During the four-year span between Warning and American Idiot, Green Day eased the wait for their fans by releasing two compilations. The casual fans got a best-of disc called International Superhits, and those who didn't need a hits collection got a b-sides album called Shenanigans. While not quite achieving the high level of a Green Day album, Shenanigans is still a fun disc that gives fans even more enjoyably catchy punk rock from this trio.
Fortunately, Green Day didn't make the mistake a lot of bands make and bog down the album with demo versions of previously released songs. Those are interesting once and then usually not so much after that. By sticking only to songs we've never heard (unless you own the singles), Shenanigans is an album that lends itself to repeated full listens and even feels like a separate album rather than a throwaway collection.
Most songs found on Shenanigans would fit comfortably on other Green Day albums. Tracks like "Suffocate" wouldn't have been out of place elsewhere since most of them go for the standard sound of fast but catchy and are delivered with plenty of attitude. Maybe they wouldn't have been huge hits, but they certainly would have enhanced the albums rather than drag them down. Don't expect any "Jesus of Suburbia"-length numbers; Shenanigans' tracks are quick and to the point, rarely reaching the three-minute mark. However, even most of the sub-two-minute ones such as "Scumbag" and "Don't Wanna Fall In Love" feel complete rather than unfinished and tacked on.
Shenanigans contains several covers that fit in nicely with the originals, as Green Day effectively blends older styles with their own modern punk sound. "Outsider" retains all the fast, fun pop-punkiness of the Ramones but with the unmistakable Green Day edge. The same can be said for their versions of Fang's "I Want to Be On T.V." and the Kinks' slower-paced hit "Tired of Waiting For You." They also toss in a cool instrumental piece called "Espionage," which pays homage to '60s spy movie music. Even some of their originals such as "You Lied" have a touch of a '50s/'60s vibe mixed in with the more modern style.
They save the best for last with the brand new, Mike Dirnt-penned track "Ha Ha You're Dead." The song is just as amusingly bitter as its title suggests, as Armstrong revels in the demise of an enemy ("When your ship is going down / I'll go out and paint the town"). The song is catchy as hell, and even those who might feel a little bad about the mean sentiments won't be able to deny the big, addictive refrain.
Shenanigans may not be a classic on par with American Idiot or Dookie, but it's great for what it is. Most b-sides albums feel like throwaway collections or at best something for die-hards only. Shenanigans feels like a decent Green Day album and is worth repeated listens for hardcore and casual fans alike.
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