Across the atlantic now, for the third of my top 10 artistic specific countdowns, to California, where punk music and pop were involved in a hideous musical traffic collision that resulted in Cali-punk.
Enter the heroes of said genre, Green Day, intelligently and aptly named after the day on which the band had reserved for doing marijuana, and who, since their inception in 1987 have released...well, a lot. For me, the band's discography divides into two sections; the raw punk of output from 1987-2000 and the highly produced pop-punk perfection of releases from 2004 onwards.
The band have a unique sound, with occasionally cutting lyrics, political statements, and tales of violence, drugs and love somewhere in between. They've been known to experiment; sometimes it works, and sometimes not - regardless, these are their 10 best; in my opinion that is...
Enter the heroes of said genre, Green Day, intelligently and aptly named after the day on which the band had reserved for doing marijuana, and who, since their inception in 1987 have released...well, a lot. For me, the band's discography divides into two sections; the raw punk of output from 1987-2000 and the highly produced pop-punk perfection of releases from 2004 onwards.
The band have a unique sound, with occasionally cutting lyrics, political statements, and tales of violence, drugs and love somewhere in between. They've been known to experiment; sometimes it works, and sometimes not - regardless, these are their 10 best; in my opinion that is...
"Basket Case" (3:03)
(Single (1994) from album, "Dookie" (1994) - highest UK single chart placing, #7)
A hit for the band in the UK, this track, from international breakthrough release and '90s pop-punk-staple, "Dookie", has the aggression and speed of classic Sex Pistols era punk rock, but with the extra Cali-punk twinge that comes with the slanted, American vocal and more melodic approach to the songwriting. Still performed live by the band today, the opening chugs of muted power-chords, accompanied only by the vocal will be stuck in your head for days after listening. The lyrics, regarding neurosis, paranoia, insecurity and anxiety paint the perfect teenage backdrop for the manic sound that quickly ensues, the bass falling in for a few seconds before vanishing once more and then swooping down from the top strings at 0:45. The band's sound is still developing here, but the memorable melody, typically punk topic and violent noise are present nonetheless - the epitome of their early work...
(Single (1994) from album, "Dookie" (1994) - highest UK single chart placing, #7)
A hit for the band in the UK, this track, from international breakthrough release and '90s pop-punk-staple, "Dookie", has the aggression and speed of classic Sex Pistols era punk rock, but with the extra Cali-punk twinge that comes with the slanted, American vocal and more melodic approach to the songwriting. Still performed live by the band today, the opening chugs of muted power-chords, accompanied only by the vocal will be stuck in your head for days after listening. The lyrics, regarding neurosis, paranoia, insecurity and anxiety paint the perfect teenage backdrop for the manic sound that quickly ensues, the bass falling in for a few seconds before vanishing once more and then swooping down from the top strings at 0:45. The band's sound is still developing here, but the memorable melody, typically punk topic and violent noise are present nonetheless - the epitome of their early work...
"Time Of Your Life (Good Riddance)" (2:33)
(Single (1997) from album, "Nimrod" (1997) - highest UK single chart placing, #11)
A rarity for the band in starring Billie-Joe Armstrong exclusively, this string laden, acoustic rock song stands out as one of the band's most contemplative tracks thematically and certainly one of their deepest and most meaningful in terms of the lyric, whose almost snarled delivery complements the biting, sensationalist approach of the narrative to a breakup, well-wishing a past lover with a swift (though unsaid) 'good riddance'. The chords are simple and the guitar never escalates in complexity, retaining a brutal simplicity that is coloured instead by the addition of sliding strings, giving the track an oddly country feel. I love this song's touching qualities and it's almost sarcastically philosophical approach to the end of an emotion as extreme as love. The reflective nature of the words is also beautifully represented by the video, which consists of slow motion shots capturing the faces of ex-lovers...
(Single (1997) from album, "Nimrod" (1997) - highest UK single chart placing, #11)
A rarity for the band in starring Billie-Joe Armstrong exclusively, this string laden, acoustic rock song stands out as one of the band's most contemplative tracks thematically and certainly one of their deepest and most meaningful in terms of the lyric, whose almost snarled delivery complements the biting, sensationalist approach of the narrative to a breakup, well-wishing a past lover with a swift (though unsaid) 'good riddance'. The chords are simple and the guitar never escalates in complexity, retaining a brutal simplicity that is coloured instead by the addition of sliding strings, giving the track an oddly country feel. I love this song's touching qualities and it's almost sarcastically philosophical approach to the end of an emotion as extreme as love. The reflective nature of the words is also beautifully represented by the video, which consists of slow motion shots capturing the faces of ex-lovers...
"Sweet 16" (3:04)
(Track from album, "¡Uno!" (2012) - highest UK album chart placing, #2)
This is about the best example of a standard Cali-punk track you could possibly ask for; solid, chunky power chords, a great, Cobain-sytle, melodic solo, lyrically reminiscence of teenage freedom and carelessness and a vocal tone that emobodies the words' passionate bouts of unfaltering love. This song makes my own hit-list as it's the epitome of this sound. One of "¡Uno!"'s highlights, "Sweet 16" harks back not only in it's lyrics to younger days, but also to a younger Green Day instrumentally; albums like "Kerplunk" and "Dookie" were full of these fast charmers, only these quick musical fixes were often faster in tempo (but nowhere near as refined sonically). The solo here, as previously mentioned, is particularly satisfying to the ear - it's got a nice, high pitched harmonising moment, and shows punk music in an often forgotten delicacy and intricacy - damn simple and plain lovely too...
(Track from album, "¡Uno!" (2012) - highest UK album chart placing, #2)
This is about the best example of a standard Cali-punk track you could possibly ask for; solid, chunky power chords, a great, Cobain-sytle, melodic solo, lyrically reminiscence of teenage freedom and carelessness and a vocal tone that emobodies the words' passionate bouts of unfaltering love. This song makes my own hit-list as it's the epitome of this sound. One of "¡Uno!"'s highlights, "Sweet 16" harks back not only in it's lyrics to younger days, but also to a younger Green Day instrumentally; albums like "Kerplunk" and "Dookie" were full of these fast charmers, only these quick musical fixes were often faster in tempo (but nowhere near as refined sonically). The solo here, as previously mentioned, is particularly satisfying to the ear - it's got a nice, high pitched harmonising moment, and shows punk music in an often forgotten delicacy and intricacy - damn simple and plain lovely too...
"Last Of The American Girls" (3:51)
(Single (2010) from album, "21st Century Breakdown" (2009) - failed to chart in UK)
Taken from the band's second 'rock opera' after 2004's massive "American Idiot", "Last Of The American Girls" offers a lot for inclusion on what I see as a slightly inferior follow-up album, characterised by its forgettable filler tracks. In fairness, the band could never really hope to live up to the last album, but, that said some songs, like this, were awesome. This track has a thumping bass-line, and the shrill guitars on top, throughout both the verses, the choruses and bridge/solo sections, are crunchy and raw. It's got an multifaceted combination of pop music's swagger, punk's hard hitting tone and the anti-government lyrical pointedness of proper alternative/punk rock; 'she plays her vinyl records singing songs on the eve of destruction [...] she will come in first for the end of western civilisation'. Even some neat references to the essentiality of music as well - brilliant...
(Single (2010) from album, "21st Century Breakdown" (2009) - failed to chart in UK)
Taken from the band's second 'rock opera' after 2004's massive "American Idiot", "Last Of The American Girls" offers a lot for inclusion on what I see as a slightly inferior follow-up album, characterised by its forgettable filler tracks. In fairness, the band could never really hope to live up to the last album, but, that said some songs, like this, were awesome. This track has a thumping bass-line, and the shrill guitars on top, throughout both the verses, the choruses and bridge/solo sections, are crunchy and raw. It's got an multifaceted combination of pop music's swagger, punk's hard hitting tone and the anti-government lyrical pointedness of proper alternative/punk rock; 'she plays her vinyl records singing songs on the eve of destruction [...] she will come in first for the end of western civilisation'. Even some neat references to the essentiality of music as well - brilliant...
"Last Night On Earth" (3:57)
(Track from album, "21st Century Breakdown" (2009) - highest UK album chart placing, #1)
Alright, alright - so I'm a soppy sucker for Green Day's slower love songs. And ok, maybe there is a heavy bias toward the post-2000 material here - but hey, these are my, personal favourites ok? This is a guilty pleasure actually; it isn't even that great a song; the lyric is quite corny and clichéd, and the guitar solo is overloaded with effects. But, in it's cheesy, lame, acousticy poppyness, it represents something of an oasis in a discography of pointed political messages and negatively spun love stories accompanied by grating punk aesthetics. Like "...(Good Riddance)", this song is approaching the punk sound from a new perspective and making more of the genre's ethos rather than it's tone; just the fact that it's not what you've come to expect from the band is, in itself, quite punky and different, the use of a more classical piano and the country-style sliding on the guitar accentuating this.
(Track from album, "21st Century Breakdown" (2009) - highest UK album chart placing, #1)
Alright, alright - so I'm a soppy sucker for Green Day's slower love songs. And ok, maybe there is a heavy bias toward the post-2000 material here - but hey, these are my, personal favourites ok? This is a guilty pleasure actually; it isn't even that great a song; the lyric is quite corny and clichéd, and the guitar solo is overloaded with effects. But, in it's cheesy, lame, acousticy poppyness, it represents something of an oasis in a discography of pointed political messages and negatively spun love stories accompanied by grating punk aesthetics. Like "...(Good Riddance)", this song is approaching the punk sound from a new perspective and making more of the genre's ethos rather than it's tone; just the fact that it's not what you've come to expect from the band is, in itself, quite punky and different, the use of a more classical piano and the country-style sliding on the guitar accentuating this.
"Amy" (3:25)
(Track from album, "¡Dos!" (2012) - highest UK album chart placing, #10)
Such was the profoundly emotional effect of this song on me, that I authored a full-blown review minutes after hearing it for the first time. "Amy" is the ultimate tribute to a lost musical hero, and, after reading between the lines, amidst the lyrical carnage of 'blood stains on your shoes', 'dirty records from another time', and 'eyes just singing the blues', it's pretty obvious that the subject of the song is none other than late soul legend Amy Winehouse. The guitar is stripped down but with a very well applied layer of reverb that gives the song a melancholy and empty feel, underscoring the beyond-the-grave message of friendship, which is so beautiful and heartfelt that, placed at the end of the album, it just about saves the experimental garage-rock train crash that "¡Dos!" becomes towards the end of its second side. Truly, quite touching...
(Track from album, "¡Dos!" (2012) - highest UK album chart placing, #10)
Such was the profoundly emotional effect of this song on me, that I authored a full-blown review minutes after hearing it for the first time. "Amy" is the ultimate tribute to a lost musical hero, and, after reading between the lines, amidst the lyrical carnage of 'blood stains on your shoes', 'dirty records from another time', and 'eyes just singing the blues', it's pretty obvious that the subject of the song is none other than late soul legend Amy Winehouse. The guitar is stripped down but with a very well applied layer of reverb that gives the song a melancholy and empty feel, underscoring the beyond-the-grave message of friendship, which is so beautiful and heartfelt that, placed at the end of the album, it just about saves the experimental garage-rock train crash that "¡Dos!" becomes towards the end of its second side. Truly, quite touching...
"Macy's Day Parade" (3:33)
(Track from album, "Warning" (2000) - highest UK album chart placing, #4)
Despite the hits like "Minority", "Warning" was just a bit too experimental for the fan following and casual radio listeners. That same experimental nature (still audible with previously listed tracks such as "Time Of Your Life") would later be tamed to birth the hugely varied and incredibly powerful rock-opera, "American Idiot", though, as with the last track, some markedly different songs do still appear. "Warning" closes with a reflective and emotionally deep acoustic number with a meandering bass-line and calm drum track ticking alongside. The stripped-back sound really is quite similar to "Time Of Your Life", but the lyric expresses regret through far more profound poetry; lines such as 'red-light special at the mausoleum' and 'what's the consolation prize?' prompt the question - just why is lyrical exploration this intense a mere, fleeting moment in the band's discography?
(Track from album, "Warning" (2000) - highest UK album chart placing, #4)
Despite the hits like "Minority", "Warning" was just a bit too experimental for the fan following and casual radio listeners. That same experimental nature (still audible with previously listed tracks such as "Time Of Your Life") would later be tamed to birth the hugely varied and incredibly powerful rock-opera, "American Idiot", though, as with the last track, some markedly different songs do still appear. "Warning" closes with a reflective and emotionally deep acoustic number with a meandering bass-line and calm drum track ticking alongside. The stripped-back sound really is quite similar to "Time Of Your Life", but the lyric expresses regret through far more profound poetry; lines such as 'red-light special at the mausoleum' and 'what's the consolation prize?' prompt the question - just why is lyrical exploration this intense a mere, fleeting moment in the band's discography?
"When It's Time" (3:23)
(Single (2010) from soundtrack album, "American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording" (2010) - highest UK single chart placing, #68)
This song is, frankly, beautiful. It's not just a great Green Day love song, it's a great love song full stop. The lyrics are truly warming; 'the words get trapped in my mind, I'm sorry I don't take the time to feel the way I do' (and even the simple chorus refrain), 'oh tell me when it's time to say I love you'. The vocal croons painfully and with aged affection over a jangly, acoustic anthem, backed at slow-dance speed by a similarly warm rhythm section that adds to the whole 'punk-hymn' aesthetic. On top, a classic Cali-punk solo, melodic and winding, but never complex enough to detract from the quality of the music. Summing up the frustration of not knowing what to say when in love, "When It's Time" is arguably without real artistic qualities, but it's incredibly pure, devotional, genuine, charming and cordially wholesome in place of that...
(Single (2010) from soundtrack album, "American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording" (2010) - highest UK single chart placing, #68)
This song is, frankly, beautiful. It's not just a great Green Day love song, it's a great love song full stop. The lyrics are truly warming; 'the words get trapped in my mind, I'm sorry I don't take the time to feel the way I do' (and even the simple chorus refrain), 'oh tell me when it's time to say I love you'. The vocal croons painfully and with aged affection over a jangly, acoustic anthem, backed at slow-dance speed by a similarly warm rhythm section that adds to the whole 'punk-hymn' aesthetic. On top, a classic Cali-punk solo, melodic and winding, but never complex enough to detract from the quality of the music. Summing up the frustration of not knowing what to say when in love, "When It's Time" is arguably without real artistic qualities, but it's incredibly pure, devotional, genuine, charming and cordially wholesome in place of that...
"Brutal Love" (4:55)
(Track from album, "¡Tré!" (2012) - highest UK album chart placing, #31)
As well as a very emotional climax to the band's live show at the Emirates Stadium on 01/06 this year, a moment I will never forget, "Brutal Love" was by far, the single greatest track out of all 47 comprising the "¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré!" trilogy, opening the third instalment with fittingly waltzing grace, especially given the album's theme; 'the morning after the party'. As with many of Green Day's love songs, the lyric celebrates the harsh reality of love, though with this song, I can safely say, without shame, that a placing at #2 on this list comes purely because of the music. The composition is really stunning, with an epic key change at 3:44, and a ferociously anthemic ending that was surely written with stadium performances in mind. Despite this, the song remains delicate and lacy in its impression, achieving something remarkably dainty for punk...
(Track from album, "¡Tré!" (2012) - highest UK album chart placing, #31)
As well as a very emotional climax to the band's live show at the Emirates Stadium on 01/06 this year, a moment I will never forget, "Brutal Love" was by far, the single greatest track out of all 47 comprising the "¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré!" trilogy, opening the third instalment with fittingly waltzing grace, especially given the album's theme; 'the morning after the party'. As with many of Green Day's love songs, the lyric celebrates the harsh reality of love, though with this song, I can safely say, without shame, that a placing at #2 on this list comes purely because of the music. The composition is really stunning, with an epic key change at 3:44, and a ferociously anthemic ending that was surely written with stadium performances in mind. Despite this, the song remains delicate and lacy in its impression, achieving something remarkably dainty for punk...
"Jesus Of Suburbia" (9:08)
(Single (2005) from album, "American Idiot" (2004) - highest UK single chart placing, #17)
If nothing else, the 5 part, 9 minute epic that is "Jesus Of Suburbia", is a superb concept. The crowning jewel in the greatest post-punk rock opera of all time and accompanied by another, similarly lengthy track towards the end of the record, this song is packed with raw punk power, and classic, Armstrong lyrics of working class American cynicisms, telling the story of a hero in a rundown suburban area, introducing the characters of the album along the way. The segments ("Jesus Of Suburbia", "City Of The Damned", "I Don't Care", "Dearly Beloved", "Tales Of Another Broken Home") are sewn together with complete musical expertise, stunningly smooth production and its release as a single shows just how good a song it must be; if the infamously pop-saturated British public took it, then everyone else must be able to recognise the genius...
(Single (2005) from album, "American Idiot" (2004) - highest UK single chart placing, #17)
If nothing else, the 5 part, 9 minute epic that is "Jesus Of Suburbia", is a superb concept. The crowning jewel in the greatest post-punk rock opera of all time and accompanied by another, similarly lengthy track towards the end of the record, this song is packed with raw punk power, and classic, Armstrong lyrics of working class American cynicisms, telling the story of a hero in a rundown suburban area, introducing the characters of the album along the way. The segments ("Jesus Of Suburbia", "City Of The Damned", "I Don't Care", "Dearly Beloved", "Tales Of Another Broken Home") are sewn together with complete musical expertise, stunningly smooth production and its release as a single shows just how good a song it must be; if the infamously pop-saturated British public took it, then everyone else must be able to recognise the genius...