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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:

Nimrod

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  • Artist: Green Day
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: October 14, 1997
  • Total Time: 49:01
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Following the cool reception to Insomniac, Green Day retreated from the spotlight for a year to rest and spend time with their families. During that extended break, they decided to not worry about their supposedly lost street credibility and make an album according to their instincts, which meant more experimentation and less of their trademark punk-pop. Of course, speedy, catchy punk is at the core of the group's sound, so there are plenty of familiar moments on the resultant album, Nimrod, but there are also new details that make the record an invigorating, if occasionally frustrating, listen. Although punk-pop is Green Day's forte, they sound the most alive on Nimrod when they're breaking away from their formula, whether it's the shuffling "Hitchin' a Ride," the bitchy, tongue-in-cheek humor of "The Grouch," the surging surf instrumental "Last Ride In," the punchy, horn-driven drag-queen saga "King for a Day," or the acoustic, string-laced ballad "Good Riddance." It's only when the trio confines itself to three chords that it sounds tired, but Billie Joe has such a gift for hooky, instantly memorable melodies that even these moments are enjoyable, if unremarkable. Still, Nimrod suffers from being simply too much -- although it clocks in at under 50 minutes, the 18 tracks whip by at such a breakneck speed that it leaves you somewhat dazed. With a little editing, Green Day's growth would have been put in sharper relief, and Nimrod would have been the triumphant leap forward it set out to be. As it stands, it's a muddled but intermittently exciting record that is full of promise. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Nimrod (album)

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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
"Walking Alone" redirects here. For the Jay Sean song, see All or Nothing (Jay Sean album).
Nimrod
Studio album by Green Day
Released October 14, 1997 (1997-10-14)
Recorded May – July 1997
Genre Punk rock, alternative rock, pop punk
Length 49:09
Label Reprise
Producer Rob Cavallo and Green Day
Green Day chronology
Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking
(1996)		 Nimrod
(1997)		 Warning
(2000)
Singles from Nimrod
  1. "Hitchin' a Ride"
    Released: September 22, 1997 (1997-09-22)
  2. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"
    Released: December 23, 1997 (1997-12-23)
  3. "Redundant"
    Released: May 26, 1998 (1998-05-26)
  4. "Nice Guys Finish Last"
    Released: March 23, 1999 (1999-03-23)

Nimrod (stylized as nimrod. on the label) is the fifth studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. The group began work on the album in the wake of its cancellation of a European tour after the release of Insomniac (1995). Recorded at Conway Studios in Los Angeles, the album was was written with the intent of creating solid songs as opposed to a cohesive album. As a result, Nimrod is noted for its musical diversity and experimentation. It was released on October 14, 1997 through Reprise Records.

The album peaked at number ten on the Billboard U.S. charts, and achieved double platinum status, although it did not revive Green Day's sales to the level of Dookie. The album has sold 2,083,000 copies in the United States alone and over 5 million worldwide.[1] Nimrod also achieved critical respect and yielded the acoustic hit "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)". Nimrod was reissued on vinyl on June 16, 2009. The album was also released as an HDCD. The songs "Nice Guys Finish Last", "Hitchin' a Ride", and "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" are featured in the video game Green Day: Rock Band.

Contents

Background

In 1995, Green Day released Insomniac, which did not perform as well critically and commercially as the band's breakthrough major label debut Dookie (1994).[2] The group embarked on an extensive world tour to promote Insomniac in early 1996, which saw the band performing in sports arenas that contrasted with the small clubs the group was accustomed to playing. The members became increasingly uncomfortable with the level of stardom they had attained; vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong recalled, "We were becoming the things we hated, playing those big arenas. It was beginning to be not fun anymore."[2]

The band also became homesick as life on the road forced the members to leave behind their wives and young children. Green Day eventually decided to cancel the late 1996 European leg of the Insomniac tour to take time off to spend with their families.[3] During this time, the band continued to write, and eventually completed over three dozen new songs by the beginning of 1997.[4] Although the group's last effort with producer Rob Cavallo was considered a disappointment, the band did not contemplate choosing anyone else to work with on Nimrod, as the members viewed Cavallo as a "mentor".[4]

Recording and production

This is a record we've been thinking about for the past six years. We knew we wanted to change, but we didn't want to change too much too soon. The record's about vulnerability in a lot of ways—throwing yourself out there...Why the fuck not put out that fucking stupid acoustic song or that stupid surf song? This is who we are. Why hide it?

“
”
– Billie Joe Armstrong, on the album's musical diversity.[5]

Nimrod was recorded at Conway Studios in Los Angeles, and the band stayed at the Sunset Marquis Hotel during the sessions.[6] The album took four months to record—the most time the band had ever spent on a record.[6] The recording schedule, which lasted from noon to two in the morning every day, became frustrating for the group members, who began drinking heavily.[6] Bassist Mike Dirnt recalled, "One night one of us was walking down the halls knocking on people's doors while naked."[6] Another incident involved drummer Tre Cool throwing his hotel room television set out of his window. Armstrong noted, "There was a lot of glass. You have to live that arrogant lifestyle every now and then."[7] To keep the band focused, Cavallo enlisted his father and manager Pat Magnarella to supervise the group.[7]

While working on Nimrod, Green Day explained to Cavallo its desire to create a more experimental album as the band had grown tired of its traditional three chord song structure. Armstrong drew inspiration from The Clash's landmark record London Calling, and referred to Nimrod as "the record I've wanted to make since the band started."[6] The album, which is nearly twice as long as Dookie, was intended to break the constraints of typical punk rock music.[6] To preserve the quality of his songwriting, Armstrong began writing each song on acoustic guitar, to which the rest of the band would later add heavier instrumentation and faster tempos.[8] Green Day recorded around 30 songs for Nimrod and picked 18 of them for the record. Dirnt explained that the recording was much more loosely structured than previous albums, and that creating songs was the focus as opposed to making a cohesive record.[8] He observed, "We've always screwed around with different types of music during our jams, but we'd say, 'OK let's stop and get back to the album.' This time we just let them come up."[8]

Armstrong (pictured in 2010) wrote "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" six years before the band began recording Nimrod.

Armstrong wrote "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" in 1990 and did not show the song to his bandmates until the Dookie recording sessions in 1993.[9] During the sessions, the song was determined to be too different from the rest of the songs on Dookie, and producer Rob Cavallo was unsure of how to structure the recording.[9] When the time came to record Nimrod, Armstrong decided to use the song, and Cavallo suggested they add strings to the track. He sent the band to play foosball in another room while he recorded the strings, which took "like fifteen, twenty minutes, maybe a half an hour at the most."[9] Cavallo reflected on his decision to add the strings "I knew we had done the right thing. I knew it was a hit the second I heard it."[9]

In addition to the strings on "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", the music of Nimrod contains a variety of other instruments not featured on previous Green Day albums. "Walking Alone" features Armstrong playing the harmonica, despite the fact that he did not "know how to play it at all".[5] "Hitchin' a Ride" opens with a Middle Eastern-inspired violin performed by Petra Haden of That Dog.[10] The band invited Gabrial McNair and Stephen Bradley of No Doubt's horn section to play on the ska-influenced "King for a Day".[11][12]

Composition

Music

Nimrod is more musically varied than previous Green Day albums. Armstrong noted that with the album, Green Day went down "different avenues," adding: "Each song has its own character and identity so we wanted to be able to bring that out as much as possible."[13] After opening with Haden's violin solo, "Hitchin' a Ride" evolves into a bass-driven rock song with a "Stray Cats vibe".[8][10] Cool referred to "Take Back" (on which Armstrong employs death metal-style vocals during the chorus) and "Platypus (I Hate You)" as "some of the most punk songs we've ever done".[14][15] "Last Ride In" is a surf rock instrumental, and "King for a Day" is a ska punk song featuring a full horn section.[15] The "chiming" guitar riffs of "Redundant" have been compared to those of The Byrds.[16] Sandy Masuo of the Los Angeles Times likened "Worry Rock" to the music of Elvis Costello.[17]

Lyrics

Lyrically, Nimrod touches upon more reflective themes not present on earlier Green Day albums. "The Grouch" centers on Armstrong's fears of "wasting away, getting fat, becoming impotent, and losing his ideals."[13] On "Walking Alone", he reflects on old friends from his childhood, and notes that he is "too drunk to figure out they're fading away."[13] "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" was inspired by Armstrong's failed relationship with a woman in 1991 that ended when she joined the Peace Corps.[18] The same woman is also the subject of "She's a Rebel" from American Idiot (2004).[18] "King for a Day" tells the story of a cross-dresser.[13] "Jinx" contains self-deprecating lyrics characteristic of many of the band's songs, while "Prosthetic Head" has been referred to as a "typical ticked-off kiss-off".[19][13]

Reception

Commercial performance

Nimrod debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200, selling 81,000 copies in its first week of release.[20] The album remained on the chart for 70 weeks.[21] It also peaked at number four on the magazine's Canadian Albums chart, remaining on the chart for four weeks.[21]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3.5/5 stars[22]
Robert Christgau (2-star Honorable Mention)[23]
Entertainment Weekly B−[24]
Pitchfork Media (7.0/10)[25]
Rolling Stone 3.5/5 stars[16]

The album received generally positive reviews from critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave Nimrod three and a half stars out of five, calling it an "invigorating, if occasionally frustrating listen", and although he praised Armstrong's "gift for hooky, instantly memorable melodies", he noted that "the 18 tracks whip by at such a breakneck speed that it leaves you somewhat dazed."[22] Greg Kot of Rolling Stone enjoyed the album's melodic nature as well as the "measure of sincerity" present in Armstrong's vocals.[16] A group of editors writing for People also praised the record's "fresh and original" melodies, adding, "Kudos to Green Day, young punk's reigning purists, for sticking with what they know best."[26] Sandy Masuo of the Los Angeles Times enjoyed Armstrong's songwriting, noting that "Naturally, a couple of thrash 'n' bash hard-core paeans are included, but they're surrounded by songs that are surprisingly varied in character and grounded in a pop aesthetic that evokes a gaggle of great tunesmiths."[17] Stephen Thompson of The A.V. Club wrote, "If Green Day still has a loyal following, its fans are bound to find something to like on Nimrod; for all the attempts at diversity, the record is packed with mile-wide hooks and sing-along anthems."[19]

Promotion

The Nimrod promotional tour began in the fall of 1997, and began with an in-store record signing at a Tower Records in Manhattan.[27] The band was upset upon reading reviews that suggested the band had lost its punk edge, and started a riot during its scheduled eight-song set at the store.[28] Armstrong then wrote the words "fuck" and "nimrod" in black spray paint on the storefront windows, and proceeded to moon the audience of 1,400 people.[28] After the riot settled down, Cool threw his bass drum into the crowd. No charges were filed and no injuries were reported, but the store was closed for the day to repair damages.[28] On the tour in promotion of the album, Green Day aimed for simplicity and decided not to bring new instrumentalists to play for the new songs. Armstrong commented, "Right now we're refraining from pulling out a lot of that "Nimrod' stuff. We want to make things small. We don't want to bring a horn section or a violin player out with us. A lot of people want to hear the old stuff, and that stuff is still just as significant to us."[5] During the tour, Armstrong felt that he became a better performer, noting, "I think some people walk away from a Green Day concert with the emotions you would get from some kind of theater performance where the crowd feels involved — where it's not just about the singer. It's not just about the band."[29]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Billie Joe Armstrong, all music composed by Green Day.

No. Title Length
1. "Nice Guys Finish Last"   2:49
2. "Hitchin' a Ride"   2:51
3. "The Grouch"   2:12
4. "Redundant"   3:17
5. "Scattered"   3:02
6. "All the Time"   2:10
7. "Worry Rock"   2:27
8. "Platypus (I Hate You)"   2:21
9. "Uptight"   3:04
10. "Last Ride In"   3:47
11. "Jinx"   2:12
12. "Haushinka"   3:25
13. "Walking Alone"   2:45
14. "Reject"   2:05
15. "Take Back"   1:09
16. "King for a Day"   3:13
17. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"   2:34
18. "Prosthetic Head"   3:38
Total length:
 49:09

Personnel

[30]

Green Day
Additional musicians
Production

Chart positions

Album

Austrian Albums Chart[31] 8
Argentinean Albums Chart[32] 1
Canadian Albums Chart[33] 1
Denmark Albums Chart[34] 2
Dutch Albums Chart[35] 1
Finnish Albums Chart[36] 2
France Albums Chart[37] 2
German Album Charts 1
Greek Albums Chart[38] 1
Hungarian Albums Chart[39] 1
Irish Albums Chart[35] 1
Italian Albums Chart[40] 1
Japanese Albums Chart[41] 1
Mexican Albums Chart 2
Norwegian Albums Chart[35] 2
Poland Albums Chart[42] 2
Portugal Albums Chart[43] 8
Scottish Albums Chart[44] 3
Spain Albums Chart[45] 5
Swedish Albums Chart[46] 3
Swiss Albums Chart[47] 1
UK Albums Chart[48] 1
UK Rock Albums[49] 1
U.S. Billboard 200[49] 10
U.S. Billboard Rock Albums[50] 1
U.S. Billboard Alternative Albums[51] 1
U.S. Billboard Digital Albums[52] 2
U.S. Billboard Tastemaker Albums Chart[53] 1

References

Notes

  1. ^ "Week Ending July 11, 2010: A Full Recovery - Chart Watch". New.music.yahoo.com. 2010-07-14. http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/58392/week-ending-july-11-2010-a-full-recovery/;_ylt=AriUcgbIpFU5GZNahFzuwdkPwiUv?page=2#comments. Retrieved 2011-10-24. 
  2. ^ a b Spitz, 2006, p. 123
  3. ^ Spitz, 2006, p. 126
  4. ^ a b Spitz, 2006, p. 127
  5. ^ a b c Brown, Greg (November 28, 1997). "PUNK BONDS: Green Day branches out with 'Nimrod'". The Denver Post (MediaNews Group). 
  6. ^ a b c d e f Spitz, 2006, p. 128
  7. ^ a b Spitz, 2006, p. 129
  8. ^ a b c d McLennan, Scott (November 9, 1997). "Green Day keeps progressing with 'Nimrod'". Telegram & Gazette (The New York Times Company). 
  9. ^ a b c d Spitz, 2006, p. 131
  10. ^ a b Spitz, 2006, p. 130
  11. ^ Rosen, Craig (September 18, 1997). "Punk and violins Green Day remains a garage band". Milwaukee Sentinel Journal. 
  12. ^ Parks, Andrew (November 25, 1997). "With Nimrod, Green Day Dawns Again". The Buffalo News (Berkshire Hathaway). 
  13. ^ a b c d e Sullivan, Jim (October 10, 1997). "Green Day stretches out on 'Nimrod'". The Boston Globe (The New York Times Company). 
  14. ^ McGarrigle, Dale (May 11, 1998). "Branching out lures in Green Day `Nimrod' a collection of 'whatever comes out'". Bangor Daily News (Bangor Publishing Company). 
  15. ^ a b Catlin, Roger (October 16, 1997). "Green Day's `Nimrod' (you Know The Type)". The Hartford Courant. Tribune Company. http://articles.courant.com/1997-10-16/entertainment/9710150082_1_green-day-s-nimrod-band-death-metal. Retrieved October 23, 2011. 
  16. ^ a b c "Rolling Stone review". http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/nimrod-19971020. 
  17. ^ a b Masuo, Sandy (October 12, 1997). "Cool Tunes, for a Bunch of Punks : GREEN DAY "Nimrod" Reprise". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). http://articles.latimes.com/1997/oct/12/entertainment/ca-41846. Retrieved May 11, 2012. 
  18. ^ a b Spitz, 2006, p. 70
  19. ^ a b Thompson, Stephen (March 29, 2002). "Green Day: Nimrod - Review". The A.V. Club. The Onion, Inc.. http://www.avclub.com/articles/green-day-nimrod,20832/. Retrieved May 18, 2012. 
  20. ^ Josephson, Isaac (October 24, 1997). "Green Day's "Nimrod" Charts At No. 10". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/green-days-nimrod-charts-at-no-10-19971024. Retrieved May 18, 2012. 
  21. ^ a b "Nimrod - Green Day: Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. http://www.billboard.com/#/album/green-day/nimrod/263711. Retrieved May 11, 2012. 
  22. ^ a b "Allmusic review". http://www.allmusic.com/album/r315299/review. 
  23. ^ "Robert Christgau review". http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=green+day. 
  24. ^ "Entertainment Weekly review". 1997-10-17. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,289864,00.html. 
  25. ^ "Pitchfork Media review". Archived from the original on 2008-01-07. http://web.archive.org/web/20080107054444/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/18207-nimrod. 
  26. ^ Carlin, Peter (November 3, 1997). "Picks and Pans Review: Nimrod". People. Time, Inc.. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20123599,00.html. Retrieved May 13, 2012. 
  27. ^ Spitz, 2006, p. 133
  28. ^ a b c Spitz, 2006, p. 134
  29. ^ Chavez, Marina (May 27, 2010). "Billie Joe Armstrong, From Green Day To Broadway". National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/2010/05/27/126395459/billie-joe-armstrong-from-green-day-to-broadway. Retrieved May 20, 2012. 
  30. ^ a b c d e Nimrod liner notes. Retrieved 2011-10-13
  31. ^ Austria Top 40 – Alben Top 75 15.04.2011 – austriancharts.at
  32. ^ Argentine – Top Album Chart
  33. ^ Canadian Albums | Billboard.com
  34. ^ Danish charts portal – danishcharts.com
  35. ^ a b c Green Day – Awesome As F**k – Music Charts
  36. ^ Finnish charts portal – finnishcharts.com
  37. ^ Disque en France
  38. ^ Top 75 COMBINED REPERTOIRE (ALBUMS) – Ελληνικο Chart
  39. ^ "MAHASZ – Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége". mahasz.hu. http://www.mahasz.hu/?menu=slagerlistak&menu2=archivum&lista=top40&ev=2011&het=12&submit_=Keres%E9s. Retrieved 2011-03-31. 
  40. ^ FIMI – Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana – Classifiche
  41. ^ Green Day - Awesome as F**k - Oricon Style
  42. ^ OLIS – Official Retail Sales Chart
  43. ^ Portuguese charts portal
  44. ^ Scottish Albums Chart
  45. ^ Promusicae
  46. ^ Swedish Charts – ALBUMS TOP 60 2011-04-08 – swedishcharts.com
  47. ^ Schweitzer Hitparade – Alben TOP 100 17.04.2011 – hitparade.ch
  48. ^ TOP 40 OFFICIAL UK ALBUMS ARCHIVE – Archive Chart
  49. ^ a b TOP 40 ROCK & METAL ALBUMS ARCHIVE
  50. ^ Top Rock Music, Rock Music Albums & Rock Music Artists Charts | Billboard.com
  51. ^ Alternative Albums | Billboard.com
  52. ^ Digital Albums | Billboard.com
  53. ^ Tastemaker Albums | Billboard.com

Bibliography

  • Spitz, Marc. (2006) Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day. Hyperion. ISBN 978-1401309121.
Green Day
Studio albums
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Compilation albums
EPs
Video albums
Singles
Tours
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