyrically and instrumentally.

I totally agree. I remember when the trailers were first put out, I was telling everyone I knew (even those who weren't Green Day fans) that these albums were gonna be coming out. I was telling friends, I was telling people at school and everyone thought the whole idea of the trilogy was awesome. I remember when Know Your Enemy was released. Everyone was listening to it. A lot of my friends bought the CD. All was good.

And yeah, I'm not much of a dubstep fan either. I have noticed though that when it comes to being a stereotypical outcast nowadays (or at least, from where I come from) the preferred music is metalcore. Those sixteen year olds who would get picked on at school don't go looking for bands like Rancid or Screeching Weasel anymore. And definitely not Green Day or Blink-182. The 'outcasts' of today define rebellion as Asking Alexandria, Pierce the Veil, and Attack-Attack. I personally am not a fan of these bands. To me, rebellion is still what I find in the roots of Green Day - and that's punk rock. I guess people have a different preference of music nowadays. Either that or a different version of the same kind..

[Strayheart1219]

at least make a 99 revolutions video

[stories and songs]

Apart from Stray Heart, I've been so bothered by the videos for this trilogy that I don't even want them to make one for 99 Revs! I get angry about the video for Oh Love just thinking about it.

[Strayheart1219]

Apart from Stray Heart, I've been so bothered by the videos for this trilogy that I don't even want them to make one for 99 Revs! I get angry about the video for Oh Love just thinking about it.

thank you! Oh Love music video just makes me think of one word and it's 'why' That song is actually really good, they could have done so much better.

[GenesisJames]

thank you! Oh Love music video just makes me think of one word and it's 'why' That song is actually really good, they could have done so much better.

To be fair, the music video for "Oh Love" pretty much defines what the Trilogy's about, in my opinion.

[stories and songs]

thank you! Oh Love music video just makes me think of one word and it's 'why' That song is actually really good, they could have done so much better.

I know. I'm not sure if this is an unpopular opinion or not (I think it was fairly split, IDK), but the video for Oh Love genuinely kind of pissed me off. Sitting around drinking with a bunch of half-naked girls is not Green Day to me. Oy.

[Schlappy]

I know. I'm not sure if this is an unpopular opinion or not (I think it was fairly split, IDK), but the video for Oh Love genuinely kind of pissed me off. Sitting around drinking with a bunch of half-naked girls is not Green Day to me. Oy.

i did a really good job convincing myself that never existed... compare oh love to the JOS video and the same themes are all there, but JOS has so much meaning. its not the nakedness or booze really, its the art of it. oh love was just gross. but ugh thats an old can of worms

[SmoothedOut]

Yeah but then I think about Fall Out Boy and it blows my mind. Fall out boy is pop rock and I think green days music today is imo pop rock too and Fall Out Boy got so much attention. Could have been because they weren't alive for awhile but still. Idk I'm just talking.

I truly believe tho that if Green Day actually tried to promote the albums like pay for commercials or do some interviews the trilogy could still be a success !

I like how the band's dealt with it though. Has anyone read Billie's interview on Rolling Stone? He didn't really care about the album sales. He still thinks the songs on the trilogy is some of the best stuff he's ever written. For me, the band showing confidence in their work no matter how unsuccessful it may have become makes up for most of the disappointments. And I think Green Day has better fans than Fall Out Boy. For Fall Out Boy's new album, you get both the fans and mainstream pop-goers to buy the album. Green Day chose to break away from mainstream demands and went back to their roots. Yet Uno went to No. 2 on some charts. True fans stay loyal!

[HolyHandGrenade]

I like how the band's dealt with it though. Has anyone read Billie's interview on Rolling Stone? He didn't really care about the album sales. He still thinks the songs on the trilogy is some of the best stuff he's ever written. For me, the band showing confidence in their work no matter how unsuccessful it may have become makes up for most of the disappointments. And I think Green Day has better fans than Fall Out Boy. For Fall Out Boy's new album, you get both the fans and mainstream pop-goers to buy the album. Green Day chose to break away from mainstream demands and went back to their roots. Yet Uno went to No. 2 on some charts. True fans stay loyal!

I've heard some bad things in interviews about the crowds at some of FOB's concerts