American Idiot

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Now, as I said when doing The Doors, I try to leave music reviews alone what with music being very subjective and all. However, the number of people moaning about this album proved too good. Apparently angry 'punks' do not make good reviewers. These are from amazon.co.uk:

ok im gonna put this str8 (You're writing on Amazon for God's sake. Use the actual word.), no1 (Ditto) here who's given this album above 3 stars doesnt know anything about music (Excuse me? I like it. I own over 300 physical CDs and have 1117 songs. I think it's fair to say I know at least something about music...) the fact is if u want proper punk (Maybe somebody doesn't want punk?) turn 2 classic album Ixnay On The Hombre by the offpsring, or amazing ACTUAL punk bands like The Distillers, Bad Religion or Anti-Flag or even earlier albums dookie, warning or isonamic by greenday (I thnk you'll find that it's Green Day. And they are good albums/bands, but so is this.) then you'll realize what proper punk is (Nowhere on the album does it say it is punk. Are bands not allowed to evolve in your narrow world?)

i hope you take my advice an dont waste your money on this album its absolutely poor (In your opinion it is poor. In my opinion it is very good. In most rock critic's opinions it is good too, coincidentally...)

Here's another:

I have always liked Green Day until now (I suppose that's your decision. But don't expect Billie Joe Armstrong and co. to cry themselves to sleep about it or anything...). There old stuff like "Basket Case", "When I Come Around" and "Time Of Your Life" is brilliant (It is) but this album is no where near that good (Here I would disagree. Their newer stuff is more mature, and Armstrong's songwriting is much stronger than previous albums.). Green Day have become to big and popular to be good (That's just bullshit. Lots of bands have been popular and released very good albums. Pink Floyd became very popular after Dark Side of the Moon and still released superb albums for years). Everyone likes them now even if they have never heard anything more than amarican idiot (That's allowed you know. Green Day aren't exclusively yours.). There are only two O.Kish song which are "Holiday" and "When September Ends" (And much of the rest of the album)

Don't buy this album (Or give some tracks a listen on youtube and make up your own mind.)

If your a true Green Day fan you would agree with me and buy some older green day! (Actually if you were a 'true' GD fan, you would see what they were doing with this album. Also a 'true' fan would surely already have their old stuff...)

And here come the inevitable American reviews...:

I am really tired of hearing these 12 barre, 3 chord, pseudo intellectual "social commentary" tunes every time I turn on the radio (Well don't turn on the radio?). That Billie Joe Armstrong is so full of $h.it shit, he doesn't know anything about the social issues he sings about (And you know this how?). He is nothing more than a bratty, suburban former juvenile delinquent who dropped out before he even made it to high school (Actually he went to two High Schools before dropping out...)! This moron can barely even read (He can read pretty well I suspect. Did you only learn to read in High School? Because I could read adult novels by the time I was 10...), yet he thinks he has the right to tell other people what to think about politics? (The basic human right of Free Speech? He can say whatever he likes)

Billy Joe has no political background what so ever (If you mean he hasn't been a Senator, then no. But it's every person's right to criticise their government. Political history or not). All he has in fact, is the mind of a 10 year old! (I see. I doubt that to be honest...) Green Day is famous for smashing their guitars (Well The Who did that, are you going to say that they're 10 as well? Actually you probably would...), mooning the audiance audience, etc (Just because they do some childish things doesn't make them stupid. Maybe they just like having fun.). I remember Green Day playing in my hometown in 1996, and this j@ck@$$ jackass came out on the stage completely naked (Oh the horror! I think we're really getting into some pschological issues here...)! I mean how immature and childish can you get? (More childish than that. He doesn't speak in baby talk...) Hey Billy Billie, newsflash! You're in your 30s! When are you going to stop being a juvenile delinquent and start acting like a grown man? (Erm, he's actually not doing those sorts of things anymore.) There's nothing more pathetic than an adult that thinks he's still 9 (He doesn't.). And how about the brilliant lyrics he wrote in the 90s (I see. You're using songs he wrote 10 years prior, to prove that he's still immature? Really? You see nothing stupid about that at all?): 

Bite my lip and close my eyes 

Take me away to paradise 

I'm so d@mn damn bored I'm going blind and I smell like $h.it 

Or 

Pressure cooker pick my brain and tell me I'm insane 

I'm so f.*cking fucking happy I could cry 

Every joke can have its truth and now the jokes on you 

I never knew I was such a funny guy. 

He spent over a decade putting out trash like that, and now all of a sudden he comes out with this epic concept album about the evils of the Bush administration? I'm sorry, but I'm just not buying it (Maybe he got older? People do that you know.). The only reason Green Day put out a political album is because that's what sells right now (Or maybe he believes it? He certainly seems to be speaking with conviction whenever I've seen interviews with him...). If you buy into Green Day's insincere political propaganda, than you are a fool! (Or maybe you're just a moron who can't let go of the past. Who knows.) Anybody with an IQ over 70 should realise that juvenile delinquents shouldn't make political statements. (Two things. He was never a juvenile delinquent. And, even if he was, he is no longer one. You just refuse to accept it.)

It took me a while, but I found them...:

I've already heard the song "Amercian Idiot" before this album was released (What do you want? A fucking medal?). I used to like Green Day at one point, but now they're nothing but arogant "hippies" (Yes that's right, we have a genuine American Idiot!). In other words, I'm sick and tired of these bands preaching their political speeches in their concerts (this includes Incubus, Dave Matthews, Eddie Vedder, and those I forgot, you know who you are) (You realise that politics has always been a part of music, right? What am I saying. Of course you don't). After all, don't we go to concerts to hear their music?!? (And you get it too.) Save your political speeches for conventions (But maybe they want to get their message out to everyone. If you didn't want more of these albums then you probably shouldn't have voted that moron into power. Twice.). I am boycotting this band and others that I've mentioned (I'm sure they'll be so very upset to hear that). Put a lid on it. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!! (Green Day didn't criticise the troops or America. Just the rednecks...)

And here's another:

I think that this album is extremely offensive (Then I must presume that you are an intolerant, homophobic, racist redneck. Because that is who American Idiot is targeted at.). Calling Americans idiots because they support their country is idiotic in itself (That wasn't what the song or alum was saying at all). They supported Kerry who would have put his tail between his legs and ran away from the terrorists if he would have won the election (Yes because Bush is so much better. At least Kerry would know where the terrorists come from. Bush couldn't tell you where Canada is.). As for the Agitator who is supporting Skinny Puppy don't listen to him because that band staged a mock assassination of the president during their live shows and did a fake beheading absolutely sickening (Oh, those Canadians...). And look at what the Agitator is saying about it in one of his reviews (You're not really supposed to talk about other reviews in your own review). He says they have balls for doing it. People who do suck idiotic things aren't brave. They're cowards. Don't give any of these bands your hard earned money. (Please buy all their records. Just to annoy this guy if nothing else...)

Here's an in-depth review for us all:

Can't see past the title (So you haven't even listened to it?)

"American Idiot", eh? Well, this American Patriot has seen enough. One star. (You can't review an album, based on the title alone. What are you? An idiot? An American Idiot? Yes. I think you are. For all you know the song could have been complaining about Americans hating America.)

One more:

Another Good Band Bites the Liberal Dust (I think the title says all really)

Well, there goes Green Day. There is ONE good song on this CD, and it's Boulevard of Broken Dreams (It is a good song, I'll give you that). The rest of the CD? Not even commenting. It's driven by a hatred of conservative values (Well, as far as values go, they're pretty hatable aren't they?) as well as a hatred of our great President, George W. Bush (Bush? Great? What parallel universe are you from? He will, without doubt, go down in history as one of the worst Presidents of all time. He did almost nothing good or right in 8 years!). This ends up being the cd, as well as Green Day's undoing. Yes, I've heard this whole CD, and it's horrible (As horrible as Bush's Presidency?). Will I buy it? No. (I'm sure they're all so upset.) I'll just download Boulevard of Broken Dreams, thank you very much. (That's fine. It's your loss.)

Just one last thing. To all those people naming underground/little-known punk bands as far more political and edgy etc. Which will have a greater effect on the minds of the masses? An album heard by a few hundred people, all of whom share the political beliefs of the band. Or, the one that sells 14 million worldwide, where many who buy don't share the political views? Do the maths people.
I think I'll leave it there. Though since there are 366 one star reviews on Amazon.com it's fair to say that we may well be back...