Kat: 'SAVIORS,' Green Day's latest album opens with, "The American dream is killing me/ The American dream is killing me/ When it's all double-talk conspiracy."
Exactly.
It's as though the legalization of pot freed all the crazies. As someone who supports legalization, let me explain that's not an attack on marijuana, just noting that from my experience, it was usually the guy -- with a beard -- and a little overweight -- at the party that always had the best pot in the pre-legal days. And you could usually navigate a pleasant conversation with the person, especially if other people were around. But if they were a dealer and you had to go their home, you were stuck.
"You know there's a pyramid on the dollar. You know what that means right?"
Sadly, there was no answer that stopped the conversation there. "No" meant he went on to slowly share the details of the crackpot conspiracy he was so heavily vested in while a "yes" meant he went over the same fantasies but at a much lengthier albeit faster pace. Either way, there's a limit to the amount of time you can tell yourself, "Keep smiling, he's not physically threatening and that can be so rare in a dealer."
It's as though the legalization has sent these people out of their garage apartments and into the world -- a sea of home schooled people who never learned to interact with others and never got challenged in school so they don't understand the actual exchange that is democracy.
And, as I look around the country these days, the country is filled with people we have humored. We're dealing with the consequences now.
That pretty much sums up the theme of 'SAVIORS,' if you ask me. And it's a strong album -- thematically, lyrically, you name it. But I know you real question: Does it make it musically?
Hell yes.
"Dilemma"
Classic Green Day. Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool with 15 tracks of solid tunes, stripped down songs that rock with no frills or padding, the longest of which is four minutes, 'Fancy Sauce."
Throughout the album, I hear musical nods to Patti Smith, the Pogues, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Husker Du, the Beatles, the Pretenders and, I think, 10,000 Maniacs. Nods, quotes, incorporations that they make their own. They even give a few musical nods to themselves.
This is an album the warrants relistening. It'll be something on your turntable, your player or that you stream repeatedly. It's addictive and gets better with each listen. "Corvette Summer" would make a great single but it might be better to go with "Suzie Chapstick" to bring in the "When You Come Around" or "Time of My Life" audience. With 15 tracks for a total running time of 45 minutes, the album zips along quickly and every one earns its place on the album.
Almost 20 years ago, I did my first review here and it was praising Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT. That was a classic. DOOKIE was a classic as well. Now they have a third one with 'SAVIORS.' And I don't toss that word around lightly. I like NIMROD, I think it's a good album and a strong one. I don't say it's a classic album.
I love Joni Mitchell. I don't say every one of her albums is a classic. One is real turkey: WILD THINGS RUN FAST -- thin sound, scattershot topics and some stuff that seems half-formed (opening track is great, however). And she has many good albums. But the ones I term classic (and I'll just stick to the studio albums here) are BLUE, COURT & SPARK, FOR THE ROSES, HEJIRA, NIGHT RIDE HOME, DOG EAT DOG, TURBULENT INDIGO and SHINE.
So when I say 'SAVIORS' is a classic, that's no hype. On the album, Green Day proclaims, "We are the last of the rockers making a commotion." 'SAVIORS' is strong enough to pull that boast off. If you haven't already, check it out and you'll hear what I'm talking about.
