Green Day - Live at Maida Vale, 2004

You get a chance to see Green Day last night on SNL? Damnit, these guys are good. It's hard to believe this is the same band whose first major hit was about masturbation and smoking weed.

The new album, 21st Century Breakdown, is officially out now and should firmly establish Green Day as grown-ups. The disk has pretty much been universally heralded as an instant classic. The London Times called 21st Century Breakdown a “masterpiece,” and said, “musically, it may honour and channel the spirits of the Who, Bowie, Queen, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols and the Clash, to breathtaking, to thrilling effect.”

As for my opinion, I can say I like the album and like it more each time I listen to it. Green Day without a doubt aimed high on this release and pretty much scored.

But the new disk isn’t really the reason we’re here today. Instead, as a sort of nod to 21st Century Breakdown and the upcoming Green Day tour, I’ve got a few live songs. These were recorded Oct. 6, 2004, at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios in London.

With the exception of the last track, “Minority,” which abruptly cuts off, the sound quality is excellent. When I got the files, the track names were screwed up and out of order, so I’ve corrected those and, hopefully, they’ll be correct for you. What’s listed below is the right order and the right song names. So, listen to these and buy 21st Century Breakdown and see the band live. Also – although not posted yet – I have the feeling that Chris over at The Culture Bully will soon up Green Day’s SNL appearance, so check back.

American Idiot.mp3
Jesus of Suburbia pts.1-3.mp3
Jesus of Suburbia pts. 4-5.mp3
St. Jimmy.mp3
Longview.mp3
She.mp3
Brain Stew / Jaded.mp3
Who Wrote Holden Caulfield / I Fought the Law.mp3
Minority (fade out).mp3

Labels: live music, pop-punk, punk

posted by aikin @ 12:27 PM