American Idiot [PA] [ECD] by Green Day (CD, Sep-2004, Reprise)

Album Features
Artist:	Green Day
Format:	CD
Release Year:	2004
Record Label:	Reprise
Genre:	Alternative, Rock & Pop

Track Listing
1. American Idiot
2. Jesus of Suburbia: Jesus Of Suburbia / City Of The Damned / I Don't Care / Dearly Beloved / Tales Of Another Broken Home
3. Holiday
4. Boulevard of Broken Dreams
5. Are We the Waiting
6. St. Jimmy: Are We The Waiting / St. Jimmy
7. Give Me Novacaine
8. She's a Rebel
9. Extraordinary Girl
10. Letterbomb
11. Wake Me up When September Ends
12. Homecoming: The Death Of St. Jimmy / East 12th St. / Nobody Likes You / Rock And Roll Girlfriend / We're Coming Home Again
13. Whatsername

Details
Producer:	Green Day, Rob Cavallo
Distributor:	WEA (Distributor)
Recording Type:	Studio
Recording Mode:	Stereo
SPAR Code:	n/a

Album Notes
Green Day: Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals, guitar); Mike Dirnt (vocals, bass instrument); Tre Cool (drums).Rock opera and punk are usually two mutually exclusive musical styles. Then again, Green Day has never followed any rock rulebook, so it's not entirely surprising that the trio crafted a punk-rock opera that takes the Bush administration and its policies to task. It doesn't get any more pointed than a couplet from the frenetic title cut that states, "I'm not a part of a redneck agenda/Now everybody do the propaganda!"Under the guidance of any other group of agitated punks, the results of such an undertaking could easily become didactic. But with creative spearhead Billie Joe Armstrong at the helm, AMERICAN IDIOT is melodically driven, with the kind of intellectual bent that allows for a pair of mini-operas, "Jesus of Suburbia" and "Homecoming." Trimmed with a light sprinkling of piano and a big guitar sound occasionally reminiscent of Mott the Hoople, the former skewers the hypocrisy that can pervade small-town life. The latter is equally effective, as clever time changes and sonic flourishes (glockenspiel, doo-wop harmonies, honking saxophone) serve as an intriguing counterpoint to the band's hook-laced riffs.

Editorial Reviews
4 stars out of 5 - [I]n AMERICAN IDIOT, they've recorded what could be their masterpiece, a 13-song, hour-long set that's both ambitious and expertly original.
Mojo

3 stars out of 5 - The Berkeley trio's upbeat poppy punk - equally indebted to The Kinks as The Ramones - shows no signs of fatigue, but has now been put to blatantly political use.
Uncut

3 1/2 stars out of 5 - On AMERICAN IDIOT, the thirteen tracks segue together, expanding into piano balladry and acoustic country shuffle....Green Day have found a way to hit their thirties without either betraying their original spirit or falling on their faces.
Rolling Stone