Unpopular Green Day Opinions

[Anaïs.]

Introductions are overrated

You can't just have a random girlfriend we've never met break up with Jesus and ruin his life.

[DookieLukie]

Too Much Too Soon doesn't really fit on AI, as much as I'm loathe to say it. It's one of the few occasions where GD managed to put together a b-side that was better than an album track. Favorite Son is great, and I don't know how you can complain about that and not mention that Dirty Rotten Bastards and Amy both borrow heavily from Shoplifter

I do wish Mike had gotten a better track to sing fully, but I'll take what I can get.

I've literally never heard "something else" being used in a bad way

I have. Like "Although the concert was good, the opening band was something else."

[Guest]

I have. Like "Although the concert was good, the opening band was something else."

Yeah. That means the opening band was way better.

[Z J]

Are you talking about are we the waiting - I can't work it out.

If you are that is my favourite start of any song - if I ever got a tattoo - it would be these lyrics.

Indeed I am, I get chills almost every time I hear the beginning. Don't quite know why

[Z J]

Too much too soon is a solid Green Day song. But AI is not a typical Green Day album. Favorite Son is far more suited to be on the album. Not because it is necessarily a better song (although I like it better), it is because it would a) fit the story line better b) add to the political narrative. I'm actually surprised it isn't on there since they wanted to amp up the political themes.

The depth of the album is incredible. The only song I think is bad is extraordinary girl. She's a Rebel is nothing too special. Super simple and repetitive but it does have a good hook and melody. I like where billie does the vocal run on "She's a rebel, vigilante". I've tried to rank the songs from favorite to least favorite and I realize how low I'm putting songs like Letterbomb and Homecoming (I love these song) and it makes you understand why this album is so damn amazing, outside of its pure attitude/lyrical/theme mastery

[JOE THE X-KID]

Whatshername is overrated.

[Guest]

Whatshername is overrated.

Your mum is overrated.

[walking_c0ntradicti0n]

Whatshername is overrated.

oh, get the fuck outta here!

[JOE THE X-KID]

Love getting verbally abused on GDA

[Anaïs.]

Whatsername definitely stands alone. Break it away from the AI saga and it's just a song about an ex

But Letterbomb...

[Guest]

Love getting verbally abused on GDA

Should check out GDC sometime, it's even worse over there.

[Anaïs.]

Think about it. Whatsername stands alone, Letterbomb references all sorts of shit in the AI saga that doesn't make sense without the rest of the album. Just because he uses the name "Whatsername" and WE all know he's talking about a character in his damn opera, it still works for someone who's just listening casually because whatsername is a term that's commonly used to refer to an ex girlfriend.

But that's my problem. For the casual listener it holds up just fine, which is why "Whatsername" would be an awesome single. But in the context of the whole album it would make no sense to end with a random song about an ex-girlfriend we never met, which is why "She's a Rebel" and "Extraordinary Girl" are so necessary.

[Anaïs.]

Oh haha I'm not arguing that point! I thought you were saying "Letterbomb" would have been a better single than "Whatsername"

I thought that we weren't quite making sense. No, "Whatsername" would totally be the superior single.

[Z J]

But that's my problem. For the casual listener it holds up just fine, which is why "Whatsername" would be an awesome single. But in the context of the whole album it would make no sense to end with a random song about an ex-girlfriend we never met, which is why "She's a Rebel" and "Extraordinary Girl" are so necessary.

they could have been better songs though

[UNICORN VOMIT]

You are going to make a great lawyer

[Spike]

It's not like American Idiot has much of a coherent story, let's be honest. I don't listen to any of the songs on it and have any real interest in who the characters are or what's going on, and if I did it wouldn't ruin it if it didn't make sense anyway. I'd rather have a stronger album (although it is about as close to perfect as it's possible to get). Personally, I tend to refer to the lyrics on a personal level and what the song means to me rather than caring if it makes sense in the context of a distracting, difficult to follow non-story.

Speaking of which, 21st Century Breakdown...

[UNICORN VOMIT]

It's not like American Idiot has much of a coherent story, let's be honest. I don't listen to any of the songs on it and have any real interest in who the characters are or what's going on, and if I did it wouldn't ruin it if it didn't make sense anyway. I'd rather have a stronger album (although it is about as close to perfect as it's possible to get). Personally, I tend to refer to the lyrics on a personal level and what the song means to me rather than caring if it makes sense in the context of a distracting, difficult to follow non-story.

Speaking of which, 21st Century Breakdown...

I fell in love with both albums without following any story even though of course I knew there was. I still don't listen for the story. I still am blown away by the lyrics every friggin time I listen to it - which still is an unhealthy amount of time.

[munns6691]

I just think Letterbomb is a better song than Whatshername. But both end up in my top 25 Green Day songs

[JOE THE X-KID]

if you really think any of that was verbal abuse i don't even know what to tell you

I'm only joking, of course...

[Jollyroger118]

It's not like American Idiot has much of a coherent story, let's be honest. I don't listen to any of the songs on it and have any real interest in who the characters are or what's going on, and if I did it wouldn't ruin it if it didn't make sense anyway. I'd rather have a stronger album (although it is about as close to perfect as it's possible to get). Personally, I tend to refer to the lyrics on a personal level and what the song means to me rather than caring if it makes sense in the context of a distracting, difficult to follow non-story.

Speaking of which, 21st Century Breakdown...

I don't know the story is like the real craft behind American Idiot, it's obviously not coherent in a normal way cause the stories told through feelings instead of narration, being lyrics instead of prose. But it's not hard to really follow, you sort of fill in the blanks on the own but Jesus leaves home, splits into Jimmy, Meets Whatsername, loses her and goes back home. It's how he feels throughout all this happening that really pushes it forward, simply because they're lyrics and that's how it works

However I couldn't really say the same for 21st...there's not really a story to follow but I think Christain and Gloria sort of expand upon the Rage and Love theme and are more like personifications than actual characters as in AI

[Guest]

I don't really care about the storylines, never have. What I care about is that the songs are amongst the best Green Day have ever written. That trumps any "storyline".

[UNICORN VOMIT]

I don't really care about the storylines, never have. What I care about is that the songs are amongst the best Green Day have ever written. That trumps any "storyline".

Is there any other albums from other artist that could be compared to AI - I would like to know & listen ?

[The Disappearing Boy]

Exactly. There isn't really an obvious storyline in AI, but the incredible strength of the album makes up for that.

[Guest]

Is there any other albums from other artist that could be compared to AI - I would like to know & listen ?

Plenty. There's been a fair few rock opera style albums since the mid 60s, although it almost died out as a concept after the 70s until GD brought it back to the mainstream. The Who's Tommy was often cited as a major influence on AI. David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust album, Pink Floyd's The Wall, and My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade are other notable rock operas. There are countless metal/prog rock operas, but they tend to get a little samey after a while.

[UNICORN VOMIT]

Plenty. There's been a fair few rock opera style albums since the mid 60s, although it almost died out as a concept after the 70s until GD brought it back to the mainstream. The Who's Tommy was often cited as a major influence on AI. David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust album, Pink Floyd's The Wall, and My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade are other notable rock operas. There are countless metal/prog rock operas, but they tend to get a little samey after a while.

I am going to listen to those suggestions - I am not sure if I will feel the "comfort" in the lyrics like I do with AI but I will keep an opened mind.