Green Day’s “American Idiot” album — undoubtedly the rawk critics will end up considering a “seminal album of the oughts”, permanently placed on various rock-and-roll listings of such things 40 slots after Led Zeppelin IV– has four singles released from its tracks.

Two of the songs are political: “American Idiot” and “Holiday”. Two of them aren’t “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Wake Me Up When September Ends”.

But looking at the videos… the only video that is political in nature is “Wake Me Up When September Ends”. The band managed to sort of de-politicize to the greatest extent possible “American Idiot” and “Holiday”. And, by adding a few minutes of a sappy little story to stick “Wake Me Up When September Ends”, they turned the song into an anti-recruitment video. (Found here.

Perhaps that effect is a result of the re-election of Bush and the meaning of the War in Iraq. I don’t know.

Anyway… The Decembrists’ 16 Military Wives is found here.

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