Green Day, "American Idiot"

Ken punks us at the opera

, and

Dec 09, 2020

Ken’s Pitch:

Subcultures are a funny thing because eventually they almost all become part of the mainstream they once railed against. Punk rock has fought becoming part of the mainstream with a Tyson-like ferocity, claiming anything resembling punk that either sells well or is critically well-received is a fraud. The nihilistic movement grew in popularity in the mid-to-late 1970s and bands like The Sex Pistols, The Damned and The Ramones became household names, even if mom and dad didn’t know any of their songs. But even in the ‘70s, punk bands were determined to avoid the spotlight of celebrating gold records and going to awards shows, even as many of them were hypocritically spending small fortunes on mansions, and deliberately shopping at all the hippest “underground” stores to perfect their heroin-chic look.

I always thought the original punk movement could have been more; they really had something to say about society, about politics, and about music. But it always seemed to me that they focused too much on the message and not enough on the music itself. It was loud and fast and angry (which was great), but it also wasn’t very good. It either wasn’t given enough time in rehearsal, or the musicians just weren’t up to the task, because in general, it was really sloppy. But they didn’t care, they were about authenticity and you were either with them or against them. If you were a band of quality musicians, you were going to take some flack. In some way, you and your band needed to be a little rough, a bit unrehearsed, and without any sort of polish whatsoever to be taken seriously.

I remember when Green Day’s third album Dookie came out in 1994; it was immediately dismissed by purists as “pop-punk”. I didn’t care at the time, I was listening to the full spectrum of available music, all the way from The Grateful Dead to The Jerry Garcia Band, to even the New Riders of the Purple Sage. But radio was still king of the road back then, so you couldn’t help but hear “When I Come Around” or “Basket Case” when driving around. They were good songs, and they had all the elements of punk rock. Still, I wasn’t necessarily buying what they were selling.

However, in September of 2004, in the aftermath of 9/11 and the Patriot Act, a year and a half after we invaded Iraq based on a series of lies, and on the virtual eve of one of the most important Presidential elections in history (2020 says “hold my beer”), Green Day released the punk-rock opera American Idiot, which told the story of anonymous, disgruntled, suburban youth fighting for excitement in a boring world, succumbing to the temptations of drug dealers, and longing for love. It was the story of every young person that didn’t like what they saw going on. The music had an anti-authoritarian message, it had speed, it had power chords, and it had Billie Joe Armstrong’s unique punk voice leading the charge. Of course, in the most predictable way, the aging punk community brushed it off as pop-punk. The guys in Green Day were called poseurs for no other reason than having made a clean, musically-tight, complex, politically and socially relevant album.

The reality is that American Idiot has all of the musical stylings of traditional punk. It also happens to be a really good album, and that’s a problem for the punk community. I embrace good music regardless of popularity, so they can keep Johnny Rotten and Captain Sensible, I’ll be hanging around with St. Jimmy and Whatshername.

CJ’s Response:

Hanging out on Second Avenue

Eating chicken vindaloo

I just want to be with you

I just want to have something to do

Tonight, tonight, tonight

That’s “I Just Want To Have Something To Do” by Ramones, as sung by Joey Ramone.

It’s clumsy.

It’s earnest.

It’s beautiful.

It’s punk.

Green Day are not punk. They are a super-slick, pop-rock trio wearing Sid’s eyeliner, Johnny’s hair and Iggy’s studded belt.

But, that’s okay. Ken isn’t arguing whether or not Green Day are punk. He’s making a case that American Idiot is a great album.

And, quite frankly, it is.

This is a collection of well-written, angsty songs that are as socially and politically relevant today as they were sixteen years ago. You could probably make a convincing argument that the album would’ve felt right at home in 1968, 1980 and 1988 as well.

There are four or five legitimate hits on American Idiot and the rest of the songs are plenty enjoyable. I will be honest and admit that I didn’t know this was a punk rock opera when it came out. As a casual fan, I had enjoyed several songs off their previous albums and was equally pleased with the songs that got radio/video play from this effort.

Now listening to it as a whole, I have to say that I don’t really follow the plot line. After playing it in order a few times, I tried it on shuffle and it didn’t make a bit of difference. So, maybe it isn’t the cultural touchstone that it was meant to be. But, it was still a very successful record.

Let’s put it this way. When one of these songs pops up in my playlist, I’m not pressing skip.

Pitch Failed

Don’s Response:

From their earliest records, most notably “Dookie,” Green Day made it seem easy. Three chords, 4x4 time, faux English accent, poser punk posture. They made it work because the listener didn’t have to.

So I started listening while making dinner, thinking I wouldn’t have to think. Of course, I was familiar with American Idiot’s hits, but I’d never listened to it all the way through.

Damn, it’s fun. But that’s not unexpected from Green Day. What surprised me was that it’s more than meets the eyeliner. Every song grabs you. It has more hooks than a pirate ship. And by the end it feels downright important, even if you don’t give a shit about the plot.

The best of the bunch is “Jesus of Suburbia,” a twisting medley featuring a Bowie-esque bridge in the first quarter (“I read the graffiti in the bathroom stall”), Sex Pistols attitude in the middle (“I don’t care if you don’t care”), Beatles bounce in the third quarter (“Dearly beloved are you listening”), and unabashed Green Day down the stretch (“And I leave behind”).

Who knew Green Day was so deep. Sounds like I need to spend more time with American Idiot. It’s worth the effort.

Pitch Successful

Mitch’s Response:

There’s a grand tradition in rock and roll - usually around the third album - of bands complaining about life on the road and the downside of fame. It makes sense. Most people write about what they know, and after they run out of songs composed pre-fame they start writing about their current life on tour.

But if you’re both self-aware and pretentious, then you transform that personal complaint into a grand, universal statement. You turn it into a rock opera.

The dirty little secret of rock operas, whether they feature eyebrow-less neo-fascists named Pink, shirtless street toughs named Rael, or imaginary junkies named St. Jimmy, is that they’re all fundamentally the same story:

Hero goes on a journey of self-discovery, falsely believing that happiness comes from external sources. Hero initially struggles, ultimately succeeds, fails to achieve contentment, has a breakdown, ultimately realizes that peace can only come from within, and finally returns home.

So, is Green Day’s American Idiot a good telling of the heroes' journey? No, not really. The characters are universally whiny and unappealing. There’s a lot of talk of amusing ourselves to death through the media and the comfortably numb embrace of drugs. Been there, done that.

The music, however, is quite interesting. Literally stretching the boundaries of the punk format past the breaking point, there are excellent song fragments throughout American Idiot. And while "Jesus of Suburbia” is an endurance test that I failed many, many times, there are lots of great tunes on the album and “Wake Me Up When September Ends” is a stone-cold classic.

Kenneth, you’re getting a point for the “rock” but losing a point for the “opera”. And I hope that Billie Joe has found contentment at last.

Pitch Failed

Ken’s pitch has broken some dreams and Green Day’s American Idiot has been exiled from the Newbury St. Collection.

Thanks for reading! Has Ken convinced you to travel down the boulevard of broken dreams with him? Let us know what you think about Green Day’s American Idiot:

Exile on Newbury St.

Discussion about this post