Blasphemy & Genocide: Unpopular Green Day Opinions, Part 2

[Laetitia]

No, Fuck Time is a fun, catchy, awesome song. And as someone said, it was a FBHT song.

I guess I have different taste in music style then. I do like how it sounds more garage-y than most of GD's other stuff, but, when it comes to GD's garage rock, I prefer Stray Heart.

[WhiteTim]

I guess I have different taste in music style then. I do like how it sounds more garage-y than most of GD's other stuff, but, when it comes to GD's garage rock, I prefer Stray Heart.

You should hear the original version of Stray Heart it's even better it's on the FBHT cd under the name Mother Mary

I like fuck time live the studio version just seems lackluster in the studio

[AlissaGoesRAWR]

I like fuck time live the studio version just seems lackluster in the studio

That's because it lacks booze, stage diving and sweat... and character... I still enjoy the song though, oddly enough.

[Chin for a Day]

That's because it lacks booze, stage diving and sweat... and character... I still enjoy the song though, oddly enough.

Yes, the sweat does seem to add to just about every song.

[loveblondiebilliejoe]

Yes, the sweat does seem to add to just about every song.

Especially in JOS...

[Steven Seagull]

Oh look Wake Me Up When September Ends ... how original ... oh wait?!

[Z J]

Hello?

..Anyone?

I've been listening to AAF, and I get frustrated at point with how low it seems Billie's mic vocal is in the mix. I appreciate how clear the rhythm section sounds in most parts but Billie's voice gets drowned out a bit, it seems to me. That's always been something I wish they did a little differently is raise his voice in the mix live, he projects well (save for 2013) but they play so damn loud I can't always appreciate the incredible vocal melodies they write.

[Guest]

Hello?

..Anyone?

It's been too long, my friends.

I've been listening to AAF, and I get frustrated at point with how low it seems Billie's mic vocal is in the mix. I appreciate how clear the rhythm section sounds in most parts but Billie's voice gets drowned out a bit, it seems to me. That's always been something I wish they did a little differently is raise his voice in the mix live, he projects well (save for 2013) but they play so damn loud I can't always appreciate the incredible vocal melodies they write.

You'd think with the amount of pitch correction they used on that album they could have turned up the vocals a bit while they were at it.

[Z J]

You'd think with the amount of pitch correction they used on that album they could have turned up the vocals a bit while they were at it.

exactly, what good are the perfect notes if I can't hear them

[Akshat Jain]

exactly, what good are the perfect notes if I can't hear them

yup... that's true! i guess that's how Triology was born, no offence, The Demos were really Amazing, loud and dirty

[Steven Seagull]

exactly, what good are the perfect notes if I can't hear them

I heard they created hearing aids. Great if you have hearing problems

[Spike]

If they'd turned the vocals up any more the pitch correction would have been more obvious. In any case, I quite like it at that level anyway. No surprise given that Insomniac is my favourite album.

[Tre_Archer]

When I Come Around, a song that many that don't follow GD much often associate with GD, and one they played at the Rock and Roll HOF ceremony, is not that great IMO. Obviously its not bad, but I feel its by far the weakest on Dookie. I'm pretty surprised its one of the biggest songs off Dookie (25 million plays on Spotify, their 7th most listened to song), only Basket Case can claim to be bigger really.

I feel like the lyrics and message are really generic, different from everything else on Dookie. I don't hate the song, but don't understand its mass popularity for the life of me.

Also I feel like 21st CB is actually a really good album, too many people expected it to be as good as AM Idiot, which is very unrealistic. It was a bit long, but I liked the tone and narrative, too many people hate it for not being like the Green Day of old.

Which is a weird way of thinking. Do you act the same way you did 20 years ago? Obviously not.

[UNICORN VOMIT]

When I Come Around, a song that many that don't follow GD much often associate with GD, and one they played at the Rock and Roll HOF ceremony, is not that great IMO. Obviously its not bad, but I feel its by far the weakest on Dookie. I'm pretty surprised its one of the biggest songs off Dookie (25 million plays on Spotify, their 7th most listened to song), only Basket Case can claim to be bigger really.

I feel like the lyrics and message are really generic, different from everything else on Dookie. I don't hate the song, but don't understand its mass popularity for the life of me.

Blasphemy

[Chin for a Day]

When I Come Around, a song that many that don't follow GD much often associate with GD, and one they played at the Rock and Roll HOF ceremony, is not that great IMO. Obviously its not bad, but I feel its by far the weakest on Dookie. I'm pretty surprised its one of the biggest songs off Dookie (25 million plays on Spotify, their 7th most listened to song), only Basket Case can claim to be bigger really.

I feel like the lyrics and message are really generic, different from everything else on Dookie. I don't hate the song, but don't understand its mass popularity for the life of me.

Also I feel like 21st CB is actually a really good album, too many people expected it to be as good as AM Idiot, which is very unrealistic. It was a bit long, but I liked the tone and narrative, too many people hate it for not being like the Green Day of old.

Which is a weird way of thinking. Do you act the same way you did 20 years ago? Obviously not.

What??? WICA is simply one of the best songs Billie has ever written, with some of the best lyrics. It is absolutely NOT generic. He wrote the song for Adrienne, during a time they had broken up. He is telling her to go try something new, but she may find out that there was nothing between them to begin with. In a relationship, no matter what you choose to do, there will always be consequences and you need to live with those.

"So go do what you like, but try and do it wise. You may find out that your self doubt means nothing was ever there. You can't go forcing something if it's just not right"

One of the best series of lines Billie has ever written. So true and so helpful in life. Honestly, it helped me dump a boyfriend of 2 years. I knew it wasn't right between us but was too scared to dump him. This song helped me to change that.

It also has one of the best bass lines ever, IMO better than Longview.

However, I do agree with you on 21CB. It is brilliant.

[Libertine Angel]

When I Come Around, a song that many that don't follow GD much often associate with GD, and one they played at the Rock and Roll HOF ceremony, is not that great IMO. Obviously its not bad, but I feel its by far the weakest on Dookie. I'm pretty surprised its one of the biggest songs off Dookie (25 million plays on Spotify, their 7th most listened to song), only Basket Case can claim to be bigger really.

I feel like the lyrics and message are really generic, different from everything else on Dookie. I don't hate the song, but don't understand its mass popularity for the life of me.

Nah, it's awesome. Just is. Nowt specific about it, it just sounds bloody great.

Blasphemy

And genocide.

[Tre_Archer]

What??? WICA is simply one of the best songs Billie has ever written, with some of the best lyrics. It is absolutely NOT generic. He wrote the song for Adrienne, during a time they had broken up. He is telling her to go try something new, but she may find out that there was nothing between them to begin with. In a relationship, no matter what you choose to do, there will always be consequences and you need to live with those.

"So go do what you like, but try and do it wise. You may find out that your self doubt means nothing was ever there. You can't go forcing something if it's just not right"

One of the best series of lines Billie has ever written. So true and so helpful in life. Honestly, it helped me dump a boyfriend of 2 years. I knew it wasn't right between us but was too scared to dump him. This song helped me to change that.

It also has one of the best bass lines ever, IMO better than Longview.

However, I do agree with you on 21CB. It is brilliant.

I guess its a personal thing. I can see why people like it, I just don't. Its not necessarily bad writing, but I feel he's done a lot better. Just my opinion of course.

Although I do like the bass line admittedly (but Longview is GOAT).

[Beerjeezus]

What??? WICA is simply one of the best songs Billie has ever written, with some of the best lyrics. It is absolutely NOT generic. He wrote the song for Adrienne, during a time they had broken up. He is telling her to go try something new, but she may find out that there was nothing between them to begin with. In a relationship, no matter what you choose to do, there will always be consequences and you need to live with those.

"So go do what you like, but try and do it wise. You may find out that your self doubt means nothing was ever there. You can't go forcing something if it's just not right"

One of the best series of lines Billie has ever written. So true and so helpful in life. Honestly, it helped me dump a boyfriend of 2 years. I knew it wasn't right between us but was too scared to dump him. This song helped me to change that.

It also has one of the best bass lines ever, IMO better than Longview.

However, I do agree with you on 21CB. It is brilliant.

I have never analysed the lyrics to WICA properly and I didn't know this story. I like that song, but I've never given it much thought.

The lyrics are very well written. I wouldn't say it's not meaningful - it's a good song about a relationship - there are literally millions of meaningless and way worse love songs.

[UNICORN VOMIT]

What??? WICA is simply one of the best songs Billie has ever written, with some of the best lyrics. It is absolutely NOT generic. He wrote the song for Adrienne, during a time they had broken up. He is telling her to go try something new, but she may find out that there was nothing between them to begin with. In a relationship, no matter what you choose to do, there will always be consequences and you need to live with those.

"So go do what you like, but try and do it wise. You may find out that your self doubt means nothing was ever there. You can't go forcing something if it's just not right"

One of the best series of lines Billie has ever written. So true and so helpful in life. Honestly, it helped me dump a boyfriend of 2 years. I knew it wasn't right between us but was too scared to dump him. This song helped me to change that.

It also has one of the best bass lines ever, IMO better than Longview.

However, I do agree with you on 21CB. It is brilliant.

& that's why I love the bitch

[The Great Saiyaman]

My unpopular opinion: Kerplunk is one of the most important albums the band has ever written.

I feel like the sound of a lot of the albums that came after it have a similar sound to it, but build on top of it (With the exception of Dookie. Not knocking Dookie or anything, but I think the sound is basically the same other than the quality). 

[Not a Salad]

I like Mike's voice better than Billie's.

 

I also like John's drumming better than Tré's, in a way. I just feel that Tré's style is more suited for poppier songs and John's is better for harder ones. I can only dream of what Insomniac would have been had Mr. Sobrante percussed...

Same

[mrtdaddy]

When I Come Around, a song that many that don't follow GD much often associate with GD, and one they played at the Rock and Roll HOF ceremony, is not that great IMO. Obviously its not bad, but I feel its by far the weakest on Dookie. I'm pretty surprised its one of the biggest songs off Dookie (25 million plays on Spotify, their 7th most listened to song), only Basket Case can claim to be bigger really.

 

I feel like the lyrics and message are really generic, different from everything else on Dookie. I don't hate the song, but don't understand its mass popularity for the life of me.

 

Also I feel like 21st CB is actually a really good album, too many people expected it to be as good as AM Idiot, which is very unrealistic. It was a bit long, but I liked the tone and narrative, too many people hate it for not being like the Green Day of old.

 

Which is a weird way of thinking. Do you act the same way you did 20 years ago? Obviously not.

The thing about "When I Come Around" that makes that song really cool is the sound and rhythm of the guitar. The composure of the music really works. Classic Billie Joe palm mutes, along with that Dookie Distortion that we all have come to love. All of Dookie is recorded using guitars and basses down tuned a half step so that makes the guitars sound allot cooler too. I have heard that song covered a hundred times by a hundred different artists, but I have yet to hear someone get the guitar part exactly right. It usually is just play straight with no palm mutes or pauses at the right intervals. Mike and Billie really play great together on that song. 

I agree with you that the lyrics aren't the strongest on the album nor is the chord structure. It's played, as far as finger placement on the fret board, in G Major but since the guitar is tuned down a half step, it's actually in F# Major. Most of the song repeats the chords: F# C# D#m B throughout the song, except for the chorus which is: G# B, G# B. That power-chord pattern is used in half of the songs ever written. Maybe, that's a stretch, but the band surely wasn't reaching very much when it came to that aspect of the song, but that can be said for most any Green Day song. After all, complexity is not why we listen to GD. We listen because their music sounds cool and is full of energy and emotion. That can't be measured in music theory. It just works.  

[peppermint butler]

i actually like the guitar tone on uno

[Beerjeezus]

i actually like the guitar tone on uno

It doesn't fit all the songs (Nuclear Family deserves a thicker guitar tone for instance) but it certainly works very well for some (Sweet 16). So even though I'd be more diverse I like it. (I'm in favor of experimenting with sounds especially when the record is long in order to avoid repetitivness.)

[Pat1308]

I'll wager this isn't 'unpopular' or whatever, but what the hell.

- Emenius Sleepus, it took me so long to love you. Now Don't Leave Me is pretty much the only song in my 'Green Day song I like the least category'. I don't know why, but I'll rank even the trilogy higher than that (though to be fair my opinion of the trilogy is improving as time goes by).

 

When I Come Around, a song that many that don't follow GD much often associate with GD, and one they played at the Rock and Roll HOF ceremony, is not that great IMO. Obviously its not bad, but I feel its by far the weakest on Dookie. I'm pretty surprised its one of the biggest songs off Dookie (25 million plays on Spotify, their 7th most listened to song), only Basket Case can claim to be bigger really.

 

I feel like the lyrics and message are really generic, different from everything else on Dookie. I don't hate the song, but don't understand its mass popularity for the life of me.

I think maybe that's precisely why it's popular. Very often people go for the generic/tried and tested/cliche/familiar/whatever you want to call it stuff. I mean, we're creatures of habit after all.

Also I feel like 21st CB is actually a really good album, too many people expected it to be as good as AM Idiot, which is very unrealistic. It was a bit long, but I liked the tone and narrative, too many people hate it for not being like the Green Day of old.

I do think 21CB pales slightly in comparison to AI, but that's not to say that it's a sucky album. Sure it doesn't have a clearer linear storyline like AI, but I think the concept still works, even if it seems between the lines that the band was trying to replicate what they did in AI. The only real gripe I have with 21CB is pretty much on the technical side of things: the thing being somewhat kinda overproduced - Billie's voice sounding kinda filtered or something.

Which is a weird way of thinking. Do you act the same way you did 20 years ago? Obviously not.

That's the good thing about Green Day IMO - they keep moving forward. I mean I do see a few folks out there who kinda want the band to somehow go back to their early '90s or early '00s incarnations and do 'Dookie II' or 'AI II' or something, but yeah, I agree - it's very unrealistic.

Edited August 5, 2015 by Pat1308