Having read the advertisement for Music DVD's, priced from a mere £9.99 at HMV, in this week NME, and having seen soon of the potentially buys that were to have, this was an offer I couldn't refuse. The range in the newspaper was pretty good - Razorlight, Stone Roses, Nirvana, Oasis etc. It was then my eyes feel upon this little beauty, and I was suddenly HMV bound on the next available train. The Almighty Green Day and their videos! Time to relieve those moments when you saw the new video for the Day's latest single. The DVD covers four albums worth of singles. 1994's DOOKIE - 95's INSOMNIA, 97's NIMROD and 2001's WARNING! The best fifteen songs of these albums have been included and they are here for our enjoyment.
The DVD kicks off with LONGVIEW from DOOKIE. The video, which was recorded in January 94', is set in what must be Billie Joe's apartment, a scruffy looking shindig. A TV is on, in one part of the room. To the other side is a uninviting look couch which we see Billie Joe sitting on. His watching the 'tube both there's nothing on. He aimlessly watches but you get the feeling that he's only watching TV because it's something to do. The apartment seems to be a typically studenty kind of venue. The coffee table is a wash with all kinds of debris. The band plays the number in a small reasonably sized room, which is painted blue.
Next up is Basket Case - the video is set in what appears to be a hospital. Billie Joe is standing at the mic ready to go when one of the staff walks in with his guitar and hands it to him. He proceeds to perform the number. As he launches into this Mike is wheeled in on a hospital trolley, dressed in a orange boiler suit. A nurse gives him assistant to allow him to stand, and then guides him over to the second mic stand. He is then given his bass guitar and is ready to join in. Whilst all of this is going on Tre entry's the room being pushed in by another nurse in a wheel chair. He is directed to the drum kit, where he gets in to position and joins the rest of the band in the song. During the number a group of other patients walk or move around the hospital floors wearing mask, each mask is the same, it depicts a, presumably, fat chubby person squinting. Very strange but awesome song.
We then move to When I Come Around - this video shows the band walking around town, scenes where they walking down the street, walking through a shopping mall, a train station, aimlessly heading towards a destination which seems to be a fair large distance away. Whilst the wondering trio are making progress - the video concentrate on the inhabitants of the local town who have a keen interest on what is going on about them. Everyone wants to know what the other person is doing. The nosey lot!
The DVD then moves on to Green Day's next album - Insomnia
The next video is Geek Stink
Breath- in which a guy is going to the dentists. What follows next is
pretty graphical, he is seen having one of his teeth remove, you actually get to
se the tooth being remove from his mouth. Blood and everything. Nice!
The DVD effortlessly slips into the next video - this time it;s Stuck With Me - the video is shot in classic black and white mode, giving the band a kind of arty, jazzy effect to them. The band blast out the track in a very another smallest room - the video is in dispersed with weird animations of objects/people which can be seen from the album's front and back covers.
We then jump straight to a double whammy video of Brain Stew/Jaded. The video for Brain Stew is set in a land fill site, a dump truck is emptying its contents on to the ground, making another sizeable mountain of dust and rubbish. The band are seen sitting on a old worn down couch, which is being toad around the site by a small sized bulldozer. A guess the guy who was driving the bulldozer was wonder why a punk band where doing sitting on a crappy old couch shooting a video in all this muck and filth? Good question send all your answers on a postcard to MonstA Productions!
Jaded is short, sharp and sweet. Typical Green Day style of song. The camera work done here is pretty cool, as it spins, rolls and jumps all over the place, capturing the essence of the band in full flow!
Walking Contradiction - this video shows the band walking through a very picturesque American suburb. Immaculately neat houses, lawns, all under a bright blue sky - the American Dream! Through out the scene all kind of mayhem ensues and all manor of accidents occurs. As the band walking into town more havoc happens/ Kids falling off skateboards, unmanned cars rolling down streets crashing into buildings, engineers working on traffic lights getting electrocuted, police cars being totaled. The band casually walk through all this and meet up a central point, get into a car and drive off.
The DVD now moves on to Day's Nimrod album. Here we start with Hitchin' A Ride. The video is shot in what appears to be a 1950's swinging night club. They stage on which the band play has a kind of Broadway style setting to it. All the inhabitants of the club are dressed up in 40's and 50's clothing. Its a neat touch, a 2000 punk band meets the swinging 1950's.
Along comes one of the most memorable and recognizable Green Day song - GOOD RIDDANCE (TIME OF YOUR LIFE ). Billie Joe is sitting on a bed in a room which you may think is his room of an apartment. He plays alone on his guitar. He has a very thoughtful look upon his face when performing the number. The video then shows a random set of people, in various areas of a city, in various location. Each person is looking into the distance, looking again thoughtful. Wondering about an issue which is concerning them, or an idea which they have to try and develop. This (the song) is by far one of Green Day's finest moments!
Redundant sees the band telling a tale about repetition. In the background is a video being played out, where several characters perform the same choirs, or action over and over again.
Nice Guys Finish Last is set in a college football stadium. The Stadium has been the scene for many a mosh jumping, vomit covered Green Day gig(s). Today is no exception. The band play for a packed arena, and the scene are chaotic as always! The fans who have made the trip are totally fired up for it, as are the band. And the resulting mix is highly explosive!
Last up for Nimrod is Last Ride In. The track is an instrumental. The video has no story or plot to follow, it's just a random bunch of clips put together. Though it does have that mellow, chilled out feel to it, the track is almost like Green Day saying to everyone to chill out, have a beer and cool down from what has been an onslaught of high octane, adrenaline fuelled punk power.
We make the final move to next Green Day album - Warning. Here we start with Minority, a video for which we see the band play on a float in what seems to be a very deserted area of town. There is no crowd anyway to be seen. The band follows a small procession of cheer and band leaders. A small crowd holds aloft three massive blown up figures of the band members. Throughout the video this very small procession continues its way down the street, complete un-noticed by anyone, but you get the feeling that, that's the way reason behind the song. There all in the minority! Ace song!
We then move to title track of the album Warning. This video is about a day in the life of a guy who goes about his daily business blissfully unaware that he is ignoring all the warning that are presented to him. All the things you should take notice of are being blanked, therefore potentially putting you in a position of danger.
The final video of this awesome DVD is Waiting. And boy have we been waiting a long time for this. (ha ha- Ed!) The band set up in the (presumably) front room of a house and start to play. As the number gets under way the front door of the house bursts open and in storm a stream of guys and girls ready to start the house party. Beer flows and mayhem and chaos reign. It's the typically house bash. Party time dude!
If you love Green Day and want to see the band in action, this DVD is for you dude! Fifteen of their greatest songs on one DVD, fifty minutes long, only £9.99 and worth every penny bro! Go to HMV now and buy it! It's so worth it!!!