20th Century Boy's 21st Century Breakdown

A few weeks back I wrote about some Norweigan band called Royksopp and their elctrechno album. To quote my review of it; "Best album of the year, no doubt" Or something along those lines. Well I apologise, for I may have fibbed to you, my readers. It would seem that something has cropped up and overshadowed the little Norweigan teenagers with their floppy hair and synth decks. The big boys are back, and they're back with hell of an album.

American Idiot when platinum so many times that they had to make a new number; "Greendayllion". To write it in standard form you need to write some standard form within the standard form. It was a beauty of an album; bouncing melodies and heavy guitars with some anthemic lyrics to boot. The music videos went well with the song and they brought forward the whole Anti-bush crap that rose up.

So this can't be anywhere near as good can it? No it isn't. Sorry, it just isn't. I've listened through it six times and nothing compares to the songs on American Idiot. This by no means suggests its a bad album, its a flippin' fantastic album! Green Day keep with the anthemic vocals and heavy guitars, but they also introduced slower and more meaningful songs, and they're great.

But unfortunately there is something about this album that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. You know the story of the Hare and the Tortoise? Of course you do. Well imagine a race where both of the animals are hares and can run the exact same speed and will both win. What a dull race that would be. You know its going to be a draw, so why are you watching it?

This is the issue with this album. Green Day have caused themselves a problem. They made their best album then they released one that is just a very teensy-tiny bit 'not-as-good' as their best. I listen to Horseshoes and Handgrenades and it all seems a bit samey, a bit 'whatsthepointy' if you know what I mean.

This is the best album of the year so far. Buy it and love it. Cheer when they win awards. But as you take that film off your album or you click "Buy" on iTunes, just spare a thought for American Idiot.


Though don't spare a thought for Working Class Hero or that one they did with Bono...lets be honest, they were both pure sh*te.

-Steve

(Ps: Happy Birthday to me)
(PPs: Thanks to Tom Jarvis for help with the album)
(PPPs: Thanks to Rob Amey for telling me to make an album)