Green Day - American Idiot

It took them nearly four years, but in the end it was worth it: American Idiot, Green Day’s 13-track, rocking 7th studio album.

At a time where the band were facing a definite low in their musical career, American Idiot had an extremely difficult lead-up. Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer and guitarist, had been forced to register for community service, while drummer Tre Cool was set to divorce his second wife, Claudia. A follow up to the relatively dismally-performing album, Warning had the band divided.

And then there was the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the band’s recorded demos for the next album. Tentatively titled Cigarettes and Valentines, the tapes had been taken from the studio and suddenly vanished - yet with statements from the studio owners, it would have been impossible for the tapes to have been stolen from the studio itself.

Despite having the funds to re-record the album, Green Day went straight back to square one, convinced that Cigarettes and Valentines had not been their best work.

American Idiot is not purely a political statement; with the storytelling of characters such as St Jimmy and Whatsername, the hardcore teenage rebels often seen in the streets today, Armstrong felt a ‘sense of freedom’ as to making the new record, rather than feeling the restrictions for a record to be of the same format as Dookie.

With a strong urge to tie in the entire story to the political atmosphere of the time, the band knew they were taking a risk. President George W Bush was set to run for a second term, and this was enough to fuel Armstrong. Despite the fact that at the time, political music had not taken a positive turn, the band chose to take the massive risk - and it paid off.

The album opens with the immediately infectious riff of the title song, soon followed by explosive drums and bass. Armstrong’s voice, full of the hysteria and urgency he sings of, shows an admirable quality which had not been as present in Dookie. Full of words such as ‘fuck’ and ‘faggot’, it is clear the band are trying to make a bold and outrageous statement.

Jesus of Suburbia, quite possibly the album’s highlight, is a 9 minute, five part story, sure to arouse emotion in any avid listener. With the perfect combination of smashing repetitive guitar riffs, harmonious gospel-like vocals, violent drum solos and angry key changes, the song clearly reflects the confusion and anger of the Jesus character on his decision to leave home.

Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Wake Me Up When September Ends, although quite possibly the softer songs of the album, are synonymous with today’s popular culture - a perfect contrast to the bass-thumping, incredibly fast tunes of St. Jimmy and catchy guitar chords of Letterbomb. Then there’s She’s A Rebel, full of typical pop-punk chords, yet perfectly matched to suit Green Day’s style.

There’s then the slight focus on drums and smooth beats in songs such as Are We the Waiting and Give Me Novacaine, as well as the seemingly exotic introduction to Extraordinary Girl. Homecoming, American Idiot’s second long-length song, combines marching feet, a song about a ‘Rock and Roll Girlfriend’ as composed by drummer Tre Cool, bassist Mike Dirnt’s song about being left at the studio alone, and, of course, Armstrong’s aggressive vocals.

The album’s final track, Whatsername, softens the tone back to neutral following the rapidly changing tunes of Homecoming, telling the tale of what could quite possibly be Armstrong’s previous girlfriends. Yet with gentle drum beats played perfectly in contrast to the smashing rock guitars that come in later, the album is perfectly ended on a final, reminiscent note, full of regrets and memories.

It is quite possible that American Idiot will go down in history, to be constantly remembered for the burst of life it injected into the music industry. With a new surge of fans, compelled by their efforts on the album, Green Day are currently working on album number eight.