Almost as much as Blonde on Blonde, the Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bullocks stunned me. My first reaction was: what is this noise? Then I played it again. And again. Hard to put it in context, but the radio was filled with bloated prog-rock from the previous generation. These guys were loud and angry. It was a hurricane of fresh air and a peek at where things were going.
Day: May 29, 2018
Where was I?
I must have a couple of these albums left. Ok. It was mid-2000s. Had survived the dot-com crash and here comes Mr Bush with his 9/11 and his wars. I just kept thinking that the young people of America are getting screwed, but are too naive to realize it. Along comes American Idiot, and I realized the kids were going to be ok. The country would see lots more wreckage before it was all over, but at least there was some hope for the future.
I realized immediately that these guys have made a 1970s style Rock Opera, like Tommy or Jesus Christ Superstar! I never figured out why the whole Concept Album thing died out, but I was glad to see it make at least a small comeback. And who would have figured Green Day to rise to the occasion?
I remember playing this one over and over again at summer backyard BBQs with friends and neighbors. I don’t think any of them picked up on it.