I love 21CB for what it is, but I'd have no hesitation cutting a few tracks. Horseshoes, Static Age, Viva La Gloria? would easily get the axe for me.
I thought this when the album first came out, but now Viva La Gloria? and Restless Heart Syndrome are easy favorites.
I'm not sure what my least favorite song is from the trilogy. There are probably like 12-15 songs tied for that honor.
I don't think 21CBD is supposed to have an actual story like AI, I think it just has some reoccurring motifs/themes Also the only Green Day songs I straight up don't like are Nightlife and Troublemaker (maybe 1 or 2 more but can't think of any right now)
Also listened to 21CB today and remember how much I like it. Static Age, Murder City, Last of the American Girls, 21 Guns, title track, Viva!, all great songs. Definitely some stuff I'd cut but the high highs justify the length IMO. Agreed that the comparisons to American idiot aren't fair, very different albums For the record, the first song on the chopping block for me is Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, followed by Christian's Inferno.
I can't take 21 Guns seriously anymore after that and the part of Jesus of Suburbia that sounds like Summer of 69 but I actually like that
Billie Joe actually didn't want Horseshoes & Handgrenades on the album, Butch Vig convinced him to leave it on