American Idiot: Rediscovery

I still remember how, back in 2004, i got to hear green day's now-cult concept album. Prior to any listening, i was sceptical. You see, i grew up with the clash and NoFx. To me reen day was a funny band that could make me laugh for 3 minutes of radio time, they couldn't hold to the political image that i had of punk. Just like blink182, they were punk candies.

Then came American Idiot. I couldnt believe that the same band the produced dookie, a fantastic album of punk candy if there is one, could mature enough to blend everything that is good in american punk and add smarts and craft to it. The album doesnt hide from its ambition. It is loud, scripted as a broadway show, and encompasses the feelings of a generation in 13 songs.

First Impression

The minute i finished listening to the disc (yes, the whole record at once, which is how this album is supposed to be heard), i wanted to see it. on the stage, at the movies...i just wanted to see the characters. This is "the wall" for the generation of apathy.

Production:
The sound of the album is loud, yet the production manages to get everybody a fair shair. Dirnt bass is present and gives a beautiful bottom end to the textured sound. Cool's snare snaps and cracks without being all over the place. All in all, the rythm section sounds "packed": its all in place, punchy, bouncy and simple. The squillion pounds of guitars added to this are sometime overwhelming (how many layers did then use?) and i guess that its gonna take a few extras to fill the gaps on the stage. they are fortunately well paned over the stereo spectrum so that we get to keep our ears fresh at the end of the show. its actually interesting to listen to the album with a focus on different sides, you'll hear a few easter eggs.

favorite track:
Homecoming part IV: The 30sec rocknroll bit with tre cool singing, which is directly comming out of the rocky horror picture show.

Least fav track:
Probably are we the waiting. too much stadium rock for me. The text is great though.

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American Idiot, released 21 sept 2004 (Reprise Records)
Produced by Rob Cavallo and Green Day.
Duration: 57:16
Dr Flo's rating: 12/10!

Version Francaise du post dispo sur "Le Comptoir du Docteur Flo".

tu dis rien...

En une heure, de tes bras souffler la colere du monde
Voyager, etre la sauver chacune des secondes
Et protéger du froid les idées sans confondre

Tu vois je reve encore

Penser plus vite que mon ombre
Vois-tu je serais roi jusqu’a celui de ce monde
Te souviens tu de moi
Et jusqu’au son de ma voix
Suis je aussi maladroit
Et tristesse a la fois

Tu vois je reve encore marcher plus vite que mes pas mais toi tu penses quoi ?


Tu dis rien


Soulager de tes bras douleur et poussiere mon ange, au voleur de ta voix
plier chacune des phalanges me suggérer comme ça des yeux du bout des doigts
Tout bas je reve encore penser plus vite je peux pas
Toi tu dis rien, tu oublies
Tu penses a rien, tu souris ?
Qu’est-ce qu’on est bien, on oublie

On traverse le haut, nos bas s’épousent sans lieu sombre et toi tu penses
quoi.


Tu dis rien



Moi je veux bien m’arreter s itu veux bien danser moi je veux bien tout quitter
Si tu veux bien t’approcher mais toi tu penses quoi ?


Tu dis rien

On a beau savoir

On a beau savoir,
On fini toujours pas se demander.
Si c'est si beau de savoir,
Moi je prefere esperer.

Une Etrangère sous mon toi

Une Etrangère sous mon toi
des histoires plein la tete
Un enfant rêve d'etre roi
Pourquoi faire? Pour Être.

Quand la peur insoumise
se glisse sous mon toi
quand elle fait a sa guise
comme elle est belle, parfois.

Elle su se faire tempète
pour faire voler mon toi
Elle a ses armes prêtes
Et moi, je n'ai que toi.

Alors moi, pietre va-t-en-guerre
Je me bats pour mon toi
pas avec la manière
mais avec le coeur, chaque fois.

Pourquoi?

Pour quoi?
-Parce que c'est ce Qu'Il fait.
Mais Qui fait quoi?
-Ceux qui font ca.
Quoi ca?
-Mais Ceci, par Ici et par La.
Ou ca?
-Ben Ici. Mais aussi La!

Oui....mais Pourquoi?

Josh Freese is one of these Drum wizards that can play session drums for everybody from sting to the vandals. recently he released his second solo effort "Since 1972" (his year of birth, for you who wondered). The album is available on his website packaged with different goodies, ranging from 7bucks to 75grands. have a look:

$7

• Digital download of Since 1972, including 3 videos

$15

• CD/DVD double-disc set
• Digital download

$50

• CD/DVD double-disc set
• T-shirt
• “Thank you” phone call from Josh for buying Since 1972. You can tell him what you like about the record that you purchased, or what you thought sucked. Ask whatever you want, like “Is Maynard really THAT weird?” or “Which one of Sting’s mansions has the comfiest beds?” or “Are Devo really suburban robots that monitor reality or just a bunch of dads from Ohio?” or “Why don’t the Vandals play more stuff off the first record?” It’s your 5 minutes to yack it up. Talk about whatever you want.

$250 (limited edition of 25)

• Signed CD/DVD and digital download
• T-shirt
• Signed drum head and drumsticks
• Go on a lunch date with Josh to PF Changs or The Cheesecake Factory (whatever you’re into)

$500 (limited edition of 15)

• Signed CD/DVD and digital download
• T-shirt
• Signed cymbal and sticks
• Meet Josh in Venice, Calif., and go floating together in a sensory-deprivation tank (to be filmed and posted on YouTube)
• Dinner at Sizzler (get your $8.99 steak and “all you can eat” shrimp on)

$1,000 (limited edition of 10)

• Signed CD/DVD and digital download
• T-shirt
• Signed cymbal, drum head and drumsticks
• Josh washes your car OR does your laundry … or you can wash his car
• Have dinner with Josh aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif.
• Get drunk and cut each other’s hair in the parking lot of the Long Beach courthouse (filmed and posted on YouTube, of course)

$2,500 (limited edition of 5)

• Signed CD/DVD and digital download
• Get a private drum lesson with Josh, or for all you non-drummers, have him give you a back and foot massage (couples welcome)
• Pick any 1 member of the Vandals or Devo (subject to availability) to accompany you and Josh to either the Hollywood Wax Museum or the lunch buffet at the Spearmint Rhino
• Signed DW snare drum
• Take 3 items of your choice out of his closet (first come, first serve)
• Change diapers and make bottles with him for an afternoon (after hitting the strip club)

$5,000 (limited edition of 3)

• Signed CD/DVD and digital download
• T-shirt
• Josh writes a song about you and makes it available on iTunes
• Co-direct a video with him for the song about you and throw it up on the YouTubes
• Josh gives you and a friend a private tour of Disneyland
• Get drunk together. If you don’t drink, we can go to my dad’s place and hang out under the “Tuba tree”
• Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam will send you a letter telling you about his favorite song on Since 1972

$10,000 (limited edition of 1)

• Signed CD/DVD and digital download
• T-shirt
• Signed DW snare drum from A Perfect Circle’s 2003 tour
• Josh gives you a private drum lesson OR his and hers foot/back massage (couples welcome, discreet parking)
• Twiggy from Marilyn Manson’s band and Josh take you and a guest to Roscoe’s Chicken ‘n’ Waffles in Long Beach for dinner
• Josh takes you and a guest to Club 33 (the super-duper exclusive and private restaurant at Disneyland located above Pirates of the Caribbean) and then hit a couple rides afterward (preferably the Tiki Room, the Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror)
• At the end of the day at Disneyland, drive away in Josh’s Volvo station wagon. It’s all yours … take it. Just drop him off on your way home, though, please.

$20,000 (limited edition of 1)

• Signed CD/DVD and digital download
• T-shirt
• A signed drum from the 2008 Nine Inch Nails tour
• Maynard James Keenan, Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo and Josh take you miniature golfing and then drop you off on the side of the freeway (all filmed and posted on YouTube)
• Josh gives you a tour of Long Beach. See his first apartment, the coffee shop on 2nd Street where his buddy paid Dave Grohl $40 to rip up tile just weeks before joining Nirvana. See the old Vandals rehearsal spot, the liquor store he got busted at using a Fake ID when he was 17 (it was Dave from the Vandals’ old ID). Go check out Snoop Dogg’s high school. For an extra 50 bucks see where Tom and Adrian from No Doubt live. For another $25 he’ll show ya where Eric from NOFX and Brooks from Bad Religion get their hair cut.
• Spend the night aboard the Queen Mary and take the “Ghosts and Legends” tour. (Separate rooms … no spooning.)
• Josh writes 2 songs about you and both are made available on iTunes and appear on his next record (you can sing back up on ‘em, clap, play the drums, triangle, whatever)
• Drum lesson OR foot and back massage (once again … couples welcome and discreet parking available)
• Pick any 3 items out of Josh’s closet

$75,000 (limited edition of 1)

• Signed CD/DVD and digital download
• T-shirt
• Go on tour with Josh for a few days
• Have Josh write, record and release a 5-song EP about you and your life story
• Take home any of his drum sets (only one, but you can choose which one)
• Take shrooms and cruise Hollywood in Danny from Tool’s Lamborghini OR play quarters and then hop on the Ouija board for a while
• Josh will join your band for a month … play shows, record, party with groupies, etc.
• If you don’t have a band he’ll be your personal assistant for a month (4-day work weeks, 10 am to 4 pm)
• Take a limo down to Tijuana and he’ll show you how it’s done (what that means exactly we can’t legally get into here)
• If you don’t live in Southern California (but are a U.S. resident) he’ll come to you and be your personal assistant/cabana boy for 2 weeks
• Take a flying trapeze lesson with Josh and Robin from NIN, go back to Robins place afterwards and his wife will make you raw lasagna

So for those of you who cant wait for a foot massage and raw lasagna, better start saving!

Talking about drums, i'm considering getting a new kit. Starclassics B/B are now available in hyperdrive shells. They Sound killer and Look stunning, check em out!