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The most helpful favorable review
The most helpful critical review
53 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
Heartfelt album, these songs will grow on you . . .
I had a hard time accepting this new album, as I loved American Idiot and didn't think it could be topped . . . further, I wasn't too excited about the whole "Christian and Gloria" narrative, etc. But I've found that, with repeated listens, the songs have really grown on me. And the narrative is so loose, and Christian and Gloria are referenced so infrequently, that...
Published 4 months ago by Kristin Grace Parker
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Likable set of tracks, but its all running on automatic
21st Century sounds too much like a studied and slight revision of their excellent "American Idiot." I wouldnt have minded some stripped down tracks and I wouldnt have minded some hard punk, but instead we get a mainstream sound that is not memorable. They lyrics are fine but they dont hit hard. Heck, I'd give anything for the dark comic irony we heard in "Warning"'s...
Published 3 months ago by techmannn
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53 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
Heartfelt album, these songs will grow on you . . ., May 16, 2009
I had a hard time accepting this new album, as I loved American Idiot and didn't think it could be topped . . . further, I wasn't too excited about the whole "Christian and Gloria" narrative, etc. But I've found that, with repeated listens, the songs have really grown on me. And the narrative is so loose, and Christian and Gloria are referenced so infrequently, that there were times when I forgot I was listening to a "rock opera." This album is not as fun as American Idiot, it is more contemplative and introspective. And, with a few exceptions, it doesn't have the light-heartedness of earlier Green Day material. That's why you have to give it some time. The guys wanted to do something a little different (heck, they've been at this for 20 years). I personally feel like this album came from the heart, and that's why I listened to it two to three times to let it grow on me before making up my mind about it.
The following songs are my favorites:
1) Horseshoes and Handgrenades. I think this song has the most menacing "f$#k you" energy of any Green Day song ever. East Jesus Nowhere is also quite good, for similar reasons.
2) Last Night on Earth. I'm not usually one for ballads, but this one is very beautiful. It was written by Billie Joe for his wife . . .
3) 21st Century Breakdown. This hook grows on you, it has a sunny, grooving quality to it even though the lyrics are kinda pessimistic.
4) "Before the Lobotomy" also starts out as a serious ballad . . . again, not my favorite type of music usually. The track morphs into something else and then the ballad material returns, but set to a backbeat and distorted guitars. It sounds very powerful at the end.
5) Restless Heart Syndrome . . . another haunting ballad that improves with each listen.
6) 21 Guns. This has a great "everyone put your lighter in the air" vibe. I think this will sound excellent live.
There were other good moments on the album, too. I'm just getting too tired to type more :) And, at the risk of beating you over the head with a stick . . . give this album 2-3 listens and let the material sink in. You will be glad you did.
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31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
Green Day is becoming their own genre - Arena Punk, May 20, 2009
I've read several reviews saying it takes 2-3 listens to get into this album, but I was hooked the first time. American Idiot spent about 3 months straight in my truck's CD player on repeat and I imagine this one will as well. They have grown musically at about the same pace as I have. They do a great job mixing the fast songs with the ballads (often in the same song). I was 15 when Dookie came out and am now 30. In that period, I have gotten into some great older music - The Beatles (thanks Mom), The Who, Queen, to name few. I was skeptical when I heard Good Riddance on the Nimrod album but that song has since grown into one of my favorite Green Day songs. I still like it fast and heavy but have really grown to appreciate classic rock and you can really hear the influences of these bands in Green Day's last two albums. In fact, for those of you who buy this on itunes, I recommend adding their cover of Lennon's "Working Class Hero" when you burn it onto a CD. It fits right along with the rest of 21st Century Breakdown.
In summary, if you liked American Idiot you will definitely get into this one. A couple more albums like these last two would probably seal their induction into the Rock n Roll hall of fame. Rock on...
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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
I can't NOT love Green Day, May 17, 2009
Green Day was the first band I ever saw live, so I think I'll always carry a positive bias with me for these guys because of that show. Up until American Idiot I loved every single album they put out. I didn't necessarily dislike American Idiot, it just had a totally different vibe than their previous albums. With 21st Century Breakdown, they really seemed to capture the best elements from American Idiot and go with a similar concept once again. What sets "Breakdown" apart, however, is how well they were able to make such a long, epic album again but manage to pay homage to a lot of their older sounds. Don't get me wrong, this is definitely another stadium-ready rock opera, but done so in a way that all of Green Day's classic pop-punk aggression and melodies shine through and carry you from start to finish. I really didn't expect to enjoy this album much at all, and after the first listen I was worried my suspicions might have been true, but with repeat listens this album has quickly won me over and will definitely be one of my top favorites of 2009.
Favorite Tracks:
�Viva La Gloria!
East Jesus Nowhere
Peacemaker
Last Of The American Girls
Murder City
The Static Age
American Eulogy
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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
They did it., May 25, 2009
I was absolutely, sinkingly disappointed in this album when I first listened. Shades of 1970's music (which is fine if you like that sort of thing; I don't). More rock, less punk; but I promised myself to listen through three times straight before I posted a review. The more I listened, the more the lyrics became clear, and depths of complexity began to show themselves. I had hoped for an album which I could play straight through without skipping a lot of songs, and this does it. It's a long album: 18 songs I think, and most of them are singles-quality.
A few notes: I didn't even notice the "Christian and Gloria" theme for quite some time. The lyrics are somewhat hard to understand at first, and I listen in the car, so reading the liner as it plays is not really an option. Finally, while waiting for someone in a parking lot, I got to read the titles and lyrics and realized that there was an operatic quality to this album, like American Idiot. Now, I come from the age of Pink Floyd's The Wall, and was exposed to Tommy during my teen years. I love the idea of a whole integrated collection of songs which make a story. In the early '80's, I spent hours imagining what Pink looked like (Pink the character in The Wall, not the pink-haired diva)and imagining what it all meant. I'd love to see a Green Day movie, with Jimmy or Christian, which would play at the midnight movie for decades.
Secondly, the sound of the album is often scratchy and sometimes sounds like it was recorded at the bottom of a well. I know this is intentional, but it was really bothersome at first; seemed to be used too much. Oddly, now I don't even notice it, but I play it louder as I've come to know the words.
Billie Joe fights the establishment with his lyrics, and this album is no exception. The lyrics are well thought out, if not somewhat repetitive in places(I agree with the reviewer who states that _Know Your Enemy_ is one of the weaker offerings), but definitely gives listeners the famous Green Day attitude. Again, if you don't get the first time, give it a couple more tries and I think you'll be hooked on an album you can listen to without interruption...
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Their best yet..., July 7, 2009
It seems that, more than ever, it's fashionable to hate bands that become successful, begin to explore other sounds and expand their themes; they're labeled as hacks and sellouts. From their hard-punk freshman work on "1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours", Green Day, in my opinion, graduated with their rock-opera "American Idiot" and I wondered how they would top it. They did just that with this epic CD - incredible variety, depth and passion; "21st Century Breakdown" is their doctoral thesis.
Granted, I like everything they've done - from the early EP's to "Kerplunk" to "Warning"; I'm a fan. I think they're the best rockers working today or as Letterman once said when they appeared on 'Late Night', "The band that's single-handedly saving rock and roll." I thought "American Idiot" was the one of the best rock albums released in years but "21st Century..." comes in as far more sophisticated with an impressive array of music and a very clear vision of character and story.
Almost everyone is familiar with the thrust of this album; rock opera story of Christian and Gloria in 3 Acts (Heroes & Cons, Charlatans & Saints, Horseshoes & Handgrenades) so let's talk music.
The sheer range of different sounds on this CD was the first thing that struck me. "21st Century Breakdown" has everything; the hard-rocking "Know Your Enemy" and "Murder City", classic rock echos of "The Who" in the title track as well as "Before the Lobotomy" and "See the Light". Then there's an Ozzy feel to "Christian's Inferno" and the truly edgy "East Jesus Nowhere" (originally called "March of the Dogs"). Surprisingly, there's a beautiful John Lennon-esque ballad style in "Last Night on Earth", "Restless Heart Syndrome" and "21 Guns". Throw in the tre' cool (pardon the pun) Spanish guitar-influenced "Peacemaker" and radio-ready pop tunes like "Last of the American Girls" and "The Static Age", then follow each tune as it tells the story with the occasional flourish worthy of Queen and it's a very imposing work.
The lyrics are intricate and finely constructed, playful and clever, wry and revealing. The "Last of the American Girls" paints a picture of America itself, from it's naive hopefulness to it's self-absorbed isolation to it's self-perceived superiority - `She wears her overcoat for the coming of the nuclear winter / She is riding a bike like a fugitive of critical mass / She's on a hunger strike for the ones who won't make it for dinner / She makes enough to survive for the Holiday working-class...'
"East Jesus Nowhere" is a stinging indictment of religious fanatics; `Say a prayer for the family / Drop a coin for humanity / Ain't this uniform so flattering / I never asked you a God dammed thing'. Then there are songs that effortlessly shift gears musically while elucidating story and character, like "�Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)".
And as far as selling out; when I was first hit by "Horseshoes and Handgrenades" (`I'm not f-ing around / I think I'm coming out / All the deceivers and cheaters / I think we've got a bleeder right now...') I heard all the intensity, passion and punk sensibility of anything in their early days. And almost every song on this CD has an eloquent, craftsman-like attention to detail.
Contrary to the crap some of blogs have been spewing, Green Day does not hate America any more than John Lennon thought he was Jesus. But artists who explore deeply and kick over the rocks to examine the underbelly will always be derided for exposing what people don't want to face. It's right there at the end of "Restless Heart Syndrome" - `You're a victim of your symptom / You are your own worst enemy / Know your enemy'. It's ironic that people say Green Day has sold out and then despise them for attacking the American establishment... isn't that what punks do?
But if "21st Century Breakdown" is selling out, Green Day will continue to expand their market because there are lots of us out here who are buying. Then again, I'm an old guy; I grew up with rock and roll from the 60's and 70's, so perhaps I have perspective... or maybe its dementia.
Either way, let the haters prattle on - Green Day rules.
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Likable set of tracks, but its all running on automatic, June 4, 2009
21st Century sounds too much like a studied and slight revision of their excellent "American Idiot." I wouldnt have minded some stripped down tracks and I wouldnt have minded some hard punk, but instead we get a mainstream sound that is not memorable. They lyrics are fine but they dont hit hard. Heck, I'd give anything for the dark comic irony we heard in "Warning"'s lyrics. "Warning" is pure pop with lyrics that still make me smile after a hundred listens.
Regretfully, Green Day took not a single artistic chance with this CD and that is a very curious thing for them to do. They've got to be loaded with bucks after American Idiot and they are VERY talented, so why make a CD that sounds like this? I'll be waiting for their next CD.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
A good album, but some songs are lacking, August 11, 2009
I was personally quite taken with this new album when I first listened to it, but the more I did, the more I noticed some of its shortcomings. Like many people say, it lacks much new direction. Billie Joe's lyrical ability seems to be fading, and some of the songs seem like they were just sort of rough ideas that the band decided to turn into songs because they needed to fill the time quota; the ones that come to mind are "Murder City," "Last of the American Girls," and "The Static Age." Also, the song that seems to be everyone's favorite, "Know Your Enemy," though catchy and fun, fails lyrically, and is just the same tune over and over minus a short bridge in the middle. Most of the songs on this album have American Idiot-stylized lyrics, but fail to match the lyrical prowess of "Jesus of Suburbia" or the other great pieces from American Idiot.
Now that I've gotten all the criticism out of the way, time to mention the album's successes. There are some really fantastic songs on this album. About half of them are very nice lyrically and musically, and are just plain fun to listen to. Billie Joe Armstrong's voice shines very strongly on this album, and there is obvious vocal improvement in this album as compared to the last. There are some really great harmony sections in some songs, and drummer Tre Cool proves himself once again. Ranging from the angry, raucous "East Jesus Nowhere" to the impassioned and slow anti-war song "21 Guns," there are some pretty great pieces to enjoy.
"Punk" or not, "sell-out" or not, it doesn't matter. This new album delivers good music. Though the songs are very mixed in their quality, especially lyrically, the good songs of 21st Century Breakdown are hard to beat, while the few bad can be picked out and skipped to enjoy this album the most.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Green Day still has it!, May 26, 2009
I personally love this new album, and it's been a long time coming! After one listen, it certainly has a different feel to it than American Idiot had. The album is certainly different,and in a way I don't like it, but after a few listens to the album, the songs really do grow on you. I think this album was written from their hearts, and I applaud them for their tremendous effort. Now if only they would come to Klamath Falls and sing for us!
I especially like these songs:
1)Know your enemy
2)Viva la Gloria!
3)21 guns
4)Horseshoes and Handgrenades
5)Last night on Earth
Keep up the good work Green Day, you rock!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Green Day strikes again!, May 15, 2009
As a long-time Green Day fan, I cannot help but be ecstatic about their latest album. Though a big fan, I will still try to be neutral.
This album, among all the Green Day albums, is definitely the one that can be enjoyed by the widest range of people, in my opinion. I think old fans as well as new fans will find many things to appreciate throughout the 18 tracks.
Though not as punchy as Insomniac, interesting as Nimrod, flowing as American Idiot, familiar as Warning, or instantly classic as Dookie... 21st Century Breakdown finds a balance within all the qualities of Green Day's music and provides a fresh and satisfyingly catchy musical experience.
If you like music, buy this CD.
Recommended tracks: 21 Guns, Before the Lobotomy,�Viva la Gloria!, East Jesus Nowhere, Murder City
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17 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
Great Continuation from American Idiot, May 16, 2009
For fans of American Idiot, the long-awaited album from Green Day will not disappoint.
Upon initially hearing the first single, "Know Your Enemy", I was a little hesitant that Green Day had hit a snag in their creativity. Luckily, I discovered that "Know Your Enemy" is probably one of the weakest songs on the album (just as I felt "American Idiot" was one of the weaker songs on American Idiot). The other 17 tracks have a great variety in style, and so far I'm finding I enjoy it even more than I did American Idiot right away.
For fans of Dookie and other earlier Green Day albums: No, it's not the same sound and style. As a fan of both the earlier albums and their latest albums, I find there's still plenty of fun songs, and you can't help but admire the way Green Day can still craft a song after well over a decade.
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Items mentioned in these reviews
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Dookie by Green Day (Audio CD - 1994)
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