Published on Jun 23, 2005
At their worst, greatest hits packages are pathetic attempts to
eke out more revenue from bands. This can come in the form of
trying to make a ‘greatest hits’ album for an artist with one hit
(read Vanilla Ice) or greatest hits packages that are released
almost as often as full-length releases from bands (see Motley
Crue, Poison).
At their best, greatest hits packages do wonders in playing the
strengths of a band and condensing a band’s history into a single
or double album. The bands that fit in this category may have
released several albums with few embarrassments, but each of their
albums contain an equal amount of filler and hits. Greatest hits
releases by Tom Petty and Rush are examples of how greatest hits
packages added some legitimacy to their careers because listeners
were able to hear the evolution of each artist. (Calling AC/DC
management — you guys need to come out with a double-disc greatest
hits collection, pronto.)
Green Day is such an artist that needed a greatest hits
collection. At first, I thought it was a lazy move by the band to
spark up album sales (especially since sales of
Warning were lukewarm). However, between
Dookie and
American Idiot, Green Day had generated albums that, though
good, did not justify the $14.99 price tag. The fact that you could
get the strongest songs from all of these albums on one album
proved too irresistible.
It’s not surprising that a good deal of Green Day’s greatest
hits collection,
International Superhits, focuses on their breakthrough smash
Dookie. It’s still amazing at how many hits that album
generated. Still, even ten years after its height, I still have to
fast forward through tracks like “When I Come Around” and “Basket
Case.” Still, I’ll find myself cranking “Longview.” While many
summer songs deal with going to the beach and hanging out with
friends, “Longview” nails what summer means for most students: in a
house, bored as hell, watching TV and a serious loss of
motivation.
Billy Joe Armstrong remains one of the most underrated
songwriters in mainstream rock. Just read the opening of “Welcome
to Paradise”: “Dear mother, can you hear me whining? / It’s been
three whole weeks since I have left your home / This sudden fear
has left me trembling.” Now, close your eyes and imagine this being
sung by one of the more acclaimed singer/songwriters out there,
such as Tori Amos or Paul Westerberg. It’s not that far of a reach
to hear either of these artists sing such a confessional line. The
marketing crew for
International Superhits certainly hoped to bring forth to
light Armstrong’s songwriting: all of the lyrics are printed on the
album, a rarity for most greatest hits packages.
Of course, Green Day is more than Billy Joe Armstrong. With
International Superhits, the entire band emerged in a better
light after looking through the 20-plus tracks shine new light on
the period what casual fans know as “in between
Dookie and
American Idiot.” The nihilistic tone of “Brain Stew” and
“Jaded” show the risks Green Day took by making
Insomniac a darker album than
Dookie. And songs like “Redundant” and “Minority” show a
growing maturing in the musicianship of drummer Tre Cool and
bassist Mike Dirnt. In short, listening to
International Superhits almost makes you want to head down
to the used record store and pick up the albums you missed.
International Superhits was the perfect setup for
American Idiot. It’s also the first greatest hits package
that’s come out that I haven’t had to hold back a snicker. With the
exception of a few songs missing from
Kerplunk (released on
Lookout), it’s as perfect as a greatest hits package can
get. Debate will still rage on in the punk community whether Green
Day is a punk band, but what is undeniable is their consistent
ability to write songs with affecting lyrics and killer hooks for
nearly 15 years.