Customer Reviews

Green Days of Christmas: Holiday Tribute to Green

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The theory behind this CD series (also focusing on Metallica, AC/DC and others) is that you can take a hard-rockin' band's signature music and give it a little holiday makeover for all the good boys and girls to enjoy under der Tannenbaum. But the execution is a schmaltzy, sappy reinterpretation of songs including "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "Welcome to Paradise," "Jesus of Suburbia" and "Warning" into something you wouldn't even find playing in the lobby of the Hotel Ennui in Dullsville, N.J. Oh, and then they add metronomic jingle bells in the background for that extra holiday oomph.

... Sorry, I'm afraid I started to nod off. I gotta go find something peppier to liven things up -- maybe a little Neil Sedaka or Karen Carpenter would do the trick.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(net) editor

It says "you'll be singing about the Green Days of Christmas" on the product description, but be warned, there are no vocals on this cd. This is basically a cd of Green Day songs recorded with a Christmas sound. Most of the rhythym is provided by sleigh bells, and the vocal melodies have been replaced by chimes and flutes. While they claim these songs would "make Irving Berlin blush," there is really nothing edgy about these arrangements. The only guitars in this album are muted in the background, and the drumming is limited mostly to large orchestral drums. Overall it's not a bad cd, and in some ways it really helps bring out the quality of Green Day's melodies. However, the song selection is so/so and the tempos don't change much from song to song. It's an okay listen, and you can always sing along if you know the words, but after a while this album gets kind of boring and it doesn't really have the feel of a Christmas album.

I thought this was going to be really lame, but it's not at all. It doesn't sound cheesy like I thought it would. This one isn't quite as good as the Metallica version, but it's still really well done. If you're looking for good background Christmas music, something without lyrics, or just a change from the standard, I highly recommend this album.

Having heard about this through a friend, I had to give this a try. I figure that at the worst it would be something to laugh about & at the best, this would be one of the better types of muzak. Let's face it- any version of a song that isn't done by an orchestra or sung along to is muzak, or at least this CD is.

All that aside, I wasn't entirely dissapointed by this cd. It's cute, but it's not really anything to write home about. The songs just lack the edge that made the songs great in the first place & like one other review said, it's a good cure for insomnia.

Bottom line? This just isn't Christmasy. It takes more than a few bells, flutes & a slowed down beat to make a song seem more holiday-ish. I'd recommend that the average buyer listen to the free samples & then just pick which songs they liked the best. Honestly though? I'd skip this & go for a true alternative Christmas album like "Maybe this Christmas".

I really am enjoying this! OK. It's not a Green Day album, so don't expect that, BUT if you have settings where you'd enjoy the music and can even sing along it's great. For example, I work in a home office and Dookie is a little strong for some activities. This I can play and get a kick out of. Think background music when family (adults) are over. It's also fun to see the look of recognition go on when others recognize a tune and ask... "Isn't that...?"

So if you want the original, listen to the original... but if a blend of two genres works for you sometimes, go for it.