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Catchy hooks, good melodies and consistent playing.
That's what you always get with Green Day. 1995's hit "Good
Riddance," from Nimrod, kind of served as a blank slate
since it was a departure of sorts for this bay area band.
Prior to that single, they were viewed, for some reason, as
a punk band. Green Day is a pop band. Sure Billie Joe colored
his hair for a while. But mainly they were playing fast pop
songs. If you've ever seen Green Day in concert you know what
a great live band they are. They can and will play any anything.
I saw them tackle Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger,"
Metallica's "Master of Puppets," and even
Slayer in one show. While their past may have been
rooted in three chords and a cloud of dust they do have more
range than that. With Warning they spread their wings
a bit.
The title track is one of their catchier songs
they've done in a while. This is not your old Green Day. Just
know that right now. The production is slick and there are
some nice nuances mixed in here and there. "Blood, Sex
and Booze" is a terrific catchy tune. I just wish this
was the pop music on the radio rather than he crap on there
now. "Church On Sunday" sounds like what you'd expect
Green Day to sound like with a Buddy Holly thing going
on and some organ in the background. It's a great song. "Castaway"
is an uptempo cut about going it alone. "Misery"
is about as close as they come to a ballad. It could have
been written decades ago with kind of a Kinks feel
to it. "Deadbeat Holiday" is one of the best-written
songs Billie Joe has penned. Great lyrics and a Jam-like guitar
line. Beatles? I swear I thought it was a Beatles cover until
he started singing "Hold On." That was weird. I'm
all better now. "Jackass" is vintage Green Day.
It could have been on any one of their albums. Except the
sax. That's new.
Green Day is not the kind of band that are going
to give a damn about market research or street credibility.
It sounds like they made the album they wanted to. There will
be the temptation by many to label Warning as the "mature"
Green Day. In punk circles Green Day have not been "cool"
since Dookie became fashionable. This album will not
bring the boys from The Bay back into the spiked, pierced
fold. It is, however, a terrific pop album.
--Chadbo
Track Listing:
1. Warning
2. Blood, Sex, Booze
3. Church on Sunday
4. Fashion Victim
5. Castaway
6. Misery
7. Deadbeat Holiday
8. Hold On
9. Jackass
10. Waiting Minority
11. Minority
12. Macy's Day Parade
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Green
Day
