Last time we saw Green Day they were playing to a packed house in Sheffield having just played their biggest ever headline show in the UK when they headlined Hyde Park in London hours earlier. It’s hard to believe then that this is the same bunch of spotty oiks that, over twenty-odd years ago, were struggling away playing in the grotty venues on the housing estates of places like Wigan. Well, fundamentally it is the same band however, as this new compilation demonstrates, musically, the two bands are worlds apart.
Like most bands who have enjoyed a career as long-lasting as Billie-Joe and his mates have, there are always going to be a few ups and downs but, looking down the set list for Greatest Hits: Gods Favourite Band, it’s impossible to deny that for every duff track, Green Day have ten absolute belters in their armoury and this twenty-two track package certainly has the best of them. From classics like Basket Case and When I Come Around, staples of any indie student night back in the day, through the gargantuan ballads When September Ends and Boulevard Of Broken Dreams to the antagonstic snot rock of American Idiot and Know Your Enemy, there isn’t one moment of this collection that doesn’t already feature on one of millions of Spotify playlists all over the world.
It seems like overnight Green Day became the biggest rock band on the planet and this compilation shows why. They went from snotty punk rockers to fully-fledged arena superstars loved by everyone and their mums. If you’re a fan of the band (of any era), there is something on here that will take you right back to why you fell in love with them in the first place.
Rating: 8/10
