i wrote the previous piece about the album after listening to it on my laptop. today i got my pre-order and listened to it on my ipod. let me just add a few notes: this thing is hauntingly seamless, and somehow every new song, new genre, old genre, old song, transition, leitmotif, melody and harmony is perfect.
and, um, billie joe armstrong is a genius on par with bernstein, sondheim, dylan, john lennon, lorenz hart, george gershwin and kurt weill, not andrew lloyd webber*...if i read that again i'm gonna puke! (and i hate exclamation points!!!!!)
(*i'll make an exception for webber's jesus christ superstar...that's his best anyway)
if you don't give 21st century breakdown a five out of five or a four out of four or whatever the fuck you use, you might want to up your grade. if not, you may go down in history stuck in some hilariously unfortunate compilation of negative reviews written about artists who were later revered like, oh, beethoven or stravinsky...(didn't think i knew all that did you?)
p.s. they're not the who, not queen or the beatles; they're neither the clash nor the ramones...they're green day~
