'Green Day' is an
American rock band formed in
1989. The band consists of three core members:
Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, lead vocals),
Mike Dirnt (bass) and
Tré Cool (drums).
Green Day was originally part of the
punk rock scene at
924 Gilman Street in
Berkeley, California. Its early releases for
independent label Lookout! Records earned them a grassroots fanbase, some of whom felt alienated when the band signed to a major label.
[ Guitar Legends. "What Happened Next...." Retrieved on 20 August, 2007] Nevertheless, its major label debut ''
Dookie'' became a breakout success in 1994 and eventually sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. alone.
[1] As a result, Green Day was widely credited, along with their fellow
California punk bands
The Offspring and
Rancid, with reviving mainstream interest in and popularizing punk rock in the United States.
[2][3] Green Day's three follow-up albums,
Insomniac,
Nimrod and
Warning did not achieve the massive success of ''Dookie,'' but they were still successful, reaching double platinum, double platinum and gold status respectively.
[4] Its 2004
rock opera ''
American Idiot'' reignited the band's popularity with a younger generation, selling 5 million copies in the U.S.
[5]
The band has sold over 60 million records worldwide,
[1] including 22 million in the
United States alone.
[7]They also have three
Grammy Awards,
Best Alternative Album for ''Dookie,''
Best Rock Album for ''American Idiot,'' and
Record of the Year for "
Boulevard of Broken Dreams."
They are currently working on their new studio album set to be released sometime in 2008.
Band history
Formation and Lookout years (1987–1993)
In 1987, childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt (both 14 years old) formed a two person band called Sweet Children. The first Sweet Children show took place on
October 17,
1987, at Rod's Hickory Pit in
Vallejo, California where Armstrong's mother was working.
[8] In late 1989, Armstrong, Dirnt and John Kiffmeyer (aka
Al Sobrante) formed Green Day, allegedly choosing the name for their fondness of
marijuana.
[9] Green Day performed its first show in the courtyard of
Contra Costa College, a junior college in
San Pablo, California that Sobrante attended.
[10]
Shortly thereafter,
Larry Livermore, owner of
independent label Lookout! Records, went to one of the bands shows. The band, he said, played the show like "
The Beatles at
Shea Stadium".
[11][12] Livermore signed the band to Lookout!, and In late 1989 it released its first
EP, ''
1,000 Hours,'' and quickly followed it up with its first
LP, ''
39/Smooth'' in early 1990.
Early Green Day, before Tré Cool became a band member.
The lyrics sheet of ''39/Smooth'' included a letter purporting to be from
I.R.S. Records that claimed the label had made an attempt to sign Green Day. It also included a response from the band making it clear that they were loyal to Lookout! Records, saying that I.R.S. was a "cheesy and washed-up" label. Green Day would record two EPs later that year: ''
Slappy'' and ''
Sweet Children,'' the latter of which included some older songs they had recorded for
Minneapolis indie label Skene! Records. In 1991, Lookout! Records released ''
1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours,'' a compilation of the ''
39/Smooth,'' ''
Slappy,'' and ''
1,000 Hours'' EPs. In late 1990, shortly after the band's first nationwide tour, Sobrante left the East Bay area to attend college.
[13] Lookouts drummer Tré Cool began filling in as a temporary replacement, and when it became clear that Sobrante did not plan on committing to the band full time, Tré Cool's position as Green Day's drummer became fixed. The band went on tour for most of 1992 and 1993, and played a stretch of shows overseas in
Europe. It's second full length album ''
Kerplunk'' sold about 50,000 copies in the U.S.,
[14] which was considered quite a large amount for the independent punk scene in 1992.
Breakthrough success (1994–1996)
''Kerplunk's'' underground success led to a wave of interest coming from major record labels, and eventually they left Lookout! on friendly terms and signed with
Reprise Records after attracting the attention of producer
Rob Cavallo. Signing to Reprise caused many punk rock fans to regard Green Day as
sellouts.
[Reflecting on the period, Armstrong told ''SPIN'' magazine in 1999, "I couldn't go back to the punk scene, whether we were the biggest success in the world or the biggest failure ... The only thing I could do was get on my bike and go forward."[15] It then went to work on recording its major label debut, ''Dookie.'']
Released in February of 1994, and recorded in 3 weeks,[16] ''Dookie'' became a commercial success, helped by extensive MTV airplay for the videos of the songs "Longview," "Basket Case," and "When I Come Around," all of which reached the #1 position on the Modern Rock Tracks charts. That year, Green Day embarked on a nationwide tour with queercore band Pansy Division as its opening act. The band also joined the lineups of both the Lollapalooza festival and Woodstock 1994, where they started an infamous mud fight. During the concert, a security guard mistook bassist Mike Dirnt for a stage-invading fan and punched out some of his teeth. Viewed by millions via pay-per-view television, the Woodstock 1994 performance further aided Green Day's growing publicity and recognition,["Green Day". ''Behind the Music.'' Vh1, 2000.] and helped push its album to eventual diamond status. In 1995, ''Dookie'' won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and the band was nominated for 9 MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year.[17]
In 1995, a new single for the ''Angus'' soundtrack was released, titled "J.A.R.." The single went straight to #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song was followed by its new album, ''Insomniac,'' which was released in the fall of 1995. ''Insomniac'' was a much darker response by the band, compared to the poppier, more melodic ''Dookie.''
''Nimrod'' and ''Warning'' (1997–2002)
After taking a break in 1996, Green Day began work on a new album in 1997. From the outset, both the band and Cavallo agreed that the album had to be different from its previous records.[22] The result was ''Nimrod,'' an experimental deviation from the band's standard pop-punk brand of music. The new album was released in October 1997. It provided a variety of music, with everything from upbeat pop-punk, laid-back surf rock, and peppy, silly ska, to an acoustic ballad. ''Nimrod'' entered the charts at number 10, partly because of the popularity of the acoustic ballad "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," . The success of "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" won the band an MTV Video Award for Best Alternative Video for the song's video, which depicted people undergoing major changes in their lives while Billie Joe Armstrong strummed his acoustic guitar.[23] The other singles released from ''Nimrod'' were Nice Guys Finish Last, Hitchin' a Ride and Redundant.
In 2000, Green Day released ''Warning,'' a step further in the style that they had hinted at with ''Nimrod''. Critics' reviews of the album were varied[http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/greenday/warning]. All Music Guide gave it 4.5/5 saying "Warning may not be an innovative record per se, but it's tremendously satisfying" [24]. Rolling Stone magazine was more critical, giving it 3/5, and saying "''Warning''... invites the question: Who wants to listen to songs of faith, hope and social commentary from what used to be snot-core's biggest-selling band? "[25] Though it produced the hit "Minority" and a smaller hit with "Warning," some observers were coming to the conclusion that the band was losing relevance[, and a decline in popularity followed. While all of Green Day's past albums had reached a status of at least double platinum, ''Warning'' was only certified gold. Although the band felt this was some of its strongest work to date, the decline of sales fueled questions regarding the band's future.]
At the 2001 California Music Awards, Green Day won all eight awards that they were nominated for. They won the awards for Outstanding Album (''Warning''), Outstanding Punk Rock/Ska Album (''Warning''), Outstanding Group, Outstanding Male Vocalist, Outstanding Bassist, Outstanding Drummer, Outstanding Songwriter and Outstanding Artist.[26]
The release of a Greatest Hits compilation, ''International Superhits!'', and an assemblage of B-sides, ''Shenanigans'' followed ''Warning:''. ''International Superhits'' and its companion collection of music videos, ''International Supervideos!'' sold reasonably well, going platinum in the U.S. ''Shenanigans'' sported the band's b-sides, including "Espionage" which was featured in '' and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
In 2002, Green Day co-headlined the Pop Disaster Tour with Blink-182. The tour helped to resurrect some of the band's popularity, and earned the group many positive concert reviews. The band decided to take some more time off after the Pop Disaster Tour closed, to spend more time with their families.
''American Idiot'' and renewed popularity (2003–present)
In the summer of 2003 the band went into a studio to write and record new material for a new album, tentatively titled ''Cigarettes and Valentines.''[27] After completing 20 tracks, the master tapes were stolen from the studio. The band, understandably upset, chose not to try to re-create the stolen album, but instead started over with a vow to be even better than before. In this same year, Green Day collaborated with Iggy Pop on two tracks for his album ''Skull Ring.'' In addition, they underwent serious "band therapy," engaging in several long talks to work out the members' differences after accusations from Dirnt and Cool that Armstrong was "the band's Nazi"[28] and a show-off bent on taking the limelight from the other band members.
Bassist
Mike Dirnt playing and showcasing the band's new look.
The resulting 2004 album, ''American Idiot'', debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, the band's first ever album to reach #1, backed by the success of the album's first single, "American Idiot." The album was billed as a "punk rock opera" which follows the journey of the fictitious "Jesus of Suburbia".[29] ''American Idiot'' won the 2005 Grammy for "Best Rock Album" and the band swept the 2005 MTV music awards, winning a total of seven of the eight awards they were nominated for, including the coveted Viewer's Choice Award.[30]
Through 2005, the band toured in support of the album with about 150 dates — the longest tour in its career — visiting Japan, Australia, South America and the UK, where they drew a crowd of 130,000 people over a span of two days - one of the largest crowds ever drawn for a rock concert. While touring for ''American Idiot,'' they filmed and recorded the two concerts at the Milton Keynes National Bowl in England, which was voted 'The Best Show On Earth' in a ''Kerrang!'' Magazine Poll.
These recordings were released as a live CD and DVD called ''Bullet in a Bible'' on November 15, 2005. This CD/DVD featured hits from ''American Idiot'' as well as a few songs from all its previous albums, except "Kerplunk" and "1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours". The DVD featured behind-the-scenes footage of the band, and showed how the band prepared to put on the show. The final shows of its 2005 world tour were in Sydney, Australia, and Melbourne, Australia, on December 14 and 17 respectively. On January 10, 2006 the band was awarded with a People's Choice Award for favorite group.
Green Day live in
Germany during the ''American Idiot'' tour.
On August 1, 2005, it was announced that Green Day had rescinded the master rights to their pre-''Dookie'' material from Lookout! Records, citing breach of contract regarding unpaid royalties that had been ongoing for some time, a complaint shared with other Lookout! bands.[31] The pre-''Dookie'' material, which remained out of print for about a year, was reissued by their current label, Reprise, on January 9, 2007.[Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"[32] which spent 16 weeks at the number one position of Billboard's ''Modern Rock Tracks'', a record it shares along with Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Scar Tissue" and Staind's "It's Been Awhile". Green Day was also nominated for Best Rock Video for "Wake Me Up When September Ends" at the 2006 MTV Video Music awards, but lost to AFI's "Miss Murder". Both the music videos for "Wake Me Up When September Ends" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" retired showing on TRL after being on the top ten for 50 days each.]
In September 2006, Green Day teamed up with U2 and producer Rick Rubin to record a cover of the song "The Saints Are Coming", originally recorded by The Skids, with an accompanying video. The song is to benefit Music Rising, an organization to help raise money for musicians' instruments lost during Hurricane Katrina, and to bring awareness on the eve of the one year anniversary of the disaster.[33]
In December 2006, Green Day and NRDC opened a web site in partnership to raise awareness on America's dependency on oil.[34][35] ''(See related projects.)''
Green Day performed John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" on the finale of ''American Idol Season 6'' on May 23, 2007.
The band appeared in a small cameo role in ''The Simpsons Movie'', where they perform the show's theme song. Their version was released as a single on July 24, 2007.
In an interview with ''Kerrang!'', Billie Joe Armstrong revealed that 2008 would "be a fair estimate of the release date of the new album."[36]
On April 5, 2007, it was confirmed that Green Day would appear in the documentary ''One Nine Nine Four'', a film about punk music in the nineties, that is being narrated by Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.[37]
Music style and influences
Green Day's sound is often compared to first wave punk bands such as the Ramones, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and the Buzzcocks.[38]21 The majority of their song catalog is composed of distorted guitar, fast, manic drums, and low, heavy bass. Most of their songs are fast-paced and under the average song length of four minutes (4:00). Billie Joe Armstrong has mentioned that some of his biggest influences are seminal alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü and The Replacements, and that their influence is particularly noted in the band's chord changes in songs.21 In fact, Green Day has covered Hüsker Dü's "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" as a b-side for the "Warning" single, and the character "Mr. Whirly" in their song "Misery" is a reference to the Replacements song of the same name.[39] The band also covered The Who's classic song "My Generation" on their early Kerplunk album. Armstrong's lyrics commonly describe alienation, ("Jesus of Suburbia", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"), hysteria ("Basket Case", "Panic Song"), girls ("She", "80"), the effects of doing drugs ("Geek Stink Breath", "Green Day"). The Ramones had similar lyrical themes, like hysteria ("Anxiety", "Psycho Therapy"), alienation ("Outsider", "Something To Believe In"), girls ("I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker"), and drugs ("Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", "Chinese Rocks"). Green Day has covered Ramones songs several times, including recording "Outsider" for the tribute album ''We're a Happy Family'', and performing "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "Teenage Lobotomy" when the Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
Criticism and controversy
Beginning with the release of ''Dookie,'' and the subsequent explosion of MTV Airplay it received, Green Day has received considerable criticism from those who see the punk genre as a social movement independent of corporate sponsorship. With the release of ''American Idiot'' and the subsequent draw of many new fans, much of this criticism has been revived.
One of the more contentious issues is genre labeling. In reaction to both the style of music and the background of the band, many fans and musicians have taken heavy objection to the usage of the term "punk" when applied to Green Day. This is evidenced by the following comments issued by John Lydon, former front man of both the 1970s punk band the Sex Pistols and the 1980s post-punk, Public Image Ltd.:
Steve Diggle of the Buzzcocks commented on the band after meeting them: "I didn't have a clue who they were. And they're not punks."[40]
Brandon Flowers of The Killers has recently gone on record claiming that Green Day's politically driven concept album ''American Idiot'' displays "calculated Anti-Americanism." He explained that he has problems with the album content itself and also the fact that the band's recent live DVD, ''Bullet in a Bible'', was filmed in England. The taping of the concert, featured on ''Bullet in a Bible'', shows thousands of Europeans singing along to "American Idiot." Stating that he felt Green Day's DVD is a bit of a stunt, he said, "I just thought it was really cheap. To go to a place like England or Germany and sing that song - those kids aren't taking it the same way that he meant it. And he (Billie Joe Armstrong) knew it."[41]
Paul McPike, a grocery store clerk, recently filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Green Day claiming that he wrote the song "American Idiot" almost 15 years ago. He alleges that he performed the song at a high school and a recording of the song made it into the hands of Green Day. McPike is currently seeking a share of the album's profits. U.S. Magistrate Judge John Cooney attempted to dismiss the case in early November 2006, but it is expected that McPike will file an amended lawsuit, with additional evidence (at the first hearing, his only evidence was a copy of the "American Idiot" CD).[42] This is not the first time McPike has filed a lawsuit against a band, as he also claimed Blink-182 stole the song "Feeling This" from him. This case was again dismissed.
More recently, Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher has criticized the song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" for ripping off his own song "Wonderwall". Gallagher stated, "If you listen, you'll find it is exactly the same arrangement as "Wonderwall". They should have the decency to wait until I am dead (before stealing my songs). I, at least, pay the people I steal from for that courtesy."[43]
Related projects
Main articles: Green Day related projects
Ever since 1991, some members of the band have branched out past Green Day and have started other projects with other musicians. Notable related projects of Green Day include Billie Joe Armstrong's Pinhead Gunpowder (which also features Green Day's live backup guitarist Jason White), The Frustrators in which Mike Dirnt plays bass, and The Network which has been speculated as having has all three members of Green Day under stage names.[44]
Charity projects that the band have been involved with include the collaboration with U2 ("The Saints Are Coming") to help raise money for musical instruments lost in Hurricane Katrina, and teaming with the Natural Resources Defense Council for the "Move America Beyond Oil" campaign and other environmental concerns.
Green Day has also formed a partnership with the NRDC, an American environmental organization that is heavily promoted on the band's website. They have made YouTube videos voicing support for protection of the environment and 'ending America's addiction to oil'.[45]
Band members
Current members
★ Billie Joe Armstrong - lead vocals, lead & rhythm guitars (1989-present)
★ Mike Dirnt - bass, backing vocals (1989-present)
★ Tré Cool - drums, percussion, backing vocals (1990-present)
Former members
★ Al Sobrante (John Kiffmeyer) - drums, percussion, backing vocals (1989-1990)
Current touring musicians
★ Jason White - lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals (1999-present)
★ Jason Freese - keyboards, piano, acoustic guitar, trombone, saxophone, accordion, backing vocals (2003-present)
★ Ronnie Blake - trumpet, timpani, percussion, backing vocals (2004-present)
★ Mike Pelino - rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2004-present)[46]
Former touring musicians
★ Kurt Lohmiller - trumpet, timpani, percussion, backing vocals (1999-2004)
★ Gabrial McNair - trombone, tenor saxophone (1999-2001)
Session musicians
★ Rob Cavallo - piano on ''American Idiot'' (2004)
★ Stephen Bradley - trumpet on ''Warning'' (2000) and ''Nimrod'' (1997)
★ Petra Haden - violin on ''Nimrod'' (1997)
★ Gabrial McNair - trombone on ''Nimrod'' (1997)
Discography
Main articles: Green Day discography
:| 'Year' | 'Title' | 'Notes' |
| 1990 | ''39/Smooth'' | Debut album on Lookout! Records, later to be combined with Green Day's ''Slappy'' and ''1000 Hours'' EPs into the compilation album ''1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours'' |
| 1992 | ''Kerplunk'' | Second album on Lookout! Contained the original version of the song "Welcome to Paradise", which would be re-recorded for Green Day's ''Dookie''. |
| 1994 | ''Dookie'' | Green Day's major label debut. Moved 15 million copies around the world and launched the band to international fame. Won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album |
| 1995 | ''Insomniac'' | The band's second release on Reprise Records. Represented a shift towards more aggressive playing and darker lyrics, which are seen as a response to the backlash received from many hometown critics due to commercial success. |
| 1997 | ''Nimrod'' | Experimental album in which the band branched off to other genres including hardcore punk, surf rock, instrumentals, and ballads. |
| 2000 | ''Warning'' | Only major-label album not to achieve at least double platinum status in the US. Represented a further extension of experimentation from the time of ''nimrod.''. |
| 2004 | ''American Idiot'' | Comeback album after master tapes of original plans were stolen. Launched Green Day's first Top 5 single, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". |
References
★ Green Day's 'Idiot' Fueling Banner Year Cohen, Johnathan
★ Green Day not ready to rest 'Idiot' Cohen, Johnathan
★ Spitz, Marc. ''Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day''. New York: Hyperion, 2006. ISBN 1-4013-0274-2
★ The Green Day Story (Broadcast on Radio 1 Mon 20 June 2005) (Alternate Link)
★ Green Day Biography
★ Green Day Info
Notes
1. Myers, Ben. "Green Day: American Idiot and the New Punk Explosion" April, 2006.
2. DeRogatis, Jim. ''Milk It!: Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the 90's.'' Cambridge: Da Capo, 2003. Pg. 357, ISBN 0-306-81271-1
3. How Green Day's Dookie Fertilized A Punk-Rock Revival D'Angelo, Joe
4. http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-g/greenday_main.htm
5. Green Day Timeline
6. Myers, Ben. "Green Day: American Idiot and the New Punk Explosion" April, 2006.
7. RIAA Bestsellers
8. http://www.sanfran.com/archives/view_story/96/
9. Metropolis.jp - Concert Preview
10. [1]
11. Interview with Lawrence Livermore: An inside look at Green Day's early years
12. Livermore, Larry. "Green Day's early history"
13. Hit List Interview - Billie Joe Armstrong, July 18 2001
14. Thompson, Dave. "Green Day." ''Alternative Rock.'' San Francisco: Miller Freeman Books, 2000.
15. Smith, RJ. "Top 90 Albums of the 90's." ''SPIN.'' August 1999.
16. Biography Channel - Green Day
17. Green Day Authority. "Band Awards - Dookie" "Green Day Authority."
18. Coleman, Mark. "Insomniac." ''Rolling Stone.'' November 1995.
19. LyricsFreak
20. Green Day Authority. Band Awards - Insomniac "Green Day Authority."
21. Di Perna, Alan. "Young, Loud, and Snotty." ''Guitar World.'' August 1996.
22. Spitz, Marc. ''Nobody Likes You.'' New York: Hyperion, 2006. Pg. 128.
23. Green Day Authority. Band Awards - nimrod. "Green Day Authority."
24. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:88q5g44ptv5z~T1
25. http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/97165/greenday?pageid=rs.ArtistDiscography&pageregion=triple1&rnd=1114159648830&has-player=true
26. Green Day Authority. "Band Awards - Warning" "Green Day Authority".
27. Spitz, pg. 152.
28. Green Day — How the brats grew up, bashed Bush and conquered the world Hendrickson, Matt
29. Di Perna, Alan. "Combat Rock." ''Guitar World.'' Holiday 2004.
30. Green Day Authority. "Band Awards - American Idiot" "Green Day Authority."
31. http://www.punknews.org/article/13338
32. "Green Day's Grammy Awards" Grammy.com.
33. About Music Rising Retrieved on May 6, 2007.
34. Green Day Authority
35. Green Day + NRDC
36. www.greendayauthority.com/magazines/kerrang/122006.jpg
37. Green Day, Blink 182 for punk rock film Colothan, Scott
38. Azerrad, Michael. ''Our Band Could Be Your Life''. Little Brown and Company, 2001. Pg. 496. ISBN 0-316-78753-1
39. Di Perna, Alan. "Far From The Maddening Crowd". ''Guitar World''. December 2000.
40. Steve Diggle of Buzzcocks comment on Green Day at ContactMusic.com
41. Rolling Stone Magazine Issue 1014 November 30th - Q&A Brandon Flowers, by Austin Scaggs pg 36
42. Yahoo! Music "Grocery clerk sues Green Day" Retrieved on November 8, 2006.
43. ''Stuff'' Magazine
44. VH1: "Did Green Day Secretly Release A New Album Tuesday? Only The Snoo Knows", Oct 2 2003
45. YouTube
46. GeekStinkBreath.net - "Behind Green Day"
External links
★ Green Day Official site
★ Green Day Official Fansite
★ The Green Day Wiki A Wikia established Green Day wiki.
★ Green Day Official MySpace Site
★ BBC Review of Green Day at Milton Keynes Bowl, 2005
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