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September 16, 2005

Green Parent

Karl Rove loves punk rock.

No, really. It's why I, a conservative nonpareil, am allowed to love an album like Green Day's American Idiot.

It's a great record. Oh, sure, it bashes Bush and Republicans, you say. But I look at it this way; if a band of high school dropouts put out a great rock and roll album, an album that you can't help but dance to, and the songs were all about how to perform open-heart surgery, what would you do? Ignore the medical advice and dance, right?

So for the record; Billy Joe Armstrong is a great singer and a decent songwriter, and he's come up with maybe the second really good album of his career; he's also an intellectually-thuggish bigot. He doesn't have to shut up and sing - but I'll just take what I need and ignore the rest.

However, I have to wonder about about some of their fans.

John Dispirito of Providence Rhode Island - a longtime fan - took his 11 year old daughter to a gig:

"Every time Billie Joe dropped an F-bomb, my daughter would go: 'Dad, he owes me a quarter,' " DeSpirito said. "At one point, she said, 'Dad, it's up to a couple of dollars.' "

If Olivia hadn't been so distracted by the fireworks and flash pots, she might have counted two-dozen F-bombs in Armstrong's banter.

Said Laurenti: "Halfway through the show, I looked at my wife -- and she used to manage rock bands -- and I said, 'C'mon. Enough already.' The Ramones never swore that much. Even Aerosmith has toned down its act. So does Kiss. When the Rolling Stones played Fenway Park and knew that Maria Shriver and Ted Kennedy's son were there, they self-censored themselves and didn't use the line 'Who killed the Kennedys?' in 'Sympathy for the Devil.'

"There should have been a parental warning on the ticket."

Huh?

The guy claims to be a longtime fan, but apparently doesn't remember that Green Day has always been a profane band who sang about stuff the nuns warned you about.

Perhaps kids should come with a parental warning sticker.

Posted by Mitch at September 16, 2005 06:37 AM | TrackBack
Comments

The Strib article mentioned the overused Greenday song, "Good Riddance." Though I think many of us probably feel we have heard this song way too often, it does bring on a sense of sweet nostalgia. For me it is also because it was the first acoustic song my 14 year old son taught himself 2 years ago. He has come a long way since then and is now the lead guitarist and vocalist in a local band along with a new side project in which he plays drums. We're very proud of him and the other boys in the band. They've only been playing together since June, but are asked to perform regularly. In fact, we're all a little bleary-eyed this morning because they performed at a club last night. They now do all original stuff, but still love to throw in a few Green Day or Weezer songs now and then.
Saint Jimmy is another Green Day song that holds special meaning for us because our son sang the entire song while playing the drum part at a recent concert. We were blown away. Those little surprises our kids hand us are priceless.

Posted by: Teena at September 16, 2005 08:27 AM

You do realize that admitting you like Green Day jeopardizes your punk rock cred among many true aficionados of the genre, don't you Mitch? You sellin' out to the mainstream too?

Posted by: the elder at September 16, 2005 09:21 AM

The Elder is right. When they first broke out of the Berkely scene, they were accused as sell-outs by damn near everyone. That scene can really turn on its own. Jello Biafra had the snot kicked out of him by some hometown guys who just wanted to keep it real.

For a while, Green Day and the forgotten Offspring went head to head for supremacy in the punk sell out competition. Many folks thought that the Offspring had more legit tunes while Green Day had the more legit bio.

In the end, the Offspring proved to be a pretty crappy knock off of Bad Religion and Green Day morphed into a latter day post-Let it Be Replacements.

I don't think they're punk by any stretch of the imagination anymore. Just rock. Slightly to the left of MOR rock.

Now, if Tim Armstrong stopped with all of the crap and got back together with Lint for an all out Op-Ivy Bush bash...that would be punk rock.

cp

Posted by: cleversponge at September 16, 2005 10:31 AM

I never count points off for "selling out". I've been a musician; after a few years of playing the Seventh Street Entry, singing through broken speakers and scraping month-old spooge off your jeans after sitting in the dressing room, the idea of playing at the Xcel doesn't sound at all bad.

The Replacements may have "sold out" with Tim, but it was still their best album.

As to my punk credibility - well, I AM the only judge of same, so I'm safe.

Posted by: mitch at September 16, 2005 11:09 AM

FWIW, all the cool kids in my 12-year-old's class - him included - are hitting the GD concert tonight.

Even though they consider GD to be a bit dated.

Posted by: bobby_b at September 16, 2005 11:15 AM

Hey, we're not saying selling out is a bad thing. We like Green Day. It's just that it really can't be punk anymore. No points are being docked...just a different type of music, that's all.

Posted by: cleversponge at September 16, 2005 11:28 AM

plus...there's no way in hell that Tim is the best mats album.

Posted by: cleversponge at September 16, 2005 11:29 AM

Sponge,

"there's no way in hell that Tim is the best mats album"

But up here in Heaven, it is.

Although Saint Peter can stop singing "Bastards of Young" at Karaoke Fridays any time now.

Posted by: The Heavenly Host at September 16, 2005 11:33 AM

:)

I would have thought he would be humming Waitress in the Sky.

Don't get us wrong, we love Tim. We're more of the "Let it Be" type of folks. Plus, we still really dig Hootenany more than Tim. Any album with a song about Buck Bump can't be half bad.

cp

Posted by: cleversponge at September 16, 2005 12:18 PM

He's worried about F-bombs?? From the band who titled their first major album "Dookie"???

Posted by: Kevin at September 16, 2005 12:33 PM

Waitress in the Sky? Mary Magdalene is all over that one.

And you-know-who? You guessed it - Dose of Thunder.

Kid you not.

Posted by: The Heavenly Host at September 16, 2005 12:48 PM

Green Day is the Sha Na Na of punk.

Posted by: GG Allin at September 16, 2005 12:56 PM

Green Day is the "Great White" of punk. As far as the 'Mats are concernened my favorite is "Sorry Ma, forgot to take out the Trash", closely followed by "Let it Be" and "Hootennany". "Tim" is ok but the 'Mats were on the downward slope of the curve at that point. Sort of like when Soul Asylum did "Runaway Train" and shortly thereafter played at BJ Clinton's inaugural.

Posted by: 5 O.T. at September 16, 2005 02:32 PM

Mitch, I think one listen to Switchfoot's new "Nothing is Sound" will help you forget about "American Idiot." It is as if Switchfoot was on a mission to record one of the greatest CD's of all time, and I think they succeeded.

Posted by: Michael at September 17, 2005 10:00 AM

Posted by: cleversponge at September 16, 2005 10:31 AM

[Now, if Tim Armstrong stopped with all of the crap and got back together with Lint for an all out Op-Ivy Bush bash...that would be punk rock.

cp]

hate to break it to ya pal....but Tim Armstrong is Lint. he went by the name lint while in op ivy.you might be talking about Jesse michaels who was the lead singer in op ivy...and jesse was the reason (among other things)op ivy broke up. i think you should get your facts straight when you post something so you don't look like a moron

Posted by: josh at November 5, 2005 11:08 AM
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