21st Century Breakdown

Although there has been something of a hiatus (5 years or so) from Green Day since their classic album - American Idiot - was released, they have clearly not been simply sitting on their laurels. Coming back with this second 'great American rock opera' was perhaps a gamble - would it provide enough to distinguish itself from American Idiot? The answer for me, was a resounding yes.The tone of the two albums is subtly different - American Idiot a rage against the system ('American Idiot), and 21st Century Breakdown, more of a lament for what might have been, and a faint hope for the future ('21st Century Breakdown' - Both the title tracks of their respective albums). I personally think that you can see from the songs (especially the music videos for American Idiot) the influence of the Iraq war on American culture, and how the change from bogged down insurgency to 'surge' has been reflected in the national mood - represented in very broad brushstrokes by these two albums.The 'rock opera' format, to my mind, makes perfect sense for a band like Green Day - they are not Coldplay or U2, they have something to actually say, which they usually do through Billie Joe's inspired writing. Their music can feel very grand - more than enough to pull off a venture like this, where they present an album as a complete piece. I personally feel - although I am too young to remember the hey day of concept albums and the vinyl wonder years - that this is what the music album should really be about - a story, a concept, a work of art - not a collection of pop singles and filler. Although you can't blame Green Day for having a couple of 'single-esque' tracks ('21 guns'...) on there (the record company wants sales and airplay after all...), we can perhaps wonder if a band as famous and successful as they are can't avoid it, then what hope is there for everyone else?

Brilliant, yet another masterpiece from Billie Joe and the boys. Buy it, listen to it, then listen some more.It's not often you hear such a diverse and interesting range of musical and vocal styles on the one album, and they have done this to perfection. I bow down to "the three wise men" from California, who have indeed done the impossible, and outdone American Idiot, and themselves.There's not a single track that you could call bad or even mediocre, but highlights are Last of The American Girls/Peacemaker/Static Age/21 Guns/Viva La Gloria!? (both tracks)/Before The Lobotomy/American Eulogy/See The Light.

For me this is the album that has moved Billie Joe to William Joseph musically and the good news for me he appears to have grown up at the same speed as me, although I am not into wearing eye-liner.The album is what an old vinyl LP was, - a journey, a well crafted musical journey through the story that BJA is telling (about a guy called Christian I think) - and telling it well. At times there are few hooks in there that seem to suggest somebody has been listening to The Waterboys along the way, and then that old punk twang gets thrown in so as not to let you drift away for too long.For me the stand out song is "Before the Lobotomy"; a carefully crafted intro, - a lovely hook "I was only dreaming etc" a bit of good old Green Day wham bham, a hint on a Irish jig and then bag into that hook, - superb! Next best is East Jesus Nowhere but I am sure you will find your own favorite.To me this is better than American Idiot (which was not half bad), - and does what Dookie did all those years ago; makes me smile and I want to play the songs over again, the extra bonus this time around is that my 10 year old son also really likes this. Thanks guys your best album so far.

As a big Green day for many a year, I have watched the band grow and indeed develop both their music and maturity within their music. From the early punk days where music was heavy, thrashing and down right great, the music slowly changed, with many saying Warning being the turning point. Since then we have seen the album American Idiot and today 21st Century Breakdown.Firstly, is this like American Idiot...answer yes, but there are changes. The emphasis from the early days has shifted from the music to the lyrics itself. From listening to this album you can tell BJ Armstrong has spent many hours at these lyrics and it does show. Deep meaningful lyrics are played in more meaningful music, with bursts of the old Green Day still there.So what is the album itself like? The overall impression I had before this album, is how does it take 5 years to write an album, but from listening to this it is very clear. The lyrics are carefully chosen and the music has been layered perfectly on top, with some good old Green Day passion and bursts from the past. Other people have mentioned the drumming from Tre and I do totally agree that more emphasis has been placed on the drums in this album than previous albums.So why not the five stars? Don't get me wrong this is a fantastic album, but I feel the album does lack proper ballads. The songs are great but the chords of American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia and Boulevard of Broken Dreams have been lost in some aspects of the album, leading to calmer songs with bursts of chords that we all know and love from GD.This as many other people have already said, is a hard album to review, as I do now class Green Day as a Rock Band and not a Punk Group, but the maturity that the music has developed and materalised over the 5 years is amazing. I don't feel however this will be their last album, but I wouldn't be surprised if we only saw one or two at the most more from them.This is a fantastic album, no mistakes about it, the lyrics are what make this album, with the heavy guitar and drumming in places which will keep the older Green Day fans happy.A brilliant album from a World Class Band!

One of my new favourite Green Day albums. This album contains many great songs (including 21 guns), and has very good sound quality in comparison to some of the older Green Day albums. Several of the tracks lead into each other seamlessly, meaning I've never even considered using shuffle - It'd ruin the greatness of this album.

This is a must have album, if you like Green Day. As good as American Idiot.

I've been a huge fan since '94 so I might be a bit biased but this CD is awesome. Continues in the vein of 'American Idiot' but takes the theme of post-modern angst and frustration into the post-Bush era where there is not a clear scapegoat. Big sound, catchy lyrics and riffs, good song-to-song variation. Long may Greenday keep pumping out albums like this!

this is a brilliant album. not quite as good as american idiot, but that is hard to match. there are some great songs on here, especially 21 guns. i bought this the day it came out, and i still love it as much as i did the first time. a little less hard-core than their older stuff, this album caters for a much wider audience.

I was absolutely, sinkingly disappointed in this album when I first listened. Shades of 1970's music (which is fine if you like that sort of thing; I don't). More rock, less punk; but I promised myself to listen through three times straight before I posted a review. The more I listened, the more the lyrics became clear, and depths of complexity began to show themselves. I had hoped for an album which I could play straight through without skipping a lot of songs, and this does it. It's a long album: 18 songs I think, and most of them are singles-quality.A few notes: I didn't even notice the "Christian and Gloria" theme for quite some time. The lyrics are somewhat hard to understand at first, and I listen in the car, so reading the liner as it plays is not really an option. Finally, while waiting for someone in a parking lot, I got to read the titles and lyrics and realized that there was an operatic quality to this album, like American Idiot. Now, I come from the age of Pink Floyd's The Wall, and was exposed to Tommy during my teen years. I love the idea of a whole integrated collection of songs which make a story. In the early '80's, I spent hours imagining what Pink looked like (Pink the character in The Wall, not the pink-haired diva)and imagining what it all meant. I'd love to see a Green Day movie, with Jimmy or Christian, which would play at the midnight movie for decades.Secondly, the sound of the album is often scratchy and sometimes sounds like it was recorded at the bottom of a well. I know this is intentional, but it was really bothersome at first; seemed to be used too much. Oddly, now I don't even notice it, but I play it louder as I've come to know the words.Billie Joe fights the establishment with his lyrics, and this album is no exception. The lyrics are well thought out, if not somewhat repetitive in places(I agree with the reviewer who states that _Know Your Enemy_ is one of the weaker offerings), but definitely gives listeners the famous Green Day attitude. Again, if you don't get the first time, give it a couple more tries and I think you'll be hooked on an album you can listen to without interruption...

Great value

Un gros succès international est toujours sujet a un retour de médaille pour son successeur. Les exemples dans ce domaine son suffisamment nombreux. Prenons juste l'exemple d'un AC/DC et d'un Metallica. Au sortir d'un tel plébiscite, GREEN DAY était donc forcément attendu au tournant avec ce nouvel album. Fort heureusement, et contre toutes attentes, la pression qui aurait légitimement pu peser sur les épaules du groupe n'aura en rien altéré sa capacité a rééditer l'exploit précédent. Rien que ça ! Car non content de nous livrer un album au moins aussi solide que son prédécesseur, GREEN DAY prendrait une nouvelle fois le pari de publier un album conceptuel. Le tout s'étirant sur 70 minutes d'un Punk/Rock/Pop tout bonnement captivant d'un bout a l'autre et dont le groupe en détient a jamais la savoureuse formule. Tout bien considéré, je me demande même si je ne le préféré pas (d'une courte tête), a "American Idiot" ce disque ?! Je le trouve musicalement plus varié, tandis que le spectre des mélodies chant de Billie Joe m'apparaissent également beaucoup plus variées.Alors non, décidément non ! Ce "21th Century Breakdown" n'est certainement le copié/collé d'une recette déjà éprouvée et approuvée par le grand frère Ameican Idiot. Juste la preuve indéniable et irréfutable que le gigantesque succès d'hier de Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt et Tré Cool n'était pas le fait du hasard.Sacré groupe, pour de nouveau un sacré disque.19/20

Album molto bello dei Green Day. Consigliato.

El CD es perfecto, vino con un mínimo rallón en un lado casi ni se nota, sería bueno que protegieran mejor el producto con algo de papel de burbujas.