'21st Century Breakdown' secures Green Day's place in history

When Green Day released "American Idiot" back in 2004, the group was on the verge of disaster.

After the trio's previous two efforts, 1997's "Nimrod" and 2000's "Warning," failed commercially, it was do-or-die time for one of the last mainstream punk rock bands around.

While recording their next LP, tentatively titled "Cigarettes and Valentines," the group's master tapes were stolen from the recording studio. Instead of trying to recreate the songs, Green Day decided to start fresh and, in the end, the punk-rock opera "American Idiot" was born.

Upon release, "American Idiot" became a quick commercial success, topping the charts at No. 1 in 19 countries. The U.S. Green Day's masterpiece captured the Grammy for Best Rock Album and has sold over 14 million copies worldwide since its release.

After such a commercial success, many wondered where Green Day would turn next and if Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool could possibly top their crowning achievement.

For starters, the group's latest album, "21st Century Breakdown," released this past May, not only builds upon "Idiot," but also perfects its punk-rock opera format.

"Breakdown" is broken into three parts, "Heroes and Cons," "Charlatans and Saints" and "Horseshoes and Handgrenades," but unlike "Idiot," there are no long songs as only two of the album's 18 tracks push past the five minute barrier.

The plot of "Breakdown" is relatively simple - the album follows two characters, Christian and Gloria, as they make their way through a post-Bush environment. Each character has no more faith in the Church, state or the various adults that both are surrounded with.

To make things even more interesting, both Christian and Gloria each have traits that clash in this "hangover" that was the past eight years or so of their lives. Christian is the outspoken one, who acts before he thinks fully, while Gloria is politically motivated and has certain ideals she holds dear.

Along the way, Green Day uses these two characters' journeys to highlight an album that includes topics that range from religion to politics to love and almost everything in between.

Where "Idiot" failed was having a constant, tightly flowing storyline that didn't make listeners scratch their head while they followed the Jesus of Suburbia.

Rest assured, "Breakdown" succeeds where "Idiot" faltered and is further proof that rock operas didn't die in the '70s.

Green Day now deserves to be uttered in the same breath with The Who, whom the trio obviously used as an influence on "Breakdown" with the pianos and strings that sound in the background.

And if that worries all those punk-rock fans out there, there are plenty pulsating guitars and pounding drums on this epic record to please even the hardest rocker.

Songs to Download: "21st Century Breakdown," "21 Guns," "Before the Lobotomy," "Know Your Enemy," "!Viva La Gloria!" and "East Jesus Nowhere."

This writer can be contacted at features@theeastcarolinian.com.