Green day then...Green Day now

oliface:

Ok i know this might upset a few of you but that isnt my intention, obviously.

i personally feel that GD have gone down hill at astonishing speed since the release of insomniac. I'm talking album wise. I've seen them live twice in 2005 and i was not dissapointed. They were a great live act and it was a memorable night.

But seriously. when i heard nimrod i couldnt believe how shit (in my opinion) it was. it was mostly bubblegum punk with a slight edge. like simple plan on their period.

I also dont understand the GD fans. i see myself as one as i am extremely enthusiastic about their first 4 albums. absolutely classic works of art. But i feel im the oldest one here (20) have GD officially turned into a product for children?

Please discuss in a sensible manner. i have long out grown internet arguments.

Duuuude,
Nimord was sooooo 1997

By the way,
you posted this at 11:11AM
I hope you made a wish .

oldest 1 here pfft im 22 in a few weeks. newhoo id have 2 argee with u it seems now their music relates 2 younger fans u dont c many older fans still liking their new stuff like me 4 example i much prefer their first 4 albums. i also dont like how they have become more popular i mean i dont like it how u go 2 a green day concert and theres mainly fans under the age of 15-16 there thats not cool wat happened to the days where they didnt sell out and i could wait longer than 15 mins to purchase my ticket before it sold out.

TheresNoReturnFrom86:

oldest 1 here pfft im 22 in a few weeks. newhoo id have 2 argee with u it seems now their music relates 2 younger fans u dont c many older fans still liking their new stuff like me 4 example i much prefer their first 4 albums. i also dont like how they have become more popular i mean i dont like it how u go 2 a green day concert and theres mainly fans under the age of 15-16 there thats not cool wat happened to the days where they didnt sell out and i could wait longer than 15 mins to purchase my ticket before it sold out.

You gotta remember this is their job and livelihood at the end of the day. Bands earn money by being popular and touring.

And if they are that popular tickets sell out so quick, this must be some reflection on how well they are actually doing.

There will always be younger fans as well, and why not? Isn't it better that a band is still popular with the younger generations as well as the older ones. I know each person has their own preference to liking the newer or older albums, but I know people who are older than anyone on these boards that remember them from the early days, and like them just as much now as they did then.

Also with the "younger people at concerts" argument... what if they all turned round and said "you're old... you cant go see the band you like"... kinda seems a bit of a selfish arguement to say kids can't go see a band they like but the older people can. Yeah they're young... but weren't you that age at one point, doing the exact same thing?

i think it's stupid how it seems like the older GD fans look down at the younger ones. SO because you were born before us means that you are better then us? does it mean that because you knew about them before us that you're better? well i'm sorry that my mom and dad decided to have me in 1992.. we can't help when we were born. so when GD writes songs about politics, bush and war or whatever it's directed to younger fans? umm no i don't think so... when they came out with American Idiot i was 11 years old and i didn't understand the lyrics because you know most 11 year olds dont know anything about politics or really what's happening in the world. I personally perfer their older music. my favourite album is 39/smooth and i relate to that a hell of a lot more then AI or 21st century breakdown. and becuase fans are 15 or 16 at concerts that's not cool? why because they like the same music that you like? i don't understand that.

i agree they've changed, i like the variety they present. but i can honestly say i really really reallllllllyyy dislike 21st century breakdown.. i really hope with the next album they can go back to their 90s roots.

TheresNoReturnFrom86:

oldest 1 here pfft im 22 in a few weeks. newhoo id have 2 argee with u it seems now their music relates 2 younger fans u dont c many older fans still liking their new stuff like me 4 example i much prefer their first 4 albums. i also dont like how they have become more popular i mean i dont like it how u go 2 a green day concert and theres mainly fans under the age of 15-16 there thats not cool wat happened to the days where they didnt sell out and i could wait longer than 15 mins to purchase my ticket before it sold out.

This may be off topic, but you know you live in a messed up world when a 17 year old has better grammar skills than an almost 22 year old..
O_O

And once again [on topic, I swear] Sorry for not being born before the stone age.

I think it's all just a matter of opinion. A lot of people would say they have gotten better over the years by branching out and exploring new genres, thus gaining a wider fanbase and becoming more 'successful'. I'm my honest opinion, if they carried on in the direction that they were going then they would've gone downhill, because if a band makes the same albums over and over without evolving, then people are going to lose interest.
Also, music has changed. I know Green Day didn't set out to become immensely popular but I don't think that there's a single artist on the planet who doesn't want to have a little success or gain new fans. And the only way to do this is to keep evolving your sound. Like someone up there has previously said, they've grown up and therefore their sound has grown up with them.
But yeah, that's my say.

oliface:

I would just like to make clear i didnt mean to offend any of Green Days younger fans. i just feel that the vast majority of their online fans tend to be in their early to mid teens and anything beyond is rare.

Not being stereotypical or anything, but the majority of online messageboard users ARE in their teens. Of course, older people still use them, but the majority of fans online are going to be this age because for some reason, that's the age cohort that uses them. At Green Day shows, I usually find the majority being older people.

I think it's a matter of personal preference than targeting the youth.

Honestly, if you break it down the first 4 albums: mushy love songs, drugs, anger, masturbation with occasional amazing analogies of not so amazing topics. That's about it.

their last 3 albums: politics, religion, self-confidence, personal empowerment, rebellion, rage, love.

They've matured. They've grown. They're allowed to grow after 20 years of being a band. I don't want them to go back to the lyrical content of the first 4 albums no matter how much I loved them. It'd be a bit ridiculous. It was perfect for that time but nowadays we need something more.

They've tightened as a band as well, they're closer than ever and their musicianship is amazing.

And just because I'm 17 doesn't mean I'm a new fan. I've loved these guys since I was 4 and been a huge fan since I was about 10. I prefer the route they've taken, it works for them.

I would argue that green days evolution wasnt the bands preferred direction. i feel the record company may have taken creative control over the band. remember its the company's money at the end of the day.

People seem to be getting a little over excited with my comments. i would prefer if this discussion wasnt turned into mocking people over the internet with spelling and grammar etc. lets be adults.

I obviously do not care if you were born in the early to mid 90s, im not having a go at you personally. please calm down.

I agree that the first 4 albums lyric content wasnt the most academic use of language but they stuck to their guns. I feel the more recent lyrics (especially regarding politics) are defiantly targeted at the younger generation for example would kids still of been Bush bashing if green day were promoting the republicans?

i think not.

People take things in shallow doses. if billie joe was a balding, fat amputee green day would have half the fan base they do now.

if they hadnt made nimrod into a bubblegum pop album they would have half the fan base they do now

and if they didnt jump on the bush bashing band wagon they definitely would have half the fan base they have now.

think for yourself

In A way I Agree, I Like More Old Greenday Stuff. And I Think Their Old Stuff Is More Punk Than Now.

Ashlee Cool.:

In A way I Agree, I Like More Old Greenday Stuff. And I Think Their Old Stuff Is More Punk Than Now.

What is Punk?

TheresNoReturnFrom86:

oldest 1 here pfft im 22 in a few weeks. newhoo id have 2 argee with u it seems now their music relates 2 younger fans u dont c many older fans still liking their new stuff like me 4 example i much prefer their first 4 albums. i also dont like how they have become more popular i mean i dont like it how u go 2 a green day concert and theres mainly fans under the age of 15-16 there thats not cool wat happened to the days where they didnt sell out and i could wait longer than 15 mins to purchase my ticket before it sold out.

hmm just so you know i saw Green Day on the 16th and there was mostly ALL older people and hardly any people my age so don't say it like all the concerts are of younger people cause you don't know that and it's not true

well ladeda
i dont care

..ok? and you thought the ladeda was needed because...

oliface:

People seem to be getting a little over excited with my comments. i would prefer if this discussion wasnt turned into mocking people over the internet with spelling and grammar etc. lets be adults.

I obviously do not care if you were born in the early to mid 90s, im not having a go at you personally. please calm down.

wow, well first of you keep defending yourself saying you don't mean to offend any of the 'younger' fans. However, everything you say regarding your discontent with Green Day points towards the younger generation of fans. So obviously they feel offended by what you're saying. I would feel offended too because I was 15 when I became a fan. But then I saw your age, and hey I can't really complain then can I?

oliface:

I would argue that green days evolution wasnt the bands preferred direction. i feel the record company may have taken creative control over the band. remember its the company's money at the end of the day.

If the record company had taken control over Green Day, they would have been dumped ages ago. Look at albums like Insomniac and Warning. Those weren't big market succeses. However, Reprise remained to have faith in Green Day and therefore let them stay and do their thing. I don't know about you, but part of what I love about Green Day is that they have this 'signature sound'. And I hear that on the newer albums as much as on the older albums.

oliface:

I agree that the first 4 albums lyric content wasnt the most academic use of language but they stuck to their guns. I feel the more recent lyrics (especially regarding politics) are defiantly targeted at the younger generation for example would kids still of been Bush bashing if green day were promoting the republicans?

i think not.

People take things in shallow doses. if billie joe was a balding, fat amputee green day would have half the fan base they do now.

if they hadnt made nimrod into a bubblegum pop album they would have half the fan base they do now

and if they didnt jump on the bush bashing band wagon they definitely would have half the fan base they have now.

think for yourself

I really don't think the 'Bush bashing' lyrics, or the more recent lyrics from 21st Century Breakdown portraying a chaotic messed up world were directed at anyone. It's just the band, speaking their mind about stuff that's going on around them. Billie Joe said in an interview 'I don't write for anyone, I write for myself.' It kind of annoys me when you say they're not sticking to their guns anymore. Because if anything, I feel complete honesty in their new songs.

The only kind of bigger goal these lyrics might have is getting people to think about what's going on in their lives to form an opinion for themselves. Personally, I have never felt like I have been biased by Green Day and suddenly think everything sucks when they say so. It's not like their lyrics are of any kind like 'we don't like george bush. and so you shouldnt like him either.' Surely there's always gonna be people who do interpretate lyrics in that way, but in no way is that Green Day's fault.

I also don't like how you call Green Day's fans shallow. You're comparing fans to the kids who hear Boulevard of Broken Dreams on the radio 4 times a day and suddenly see a pretty face appear in a magazine and declare themselves a fan. However, those aren't the people that stick to a band. People who become a fan generally dig into their music and enjoy the band in more aspects than just in a music video.
Also, Nimrod definetly isn't bubblegum pop. That would be Aqua's Barbie Girl. Nimrod is nothing like that. And even if it is, that argument really isn't valid with everything else you are trying to say. The people that would've gotten into Green Day because of Nimrod would be adults now, and probably way older as you and me too and yet you are complaining how Green Day is 'only for kids' now.

Also I wouldn't say Green Day jumped on the Bush bashing bandwagon. If anything, I think they started it.

^ nicely put

oliface:

People seem to be getting a little over excited with my comments. i would prefer if this discussion wasnt turned into mocking people over the internet with spelling and grammar etc. lets be adults.

soo you're telling us to be adults, but you were just calling us kids. well if were such kids why would we act like adults?

I completely agree with RebelofSuburbia. I think its a well thought out and presented arguement. I think, however, that GDs intention with American Idiot was to open up the eyes of all generations to the Political world, so many people don't pay any attention to it, and don't vote. I think they wanted to try and get their fans interested in politics so they can make a real difference through their votes.

TheresNoReturnFrom86:

well ladeda
i dont care

Now thats just childish really, like has been asked, try and keep mature and use constructive arguements.

BillyJoezzz:

oliface:

People seem to be getting a little over excited with my comments. i would prefer if this discussion wasnt turned into mocking people over the internet with spelling and grammar etc. lets be adults.

soo you're telling us to be adults, but you were just calling us kids. well if were such kids why would we act like adults?

and finally to stir up the hornets nest a bit (cos a bit of anger keeps an argument alive ) technically by saying " lets be adults. " you are claiming that most people are being childish. I'm not saying you are saying that. But thats how it could (and obv. has) be percieved by some!

ha i wasnt startin ne agurments i was just sayin i dont care........u know i dont care what u say about i wrote thats my thoughts and im gonna stick 2 them and u dont like what i say it doesnt bother me, and sayin that u have better grammer than what a lot of shit this anit a english test is it? sorry that i offened u young fans i know u r all huge fans of green day thats cool, i just get sick of the young fans 'in love' with billie joe i know i shouldnt start an agrument about that, im just saying theres more to a band than what the members look like. newhoo i know this wont make sense to alot of people, but it does to me. so thats all i got to say.
.....................................and que the negative comments about this..............................

TheresNoReturnFrom86:

ha i wasnt startin ne agurments i was just sayin i dont care........u know i dont care what u say about i wrote thats my thoughts and im gonna stick 2 them and u dont like what i say it doesnt bother me, and sayin that u have better grammer than what a lot of shit this anit a english test is it? sorry that i offened u young fans i know u r all huge fans of green day thats cool, i just get sick of the young fans 'in love' with billie joe i know i shouldnt start an agrument about that, im just saying theres more to a band than what the members look like. newhoo i know this wont make sense to alot of people, but it does to me. so thats all i got to say.
.....................................and que the negative comments about this..............................

I get what you're saying about certain younger fans and I agree, they're not fans of Green Day, they're obsessed with BJA and not the music. Again I agree that you should like a band for their music not their looks.

I think what people here are saying is that initially it seemed you assumed almost all younger fans were like that, and being the GSB has a large amount of teens they took offence to this. But you've cleared that up now so I shouldn't think any negative comments should come of it.