Though their last studio record was solid, it was nowhere near the brilliance of 2004’s American Idiot. Here, on their second live release, California’s Green Day show their live show is how to best appreciate the band. Comprised of a CD with tracks recorded all over the world, the gem of this package is the DVD included. Recorded before a frantic Japanese audience, the show has a little too much in the way of fast edits for my liking yet even that small detail can’t erode the amazing performances of Know Your Enemy, Burnout, Welcome To Paradise and Jesus Of Suburbia. Awesome As Fuck indeed.
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I’m very surprised to see you refer to American Idiot as an album that possesses “brilliance.” With no intention of disrespect, I would like to express that I completely disagree with this statement. Much like The Rolling Stones after 1981, or Billy Joel after 1982, post 2000 Green Day sound like a band that has completely lost touch with all the characteristics that once made them great. With American Idiot, Green Day abandon the garage punk slacker ethos that made them so endearing to listeners, and replaced it with political songs that had no actual political message (Holiday, the music video for Wake Me Up When September Ends), and overproduced pop tunes that seemed to expressed the feeling of loneliness with the emotional sophistication one would expect from a 15 year old (Boulevard of Broken Dreams).
When people look back on Green Day as a band, they will most certainly focus on the music the band made during the mid 1990’s. American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown will at best been seen as footnotes in the bands career. There is really nothing Brilliant about that.
P.S. I love your website,
No offense taken. I love dialogue! Thanks for your comments and for stopping by!