Are you finding yourself completely indifferent to Green Day since Billie Joe Armstrong was replaced by Ann Wilson from Heart? Wait, what? That's Billie Joe? Damn.
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| Billie Joe Armstrong For L'Oreal: "Because I'm worth it". |
For all the skate punk posturing, Green Day's Dookie had been nothing more than Ugly Kid Joe's As Ugly as They Wanna Be with vaguely better songs made by three kids who at least looked like they belonged in the same band together.
Ugly Kid Joe's mistake had been to give up when the tide of public interest turned against them whereas Green Day, by soldiering on after the dull thud of Insomniac, are now sitting proudly in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
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Ugly Kid Joe's mistake had been to give up when the tide of public interest turned against them whereas Green Day, by soldiering on after the dull thud of Insomniac, are now sitting proudly in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
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Where the Sex Pistols had been the safety pin that pierced the cheek of stale social conventions in a time of deep social and economic oppression, Green Day were the clip-on nose ring, removed at the first sign of confrontation.
That's not to begrudge them their success. I mean, they're millionaires, but let's stop pretending Green Day was ever anything more than a boy band using punk as a prop.
When a proper punk band finally has the ear of their audience, what do they do?
A proper punk band says, "You want music? Well, here's some fucking silence for ya" Green Day, on the other hand, release three full albums in a three month period.
A proper punk band says, "You want music? Well, here's some fucking silence for ya" Green Day, on the other hand, release three full albums in a three month period.
Can you say "massive overkill"? I knew you could.
One can only imagine the conversation that took place in the band's rehearsal space over a round of Triscuits and wine coolers:
TRE COOL: "Hey all our songs sound vaguely the same."
One can only imagine the conversation that took place in the band's rehearsal space over a round of Triscuits and wine coolers:
TRE COOL: "Hey all our songs sound vaguely the same."
BILLIE JOE: "You know what we should do? Release three albums in a 3-month period!"
DIRNT: "Hey, that sounds rad! What'll we call 'em?
BILLIE JOE: "Uno, Dos, and Tre!"
TRE: "Hey, that's my name!"
BILLIE JOE: "I know, dude!"
DIRNT: "Awesome!"
TRE: "Party on!"
Of course, if sales of those three album combined ( 470k) is less than half of the sales tally for 21st Century Breakdown (1 million); itself an album that managed to sell one-sixth as many units as American Idiot (6 million), what does Green Day do that Ugly Kid Joe would not?
Release a new album, of course!
Of course, if sales of those three album combined ( 470k) is less than half of the sales tally for 21st Century Breakdown (1 million); itself an album that managed to sell one-sixth as many units as American Idiot (6 million), what does Green Day do that Ugly Kid Joe would not?
Release a new album, of course!