I've been listening to rock of various stripes since my teens in the mid-60's. While I still get a kick out of the classics, my greatest thrill (musically speaking) is finding a fresh twist on rock traditions...a sound that doesn't simply re-tread old ground or wander off into experimentation for its own sake. American Idiot is, in many ways, an old fashioned album, with strong echos of The Who, Pink Floyd and other great stadium bands of the last half century. But Green Day rejuvenates the form with inventive rhythms, unexpected melodic changes and a 21st Century political and social sensibility, making American Idiot a completely contemporary piece of musical art. If you're looking for an example of the best of today's mainstream rock and roll, you could hardly do better. Give the album a listen; start to finish, it's a blast!
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