Larry Livermore, the founder of Lookout Records and arguably the person who gave Green Day their first break by signing them to Lookout, wrote a wonderful piece about the band and the new album. [Via GD.com]

It’s so refreshing to read an essay by someone whose attitude is not, “Gee they were some dumb band who sang about masturbation, and look, they made a great album. Who woulda thunk?” Livermore, and he’s someone who would know, makes no bones about saying that Green Day has always been great. It’s in their blood. Their commitment to music and to its artistry and craftsmanship has always been unshakable, from the very first songs they put out when they were only 16.

Larry says he’s not a classic rock kind of guy. I’m not normally a classic rock kind of gal either. In fact I quite dislike classic rock, and probably not for the same reasons as Larry Livermore, who is himself a musician and presumably can understand the subtleties of many genres of music in ways that I cannot. I usually can’t appreciate it because it’s not direct in the way that punk rock is. And yet with 21st Century Breakdown, which is not at all simple or straightforward but is rich with nuances and changes, I find myself loving it more with every listen. Somehow Green Day crafted an album that is both complex and direct. It’s full of artistry and beauty but it also grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go.

Larry writes:

This is music for the ages. All the songs about girls are still out there, and will be as thrilling and enjoyable to listen to as they always were, but this is a band who have grown up without growing old, who positively inspire me with their ability to transcend all the depressing and corrupting influences of pop culture in general and the music business in particular to produce far and away the best work of their career.

The old songs are wonderful, and if it’s possible their new songs are even more wonderful. It’s a daunting feat. Will Green Day ever cease to amaze us?

[By the way, if you want to read the entire 2001 interview that Livermore quotes from, it’s here.]

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