We're in a war we shouldn't be in. Far as I'm concerned, if the Right wants to use sympathetic pictures of soldiers to try and bolster support for the war, the Left can use imagery of soldiers in a negative light to stress that they're over there dying for absolutely no good reason.
I guess, however, that there is a good reason for what they're doing, and that's making sure we don't end up with a failed state. God only knows what will happen, but I'm not optimistic about the Iraqi Constitution being consistent with Islamic Law which has traditionally come to mean denying women's rights.
I got a little off the track, but my point was actually that regardless of your political sentiments, Green Day is making insincere pap and riding it on the backs of our soldiers. Whether you're staunchly pro- or anti-war, that's reprehensible. But that whole point is negated if you actually like the song. (That, though, means you have terrible taste. :p)
1. If people are going to listen to simplistic pop, I'm glad they're listening to Green Day.
2. Lyrics are dumb and idotic no matter what; I don't give a shit what a song is about. Does anyone actually think Billie Joe is saying anything important? Aside from maybe 15-year-old girls? Let pop stars and actors feel important; it's not as if anyone actually takes them seriously.
3. Wake me up when september ends is, along with boulevard of broken dreams one of the lamer songs on the album.
4. The album as a whole is really very well-constructed; I sincerely doubt you've listen to anything but the singles.
5. You really seem like you're looking for something to rant about; is Green Day really that offensive?
1. Maybe people shouldn't listen to simplistic pop in the first place.
2. When the music is simplistic the lyrics have to step up. I have another entry on this. At any rate, I have no idea what the lyrics are. I was talking about the video.
3. Well, okay, thanks for proving my point. Saying their other songs aren't quite as lame doesn't excuse the one I'm pointing out as being lame.
4. If an album can't stand on three separate singles, it would take quite a leap of faith for me to believe that anything else on it is good. Maybe 3/12 songs on any given rock album are bad, but what are the chances that they would ALL be singles?
5. Absolutely. Britney Spears may be an untalented whore but at least she doesn't force her talentless whorishness down our throats using the only nobility our rotten, bloated, celeb-ridden culture has left in its dessicated corpse.
In my opinion, American Idiot is a great album. While one can never be sure that interpretation matches intent, I have formed a pretty intense picture of the album that deals with the problems of American post-adolescence, pre-adulthood. In my listening, the album draws an analogy between going away to college and going off to war. The kind of re-evaluation of Suburbia characterizes my own experience, and the album speaks honestly of the social trappings that somehow become centralized in Suburbia.
While I rarely catch music videos, I actually have seen this one. It seemed corny and silly. The girl at one point is like "I'm just never gonna leave you" and it's supposed to tragic or whatever. But whats cool about the album is: a girl is sort of mysteriously referred to throughout the first 12 tracks, but the album pretty much climaxes without her popping in. The end of track 12 is like the end of an album (with huge drawn out V-I oscillations, complete with timpani), and then there's a 13th song called "Whatsername." The girl is gone
( ... )
I never claimed to make any proclamations on the album, since as I've stated I've never listened to the whole thing. I merely wanted to comment on that specific video, which is at best flippant and at worst (and I always believe the worst) vile and insulting. You've essentially agreed with me there, and we have no argument.
On the other hand, I can say I've listened to three of the new songs, the three singles: American Idiot, Boulevard of Broken Dreams and September. I think that, individually, they all suck. You may not agree with me there, but if you acquiesce to my opinion for the sake of argument, I have to ask you: does the album work so well as a cohesive whole that I could possibly appreciate it holistically while still hating the individual parts? Somehow I doubt it, which is why I doubt that American Idiot is a good album - in my future-possible-likely opinion.
I didn't mean to argue in the first place. But I guess my main point, which I didn't really make explicit, is that the corny romantic bullshit so pronounced in the September video actually comes to naught at the conclusion of the album. That may be no solace to you, as I can't really justify the way they portray the war.
Also, I'd imagine you dislike the three singles off American Idiot more or less because of their intense pop sensibility. [In my mind I can hear you saying: "No, they just suck." But seriously, I think this is the case.] Now, I am not nearly as big a fan of P.S. as, say, Alex Claxton is, but it's important to keep in mind that this album is an intentionally poppy Broadway-styled rock opera, taking the ever-so-exhausted teenage paradigm (a pretty cheesy thing to begin with, and I'm talking about a teenage paradigm before Emo), and giving it modern context. So I think it's safe to say that you can't even get a sense for the subtlety without at least taking into account the larger aim, if not listening to the rest of
( ... )
I'm no stranger to intense pop sensibility. I dig, for instance, Toxic. But not, like, any other Britney Spears song. And only because of the production; the singing is terrible. BUT, even the production maintains that sensibility, and I still think it's a great club groove.
Or, for instance, Green Day's own Dookie, which also had pretty intense pop sensibilities. I love that album. In fact, it's probably one of the best rock albums of the 90's.
It bothers me that I can't come up with a simple explanation as to why the three new GD singles suck. Perhaps it is the character of the poppiness, the specific way in which it induces those catchy, hook-centric pop vibes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. For me, the new singles don't work.
Haven't seen the video. Don't much care.
We're in a war we shouldn't be in. Far as I'm concerned, if the Right wants to use sympathetic pictures of soldiers to try and bolster support for the war, the Left can use imagery of soldiers in a negative light to stress that they're over there dying for absolutely no good reason.
I guess, however, that there is a good reason for what they're doing, and that's making sure we don't end up with a failed state. God only knows what will happen, but I'm not optimistic about the Iraqi Constitution being consistent with Islamic Law which has traditionally come to mean denying women's rights.
So yea...I don't have a problem with Green Day.
And GNR fucking rules.
Reply
Reply
Reply
2. Lyrics are dumb and idotic no matter what; I don't give a shit what a song is about. Does anyone actually think Billie Joe is saying anything important? Aside from maybe 15-year-old girls? Let pop stars and actors feel important; it's not as if anyone actually takes them seriously.
3. Wake me up when september ends is, along with boulevard of broken dreams one of the lamer songs on the album.
4. The album as a whole is really very well-constructed; I sincerely doubt you've listen to anything but the singles.
5. You really seem like you're looking for something to rant about; is Green Day really that offensive?
Reply
2. When the music is simplistic the lyrics have to step up. I have another entry on this. At any rate, I have no idea what the lyrics are. I was talking about the video.
3. Well, okay, thanks for proving my point. Saying their other songs aren't quite as lame doesn't excuse the one I'm pointing out as being lame.
4. If an album can't stand on three separate singles, it would take quite a leap of faith for me to believe that anything else on it is good. Maybe 3/12 songs on any given rock album are bad, but what are the chances that they would ALL be singles?
5. Absolutely. Britney Spears may be an untalented whore but at least she doesn't force her talentless whorishness down our throats using the only nobility our rotten, bloated, celeb-ridden culture has left in its dessicated corpse.
Reply
While I rarely catch music videos, I actually have seen this one. It seemed corny and silly. The girl at one point is like "I'm just never gonna leave you" and it's supposed to tragic or whatever. But whats cool about the album is: a girl is sort of mysteriously referred to throughout the first 12 tracks, but the album pretty much climaxes without her popping in. The end of track 12 is like the end of an album (with huge drawn out V-I oscillations, complete with timpani), and then there's a 13th song called "Whatsername." The girl is gone ( ... )
Reply
On the other hand, I can say I've listened to three of the new songs, the three singles: American Idiot, Boulevard of Broken Dreams and September. I think that, individually, they all suck. You may not agree with me there, but if you acquiesce to my opinion for the sake of argument, I have to ask you: does the album work so well as a cohesive whole that I could possibly appreciate it holistically while still hating the individual parts? Somehow I doubt it, which is why I doubt that American Idiot is a good album - in my future-possible-likely opinion.
Reply
Also, I'd imagine you dislike the three singles off American Idiot more or less because of their intense pop sensibility. [In my mind I can hear you saying: "No, they just suck." But seriously, I think this is the case.] Now, I am not nearly as big a fan of P.S. as, say, Alex Claxton is, but it's important to keep in mind that this album is an intentionally poppy Broadway-styled rock opera, taking the ever-so-exhausted teenage paradigm (a pretty cheesy thing to begin with, and I'm talking about a teenage paradigm before Emo), and giving it modern context. So I think it's safe to say that you can't even get a sense for the subtlety without at least taking into account the larger aim, if not listening to the rest of ( ... )
Reply
Or, for instance, Green Day's own Dookie, which also had pretty intense pop sensibilities. I love that album. In fact, it's probably one of the best rock albums of the 90's.
It bothers me that I can't come up with a simple explanation as to why the three new GD singles suck. Perhaps it is the character of the poppiness, the specific way in which it induces those catchy, hook-centric pop vibes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. For me, the new singles don't work.
Reply
Leave a comment