American Idiot

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 21, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Reprise Records

Editorial Reviews The first original album since 2000 from modern rock superheroes Green Day,American Idiot is one of the most anticipated and controversial albums of theyear. Scathing yet self-effacing as it tells the tale of Green Day’s BillieJoe Armstrong, American Idiot is the punk rock epic. “A bold, polished punkopera.” (Entertainment Weekly) “They’re the biggest, most successful, punkband the world has ever seen. What’s more, Green Day’s next album may well betheir masterpiece.” (Kerrang!) For its first new set of music since 2000’s _Warning_, Green Day tears up theblueprint and comes up with something unexpected: a punk rock concept albumbuilt around elaborate melodies, odd tempo changes, and a collection of songsthat freely reference classic rock warhorses like the Beatles and Pink Floyd.”She’s a Rebel” and “St. Jimmy” might sound like vintage Green Day, but therest of the disc finds the Northern California trio trying on a variety ofdifferent guises: “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” is a cliche-strewn FooFighters-style power ballad; “Extraordinary Girl” floats on Indian strings;and the hushed “Wake Me Up When September Ends” wouldn’t sound entirely out ofplace on a Jessica Simpson record. It doesn’t always work. “Dearly Beloved”eerily resembles the Alarm’s “68 Guns,” while the title track eerily resemblessomething Green Day has already done far too many times. But, overall,_American Idiot_ represents a promising step forward. _–Aidin Vaziri_