Best of 2000s: Green Day - American Idiot (4.5/5)

With Green Day's new album coming out next month and the announcement that American Idiot is being developed as a rock musical, I thought it was high time I paid proper attention to this album. While I've listened plenty of times to "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends," I haven't given this album a thorough shake yet.

My verdict is that this is a pretty decent rock album, and the more I listen to it, the more I like it. The narrative is pretty loose, so the conversion to a musical is going to take some creativity. The "story," so to speak, involves a "Jesus of Suburbia," who consists on a steady diet of "soda pop and Ritalin," and this other tough guy "St. Jimmy," as well as this nameless rebellious girl ("Whatsername") whom Jesus likes, and then Jesus and Jimmy turn out to be the same person, the girl dumps Jesus/Jimmy, Jimmy then commits suicide (but not Jesus), and the girl...well, she lives on, troubling Jesus. And all the while, they live in the disillusionment of post 9/11 George W. Bush Americana. Admittedly, it's not the greatest story.

But it is great rock music! "American Idiot" is a fantastic, energetic opening number. It's followed by the five-part opus "Jesus of Suburbia/City Of The Damned/I Don't Care/Dearly Beloved/Tales Of Another Broken Home," then "Holiday," another great rock song, although not as great as "American Idiot." That's followed by "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," which is a really fantastic song. Oasis has tried to claim its rip-off of "Wonderwall," and frankly, I think that's a dubious claim. "Are We the Waiting?" is U2-style stadium rock just begging for several thousand people to lift their lighters into the air and sway to.

"St. Jimmy" then pumps up the tempo and introduces our next character of the same name, who is not to be messed with, declaring that he's "a teenage assassin executing some fun i the cult of the life of crime." alrighty. Escapist "Give Me Novocaine" is a little gentler and a bit '60s sounding with its acoustic guitar. Punky "She's a Rebel" briefly introduces the next character, Whatsername, tellings us she's a rebel and vigilante, but then worldy "Extraordinary Girl" lets us know that she's got a sensitive side too. Then on "Letterbomb," Whatsername gives Jesus of Suburbia the shaft, declaring that "you're not the Jesus of Suburbia" and that "St. Jimmy is a figment of your father's rage and your mother's love." Ouch.

Then comes the album's greatest moment, "Wake Me Up When September Ends," which amazing, works on so many levels. First, within the narrative of the American Idiot story, it's Jesus's lament for having lost Whatsername. Second, it's Billy Joe Armstrong's reflection on painful the death of his father in September of 1982. Third, it's a reflection of the angst of September 11th (the song's about September and it's track 11). Fourth, it's just a beautiful song that gives me goosebumps when I listen to it, especially when the guitars kick in during the second verse...so good. Turn it way up and enjoy.

"Homecoming" is another five-part song during which Jesus of Suburbia's alter-ego St. Jimmy is dispensed with and he gets a "normal" job that he can't stand (during part II, "East 12th Street," which is pretty cool), but still misses Whatsername, which also is essentially the point of the final track "Whatsername."

No doubt this is a very ambitious album, that generally succeeds. While the storyline is pretty thin, it's cool a idea. More importantly, the album's best songs stand alone, particularly the ballads "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends," which must be Green Day's single finest moments. I'm looking forward to seeing what this translates to on the stage. I hear the Spring Awakening people are involved, and I enjoyed that show, so hopefully this will be good too.

Best: Wake Me Up When September Ends, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, American Idiot, Holiday, Are We the Waiting?, Jesus of Suburbia..., Give Me Novocaine