DISCLAIMER: This is just my OWN OPINION of the songs. If any of you got here by searching for 21st Century Breakdown reviews on Google, then I don’t want people telling me my interpretations of the songs are wrong, or that I’m stupid for not knowing exactly what Billie Joe meant when he wrote them. Mmkay? Cool, let’s start the post!
Something is wrong with me. I am mentally unstable.
I cannot believe I have gone almost an entire month without posting my own review of Green Day’s latest Album: 21st Century Breakdown. It is, in my opinion, their best yet. I thought that maybe it was just the novelty of it and that once it wore off I would wish that the album was more punk like Dookie, but in the end, I love it just the way it is. It’s like they’ve harnessed their energy and style that they had in American Idiot (my favorite album before the release of 21CB) and just multiplied it and morphed into a bigger and better Green Day. Every one of their albums has been different from the last, but this one really is a drastic change and, I think, it’s a good one.
Let’s go Song By Song, shall we?
Song of the Century – Of course this is just an introduction song to the rest of the album, but the second I heard I thought YES!, because it just backed up what I’d been saying for years, that Billie Joe can sing and is not just a one-trick-punk-pony. Before, when I’d tell people he had a good voice, they’d say, “No, he’s just screaming all the time”, which he isn’t. I love the melody of this song.
21st Century Breakdown - Great opening song, but not as epic as Jesus of Suburbia (as some people think). I like the change in tempo, though, especially the last part of: “Scream, America scream…” I just wish they’d left the lyrics the same as in the demo they released a couple of months ago. “Bleed, America bleed…” sounded better and more desperate. More angry. That’s the thing with this album is that, as angry as I think they wanted to sound, they really only achieved it in two songs: Christian’s Inferno and Horseshoes and Handgrenades.
Know Your Enemy – I don’t really like this song, as I didn’t when they released the video for it a week in advance. The thing is that everyone was getting so hyped up about it being the first single from the new album, and there were all these promos for the video, and in the end it was just a repetitive song with a boring video. It was just them playing the song, and although they did that in the American Idiot video, it didn’t work as well here. I dunno. Just my opinion.
¡Viva la Gloria! – Love this song. I love the piano in the beginning and the melody throughout. I like how it changes but still somehow maintains the same feeling. Look at me, talking about “feelings”. But I do feel something when I listen to this song. I can picture Christian, singing it to Gloria. That’s another thing with this album (I might say that phrase a lot) is that I could actually picture a story happening with Christian and Gloria, which didn’t happen for me with the Jesus of Suburbia and Whatshername.
Before the Lobotomy – I like this song, but for some reason, when I think of the album as a whole, I never remember this one. I mean, I don’t really have a strong opinion about it–I like it, don’t love it, don’t hate it. It’s just good.
Christian’s Inferno – I don’t like this song. Period. Thus, I have not listened to it so many times (only 3 on iTunes, compared to the 19 for Restless Heart Syndrome). I just don’t like the beat, the tune…it just doesn’t do it for me.
Last Night on Earth – Very Beatles-esque, but people need to stop saying that they’re ripping off the Beatles, as they have mentioned before their love for the Beatles and that they were a huge source of inspiration for this album. But I really like this song, because at the same time as it’s romantic and sweet, there’s also a desperate sort of feel to it (once again I can’t think of the word I want). I can imagine it very clearly, Christian singing this song to/about Gloria before he goes to a riot or something (I really am Blindingly Articulate, ain’t I?)
East Jesus Nowhere – This was the second song I heard before the album came out, and I fell absolutely in love with it. The guitar riffs are amazing–not saying that’s it’s a complicated and exquisite piece of music, but the tune and the beat and the melody of the chorus…just all of it together creates a wonderful song. I like the anger in it, mixed with a bit of cynicism, and the part where Billie Joe sings in his sweet voice, “A fire burns today, of blasphemy of suicide…” I get goosebumps every time.
Peacemaker – I like how different this song is from the normal Green Day variety. It’s got a Latin feel to it and is just a really fun song. I also love the lyrics, especially the verse, “Well I am a killjoy/from Detroit, I drink from a well of rage, I feed off the weakness/with all my love.” It’s just beautiful in a way I don’t really know how to describe.
Last of the American Girls – Even though this song is also repetitive (as in the chorus has the same tune as the verse), I like it a lot more than Know Your Enemy. Maybe it’s because I can see in my head–almost like a music video–the character of Gloria, as they describe her. It just gives you a real feel of who Gloria is, and I suppose I like it for that. It’s not just Christian singing to her, you know, it’s almost like we get a little portrait of who she is.
Murder City – I love this song. It just…it’s a fast song, and yet it’s so sad at the same time. It’s–as he says–like they’re just pathetic and realizing there’s nothing they can do to stop the violence. The whole “Christian’s crying in the bathroom” part really shows that, because Christian is supposed to be this hardass guy who just wants to rebel and start a revolution and is fed up with everything (like in Horseshoes and Handgrenades).
¿Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl) – Before you ask, I copied and pasted that little upside down question mark. And I just did that to the exclamation point in the other one. Anyway, I like this song as much as I like the other Viva la Gloria. This one isn’t as hopeful as the other one, it’s almost as if Christian is…berating Gloria? “You’re just a junkie preaching to the choir.” It’s like in the first one, he was singing a sweet song to her that was more looking to what’s going to happen, and in this one he’s…disappointed with Gloria, almost. There’s a sneer in his words.
Restless Heart Syndrome – Love love love this song. Everything about it. I love the lyrics, the idea, and following ¿Viva la Gloria?, it’s like it’s Gloria, the “junkie”, who’s addicted to this prescription medicine, and she can’t get away. “I’m elated, medicated, Lord knows I’ve tried to find a way to run away…” I also love this song because I think Billie Joe sings it so well (and yeah, I know he came up with it, so he ought to sing it well), but those notes he hits on the “elated” and “medicated” just make me sigh with content. It’s beautiful.
Horseshoes and Handgrenades – Booyah, another angry song! I love the energy in this song, which starts right from the first “I’m not fucking around!” right down to the last scream of “G-L-O-R-I-A!” Here is the Christian we know and love, right at his angriest and worst. Love it.
The Static Age – Ahh, another song I love! This song is so…basic, I guess, not really so different from the type of stuff they used to do. I don’t know. But I really love this song, love the tune, love the lyrics, love the way he sings it. I don’t really like so much the “Hey hey it’s the static age” bit, because that doesn’t really fit with the rest of the song (in my mind). The best part is the high, the “All I want to know is a goddamned thing, not what’s in the medicine! All I want to do is I want to breathe, batteries not included!” The–and I hate to keep using this word–desperation.
21 Guns – Another pretty, slow ballad by Green Day. They’re on a roll with this album. Once again, the notes he hits are just magical. I don’t like that he doesn’t sing them like that live, except for the last, longest one. In all the other songs with higher notes he hits them perfectly live. I absolutely love the lyrics for this song, “One, 21 guns, lay down your arms, give up the fight.” Only two songs after the energetic Horseshoes and Handgrenades, it sounds as though Christian’s given up.
American Eulogy: Mass Hysteria/Modern World – I really like that the beginning of this song is the same as Song of the Century. What I don’t like, not so much, is that the Mass Hysteria part of the song has almost the exact same tune as one of their old hits, Deadbeat Holiday. But, I suppose, if you’re not such a fanatic Green Day fan as I am, you wouldn’t notice. And the Modern World part? Mr Mike Dirnt you have done it again! Favorite part of the song, just as Nobody Likes You is my favorite part of Homecoming. Mike should have more lead vocal parts, he has an awesome voice. Content-wise–honestly I never really pay attention when I listen to this song. It’s one of those songs I’m always listening to the tunes and thinking things like, “Mike!!!” instead of paying attention to the lyrics. [P.S.--Mike is the most badass bass player of any band. Ever.]
See the Light – I really like this song. It’s got a really beautiful feel to it. It’s like it’s both Christian and Gloria singing, kind of…describing their feelings, I guess, and in the end of the day, all they want is to “see the light” and “know what’s worth the fight”. A powerful end to a powerful album.
I hope you liked my review. If you didn’t, well screw you. It’s my opinions, ain’t it?
Can’t wait for more work from Green Day. I hope I don’t have to wait five years for the next album, though.
