Following 2000’s release of ‘Warning’, fans were left with the distinct feeling that something was seriously wrong in the Green Day camp - the lyrics were heart-felt (almost vomit inducing in some cases), the sound was far more mellowed and the promotion for the record was virtually non existent. What these same fans hadn’t previously comprehended was that the members of the band were now in their late 20’s and couldn’t portray themselves as the same snot nosed punks that 1994 had seen them to be - they had grown up, and with that, as had their music. Billie Joe Armstrong was still the master tactician, but there was no way he could still write tracks about masturbation and save face in the process, something had to give. It was, in fairness, a process that had begun back in 1997 with the release of Nimrod, an album that showed evident wholesale changes from the bands previous work such as Dookie and Insomniac, and a change that had to be welcomed by fans if things were to work out for the bands sake. Luckily most fans took on board that the band had little option, and as such Warning was, in large a rousing success - little did these same fans know what was to come in four years time, undoubtedly the bands finest work ever, American Idiot.

In truth, what we have is something of a rock opera that integrates the current issues within the US into it’s story. The lead character (St. Jimmy), could easily be your everyday American, coping with the everyday issues that Billie Joe writes of, with ‘Holiday’ being the one legit attack at Bush and his regime. ‘American Idiot’, the albums lead single, began gaining radio play toward the middle of 2004, instantly topping charts in every corner of the globe, whilst going pretty unchallenged as to it’s stance. It’s stance, although negative, was something that the American public could relate to and see from Billie Joe’s perspective as to what he was feeling toward the government that were (and still are) running his homeland with little regard as to the people within it. Subsequent number one’s, coupled with rave reviews, left the band with no doubts as to how well received they were to be, but little did they know as to just how well. As the release date came over the horizon, stores were heard to have excessive pre-orders for the album, as well raging demand on shop level itself. It was to eventually sell a mere (yeah right) 1 million in it’s first two weeks on general sale, as well as staggering online sales, making it the must have release of 2004.

It’s politically fuelled, anger induced lyrics are something that, although likely to go largely unnoticed by anyone that really matters, opens your eyes to just how bad things are for some people, and how strongly certain individuals feel about it. The music, although seemingly irrelevant in certain cases of the record, is top drawer and as good as ever - although it’s an album that urges you to focus on the lyrics just as much as anything else. ‘Holiday’ is generally the peak of the anger that fuels the album, with the remaining tracks instead telling the tale of St. Jimmy and his many adventures with his (equally) many friends. ‘Are We The Waiting’, another of the albums finer points, tells the tale of a lost soul, lost as to what they want, need and feel in regards to themselves and the people around them, whilst asking the question as to whether ‘We Are The Waiting’. On the faster side of things, ‘She’s A Rebel’ tells the tale of the character that we will eventually know as ‘Whatsername’, a lost love to St. Jimmy, and one that he struggles to ignore whilst fighting his feelings as to what she’s doing and where she‘s at (see: ‘Whatsername’).