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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. American Idiot |
| 2. Jesus Of Suburbia |
| 3. Holiday |
| 4. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams |
| 5. Are We The Waiting |
| 6. St. Jimmy |
| 7. Give Me Novacaine |
| 8. She's A Rebel |
| 9. Extraordinary Girl |
| 10. Letterbomb |
| 11. Wake Me Up When September Ends |
| 12. Homecoming |
| 13. Whatsername |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
There's a clenched fist grasping a heart-shaped hand grenade on the cover of American Idiot, a militant mural presumably designed to inform us that Californian punk-pop vets Green Day love America but hate what's becoming of it. Inferences aside, you could argue that American Idiot is a suspect device--a punk concept album/rock opera primed to blow up in the faces of the ruling right-wing American classes but which could just as easily leave splattered egg on the faces of the insurrectionists. The concept is fuzzy (telly-brainwashed teenage runaway falls in with the wrong crowd, something or other happens with drugs, rock and a character called "Whatsername") and the political protestations against the metaphorical Arrnies and Dubyas are mere slapstick custard pies compared with the Dead Kennedys' CIA-bothering debunking of Reaganomics. However, something about American Idiot both excites and rings true whilst simultaneously beggaring belief. Spanning influences from The Who's Tommy to Husker Du's Zen Arcade, American Idiot has the listener living in cliff-hanging fear of an unexpected Richie Blackmore guitar solo or Tarkus-style ELP exposition but actually never strays from Buzzcockian melodiousness or phlegm-drenched rifferama even when things get ridiculous. "Homecoming", for example, is probably the best amalgamation of The Clash, Pink Floyd's The Wall, Millwall football supporters terrace chants, Deep Purple, The Levellers, Bob Mould, UK Subs, Rush, Pete Townsend and The Tubes you'll ever hear. American Idiot could be brave or it could be stupid, but it really can't be ignored. --Kevin Maidment
From the Label
Produced by Rob Cavallo, American Idiot is not only Green Day's most ambitious album to date, but also perhaps one of the most audacious efforts in the history of punk. Centred around two five-part, nine minute epics ("Jesus Of Suburbia" and "Homecoming"), 'American Idiot' is an expansive and intimately crafted concept album, detailing the alienation and disillusionment of the American citizen under Bush's post-War On Terror administration. "Jesus Of Suburbia" sees Green Day crossing genres at will to convey their story, mixing stomping melodic punk with elements of classic American rock, sun-kissed harmonies, a hint of psychedelia and Billie Joe singing plaintively over a lone acoustic. Elsewhere, Green Day's talent for reflective, melancholy sounds is pushed to the forefront with "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" which finds them at their evocative best, and with "Are We The Waiting", possibly the most beautiful song ever to feature an old-school terrace chant. But it's with "When September Ends" that Green Day fully realise their strength at combining the tender with the powerful. The title-track rages with the aggression and infectiousness that typifies the best of the band's prior work, whilst a host of other tracks – including the breakneck punk of "St Jimmy" and the power-pop of "Extraordinary Girl" – remind us exactly why Green Day were so good in the first place.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I've had quite enough of those who harp on about being "true Green Day fans" complaining that this album isn't Dookie. Fair enough, if you prefer the punkier Green Day, listen to Dookie again, but comparing this album to their earlier stuff is ridiculous. Bands change and mature, and are all the better for it. With American Idiot, Green Day prove their reluctance to be crammed into a rut.
The band have also been accused of jumping on a bandwagon in order to sell to new fans, which I would think a silly statement seeing as Green Day are so well established. The album focuses on issues important to American society today, and forgive me if I'm wrong, but Green Day have always written tracks that put American life under the spotlight.
The album is excellent. Stand out tracks include Jesus Of Suburbia (wonderful lyrics on the isolation of youth) and Holiday, while Whatsername is an evocative close to a stirring and emotionally rich album. Again, Billie Joe's lyrics are heartfelt and affectingly delivered. The music may be as "power-chordy" as ever, but what matter when the album sounds better than a "greatest hits" from many lesser bands.
The band have also been accused of jumping on a bandwagon in order to sell to new fans, which I would think a silly statement seeing as Green Day are so well established. The album focuses on issues important to American society today, and forgive me if I'm wrong, but Green Day have always written tracks that put American life under the spotlight.
The album is excellent. Stand out tracks include Jesus Of Suburbia (wonderful lyrics on the isolation of youth) and Holiday, while Whatsername is an evocative close to a stirring and emotionally rich album. Again, Billie Joe's lyrics are heartfelt and affectingly delivered. The music may be as "power-chordy" as ever, but what matter when the album sounds better than a "greatest hits" from many lesser bands.
27 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Green Day have been around for well over a decade now, and after 'Warning' and a greatest hits album, there was just a hint that they were starting to run out of ideas for creating new sounds and fresh-sounding tunes. As a result this album, seemingly borne out of a healthy cynicism of the American government and decisions made by the Bush administration, is like a lightning bolt of inspiration. It keeps in with the band's traditional quirky, guitar-driven punk style, but introduces a touch of sentimentality and a more subtle, soft edge to a couple of songs that is a refreshing change, when interspersed with the usual power-punk material of the rest of the CD.
I'd originally bought this on the back of the singles 'American Idiot' and 'Holiday', but the album is far richer and cleverly constructed than just those songs. This is an album on a mission, blending sounds and meaning with a message that America is not happy about how it stands today. From beginning to end there are references to characters whose intentions start off well enough, but who eventually succumb to apathy and disillusionment in the face of an arrogant establishment ignoring their cries for change. Many will read more or less into it than that, but the quality and variety of melodies packed into a decent-length (just short of an hour) recording is unquestionable. This is terrific, powerful musicianship at work, generating memorable tunes that take unexpected turns to keep the interest constantly engaged.
The fact that so many songs refer to each other can make it an album that is difficult to flick through or listen to odd songs in isolation. And the band have pulled an extra trick on this recording, putting together two vast songs which run to over 9 minutes each. The two tracks, spanning five stanzas ('Jesus of Suburbia' and 'Homecoming') are stunning works of musical genius, telling a grandiose story and utilising a vast array of instruments and styles. They are imperious, epic pieces of work, and by far the most original set-pieces I have heard this year. Curious that track 13, Whatsername, should lie after the second of these, as it would make an absolutely perfect grand finale with its thumping drums and chanting run out at the end.
American Idiot is not the album I expected it to be; it is much, much better than I could have hoped for. 5 stars all the way.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Green have just released their special edition of their latest album "American Idiot", and all the music mags have correctly judged it very well indeed, Green Day fans will throroughly enjoy this package, and maybe I'll just re-buy this (maybe).
The singles to start with, the title song, "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams," "Holiday" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends" have their videos on the DVD, but they are all superb and have dented the charts with great impact, "Jesus Of Suburbia" is a five-part classic aswell as the rest of the songs mentioned here. "Are We The Waiting" is a good song with good singing from Billie Joe, quite short, but good.
"St. Jimmy" is a great song with awesome lyrics in it, and it's really catchy. "Give Me Novacaine" is very strong in the chorus, but soft in the verses, great guitars! "She's A Rebel" is quite good, I think, music is great throughout this album aswell, "Extraordinary Girl" is not as good as the rest, I don't really listen to it much. "Letterbomb" is explosive though, good lyrics (no wonder Billie Joe is so good at songwriting, I envy him a bit).
"Homecoming" is another five-part classic aswell, the final song "Whatsername" is a great ender with the final lyrics going like, "Forgetting you but not the time...". Overall "American Idiot" is a massive rock and roll album throughout, so please buy it if you don't have it. Green Day are one of the best-selling rock and roll artists in the world, so don't let them down!
~ Calum Fairweather (Green Day fan)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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My order is late. I have listened to most of the songs online, and love the album. But it is 8 days late, so screw this.
Published 18 days ago by Cooperlewes
green day - american idiot - Jap Cd
bought this jap cd album for superb/magnificent track "boulevard of broken dreams".
overall standard of rest of album is much the same - consistently Ex++. Read more
overall standard of rest of album is much the same - consistently Ex++. Read more
Published 25 days ago by allister m hardwick
American Idiot
A great album, I love it! I like it more than there old stuff, more muture and better but still a must for any GD fan... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Tomz
More mature, but don't let that put you off
I don't know whether American Idiot counts as Green Day's best album or not, but it's pretty close to perfect if you take it on its own terms. Read more
Published 2 months ago by MideastMC
Monstrosity
Brainless sugar music for dull children! Is this the future of music? 3 minte pop-punk songs (an insult to punk). Armstrong still looks like Bowies homeless cousin. Read more
Published 3 months ago by C22man
rock of ages
you are immediately thrown into rock oblivian, in a good way, coz you're surrounded by great lyrics, great guitars, great drums great attitude. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jade Blake
Epic
The album that led to, among other things, a hit Broadway musical and a two year tour is certainly no disappointment. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Courtney Mower
great
What a band. Great value for money. My other copy had long been played done. Great value for money. The good days
Published 5 months ago by jimmyjoe
surprisingly good
an album that is good to listen to, its loud and will create a bit of movement. Surprisingly good American post punk group who fair turn it on with this album saw them live once if... Read more
Published 6 months ago by malmac
Love this album
I love this album I used to own it years ago and I still love it now, What an excellent band! My only thing is that im sure it used to have more tracks than 9? Read more
Published 6 months ago by Miss Goodyear
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