I like the ones I like but some of ‘em are samey with each other or screamy
RELISTEN1: I like them more on first blush than I’d initially remembered, I think my tolerance for what feels “screamy” has changed significantly since I last listened to them. That said, I definitely think they fall into the trap of being samey, of being repetitive. More so than some other similar bands that I might like more individual songs of, I think because of how Armstrong’s voice is kinda slurry, almost? When the words blur, and the music is similar, the whole song loses a lot of whatever individual identity it had. Albums three and four were I think a little more refined but really didn’t feel different, for better and worse. Same energy, good consistency, but I really am not often compelled to like any particular song. Next albums are a similar message, it’s fine but I just can’t tell songs apart, it’s all blah at some point. I don’t think the reason it feels samey is actually Armstrong’s voice (or at least, not all of it), ‘cause he get’s clearer on some later albums that still feel samey to me. That said, the later albums that are a little bit more polished and poppy, a little bit less aggressive and a little bit less dense with sound, I like more I think. All around I’d still say I don’t particularly love ‘em or hate ‘em, some good songs but mostly they’re pretty mid, I actually think bottom of B rank is the best place for them after all
RELISTEN2: I am not a fan. I’ve been meaning to do this relisten for a long time; while there are a couple songs that I do really like, for the most part I find them one note, and frankly I don’t like Armstrong’s voice. The more I listen to it, and the more comprehensively I listen to the discography, the more I feel that way. It is boring. It is repetitive. It feels like it is just churn-it-out-music. I don’t even dislike it, per se, I think it’s just so thoroughly not worth my time. I could be listening to so many things! Why would I be listening to this thing that is so basic. I do not believe there are hidden depths to get out of listening closely (perhaps barring some exceptions). Frankly, it’s the kind of thing where the more I listen to it the less I want to care about it, the more I want to punish it for being boring by disliking it maybe more than I actually do, if that makes sense.
That said, there are a couple of albums I do actually like, that I think are decent. American Idiot, 21st Century Breakdown, and… yeah, no, that’s it. And to be fair, those are two of the ones that are, like, recognized and acclaimed (well, so is Dookie but I don’t care for Dookie). But they’re the only ones that feel like they aren’t just mush to me, and even then I just think they’re pretty decent—nothing I would write home about.
In all honesty, I probably did Green Day, and maybe myself, a disservice by listening to the pre-Dookie albums as part of the relisten. I think that significantly soured the band to me. American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown are pretty solid. 21st is way longer than it needs to be but, still, solid, I can’t really fault them too much.
But the rest of it all? Really just such a slog. I had to push myself to finish this relisten, it took me so long to bring myself to do it. I don’t think it’s bad I just care so little for it. It feels so nothingburger. I don’t like his voice, I’m sick of it, I don’t like the boring songs, it taxes my patience to listen to it all, I enjoyed all of it less as I kept listening, despite it being, like… fine. Ugh. So yeah, thoroughly not my jam. I give a D- and I don’t feel bad about it
tunafruitsandwitch 