I see Green Day's very obvious pattern now. I mean, ignoring all the canons of the band [MoneyMoney2020, Foxboro Hot Tubs, Shenanigans (b-sides), International Super Hits (compilation album)] i'm going by strictly Green Day brand new releases. I'm also ignoring their LP 39/Smooth.
anyway, here we go, here's how it breaks down;
1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours and Kerplunk were their old school, traditional ska/punk albums. These were raw Green Day still trying to find their voice.
Dookie/Insomniac were their coming out albums. Dookie was obviously HUGE and every song on that album is a classic, along with Insomniac. Here's the rub; much of what was on Insomniac were songs written and/or recorded for Dookie but got put aside. So to me, Insomniac is part 2 of Dookie. That's the second era of their career.
Nimrod/Warning: Nimrod saw them exploring less punky, traditional rock sounds and using different tempos, beats and instruments. I don't just mean "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life). I also include "Uptight" and "King For A Day" as examples of their style becoming more varied with lighter instrumentals that didn't rely on heavy guitar riffs. Warning was an acoustic rock album all the way. Tom Petty with a serious attitude problem.
American Idiot/21st Century Breakdown: American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown continue their tradition of keeping a similar sound in two albums with slight tweaks. The higher vocal registering Billie Joe does in 21st Century Break Down and the melodic, operatic tones carrying through both albums are also a tonal shift for them. American Idiot is still full on rock, though. 21st Century Breakdown feels slightly different. I can't quite put my finger on it just yet. I've listened to the whole album 5 times now and I'm still trying to figure out. I guess you could say it's their most pop-centric album ever. A lot of these songs might not get played on a rock station, but top 40, definitely. While I've always loved their anti-establishment mentality, I see what they're trying to accomplish. People will be surprised by these new tracks and wonder where Green Day will go next. Keeping us guessing will keep us listening and thus keep them popular and topical for music in general.
I wonder what these guys will sound like in their 40's. Hopefully their next two albums will reveal yet another side to their ever evolving style.
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Hybrid Mode