Green Day
American Idiot

THE REVIEW

After four years since their last, not exactly brilliant, album "Warning," Green dDy returns with a new work that is truly lively and well above the expectations, now low, that had formed among the band's fans after this long, not-so-bright period. The latest effort by the "Green Days" can be considered a rock opera, and to demonstrate this, the album features two songs each lasting a full nine minutes, divided into five "chapters" that practically tell a story. The first of the two, "Jesus Of Suburbia," is a truly remarkable and well-crafted song that, despite its length, flows smoothly and can be considered one of the best tracks on the entire album. The same cannot be said for the second, "Homecoming," which at times becomes boring but still achieves a passable level. The album is then composed of songs quite different from each other but that aim to criticize the American government and, in particular, Bush. The opener "American idiot" is proof of this and is truly a good piece in the Green Day style, simple and easily memorable. Skipping the second song, which I have already discussed, we arrive at the third "Holiday," also of very good quality and with that usual punk style tainted with pop that characterizes the second punk wave of the nineties as well as the style of Green Day.

We then reach the beautiful "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams," a slow rock piece with an excellent chorus, only to sadly pass to the mediocre "Are We The Waiting," anonymous and uninspired: really underwhelming. Fortunately comes the very fast and excellent "St Jimmy" which somewhat reminds of Green Day in the times of "Dookie," followed by "Give Me Novacaine," a piece not exactly beautiful but not ugly either, and the lively "She's A Rebel." Tracks 9 and 10, respectively "Extraordinary Girl" and "Letterbomb," are two other excellent tracks, enjoyable and fully appreciable. As tradition dictates, there is the usual ballad, and here it comes with the title "Wake Me Up When September Ends," which, although featuring a really insistent refrain, manages to be one of the most beautiful and melancholic songs of the entire album. Skipping the twelfth track, already previously analyzed, we come to the concluding "Whatshername," a very worthwhile piece that closes the album beautifully.

In conclusion, it can definitely be said that this is an excellent album although it might not sit well with the more demanding listeners, who might have preferred a less "commercial" work. However, Green Day is like this now, and in a way, it's perhaps a good thing since, by turning on the television to the well-known music channels, we might get to hear some nice punk rock piece, even if commercial, and not the usual crap branded Marco Masini or Lee Ryan! Take it or leave it.