Green Day: 21st century Breakdown review

Long ago every other album was a rock opera with the tracks and artwork linked by some unifying theme or storyline. Such an approach has been pretty much ridiculed as pretentious since the late seventies but the format saw an unlikely revival in 2004 by Green Day whose American Idiot articulated the anxiety of a nation on the verge of war and saw the band reborn as protest rockers. The album sold 12 million copies worldwide. A tough trick to follow then but follow it they have — with a three part rock opera telling the story of two characters Christian and Gloria and the battle of idealism versus destruction. Many of the tracks here (Christian's Inferno, Peacemaker, The Static Age) are reworkings of the pop-punk sound of Dookie but without the goofy lyrics. Elsewhere they stretch themsleves into less familiar territory with cabaret (Viva La Gloria) piano balladry (Last Night On Earth), the pomp of Queen (title track) and Beatles style pop symphonies (Restless Heart Syndrome) — it’s on these less immediate tracks that Green Day really triumph and live up to the hype. Lyrically, it's a step up too and also notable is Billie Joe Armstrong’s impressive vocals which easily cope with the bands epic scope. Unlike most current albums 21st Century Breakdown works better when listened to as a whole but the downside to that (as with many films and books) is that it’s slightly too long. Most listeners though won’t be able to get enough of it. More to try: The Who: Quadrophenia Foxboro Hot Tubs: Stop Drop And Roll!!! The Clash: Sandinista Stiff Little Fingers: Inflammable Material