Unpopular Green Day Opinions

[Guest]

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.

Yeah, I don't think any of those are too similar to AI's overall style. The rock opera genre is very experimental and varied. MCR and The Who would probably be closest.

[Hermione]

I think the AI storyline is pretty clear. And it adds to the album a lot, makes it that much more epic feeling and also more personal as you follow the character's coming of age story. But yeah 21st CB isn't even meant to have a storyline, the songs have shared themes and characters but they weren't going for a linear story/rock opera like with AI.

[Anaïs.]

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.

The Who's Quadrophenia is your best bet.

[Jollyroger118]

I think the AI storyline is pretty clear. And it adds to the album a lot, makes it that much more epic feeling and also more personal as you follow the character's coming of age story. But yeah 21st CB isn't even meant to have a storyline, the songs have shared themes and characters but they weren't going for a linear story/rock opera like with AI.

I would be receptive to them doing another opera though but I think It would have to be something different than the young runaway ideas of AI and 21st. It'd be hard but I think they really drew a certain strength from doing an album like that. I'd like to see a sort of reflective look on their lives and eras which is what I think the trilogy should have been instead of the randomness we got. And as a lyricist grammar is like the least important thing.

[tdlyon]

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

My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade is definitely the most comparable album to American Idiot I can think of. Not QUITE as good but pretty close imo

[PleasedToMeetMe]

21st Century Breakdown . . I like it, but when I think about Christian and Gloria it just kind of bothers me. They basically took the EXACT same formula as American Idiot and did it again, only with different sounding songs. When I listen to it, I like to pretend that it's just an album with 3 acts but it gets kind of hard to ignore the underlying story when they have to mention Christian or Gloria constantly. It just seems like they tried too hard to connect the songs with a story, when in my opinion it would have been a much better album as just Nimrod for the new-generation Green Day. A bunch of random songs of all kinds of styles.

[Cath]

21st Century Breakdown . . I like it, but when I think about Christian and Gloria it just kind of bothers me. They basically took the EXACT same formula as American Idiot and did it again, only with different sounding songs. When I listen to it, I like to pretend that it's just an album with 3 acts but it gets kind of hard to ignore the underlying story when they have to mention Christian or Gloria constantly. It just seems like they tried too hard to connect the songs with a story, when in my opinion it would have been a much better album as just Nimrod for the new-generation Green Day. A bunch of random songs of all kinds of styles.

i don't really care about gloria and christian story neither. not the same way as i do with jimmy and the girl in AI.

[PleasedToMeetMe]

i don't really care about gloria and christian story neither. not the same way as i do with jimmy and the girl in AI.

Exactly. AI had a story that everyone who listened to it could relate to in a big way.

[Cath]

Exactly. AI had a story that everyone who listened to it could relate to in a big way.

yes. i mean to me the AI story is really clear and all songs discribed perfectly the story but the one in 21st CB is kind of confused i have difficulty to understand every single part of it. maybe because i'm less interested is the story or in the album as i said above but i don't know if it's just me

[Z J]

I don't really pay attention to the storyline when listening to AI. Most of the songs are ambiguous. They mean something different in the context of the musical. There area also a handful of songs added to the actual play. Although I have listened to the songs from the musical and watched a lot of the video about it, I don't even consider that story line while listening to AI. They're separate entities for me. One song that I think is 100x better in the play is Letterbomb. The lyrics mean so much more being sung in the play by a female. Billie even said it was really intended to be from a female perspective.

It speaks to the incredible writing done on AI. The fact that you can take away so many meanings from these lyrics. Holiday is the perfect ambiguous song.

Another example would be Wake Me Up When September Ends. I think I'll probably throw my most unpopular opinion in to the ring now. I like what they did with the Wake Me Up When September Ends video. I didn't like the video itself, but I think the direction they took with the meaning of the song was good because so many people immediately connected the lyric that Billie wrote with 9/11 and their feelings. If you hear those lyrics and think about 9/11 and the pain and despair that followed, then that's what they mean to YOU. Just thinking about how I felt about 9/11, the lyrics make absolute sense in that context. Is that the way BJA intended it? No, but he also said that people should take away from the lyrics whatever they can connect to.

So in a sense I believe WMUWSE is also a perfectly ambiguous song, although not intentionally.

[AlissaGoesRAWR]

Speaking of which, 21st Century Breakdown...

Yeah, I've never understood that shit. The only song connection I thought was cool was Know Your Enemy and Restless Heart Syndrome and KYE is so terrible that it doesn't even really count. I think all of 21CB is so ambiguous and drags on and I just don't get what they're going for and I really can't connect to it in any sort of way. Especially not like with AI. Granted, AI's what got me into the band in the first place, so I understand I'll be more inclined to like it by default, but I really just don't like 21CB...

yes. i mean to me the AI story is really clear and all songs discribed perfectly the story but the one in 21st CB is kind of confused i have difficulty to understand every single part of it. maybe because i'm less interested is the story or in the album as i said above but i don't know if it's just me

Nope, not just you.

[PleasedToMeetMe]

Probably a very unpopular GD opinion, but I think The Forgotten is probably the most emotional peice of music the band has ever written. If it wasn't part of the Twilight soundtrack I think people would appreciate it a lot more. Makes me tear up everytime I hear those piano notes start up . .

[walking_c0ntradicti0n]

since we were on the topic of 21CB, i can barely get past the line of murder city "christian's crying in the bathroom'' ik its a storyline but seriously billie, was that necessary information?

[UNICORN VOMIT]

This is the saddest thing I have ever posted so don't kill me - I was watching Neil Diamond the Jazz singer and there was a part when he was recording a song hello with an orchestra & it was exactly the same as the forgotten. I thought omg that is so familiar has billie watched the jazz singer. Again I am embarrassed but I don't have pay tv and it was raining :sorry:

[munns6691]

The story of AI is more like a personal reflection where 21st is more about 3rd person characters

[Z J]

Probably a very unpopular GD opinion, but I think The Forgotten is probably the most emotional peice of music the band has ever written. If it wasn't part of the Twilight soundtrack I think people would appreciate it a lot more. Makes me tear up everytime I hear those piano notes start up . .

the lyrics are cheesy and the meaning is cloudy

[Jollyroger118]

Probably a very unpopular GD opinion, but I think The Forgotten is probably the most emotional peice of music the band has ever written. If it wasn't part of the Twilight soundtrack I think people would appreciate it a lot more. Makes me tear up everytime I hear those piano notes start up . .

Oh my god I'm gonna throw up. The Forgotten, in my opinion, is the most forced thing they've ever done. I swear I've never felt this way, even with songs like 21 Guns which a lot of people seem to feel was made just to make a song like that, but The Forgotten is like plastic. Cheap and see through. Especially as the last song of the trilogy considering it really doesn't sound like the rest of the trilogy. But I don't mean to put your opinion down I'm just saying

since we were on the topic of 21CB, i can barely get past the line of murder city "christian's crying in the bathroom'' ik its a storyline but seriously billie, was that necessary information?

I've gotta be honest, I can kind of relate to it...

[Mar]

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...

The AI narrative was one that I knew existed, but it wasn't clear to me exactly what it was until it was explained to me, yknow? Like, I knew it was personal based on the liner notes/notebook format, but I couldn't really explain it.

Probably a very unpopular GD opinion, but I think The Forgotten is probably the most emotional peice of music the band has ever written. If it wasn't part of the Twilight soundtrack I think people would appreciate it a lot more. Makes me tear up everytime I hear those piano notes start up . .

I think it's beautiful too, but it became a victim of circumstance (Twilight, fatigue/dislike over the trilogy, potential negative feelings associated with it due to concerns about Billie and the band upon its release, etc.). I can see why some don't like it, but I think it's solid and like you said, the opening piano (and the bridge) gets to me often.

[DookieLukie]

My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade is definitely the most comparable album to American Idiot I can think of. Not QUITE as good but pretty close imo

Probably because they made it to follow the success of Green Day.

[Guest]

Probably a very unpopular GD opinion, but I think The Forgotten is probably the most emotional peice of music the band has ever written. If it wasn't part of the Twilight soundtrack I think people would appreciate it a lot more. Makes me tear up everytime I hear those piano notes start up . .

The problem is with The Forgotten is it's just boring as all fuck. It's the same thing over and over and over and over. Just a mashup of ambiguous clichés. Might actually be one of the worst songs Billie's ever written.

since we were on the topic of 21CB, i can barely get past the line of murder city "christian's crying in the bathroom'' ik its a storyline but seriously billie, was that necessary information?

That's a great fucking line. The bathroom is a place you go to be private, and the fact that he has to go there to cry because he's to ashamed/scared/whatever to do it in front of Gloria is very important. So much is said in those 5 words.

[UNICORN VOMIT]

The problem is with The Forgotten is it's just boring as all fuck. It's the same thing over and over and over and over. Just a mashup of ambiguous clichés. Might actually be one of the worst songs Billie's ever written.

That's a great fucking line. The bathroom is a place you go to be private, and the fact that he has to go there to cry because he's to ashamed/scared/whatever to do it in front of Gloria is very important. So much is said in those 5 words.

Agree & agree

When he says & I just want to bum a cig - I think of all those times as a friend you have listened to friends download but really you just want to get back out there & have fun.

[The Disappearing Boy]

The only good thing about the Forgotten is the solo; it's fun to play and nicely melodic, but other than that, it's a terrible song.

[Guest]

fuck off all of you, The Forgotten is meaningful and you all just don't like that Green Day did an unabashedly sappy song

I detect the tiniest amount of bias in this post

[The Grouch is Tracy]

Nothing wrong with unabashed snappiness, but I don't like Last Night on Earth either...... The first few lines of Brutal Love, and the first half of When It's Time, I adore though, and Novocaine and Good Riddance too. Amy, not a fan, nor do I loathe.

[Guest]

i'M RAGIN

I'm Céadagh, pleased to meet you Ragin. Any relation to the infamous president?