"American Idiot" CD by Green Day

by Marcel Anders (September 2004) With "Dookie", Green Day became the most successful punk band of the 90s. Now they release a rock opera in Pink Floyd's "The Wall" style: an opulent concept album dealing with the forlornness and anger of American teenagers, outing George W. Bush a complete idiot and setting musical benchmarks. With a furious mix of hardrock, punk and pop that you would have never expected of Billie, Mike and Tré. Just because for much too long they wrote nice Melody-Punk-Ditties and never pinned themselves down to a single format. But that's not the case: with tracks, like "Jesus Of Suburbia", Green Day will surprise critics and fans alike. Five completely different parts are being combined for a 9-minute epic, repeated in "Homecoming" in even more extended form. Despite all approach and maturity: "American Idiot" is above everything else one thing: a great rock album lifting Green Day impressively into the new millenium. As a band that is far from having shown all its potential. With fun in making music and experimenting and with the title song as a great first single.