blink and green day's fans are most likely all under the age of 40. maybe even under 30. phaynes is so edgy it hurts.
You can find my take in the replies but this has once again inspired one of my periodic "listening to all the good songs on 21CB" moods and... it still frustrates me how the bad stuff drags it down because the good stuff is so good
I know people have their own opinions but for me personally: Christian's Inferno (insipid filler) American Eulogy (some of Billie Joe's worst lyrics ever) See The Light (just kinda bland tbh) I also don't mind some of the others songs in the context of the album but I wouldn't seek them out otherwise - stuff like Restless Heart Syndrome, 21 Guns or Murder City for ex
That's fair. I really like all three of those songs, especially American Eulogy lol. I can see people not being into the other two though Like I said I love that album but if I had to pick the weakest songs I'd just go with Know Your Enemy, Restless Heart Syndrome and maybe Horseshoes and Handgrenades. I really wouldn't cut any though
That's fair too! I think it's good that everyone takes away different things from the album, in a way. (I love Horseshoes and Handgrenades, funnily enough...Hives influence and all) I'd say my disappointment is mainly that it starts out great but doesn't stick the landing, hence the comparison to American Idiot which also has a couple of weak songs in the middle but also has Homecoming/Whatsername at the end which make up for them.
I had this same thought. I'm guessing it's that middle stretch from "Are We the Waiting" through "Extraordinary Girl"? It's hard to live up to that wall of hits at the opening, or the more emotional weighty stuff in the final third, but I like that middle act a lot. Some bangers in there.
While I would say I don’t like 21CB nearly as much as American Idiot on the whole, they were both pretty formative albums for me musically. 21CB has plenty of filler but I would still defend a lot of it (Before the Lobotomy, Last of the American Girls, East Jesus Nowhere, etc) even though it’s hard for me to say how much of that is sentimentality. The point in the prechorus of the title track where the lead guitar slides up gave me actual chills when I was 12-13, and Horseshoes and Hand Grenades had more attitude than anything I knew at the time. Last Night on Earth was even the first pop song I ever learned on piano. So I still love that album, even if I would say it’s on the bloated side. That being said, 10 years ago I would’ve called Whatsername my favorite song so even then I preferred American Idiot.
I love Horseshoes and Handgrenades, it just feels a little out place on the album. Like you said, it is bloated and could trim off a few songs
I honestly think AI is a perfect album. If I HAD to cut a song I GUESS it would be She's a Rebel but it would really feel like it was missing something even without that song I think
American Idiot and 21CB are both so good! I wouldn't change a thing about AI, 21CB probably could lose 2-3 (both Viva La Gloria's and Christian's Inferno would be the ones I'd drop) but overall really solid and I dig all the remaining tracks. I absolutely love the reprises and recalls on those albums (Song of the Century & American Eulogy and 21CB & See the Light) and how they tried that again on Rev Radio (Somewhere Now & Forever Now). I just can't believe the trilogy and FOAMF is from the same band sometimes.
Whenever I think I have no expectations of him making music I enjoy again, I remember this exists and he could probably do it if he tried
I just want them to write something that sounds/feels like they give a shit. The Longshot is evidence that Billie can write garage/pop-punk songs that are worth a shit... I just wish he’d put that level of focus into Green Day material. FOAMF felt like a low effort record, written to get a few NHL commercial songs and round it out with filler.