Blasphemy & Genocide: Unpopular Green Day Opinions, Part 2

[Hermione]

And I still don't get why disliking three albums is considered hating Green Day.

It's not haha, but the idea that praising the band a lot is unusual/worth commenting on is a new one. It never used to be thought of as at all unusual to like all of the band's albums on here, so it's just kind of weird to be considered to stand out in any way just for liking a Green Day album

And actually I don't think it is at all unusual, so just saying everyone should feel as free to express their love for anything Green Day's done as they are to express any dislikes

[Spike]

I love Green Day. I love Keplunk, Dookie, Insomniac, Nimrod, Warning, American Idiot, 21st Century Breakdown and Tre. I like Uno and 39/Smooth. I hate Dos. Happy?

[Hermione]

I'm happy with whatever amount of Green Day anyone likes lol, only pointing out that liking all or any particular one of their albums is perfectly ordinary

[Chin for a Day]

It's far easier to look like a great lyricist when you've written like 5 songs. He's never had to write to fill an album. Not saying he couldn't be great, but we don't really know

Mike has written some very, very good lyrics. However, there is alot more that goes into being a great lyricist then just a few songs. Most great lyricists are able to write consistently great songs over a long period of time and are able to get inspiration from a wide variety of subjects. Sometimes taking inspiration from very trivial subjects and adding profound lyrics. Who knew such great songs could develop out of a kid sitting on a couch jerking off or not being able to sleep? A large portion of Mike's songs seem to center around a similar subject. The songs are beautifully written. It seems that the songs he has writing credit on, that are different were co-written by Billie. He definitely has the potential to contribute more, songwriting wise, but I don't think he has proven he has the capacity to become a full fledged songwriter.

[Guest]

Mike has never written a bad song. Billie wrote the Trilogy. 'Nuff said.

[Anaïs.]

Mike has never written a bad song. Billie wrote the Trilogy. 'Nuff said.

I really want Mike to write more too and think he's a great writer, but to be fair--Oscar Wilde wrote a hell of a lot of bad poetry, but as his best stuff was utterly brilliant he's still a far greater writer than, say, an author of mysteries who never wrote anything bad but never wrote anything transcendent either.

Now, I don't mean to belittle Mikes contributions, as the stuff he's written is among their best and I'd love for him to write more, I'm just saying that we can't necessarily say he's better than Billie solely because he hasn't faceplanted and Billie has.

[Chin for a Day]

Mike has never written a bad song. Billie wrote the Trilogy. 'Nuff said.

The entire Trilogy was not bad, DOS was. There are some very good songs on Uno and Tre, maybe not brilliant, but very good. You cannot compare Mike and Billie as songwriters sheerly based on the volume. It is statistically impossible for Billie not to have written a bad song considering the amount he has written. All great composers have written dogs, Billie isn't the only one. He has written more brilliant music than bad. Mike's songs are good, not necessarily brilliant. Plus, if Mike did write a dog, I think that everyone would feel comfortable telling him it sucks. I'm not sure anyone would have the guts to say that to Billie.

[Z J]

I really want Mike to write more too and think he's a great writer, but to be fair--Oscar Wilde wrote a hell of a lot of bad poetry, but as his best stuff was utterly brilliant he's still a far greater writer than, say, an author of mysteries who never wrote anything bad but never wrote anything transcendent either.

Now, I don't mean to belittle Mikes contributions, as the stuff he's written is among their best and I'd love for him to write more, I'm just saying that we can't necessarily say he's better than Billie solely because he hasn't faceplanted and Billie has.

If someone claims that than they're insane, I think.

Billie has proven consistently capable of capturing moments in time with an ease and simplicity that is unrivaled. He's done it without ever even graduating high school. He's written hit songs for 20+ years and his catalog is over 200 songs deep, with a stunning number of lyrical gems. It is very very unlikely Mike could do this (and that isn't a knock against Mike, because essentially nobody else can)

His ability to channel his own emotions into his songs while still leaving room for listeners to come away with their own understandings is second-to-none.

[Chin for a Day]

His ability to channel his own emotions into his songs while still leaving room for listeners to come away with their own understandings is second-to-none.

This could not have been stated any better. Bravo!

[Jollyroger118]

I agree that you cant even compare Mike and Billie as song writers, however Mike did write JAR which is one of my favorites and I think one of the bands favorites too. He also wrote Panic Song which is like amazing and because of him recording little songs he wrote Homecoming was born and thus American Idiot.

[WhiteTim]

I agree that you cant even compare Mike and Billie as song writers, however Mike did write JAR which is one of my favorites and I think one of the bands favorites too. He also wrote Panic Song which is like amazing and because of him recording little songs he wrote Homecoming was born and thus American Idiot.

Panic Song was Billie and Mike co written

[Spike]

Let's not forget that Misery was a Billie/Mike/Tre collab and it's easily one of their best songs lyrically.

[Chin for a Day]

I agree that you cant even compare Mike and Billie as song writers, however Mike did write JAR which is one of my favorites and I think one of the bands favorites too. He also wrote Panic Song which is like amazing and because of him recording little songs he wrote Homecoming was born and thus American Idiot.

Panic Song and Homecoming were collaborations. I will throw in one of my favorites, Emenius Sleepus. So, there ate two Mike gems. Billie's had 200+. Can't compare.

Edited October 20, 2014 by JJ1964

[Libertine Angel]

And Mike came up with the name Sassafras Roots. Not sure how that's relevant, but whatever.

[Hermione]

No mention of Governator yet!

[Anaïs.]

No mention of Governator yet!

He didn't write it, just did the vocals.

[Hermione]

He didn't write it, just did the vocals.

Aww damn I assumed he wrote it, never mind then. I wonder how much of The Network's lyrics Mike Van Gogh wrote, is that known? He sang enough.

[DookieLukie]

No mention of Governator yet!

That song blows though

[Hermione]

That song blows though

Yeah I was alluding to the idea that a lot of people think that and maybe that's why it wasn't mentioned yet (although I personally like it). But turns out he didn't write it anyway.

[Sauli]

I love Mike's voice. Sadly his potential was being wasted since Governator pretty much sucks as a song. One of his rare vocal spotlights and then a song like that

[Libertine Angel]

Yeah I was alluding to the idea that a lot of people think that and maybe that's why it wasn't mentioned yet (although I personally like it). But turns out he didn't write it anyway.

I like Governator too - it took a while for my mind to settle on it, but I do actually like it now.

[Chin for a Day]

That song blows though

It's not a great song, but funny as hell.

[JOE THE X-KID]

Is it bad that I've never listened to Governator all the way through?

[The Disappearing Boy]

One thing I find awesome about Green Day is that even though the basic Green Day trademark sound is always recognisable, their sounds has never been absolutely the same on two albums, they have always added something new.

No two Green Day albums sound absolutely the same. Every new album has introduced something new.

That really makes them stand out since it would have been very easy just to repeat that same pop punk sound of Basket Case eternally.

That is in my opinion very big big asset. Most of the bands I deem great - I mean, really great - have done so.

With the Trilogy they, in some ways, ignored that principle and went backwards instead. The sign of this is that the best songs on the Trilogy (like Brutal Love or Kill the DJ) are also those ones that sound most dissimilar to the general sound of the Trilogy. Those songs were bold moves, fresh moves, and not just regression.

As Ceadog alluded to, 85% of their songs are 4-chord, two or three-minutes, fast pop-punk stuff with simple riffs, simple solos and a strong rhythm section. The fact that they have used that formula to produce pop punk, punk rock, acoustic ballads, Warning, King for a Day as well as garage/rap, dance and others is remarkable.

No mention of Governator yet!

Probably for the best

[Spike]

Is it bad that I've never listened to Governator all the way through?

If you've listened to the first 30 seconds of it then you kind of have tbh.