Green Day - Uno! Dos! Tres!

Released 24th September 2012 (US release 25th)

Billie Joe Armstrong recently called the band's forthcoming trilogy of albums "a crazy idea that happens to be working really well." Speaking to Rolling Stone about '¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré!', Armstrong also explained that the new albums will be 'power pop'. He said of the band's fresh musical direction: "We wanted something punchier, more power pop – somewhere between AC/DC and the early Beatles."

 

I am not what you would call a fan of Green Day, over the years there have been a few songs here and there that I have liked - especially some of the singles that were released off of 'American Idiot' like 'Wake Me Up When September Comes' and 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' and 'Jesus of Suburbia'.

The Singles

Oh Love (Live at Reading Festival 2012)

Kill the DJ (Promo video Explicit Lyrics)

Let Yourself Go (Live at Red Seven 2011 Explicit Lyrics)

The one thing that lets it down time and time again for me when I listen to Green Day is their constant and sometimes unnecessary use of the f-word! It's almost like they are saying "Look, we are still a punk rock band, and we don't really have anything to rebel against anymore but look and listen, we can still swear with the best of them!" Personally it does nothing much at all for me except make me want to press the skip to the next track button! 

'Oh Love'

Of the three singles, I really liked the first one (and not because it actually doesn't have any swearing and thus proving that they can write a decent tune without obscenities). That "power pop" feel was pretty good I thought. David Fricke of the Rolling Stone magazine must have been on some very strong meds the day he said that the song could be compared to The Who's 'Quadrophenia' and that Armstrong's vocal sounds like John Lennon!!

'Kill the DJ' - I am slightly puzzled that this has been spoken of in the same breath as 'Sandinista' and 'Combat Rock' by The Clash. It's Green Day trying to make a dance record "without turning into a dance band". I actually gave up listening after the first chorus as the endless repition of the f word bored me to tears!

'Let Yourself Go' - again I found myself reaching for the skip to the next track button. I do believe it's possible to write an angry song without resorting to spewing out f-bombs all over the place!

Released 12th November 2012 (US release 13th)

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