HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Nimrod – Green Day

Whenever anyone hears the name GREEN DAY, they automatically think of the song American Idiot from the infamous 2004 album of the same name. However, if you’ve ever been to a graduation or wedding, then you will have have inevitably heard Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) from Nimrod (1997).

Whilst American Idiot is the album most of the general public know, Nimrod is noted for its experimentation. Whether that was the ska influence of King For A Day or the punk of Platypus, this album showed GREEN DAY were open to experiment. On the other hand, this experimentation could have been a reaction to their stardom. During 1996’s Insomniac tour, it was reported the band did not like leaving their family behind for long lengths of time. Eventually, they cancelled their late 1996 tour, and ended up writing new songs. These new songs would eventually form Nimrod.

The album itself covers different genres over 18 songs. Whilst it is the opening song on the album, Nice Guys Finish Last was actually the last single to be released. It is a simple opener, which shows off the talents of all three members; however, Tré Cool‘s drums are spectacular in the song.

Hitchin’ A Ride shows the first signs that something is different about this album as it starts off with a violin before descending into a thumping bass played by Mike Dirnt. Vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong delivers an almost spoken performance of the lyrics, which are very reminiscent of the 1994 single Parklife by BLUR. Hitchin’ A Ride is also notable because it was Nimrod‘s first single. When listening to it, you can see why; it sounds like a typical GREEN DAY song whilst also hinting at something exciting. It was a smart move to release it first; it gives the audience what they want whilst also testing the waters.

However, it wasn’t the song that would explode in popularity. That would be Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life). The song is the 17th on Nimrod and is a gentle acoustic song. You can see its universal appeal when listening to the lyrics; talking about a ‘fork in the road‘, the song has a multiple generational appeal, whether you are starting a new job or getting married. The violins really add to the simplicity. You can see why it is played at multiple graduations, weddings and proms. There also is the almost tongue-in-cheek humour about playing the song at the very end of GREEN DAY‘s live shows as there is no doubt that the audience have indeed had the time of their lives.

Whilst not all the songs hit the right notes on Nimrod, there is something impressively cohesive about an album that broadens its horizons. The album did moderately well upon release; it reached number 11 on the UK Album Charts when it was released. It also received moderately positive reviews from critics, with Pitchfork giving it a 7/20, and Rolling Stone giving it a 3.5/5.

However, nowadays, when looking back on GREEN DAY‘s album history, it is usually well regarded. Kerrang! listed it as number four on their ranking of every GREEN DAY album ever released, whereas Louder ranked it at number six. Therefore, it is easy to see that the public viewpoint of Nimrod has changed over the years.

However, when seeing the band’s live setlists over the years, they have played less and less songs from Nimrod. For example, on their most recent Hella Mega tour, GREEN DAY only played three songs from Nimrod; King For A Day, Hitchin’ A Ride, and Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life). On the other hand, they played six songs from American Idiot. Of course, that is understandable as American Idiot is an important album for the band.

However, it does also show that Nimrod doesn’t seem to get a look in the door sometimes. Whilst the three songs that are played live are very good songs – and there is no doubt that they are popular – there are also some hidden gems on the album. For example, Uptight is a fast-paced punk song that would fit in well with any of their live shows.

Unfortunately, there are songs like Last Ride In, which is an interlude that runs on for over three minutes. The song itself is not bad; it is a gentle instrumental song. However, with 18 songs on the album, it does sometimes feel overstuffed. This is a shame because there are some extremely enjoyable songs on the album. However, whilst they are not all mind-blowing, it is interesting to see this often over-looked album in GREEN DAY‘s ever-expanding catalogue.

Overall, Nimrod was an important album for GREEN DAY in many ways. It might not have been as commercially successful as their major label debut Dookie (1994), but it did release one of their most popular songs to date. Furthermore, it showed that they were not afraid to experiment with their sound; even though not all the songs hit the right notes, there is genuine care that has been taken to make sure that the album sounds coherent. Furthermore, it also keeps that raw sound that GREEN DAY were known for. Even though it has been somewhat overshadowed over the years due to the success of American Idiot, Nimrod is still an essential album in the GREEN DAY catalogue.

Nimrod was originally released on October 14th 1997 via Reprise Records.

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