Greenday, the very name of the band seems to signify punk rock and grunge music before anyone has even listened to them, its the band gets pop punk addicts buzzing to the sound of theyre own crackling Neurons and will often lift the eylids of even the most hardened death metaller.

Greenday are a punk/rock/pop punk outfit that have ben around since 1989/1990 and came on the scene just a few years after another great punk band, The Offspring.

However theyre music styles and vocal sounds are both very different and both unique.

Greenday consists of a basic band make up of a lead singer with a guitar, a Bassist and a drummer, and whilst they are in the pop punk genre, they do lean towards the more operatic rock styles and American idiot, the latest offering from them leans so far into it, I would say it is no longer pop punk.

Greenday have already produced a good number of albums, all of which have given us 'classic' songs.

Dookie the bands breakthrough 1994 album gave us 'Longview' and 'Basketcase'

Insomniac Gave us 'Brainstew' and Nimrod gave us 'Time of your life'

It was 2000 when the band hit the mainstream though with their album 'Warning'.

Hit singles like 'Minority' and 'Waiting' ensured the band had a new generation of fans, whilst hardcore Greenday fans were left feeling the band was now becoming too commercial.

Four years, a greatest hits and a bonus track album later Greenday release theyre next album, 'American Idiot', But does it live up to the bands loft Expectations.

We shall see.

AMERICAN IDIOT:-(2:53)

As soon as the opening track starts, youlld be forgiven for believing this was pretty much the same as Greendays older stuff, it has the catchy riff, the fast drum beat and the clear cut vocals that cominated Warning and to some extent Dookie.
It's clear from the start this is going to be the first single, and the one that will be played on Top of the Pops and the radio everywhere, a pop punky chorus breaks out before a solo with pretty much the same tune as the vocals breaks out.

It actually sounds very good and Becomes instantly liked, it depends on whether you want catchy pop punk hits or not really, I for one like this song a lot.

10/10

JESUS OF SUBURBIA:-(9:09)

No your eys do not decieve you, that does indeed say over 9 minutes, thats right 9 minutes of pure operatic rock.

This song is pretty much as far away from the first track as you could get,it starts off with a typical punk tune with some decent vocals and stiff drumming, it at first sounds a bit generic but thats a cover of for some of the excellent riffs and melodies that this song has to offer.

after around 2 minutes the first act breaks away into a more melodic soft emotional piece and kind of entwines the melody with slightly heavier power metal pieces.

This then breaks away to a kind of Irish if you like style melody that reminds me of the bridge of 'Minority' in its theme, this is where the song starts to get really catchy and gathers mommentum, as Billy Joe croons 'I dont care if you dont, I dont care if you dont, I dont care if you dont care'. Trust me it works well.

Next the song takes a faster heavier turn and it reminds me of Black sabbaths 'Children of the grave', The vocals become more sneered as well, this opens up the bridge of the song.

the bridge, if you can call it that on this song of many parts, consists of a aucostic guitar a simple drum beat and some basic vocals. Its tuneful though and fits in perfectly. This soon opens up into the songs last part though.

The last part ofd the song is much more like operatic power rock and again has a catchy tune in the vocals, theres also a short solo in it. Near the end theres a break and everything become quiet and melodic and Billy Joe turns reflective on us, for about 20 seconds before the song breaks out again and ends on a storming note. This is the first song over 7 minutes that I have not grown tired of yet, its a stormer and so different to the first song you wouldnt think it was the same album.

10/10

HOLIDAY:-(3:52)

This song sounds a bit more like the older greenday operatic rock anthems, but it carries a bit of the previous tracks melody. The drummer uses his vocals in parts as well which is quite unusual, evn if it is only to say 'HEY' or 'AMEN'.

This song is fairly political, as you'lld expect from the albums overall subject matter, but it doesnt detract from the overall quality of the song, which is very good.

A great chorus with Billy Joe singing 'This is the dawning of the rest of our lives......On holiday', then there is a short solo before a bridge which is in the them of speech.

'The representive from california has the floor'

'Pulverise the Eiffel tower, they'll criticize your government'

Before a build up to the final chorus. Holiday will be the bands second single from the album and its more than competant at what it does. Great stuff!

9/10

BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS:-(4.20)

This is my favourite of the album overall, it starts off slow and melodic with an aucostic guitar with some great lyrics and vocals ' I walk a lonely road the only one that I have evr known, dont know where it goes, but its only me and I walk alone'. This is classic operatic rock at its best, theres some upliughting guitar pieces on there too before the chorus breaks out, 'My shadows the only one that walks beside me, My shallow hearts the only thing thats beating' The chorus is powerful and gets through to you straight away.

Theres a small piano piece in this too that works really well, its a very mellow melodic relaxing song that whilst following the basic rules for a song stands out from the crowd.

To finish the song off theres a Muse-Esque guitar riff/solo at the end and some tight drumming.

10/10

ARE WE THE WAITING:-(2:42)

This song is one of my favourites, albiet too short and cut rather ubruptly.
Its a fairly slow song and has a tom-tom based drum beat with a slow melodic winding guitar piece, before the chorus lets loose with some uplifting operatic lyrics of 'Are we, we are are we, we are the waiting'.

It has a good verse and great chorus and no real bridge, but it works really well, but then all of sudden, unexpectedly at 2 minutes 42 seconds it suddenly gets cut short, but this is for a reason as it leads directly into the next song.

9/10

ST JIMMI:-(2:55)

St is a faster more punky song that does actually fit in ok with the end of the previous song.
It starts off with a faster punky drum beat and some decent riffs.
What saves this song from being average is the vocals fitting in with the riffs so well, theres a great melody in a lot of this album and its evident here when Billy Joe sings the lyrics ' Its saint Jimmy, and thats my name'.
Theres even a hint of Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols during the bridge of this song.

8/10

GIVE ME NOVOAINE:-(3:25)

This song starts off with a basic drum beat and aucostic guitar piece and soft vocals, it works really well and its one of the albums softer pieces..at least at first. It does get a bit louder into the song but that doesnt really do it justice, the quieter pieces are the best on this song.
The bridge is a fairly simple piece with a little solo overlapping the main riff. It ends on the soft note, which does this song a lot of favours, it sounds great!

8.5/10

SHES A REBEL-(2:00)

The shortest song on the album, but its short and sweet. It straight away bursts into the chorus 'Shes a rebel, shes a saint, shes a salt of the earth, and shes dangerous' again the vocals sound top notch and Billy Joe really does have a great voice. The song is fairly simply but is very catchy, there is no bridge to this song to speak of, but it doesn't need one, its only 2 minutes long!

8/10

EXTRAORDINARY GIRL: (3:33)

This song starts off with a tribal beat and that carries on for about 33 seconds..33 seconds too much for me, I want guitar music!

When the song does start its a chirpy drum beat and some fairly simple riffs, Theres a lot of good vocals in here again that compliment the improving guitar work, the chorus is especially good 'Shes an extraordinary girl, in an ordinary world'
The song ends with nice little eastern style guitar effect, Its not the best of the album but it continues the albums great quality so far.

8/10

LETTERBOMB:-(4:06)

This song starts off with a little Kid chanting 'Nobody likes you' before breaking into a fast bass and drum line, once again the vocals is this song really are top notch and save it from being a bit generic. The chorus of this song doesnt do amazing things, its rather simple and a bit dull, theres some good fast drumming in there though, this song picks up near the end , where it seems to get more powerful, but in all its only a good song compared to the others.

7/10

WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS:-(4:45)

This is a very soft song, a melodic aucostic piece opens this song, with some nice but not overly amazing vocals. It does create atomopshere though as it progresses. After a while some drumming entersa the song and the guitar gets slightly louder and the song starts to get more life into it. The vocals also seem to get better as the song progresses and it starts to turn out quite well. Theres a neat little solo bit in the bridge that leads onto the chorus again, its a decent song overall but not quite as good as the earlier songs on the album.

7.5/10

HOMECOMING:-(9:18)

Another very long song, clocking in at roughly 10 seconds longer Than J.O.S. This song starts of well enough with a nice little flicky guitar riff and some good vocals. There seem to be a lots of reference to previous songs on this album, and St Jimmy is mentioned for the 3rd time on this song. The second piece of the song comes in at around the 2.30 mark and instantly makes its mark like the sections of Jesus of Suburbia did, its got that dancy/headbangy melodic feel to it, making way for a great little aucostic/ electric guitar mix bit 'Somebody get me out of here' Billy croons in perfect time. Then all goes quiet and tubular bell is heard, time for the next act.
Complimanting a drum roll perfectly the bells roll in and Billy once again sings the words 'Nobody likes you', but this is just a taster as suddenly the song explodes into a rock'n'roll style piece, its fast and catchy and the vocalsare different but fit it perfectly. ' Ive got a rock and roll life, I've got a rock n roll band', sings B.J- Something were all graetfully aware of!. Sadly this doesnt last too long, but replacing it is a jumpy catchy little riff and beat that we heard at the start of the song, all in all its turning out rather well. Lastly the song breaks out into the dramatic opera rock ending of 'Home, were coming home again , HOME. WERE COMING HOME' Its an excellent ending to a great song that easily competes as one of the best on the album.

However a great album ender it would have ben its not quite the last song, and although the last song is still very good I felt it would have been better to end the album on Homecoming.

10/10

WHATSERNAME:-(4:12)

This is the final song on the album and while it wasn't such a good ender as Homecoming its still a great song in its own right. It starts off with a medium beat and small guitar chip, but the vocals are very good on the first half of this song , and the overall melody is excellent, the song is about a girl that he dated and she cheated on him and hes forgotten her name now. 'I made a point to burn all of her photographs' 'Now I wonder how Whatsername has been.'
Generic lyrical content, but great music.
Then half the way through the song it explodes into a loud driving solo-ish riff that actually sounds really good once you get into it, and when it couples with the vocals it makes for a great ending as it finishes ' And in the darkest nights, if my memory serves me right, Ill never turn back time'. The song then winds down with a little guitar piece and so ends the album!

10/10

So overall what do I make of this album?

Its an excellently crafted piece of modern Operatic rock that has few of the pop punk leanings that the band has done prior. It couples strong guitar riffs with tight drumming and often amazing vocals and puts them all into one album thats easily worth its salt. There is no REAL poor song on this album and almost anyone would find something to enjoy on this record. Whether you like Pop punk, Nu metal, Or evn Death metal I could recommend this album whole heartedly.
It's an stunning change for a band that has failed to produce a mediocre record as of yet, and has continued the run of excellence.

Billy Joe and the gang Prooving that good things really do come to those who wait!

Rating- 90%-Excellent