Punk rock revivalists Green Day released their new album, ¡Uno!, via Reprise Records. The album is the first in a triple-crown release,with ¡Dos! following on November 13, 2012, and ¡Tré! on January 15, 2013. The trilogy is a follow-up to their Grammy Award-winning 2009 effort, 21st Century Breakdown. All three records are being produced by the band’s long-time producer, Rob Cavallo. The new album brings us back to the Dookie days. We see a more rawer, stripped down Green Day than on their previous two more progressive records. Songs like “Let Yourself Go” and “Angel Blue” are high-energy classic punk, and the album’s lead single, “Oh Love”, is Green Day at their best. The album is a good one, and certainly makes us anticipate the tour, as well as ¡Dos! and ¡Tré!.
The Rock Revival’s Riveting Tracks:
1.) Oh Love
2.) Let Yourself Go
3.) Stay The Night
This album is a somewhat bittersweet moment for Green Day, however. In the wake of the record’s release, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has decided to seek treatment for substance abuse. The decision to enter rehab stems from an on-stage “incident” at the iHeart Radio Music Festival. When a “1 Minute” warning sign flashed on the teleprompter, alerting Green Day that their set was ending. With that, Billy Joe lost it and went on a tirade, smashing his guitar, and walking offstage. Apparently, Green Day’s set was cut short to either make room for more artists, or to lengthen the sets of other artists, reportedly including Usher. Other reports say that Green Day’s set was not cut short at all. Either way, I side with Billy Joe on this one. Green Day are rock royalty. In the business since 1987, the band has a catalog filled with #1, Grammy-winning albums. I don’t really give a damn what the schedule says…they’ve earned a few more minutes.
Green Day exploded onto the mainstream with 1994′s Dookie, which sold 15 million copies and earned the band its first Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Performance. Over the years, Green Day continued to top the charts with the subsequent studio albums Insomniac, Nimrod, and Warning. In 2004, the band released American Idiot, arguably their biggest hit record. American Idiot debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, spawned five hit singles, and garnered the band seven Grammy nominations (winning two, including Best Rock Album). In 2009, Green Day released 21st Century Breakdown, which won a 2010 Grammy® Award for Best Rock Album. The double-platinum single “21 Guns,” earned Green Day three 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Rock Video. – by Matt Bishop
Billie Joe – I wish you all the best in your treatments my brother. I have no doubt that you will come back better than ever, just in time to embark on an amazing tour, and release the last two parts of your groundbreaking triple release. The times of our lives are ahead of us. – Matt Bishop