First official single came out today ["Know Your Enemy"], and if you pre-order the album on Itunes the single will automatically download. So I got it of course, wanted a pre-order anyway. Now I'll log on early in the morning of the appointed day (May 15th I think) and the whole lovely album will shortly be with me!
Let's see, so the tickets were rather expensive, well, couple of cool things they did with the money; we all got programs with the lyrics to the songs in them, so we could follow along (when we could see of course...) that was sweet. Also they were handing out posters for free with the album cover art on it and the date and place. Only one way to get such a thing; had to be there.
I also actually paid for a shirt with the same (place and date), perhaps I will take a picture of it soon to show you, I like the art on it. But atm it's in the laundry.
So the new album has basically all the good parts about American Idiot (imo) and some of the good parts of some of their other albums, notably: Warning. There is a song, I forget which one, maybe "Restless Heart Syndrome" had a sound to it very similar to "Misery" which is like one of my favorite all time songs because it's so odd and awesome.
There is also the fact that in this story is a woman named "Gloria" who I would say is the main character, as she appears in a number of songs. This wouldn't be the first time that Billie Joe used a Mexican female character in a song, there is also "Maria" which was only released on their Greatest Hits album as an extra, it's always been a favorite of mine though. Gloria, was my grandmother's name.
I'd really like to see BJ's notes on the song "The Last of the American Girls", seems like there's a lot going on there. And maybe my favorite song, I'm not sure though, was "Murder City" which was about living in Oakland during the Oscar Grant riots. For one, the lyrics are awesome (you can find them below) but it was more that it is cool to know I lived through something along with them, even if it's not as though we know each other. That was just an intense time. I'll never forget coming home and seeing all these cops all about and so many neighbors car windows smashed and downtown with some of the same.
There's also yet again a lot of Christian imagery in this album and BJ's status as "recovering Catholic" (I don't know if he self-identifies with that particular label but I ascribe it to him) is really apparent, and a bit more blasphemous this go around. But then after Foxboro Hottubs "Mother Mary" I'm not terribly surprised at that.
So yah, to sum it up, if you're hoping for "Dookie" Green Day, I don't think they're ever coming back. But if you're willing to evolve with them, there's a lot this album will have to offer.
Murder City
Desperate
But not hopeless
I feel so useless
in the murder city
Desperate
But not helpless
The clock strikes midnight
In the murder city
I'm wide awake
after the riot
This demonstration
of our anguish
This empty laughter
has no reason
Like a bottle
of your favorite poison
We are the last call
and we're so pathetic
Christian's crying
in the bathroom
And I just want to
bum a cigarette
We've come so far,
We're been so wasted
It's written
all over our faces
There is also the fact that in this story is a woman named "Gloria" who I would say is the main character, as she appears in a number of songs. This wouldn't be the first time that Billie Joe used a Mexican female character in a song, there is also "Maria" which was only released on their Greatest Hits album as an extra, it's always been a favorite of mine though. Gloria, was my grandmother's name.
I'd really like to see BJ's notes on the song "The Last of the American Girls", seems like there's a lot going on there. And maybe my favorite song, I'm not sure though, was "Murder City" which was about living in Oakland during the Oscar Grant riots. For one, the lyrics are awesome (you can find them below) but it was more that it is cool to know I lived through something along with them, even if it's not as though we know each other. That was just an intense time. I'll never forget coming home and seeing all these cops all about and so many neighbors car windows smashed and downtown with some of the same.
There's also yet again a lot of Christian imagery in this album and BJ's status as "recovering Catholic" (I don't know if he self-identifies with that particular label but I ascribe it to him) is really apparent, and a bit more blasphemous this go around. But then after Foxboro Hottubs "Mother Mary" I'm not terribly surprised at that.
So yah, to sum it up, if you're hoping for "Dookie" Green Day, I don't think they're ever coming back. But if you're willing to evolve with them, there's a lot this album will have to offer.
Murder City
Desperate
But not hopeless
I feel so useless
in the murder city
Desperate
But not helpless
The clock strikes midnight
In the murder city
I'm wide awake
after the riot
This demonstration
of our anguish
This empty laughter
has no reason
Like a bottle
of your favorite poison
We are the last call
and we're so pathetic
Christian's crying
in the bathroom
And I just want to
bum a cigarette
We've come so far,
We're been so wasted
It's written
all over our faces
