21st Century Breakdown vs The Trilogy

[HolyHandGrenade]

Fuck this thread. It's just going to bring out the differences betweem me and my friends.

That's what GDC is for - stating opinions, debating those opinions, sharing content, etc...

Just thought it was ironic.

[DookieLukie]

Very tough choice and a very interesting thread. My opinion is as follows:

21st Century Breakdown has never been a favorite of mine. I rarely listen to the songs let alone the whole album. It just lacks life and energy and seems a bit too serious. Some might say that it is epic and therefore needs to be serious, but all great albums have a sense of levity and energy too them. 21CB made the band sound like they were trying too hard, which is understandable after American Idiot. Overall, I find it to be a rather bland album.

The Trilogy. Well I will say it has a TON of great music, and I've enjoyed it much more than 21CB. Honestly, I enjoy any of the Trilogy albums more than 21CB. They have more energy and life. The only bad thing about the Trilogy is the "twangy" controlled feeling of the guitars and the focus more on Billie's vocals than the band as a whole (which usually leads to better music with more depth). Sure the Trilogy has some filler and could have made one really good album, but that hardly matters. The Trilogy failed because of lack of promotion, which would still happen even if it was one album.

So yeah...the Trilogy has been my personal favorite and the most enjoyable.

[musso_kn]

Fuck this thread. It's just going to bring out the differences betweem me and my friends.

What friends?

Nah, I'm kidding :PBut come on, no one's declared war on anyone for a difference of opinion...what do you think Tman?

YES! Thank you so much dudearingo! I understand that the composition is maybe a bit more pertinent to myself than others, what with being a fairly new daddy-o N such, but I really think that song, given the right circumstances, will age so very intensely well! The subtlety of it, in my own bubble like opinion, is just amazing when in contrast to the very aggressive & confrontational nature most folks seem to expect from the BAND. I feel like this could be their version of the Foo Fighters "Aurora" or Nirvanas "Aneurysm", in the sense that it becomes one of those deep album cuts some of the fan base deeply sincerely connects with & enjoys on their own terms! What are your thoughts, eh?

Well, only time will tell if it will be another 'Scattered' or 'Blood, Sex and Booze', although I definitely think it'll be on my list of awesome Green Day non-singles. I am fairly certain it'll be on setlists for a while though; it plays extremely well live (or even better, without all the production) and I reckon most of the core quite enjoy it, too.

[Snows]

UNO here. I like this album a lot, even if I like some stuff of the rest of the trilogy. 21st CB it's so good, but UNO and the rest of the trilogy are more fresh and carefree. I love this.

Edit: Okay, I voted for UNO but DOS is awesome too. Fuck, Green Day, you're awesome.

[San Miguel]

I think it's very difficult to compare 21CB to the trilogy because they come at music with very different styles and meanings.

Some of the writing in 21CB is second to none and there is clear theme and feel to the album. They knew they had to produce something with that AI feel but they made unique enough to not be AI2.

The trilogy is meant to be more stripped down and raw. Whilst some of the songs are not written as well as in 21CB I think there are more songs I prefer to listen to, and a few of them go right up there with my favourite songs of all time...

... but ultimately I love every album Green Day has produced for it's own uniqueness and qualities. Tre is my favourite album to listen to at the moment, but gut feeling is still that Insomniac or American Idiot are the best albums they have ever made... so far.

[Jude O'Reilly]

I think it's very difficult to compare 21CB to the trilogy because they come at music with very different styles and meanings.

Some of the writing in 21CB is second to none and there is clear theme and feel to the album. They knew they had to produce something with that AI feel but they made unique enough to not be AI2.

The trilogy is meant to be more stripped down and raw. Whilst some of the songs are not written as well as in 21CB I think there are more songs I prefer to listen to, and a few of them go right up there with my favourite songs of all time...

... but ultimately I love every album Green Day has produced for it's own uniqueness and qualities. Tre is my favourite album to listen to at the moment, but gut feeling is still that Insomniac or American Idiot are the best albums they have ever made... so far.

The trilogy is by no means raw I mean it reeks with overproduction Billie harmonizing with himself no thanks. Not discrediting your opinion but I completely disagree.

[Paul McCartney]

I liked 21st Century Breakdown over the trilogy because they had better songs.

[WorryRock02]

i love them all biu for different reason and in different way

[CemeteryDrive]

21CB came out a time when I wasn't really listening to any new music, or any music at all - bit of a sad time... so I never got excited for the album, didn't get the build up to release date etc. I bought it because it was new Green Day but then never actually played it until early last year? (bad fan) whereas with the triology I've had all the OMG NEW GREEN DAY ness about it. So I guess with 21CB I have a bit of a 'Oh I guess I should listen to this' rather than 'I HAVE to listen to this'

I do love some of the songs on 21CB, it's just taken a long time for them to grow on me.

And I like the back to basics of the triology... I voted for Tre because I just think it's awesome!

[musso_kn]

Some of the writing in 21CB is second to none and there is clear theme and feel to the album. They knew they had to produce something with that AI feel but they made unique enough to not be AI2.

I strongly agree with this. Many people do feel that the record is just a rehash of American Idiot, but I on the other hand feel they went one step beyond that: they pulled out the political/social ideas further and created a spectacular variation of sounds. AI, despite what many say, stuck quite firmly to their roots in many ways, differing only in the sense there was a narrative and an emphasis on production in most songs, with the exception of Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming.

The trilogy is by no means raw I mean it reeks with overproduction Billie harmonizing with himself no thanks. Not discrediting your opinion but I completely disagree.

Although I agree the trilogy is overproduced, there is still a quite raw feeling to many songs: Stop When The Red Lights Flash is a good example of a song that does have quite a 'rough', aggressive edge to it. Plus, lyrically, you can't deny that something like X-Kid hits home in a way that the political rallying of 21st Century Breakdown never did.

[K!ngForADay]

At first I thought 21CB was great....then I went off it for quite a long time but just recently I've rediscovered it and think it's great. 21CB, ¡Viva la Gloria!, Last of the American Girls, The Static Age and American Eulogy are fantastic songs that I had previously overlooked. ¡Tre! is also great and the trilogy has some real gems, but at the moment 21CB gets my vote.

[OhTheGuilt.]

When It's about GD I really can't be objective, I know It's terribly lame but I love everything they do and It's impossible for me to take a part.

So yeah, I love It all equally.

[DookieLukie]

I know OP discouraged us from bringing it up, but Stop Drop and Roll! is the best thing Green Day has made since American Idiot.

[Tubbie Head]

I know OP discouraged us from bringing it up, but Stop Drop and Roll! is the best thing Green Day has made since American Idiot.

Agreed! But that's not really GD to me.

[musso_kn]

I know OP discouraged us from bringing it up, but Stop Drop and Roll! is the best thing Green Day has made since American Idiot.

The thing is, I know some people feel this way, and apart from the fact that it is FBHT record, I simply don't think it's true. I would have been massively underwhelmed in they released Stop Drop and Roll as a follow up to American Idiot. It's a great bunch of short, fast, raw songs but...that's it. I don't really feel any connection to it beyond that. I feel there's a good reason why it's just a side project.

Having said that, I have a really soft spot for The Network (it saddens me that Roshambo and Spike aren't Green Day songs) and if they released a new wave type record instead of the Trilogy I'd have been over the moon.

[Tubbie Head]

The thing is, I know some people feel this way, and apart from the fact that it is FBHT record, I simply don't think it's true. I would have been massively underwhelmed in they released Stop Drop and Roll as a follow up to American Idiot. It's a great bunch of short, fast, raw songs but...that's it. I don't really feel any connection to it beyond that. I feel there's a good reason why it's just a side project.

Having said that, I have a really soft spot for The Network (it saddens me that Roshambo and Spike aren't Green Day songs) and if they released a new wave type record instead of the Trilogy I'd have been over the moon.

I guess the reason why I love the Tubbies so much is because it came from the guys from GD that I so deeply love and admire, but it really has nothing to do with Green Day, not in the music, style, production or "meaning".... It's just so different and so good to listen to! I feel like the FBHT is the most entertaining and refreshing thing they've ever done, the music is spectacular (at least to me) I just love it so much in every way possible. I also loved the shows and their craziness, I would have given everything to be able to see them live on their "World Tour"!

I also enjoy the Network, but the music doesn't appeal to me as much as the Tubbies do!

[WhiteTim]

I think im the only one who hates The Network hate em with a passion hate em more than my son's mother lol well maybe not that bad but hate em

[musso_kn]

I guess the reason why I love the Tubbies so much is because it came from the guys from GD that I so deeply love and admire, but it really has nothing to do with Green Day, not in the music, style, production or "meaning".... It's just so different and so good to listen to! I feel like the FBHT is the most entertaining and refreshing thing they've ever done, the music is spectacular (at least to me) I just love it so much in every way possible. I also loved the shows and their craziness, I would have given everything to be able to see them live on their "World Tour"!

I also enjoy the Network, but the music doesn't appeal to me as much as the Tubbies do!

The live performances are pretty damn good I must admit. I think you feel the same way about the FoxBoro Hottubs as I do about the Network if you see what I mean.

I think im the only one who hates The Network hate em with a passion hate em more than my son's mother lol well maybe not that bad but hate em

Damn, what an analogy ...I know this is getting a little off topic, but how come?

[WhiteTim]

Damn, what an analogy ...I know this is getting a little off topic, but how come?

If i wanted to hear new wave I'd listen to Devo

I guess I shouldnt say hate i just highly dislike and hope there is no more Network

[TheGrouch33]

I'm not gonna say I like one over the other but I consider 21CB their masterpiece. Now don't confuse that with Dookie or American Idiot being their most successful albums, I think those are probably always gonna be the best. But I think with 21CB, Green Day put more than they ever did into any album, I think it was the hardest and most complex album they've made to date and the trilogy to me was their chance to lay back and just have fun recording three albums.

I'm not gonna say I like one over the other but I consider 21CB their masterpiece. Now don't confuse that with Dookie or American Idiot being their most successful albums, I think those are probably always gonna be the best. But I think with 21CB, Green Day put more than they ever did into any album, I think it was the hardest and most complex album they've made to date and the trilogy to me was their chance to lay back and just have fun recording three albums.

I agree i honestly think 21CB was a bold and brave statment, strangely enough i also agree with the rolling stone review of the album, it was as if American Idiot was just a warm up for what was coming. I cant really decide which one is my favourite but i think 21CB is probably their best album to date.

[C.H.]

For me, the trilogy is the best thing they did since Kerplunk!

[musso_kn]

For me, the trilogy is the best thing they did since Kerplunk!

Interesting! So I'm guessing you're a fan of their more stripped down, laid back style as opposed to the monumental rock operas; how exactly do you feel about 21st Century Breakdown anyway?

[!]

I don't really like 21st Century Breakdown. I only have 3 songs from that album. So I'll go with the trilogy, with Uno being my favorite.

[C.H.]

Interesting! So I'm guessing you're a fan of their more stripped down, laid back style as opposed to the monumental rock operas; how exactly do you feel about 21st Century Breakdown anyway?

Oh I love it! I love everything they did, I just prefer the old school stuff and the trilogy better!

[musso_kn]

Wow this is actually a really hard choice

I never asked, what was your choice eventually and why?