Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong reflects on the recording of the band's 2000 album Warning – and how he'd do things differently if he could.
Though Green Day are gearing up to release their 13th studio album in February, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has expressed that there's a record in the band's extensive discography that he'd like to re-record: 2000's Warning.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the vocalist and guitarist explained that he would want to record the full-length "more live", because he thinks that a song like Minority – which is a live staple in the band's set – is "a lot better" in concert than on the album.
"I’d like to go back and rerecord that album," he said. "It was right when Pro Tools started happening. I want to go back and just do everything more live, because I think Minority live is a lot better than it came out on the album. But that’s just one of those things that you think about too much."
Discussing the origins of Minority in particular, Billie Joe revealed: "After [1997 hit single Good Riddance] (Time Of Your Life), I started getting into playing more acoustic guitar, and I really wanted to have more for Warning. And there was also a lot of kind of bad pop-punk that was starting to happen, and I wanted to go against that genre. This felt like the next step. I had been getting into listening to more of the Kinks and the Who, who found a lot of power in an acoustic song, and used the guitar almost like a drum. Pinball Wizard is so percussive. I wrote this right before the election between George Bush and Al Gore. I started feeling the political wheels starting to turn toward conservatism a little bit. I think that song is sort of about declaring that you’re stepping out of the line, you’re not part of the sheep, and trying to find your own individualism. It felt like we were diving into something that was more conceptual for sure."
Discussing Warning with Kerrang! at the time, the frontman said that “There’s a sense of freedom about this record. I think we’ve gone to some places that we’ve never been before.”
What do you think? Would you like to hear a re-recorded Warning?
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Pick up this week's issue of Kerrang! to read our review of Green Day's new album Father Of All…, as well as a Q&A with the one and only Tré Cool about the record.
Catch Green Day live this summer with Fall Out Boy, Weezer and The Interrupters (U.S. only) on the Hella Mega Tour. Tickets are on sale now.
June
13 Paris, France, La Defense Arena,
14 Groningen, Netherlands, Stadspark
17 Antwerp, Belgium, Sportspaleis
21 Vienna, Austria, Ernst Happel Stadium
24 Glasgow, UK, Glasgow Green
26 London, UK, London Stadium
27 Huddersfield, UK, The John Smith’s Stadium
29 Dublin, Ireland, RDS Arena
July
17 Seattle, WA, T-Mobile Park
21 San Francisco, CA, Oracle Park
24 San Diego, CA, Petco Park
25 Los Angeles, CA, Dodger Stadium
28 Commerce City, CO, DICK’s Sporting Goods Park
31 Arlington, TX, Globe Life Field
August
1 Houston, TX Minute Maid Park
5 Miami, FL Hard Rock Stadium
6 Jacksonville, FL TIAA Bank Field
8 Atlanta, GA SunTrust Park
11 Minneapolis, MN Target Field
13 Chicago, IL Wrigley Field
15 Pittsburgh, PA PNC Park
16 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium
19 Detroit, MI Comerica Park
21 Washington, DC Nationals Park
22 New York, NY Citi Field
24 Toronto, ON Rogers Centre
27 Boston, MA Fenway Park
29 Philadelphia, PA Citizens Bank Park
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