Green Day Sell Outs?

[Soot and Stars]

Green Day was fast pop punk with very sarcastic lyrics, evolution and change fits any band when they want it too. Especially when the dollar signs show up.
When you do it to make more money and lose the actual idea of what punk rock truly is you lose your integrity and there for become a sell out.

New Green Day IMO is media garbage that really is nothing special. Their old stuff was great.

Do you personally know that Green Day ONLY had aspirations to play fast pop punk their whole lives or is it possible they had enough taste in their repertoire to try and do something different. How can someone say that an artist isn't doing what they like to do? By the result? If it works, it's selling out! If it fails, they were ahead of their time! We act like we know the artist intentions way more than anyone truly ever will! I think change shows more talent than greed and takes a set of balls bigger than any act that stays within it's own realm until they become their own cliche and just get stale. The best artist in the world are the ones who dared to disappoint their original fan base to increase their own musical potential! Just how I see it friend!

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

Do you personally know that Green Day ONLY had aspirations to play fast pop punk their whole lives or is it possible they had enough taste in their repertoire to try and do something different. How can someone say that an artist isn't doing what they like to do? By the result? If it works, it's selling out! If it fails, they were ahead of their time! We act like we know the artist intentions way more than anyone truly ever will! I think change shows more talent than greed and takes a set of balls bigger than any act that stays within it's own realm until they become their own cliche and just get stale. The best artist in the world are the ones who dared to disappoint their original fan base to increase their own musical potential! Just how I see it friend!

When you watch their behind the music they pretty much were in love with punk rock and only wanted to play punk rock. Also try re-reading what I said. It is selling your integrity and you are losing the punk ethics. When you are a punk band you obviously go by a different set of musical code then other genres. Nirvana IMO was always a punk band, they never lost that because they did what they wanted. They always had a different sound on each song on each album and they also stood up for what they believed in, playing pro-choice benefit shows etc. They mocked their fame and mocked those who were just being apart of the "in crowd" who followed them because of huge airplay. Green Day has done what exactly? They have embraced their rock star status and quite honestly do nothing to show otherwise.
So yes it is selling out IMO especially when you consider yourself a punk band. Their change in sound was a stale and a pathetic attempt at being a political band. They fell flat on their face doing so. The b/s they talked about they have not really done anything to change. They sound like a child trying to get involved with politics and it is very funny. Also they have not taken a stand against anything they have said. Instead they will whine about it just to sell records. When you have that type of fame and money just saying something about it is not good enough.
I think Greg's post about an American Idiot musical sums up they are sell outs more then their change in sound and last two stale albums does.

“I don't think either the Offspring or Green Day started their bands with the intention of becoming so enormously popular; that sort of fell in their laps-especially the Offspring. My attitude is if somebody blunders into the level of popularity, at least remember the human factor. These guys are still human beings and hopefully still have hearts and if you keep in touch with them rather than vilify them you may be able to encourage them to go in the right direction. What I'm hoping will eventually happen is that they will grasp the amount of power and financial clout that is now at their fingertips and use those as tools to help real people with real things the way punk politics was always designed to do before, but nobody had any money.” - Jello Biafra.

That being said they are very much sell outs.

I still love their old records, but their lack of doing anything and their musical idea just show they sold out.

 

[Soot and Stars]

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I honestly don't follow Green Day or most bands outside of their music so I have no idea of what their actions are outside of their music. I liked the quote and agree for the most part. If you are going to sing about it you should back up what you are singing in your real life. I'm wondering what you think they should be doing as artist though to show that they back up their messages in their music? I don't think bands can do tpo much besides play for benefit concerts towards a cause and I thought Green Day had done that. What else is there to do?

 

[annie]

we have a smiley for that Soot


haha

I don't think the responses were to what I said, but just because they "sold out" on their image, doesn't mean their music got any worse... they just make good music for the wrong reason IMO
It really doesn't seem like they are in it just for the fun of slamming an instrument around, making it sound cool, making cool simple songs, and funny videos... they seem to want more of the "perks of the industry" and you can hear they are trying to go with what they think people want to hear

I saw an interview with Frampton and he said this about his career right after Comes Alive...(it isn't word for word, I'm going from memory, but its the genreal idea)

"After I released Comes Alive I wanted to keep people happy because it sold so well, I tried to do the exact same thing again, but there isn't any room to grow by doing the same thing. This was the low point of my career creatively because of the excesses I was enjoying and I wasn't playing music for myself anymore.. I wasn't putting what I wanted on the records, I was putting what I though the fans wanted, when in the end it didn't matter, they didn't want to hear it anyways"

I got it as close as possible to the interview I saw.. and that is what I think happened with Green Day as well... it's not like it is bad music, it isn't as creative or a care free as their early, it sounds like they are just trying way too hard...

I don't see anything wrong that. If I like the sound, I don't care how they got there. If I had known that they were supposed to be punk, I would never have listened to them. I did listen based on what I read on forums and loved what I heard and the rest is history.

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I honestly don't follow Green Day or most bands outside of their music so I have no idea of what their actions are outside of their music. I liked the quote and agree for the most part. If you are going to sing about it you should back up what you are singing in your real life. I'm wondering what you think they should be doing as artist though to show that they back up their messages in their music? I don't think bands can do tpo much besides play for benefit concerts towards a cause and I thought Green Day had done that. What else is there to do?

Donate money to charity and other foundations.

 

[0000]

I don't see anything wrong that. If I like the sound, I don't care how they got there. If I had known that they were supposed to be punk, I would never have listened to them. I did listen based on what I read on forums and loved what I heard and the rest is history.

The artists' views or what they believe/do outside of the music doesn't stop me from listening to the music at all... the music is the important part, but I just don't like to see someone change it for a reason I don't like... it doesn't make a difference to anyone except me really, but I'll always have my opinion on it

 

[Foxhound]

ComfortablyNumb!

Donate money to charity and other foundations.

I actually can't see any of the classic punk bands like the Sex Pistols, Dead Boys, Vibrators, Teenage Head, etc. playing benefit concerts or letting anybody know that they'd ever even considered donating money to charity. That they would have considered selling out big time. Playing benefit concerts, well that was something for U2 or Queen. Self-respecting punkers would spit on anyone making the suggestion that they play at one.

When you are a punk band you obviously go by a different set of musical code then other genres.

Huh? But what musical codes could those be?

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

ComfortablyNumb!



I actually can't see any of the classic punk bands like the Sex Pistols, Dead Boys, Vibrators, Teenage Head, etc. playing benefit concerts or letting anybody know that they'd ever even considered donating money to charity. That they would have considered selling out big time. Playing benefit concerts, well that was something for U2 or Queen. Self-respecting punkers would spit on anyone making the suggestion that they play at one.



Huh? But what musical codes could those be?

To the first quote, The Clash are one classic punk band that played a benifit show. Rock against racism.

There is nothing wrong with playing a benifit concert especially when it fits your beliefs. So I think you are way off and do not know a thing about punk rock.
You do not sign to major labels, you do not sell your so called soul and sacrafice your music just to make money. If you some how get that fame and money, like Biafra said use it for good. Something Green Day has not done.

Would you like to conitnue?

 

[Foxhound]

To the first quote, The Clash are one classic punk band that played a benifit. Rock against racism.

I knew you'd say the Clash.



But you'll find that I've continually sneered at the Clash for being immediate sell outs from the punk ethos. Punk at its core is about nihilism, which involves a rejection of every facet of society including politics. The Clash were a very political band and could not thus be truly punks. The best the Clash could be was watered down new wave semi punks.

There is nothing wrong with playing a benifit concert especially when it fits your beliefs.

Yes there is - because no self-respecting punk has any beliefs, except for having some fun and making a quick buck while doing so. In fact, political beliefs are conclusive evidence that you're not punk.

You do not sign to major labels, you do not sell your so called soul and sacrafice your music just to make money.

What do you think the Sex Pistols attempts to enrage the establishment was all about if not money then? Notoriety has been an oft travelled path to fortune for many, from the Rolling Stones to Madonna.

Would you like to conitnue?

But of course my good man, but of course!

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

I knew you'd say the Clash.



But you'll find that I've continually sneered at the Clash for being immediate sell outs from the punk ethos. Punk at its core is about nihilism, which involves a rejection of every facet of society including politics. The Clash were a very political band and could not thus be truly punks. The best the Clash could be was watered down new wave semi punk.



What do you think the Sex Pistols attempts to enrage the establishment was about if not money then? Notoriety has been an oft travelled path to fortune for many, from the Rolling Stones to Madonna.



But of course my good man!

Anarcho-punk, the Crass, punk politics, political punk rock. I suggest reading up one something before spouting off about something you do not know. There are so many different types of punk rock so what you are saying is comepletely off. Did I ever say the Sex Pistols were not sell outs? No do not attempt to put words into my mouth Fox. They were created to crush jam oriented rock and basically were a media created band. Lydon had some amazingly sarcastic lyrics that poked fun at the government.
The Clash were punk rock and a political punk band.
Also talking about politics in punk is hardly selling out. If anything that would be a "posuer". They were hardly that. They were anarchists which is a rejection of government and the belief that people should govern themselves. You are truly wrong.

Your definition and thought process of punk is simplistic and wrong. Punk is not about nihlism at all. That is just one of the many sects of punk rock.

Punk is usually know for its anti authority aproach. That is hardly nihilistic.

Dead Kennedy's one of the most if not the most political punk/hardcore band poked fun at both the left and the right.

I think you need a history lesson of punk rock.

Green Day is far from it.

I am done because I can not argue with some one who does not know anything about punk rock and confuses sell out with posuer. That is not a slight against you that is just what you have shown me.