2008 Woodie Awards
Green Day Finds Jesus
Punk-rockers update the story of Jesus.
Chelsea Banks
Issue date: 10/13/04 Section: Valley Life
Green Day
"American Idiot"
Stars: 4.5
Of course you've already heard Green Day's supercharged pop-punk single, "American Idiot," that serves as the opening to their album by the same name, but how are the rest of the songs?
The album "American Idiot" is a "punk-rock opera" chronicling the story of the "Jesus of Suburbia," and despite some corny Broadway moments, proves to be a good album and an arguably interesting story.
While the song "American Idiot" describes the setting, the second track, "Jesus of Suburbia," a nine-minute track composed of five separately titled movements, launches into the plot.
The song introduces the main character of the "opera" and how his surroundings cause him to leave home to become "Jesus of Suburbia." The CD progresses to tell of his experiences and emotions during his travels.
There are two other main characters in the "opera," each of them with a song describing their characters.
"It's Saint Jimmy and that's my name! And don't wear it out!" shouts the track about the raucous, possibly drug-dealing, St. Jimmy.
Shortly after being numbed with Jimmy's Novocain in "Give Me Novocain," Jesus meets "Whatsername," "a symbol of resistance" holding on to Jesus' heart "like a hand grenade," which may explain the album's cover art.
"Homecoming," the album's other nine-minute track, is not only a bit slower and slightly anti-climactic; it also has a dissonant movement written by Tre Cool that sounds as if it belongs in a Broadway show tune.
If you love Green Day, or are curious to know how the story ends, then give this album a try.
"American Idiot"
Stars: 4.5
Of course you've already heard Green Day's supercharged pop-punk single, "American Idiot," that serves as the opening to their album by the same name, but how are the rest of the songs?
The album "American Idiot" is a "punk-rock opera" chronicling the story of the "Jesus of Suburbia," and despite some corny Broadway moments, proves to be a good album and an arguably interesting story.
While the song "American Idiot" describes the setting, the second track, "Jesus of Suburbia," a nine-minute track composed of five separately titled movements, launches into the plot.
The song introduces the main character of the "opera" and how his surroundings cause him to leave home to become "Jesus of Suburbia." The CD progresses to tell of his experiences and emotions during his travels.
There are two other main characters in the "opera," each of them with a song describing their characters.
"It's Saint Jimmy and that's my name! And don't wear it out!" shouts the track about the raucous, possibly drug-dealing, St. Jimmy.
Shortly after being numbed with Jimmy's Novocain in "Give Me Novocain," Jesus meets "Whatsername," "a symbol of resistance" holding on to Jesus' heart "like a hand grenade," which may explain the album's cover art.
"Homecoming," the album's other nine-minute track, is not only a bit slower and slightly anti-climactic; it also has a dissonant movement written by Tre Cool that sounds as if it belongs in a Broadway show tune.
If you love Green Day, or are curious to know how the story ends, then give this album a try.
