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Rating: In the late '80s, California increasingly resembles London a decade earlier, with political and cultural tensions heightened by the opposition between the reactionary ideas pushed by the Reagan administration and the innate rebellious attitude of Californian youth, historically the most open in America. In this vibrant climate, some of the most important and significant bands of the entire decade, and beyond, are born, such as Operation Ivy, Bad Religion, and NOFX, themselves inspired by the strength of Black Flag, Ramones, and Social Distortion.
As in any more or less underground music scene, here too a group of friends, barely sixteen, who escaped reform school and "survived" an unhappy childhood, form a band, the "Sweet Children" later "Green Day," which after a carousel of drummers finds the ideal line-up with Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals and guitar), Mike Dirnt (bass and backing vocals), and Tré Cool (drums), releasing various EPs and then the LP "Kerplunk!" and achieving sales success, over a hundred thousand copies (in the underground domain equal to a figure at least twenty times higher) later rising to over a million, which made Lookout! Records thrive and secured them a mega deal with Warner Bros. Moving to the major, they released "Dookie," their best work that exploded what will be called the "punk revival scene" propelling into the charts worldwide valid groups (like Rancid) and very, very, very less valid ones like Offspring, Lagwagon, Ataris, Millencolin...
After three more fluctuating albums and an inevitable “greatest hits” (which surprisingly includes no tracks from those released on Lookout!), at a historical moment when commercial operations like Avril Lavigne and Sum 41 emerge, the band is on the verge of implosion, the record label's demands are excruciating, and Billie Joe, virtually the group's sole lyricist, is experiencing a creative block that shows no signs of passing. Thus, the solution presents itself with the release of this anthology of b-sides, covers, and rarities. "Shenanigans" does not represent a new album, for which fans will have to wait until 2004, but is instead a strategic move by the band to relieve the pressure following the poor (500,000 copies...) sales of "Warning!" and therefore, should be judged accordingly.
There are no unforgettable tracks; in fact, forgettable tracks abound, but a few small gems are gifted to us, above all the splendid covers of "Outsider" by the Ramones rendered with great involvement and passion, and "Tired Of Waiting For You" by the Kinks, always admired by Billie Joe, here honored with a surprisingly faithful version to the original. The covers are completed with "I Want To Be On T.V." by Fang, a California hardcore band. Among the texts credited to Mike Dirnt are a non-transcendental "Scumbag," a rather mediocre and predictable punk-rock piece, and a fun "Ha Ha You're Dead", surprisingly catchy and engaging for being a leftover. "Suffocate" offers moments of good speed but lacks the rebellious and spirited soul of other compositions by the Californian band, as do the poorly suited acoustic or electro-acoustic moments of "Rotting" and "On The Wagon." "Don't Wanna Fall In Love, Sick Of Me", and "Do Da Da" add little to the canvas which remains quite gray, not for its ugliness, but for its repetitiveness and lack of originality. A word of praise, instead, goes to "Espionage," a pleasant instrumental that gives an idea of what the soundtracks of James Bond should have been according to Green Day.
After this unenviable interlude and poor sales feedback, "American Idiot" will be released, fortunately better than many other works by the band, but with that sheen of mainstream which, unfortunately, makes us think that the rebellious spirit and artistic integrity of the early years of their career have been lost along the way... Unfortunately...
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Suffocate ()
3 AM, I'm drunk again,
My head is standing underneath my puke,
So make it stop, I'm getting off.
Make it stop, I'm getting off.
Sedatives and dizzy spells
And feeling like a salad in my puke,
So make it stop, I'm getting off.
Make it stop I'm getting off.
Well, slipped into a coma once again.
Where's my organ donor?
Lend a hand.
So when you think you're all alone,
No one's left to come around,
Drop like flies and empathize,
Cause I know that I will someday,
And I know that I will suffocate,
Suffocate, suffocate, suffocate.
One night stands and cheap regrets,
I take another drag off of my cigarette,
So stop, I'm getting off.
Make it stop, I'm getting off.
One last stop for one track mind, Just give me shelter, give me give me something.
Make it stop, I'm getting off.
Make it stop, I'm getting off.
Well, slipped into a coma once again.
Where's my organ donor?
Lend a hand.
So when you think you're all alone,
No one's left to come around,
Drop like flies and empathize,
Cause I know that I will someday,
And I know that I will suffocate,
Suffocate, suffocate, suffocate.
So when you think you're all alone,
No one's left to come around,
Drop like flies and empathize,
Cause I know that I will someday,
And I know that I will suffocate,
Cause I know that I will someday,
And I know that I will suffocate,
Suffocate, suffocate, suffocate.
02 Desensitized (02:50)
Clenching my teeth tight
My head is like a sponge
Give it to me free
I wanna get ripped off
And drown in the airwaves
Another fatal wreck
On the information highway
So go ahead and kill yourselves
It all amuses me
For I'll be damned to spend my life in hell
Another wise ingrate
Bring me blood and pain
Of a stranger's fate
Give it all away
Gimme, gimme now
I'm desensitized
I wanna watch the bomb
Blow the masses high
I wanna get ripped off
And drown in the airwaves
Another fatal wreck
On the information highway
So go ahead and kill yourselves
It all amuses me
For I'll be damned to spend my life in hell
Another wise ingrate
Bring me blood and pain
Of a stranger's fate
Give it all away
I wanna get ripped off
And drown in the airwaves
Another fatal wreck
On the information highway
So go ahead and kill yourselves
It all amuses me
For I'll be damned to spend my life in hell
Another wise ingrate
04 Outsider (02:19)
Oh, I'm an outsider outside of everything
Oh, I'm an outsider outside of everything
Oh, I'm an outsider outside of everything
everything you know
everything you know
it disturbs me so
Oh, I'm an outsider outside of everything
Oh, I'm an outsider outside of everything
Oh, I'm an outsider outside of everything
Everything you know
Everything you know
It disturbs me so
Everybody's gotta push me
Push me around
Everybody tryed to put me
Tryed to put me down
I messed up everyone
I've already had all my fun
More troubles are gonna come
I've already had all my fun
Oh yeah yeah yeah
Everybody try to push me
Push me around
Everybody try to put me
Try to put me down
Oh, I'm an outsider outside of everything
Oh, I'm an outsider outside of everything
Oh, I'm an outsider outside of everything
Everything you know
Everything you know
It disturbs me so
08 Scumbag (01:47)
You come around every now and then
Your clothes are different,
but you're still the same
Why else would you come here?
Scumbag on a mission
You're telling me it's been a while
Shit-eating grin and a brand new life
Somebody let you come here
Scumbag with permission
Never though I'd see the like of you around this place
What's the special occasion?
Did you run outta friends?
Here you are comin' 'round again
And things are different but you still pretend
You' got a reason to come here
Scumbag with ambition
And now you're telling me that things have changed
And you'll leaving in a couple days
You're gonna change the world someday
Scumbag with a vision
It must be nice to know you got it all figured out
But from where I'm sitting,
It's the same thing again and again
Have you ever stopped to think
before you opened up your mouth?
Because everytime you do,
It's the same thing again and again
11 Sick of Me (02:09)
Why can't you just admit it, you've had it, you're
sick of me
You're fed up with all my bad habits, you're
sick of me
To your lies you've become so desensitized
sick of me
Lost regrets and you say that your mad at me
sick of me
Wonderin' out the door
I am on to you
Your comin' back for more
Am I losing you?
Like a dog that just pissed on your barbecue
sick of me
Losin' faith and you still don't know what to do
sick of me
Losin' health and now you hate everything and you're
sick of me
It's a waste but we still keep on tryin' you're
sick of me
Wonderin' out the door
I am on to you
Your comin' back for more
Am I losing you?
So you got your problems
So you got it alright
Do you have a conscience?
Do you have a reason?
Well I'm sick of you too.
Wonderin' out the door
I am on to you
Your comin' back for more
Am I losing you?
12 Rotting (02:53)
I'm rotting inside
My flesh turns to dust
Whisper, “are you dying?” in my ear
I'm so sick to death
Tumors in my head
Whisper, “are you dying?” in my ear
Black rose of death
In my fist I clutch
Thorns shred my finger tips
And drips toxic blood
Kiss me one last time
Wipe off my sweat
Whisper, “are you dying?” in my ear
As my bones they rust
20 pounds of trust
Whisper, “are you dying?” in my ear
Black rose of death
In my fist I clutch
Thorns shred my finger tips
And drips toxic blood
I'm rotting inside
My flesh turns to dust
Whisper, “are you dying?” in my ear
Kiss me one last time
Wipe off my sweat
Whisper, “are you dying?” in my ear
Whisper, “are you dying?” in my ear
13 Do Da Da (01:33)
Every time I'm falling down
You take the repercussions
Headaches and anxieties
Advancing my frustrations
Rush into my depression
Sacrifice everything
Waste with me into nothing
Well now you're stuck with me
Hand up your soul to my wrist
And I'll vow my trust to you
Moving on and I always thought
I realized you've imagined
You take the repercussions
Headaches and anxieties
Advancing my frustrations
Rush into my depression
Sacrifice everything
Waste with me into nothing
Well now you're stuck with me
Hand up your soul to my wrist
And I'll vow my trust to you
Moving on and I always thought
I realized you've imagined
14 On the Wagon (02:49)
Sometimes it gets real hard,
And I need some kind of output.
For input twice the size of my one inch mind.
So slap me on the hand.
Put it right back down my pants.
Turn me right around.
Kick me in the ass.
Well today I say sweet things,
But tomorrow,
I'll be making up excuses,
For my actions ‘cuz it's been so long,
Since I've been in love.
That special kind of feeling.
Guess my best excuse.
I'm on the wagon again.
Well today I say sweet things,
But tomorrow,
I'll be making up excuses,
For my actions ‘cuz it's been so long,
Since I've been in love.
That special kind of feeling.
Guess my best excuse.
I'm on the wagon again.
Well I got no real excuse.
I'm on the wagon again.
OH YEAH!
15 Ha Ha You're Dead (03:18)
How do you get your sleep at night?
How did you get your noose so tight?
Like chewing on tinfoil its so much fun
Gonna be dead before your gone
'Cause look how things have gotten
And I'll be happy so I wont pretend
And I'll be cheering that you're going down
And I'll be laughing, I'll be laughing
How many feelings can you steal?
Gotta be part of your appeal
I can see through you cause you're wearing thin
Like chewing on tinfoil once again
'Cause look how things have gotten
And I'll be happy so I wont pretend
And I'll be cheering that you're going down
And I'll be laughing, I'll be laughing
(CHORUS):
Ha ha you're dead
And I'm so happy
In loving memory
Of your demise
When your ship is going down
I'll go out and paint the town
Ha ha you're dead
Ha ha you're dead
Ha ha you're dead
Ha ha you're dead
The joke is over
You were an asshole
And now you're gone
As your ship is going down
I'll stand by and watch you drown
Ha ha you're dead
You're gonna be dead
Just remember what I said
Ha ha you're dead
Ha ha you're dead
Ha ha you're dead
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Other reviews
By stevesirovai
The album shows its energy in a few tracks like "Desentized", "Outsider" and "Ha Ha You’re Dead", then moves to melancholic nuances like "Tired Of Waiting For You" and "On The Wagon" and instrumental performances alone like "Espionage".
Green Day did not falter or get demoralized by Insomniac’s “flop,” and thus they continued their project.
