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Father of All Motherfuckers

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"Father of All..." redirects here. For the album's title track, see Father of All... (song).
Father of All Motherfuckers
Standard edition album cover. The limited edition uses the same artwork, but lacks the unicorn, uncensoring the word "motherfuckers".
Studio album by
Green Day
ReleasedFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
RecordedJune–September 2019
Genre
Length26:12
LabelReprise
Producer
Green Day chronology
Woodstock 1994
(2019) 		Father of All Motherfuckers
(2020) 		BBC Sessions
(2021)
Singles from Father of All Motherfuckers
  1. "Father of All..."
    Released: September 10, 2019
  2. "Fire, Ready, Aim"
    Released: October 9, 2019
  3. "Oh Yeah!"
    Released: January 16, 2020

Father of All Motherfuckers (also known by the censored title Father of All... or Father of All M***********s) is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on February 7, 2020, through Reprise Records.[1][2] Produced by Butch Walker, Chris Dugan, and the band, the album marks a complete departure from the band's traditional punk rock sound,[3][4][5] incorporating garage rock elements similar to their tenth studio album, ¡Dos! (2012).

The album was preceded by three singles: "Father of All...", "Fire, Ready, Aim" and "Oh Yeah!". It debuted atop the UK Albums Chart and Australian ARIA Albums Chart, among others. Despite chart success, the album received polarizing reviews from critics and negative reviews from the band's fanbase,[6] with praise for the album's brisk pace and energy, but criticism for its lyrics and runtime.

Background

[edit]

On December 9, 2018, lead vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong revealed that he was writing new songs for an upcoming Green Day album.[7] As recording sessions for the album took place, the band had recorded sixteen songs. However, the band found it difficult to string together all 16 tracks, so they narrowed it down to the ten tracks they felt were the best to make the final cut.

According to Armstrong, the band wanted to make a "sort of old-timey rock 'n' roll record that traces the history of rock 'n' roll". He stated that the album was inspired by glam rock acts such as "T. Rex or Mott the Hoople, to Martha and the Vandellas, and also some garage rock." "'Father of All...' feels like it's somewhere in between Prince and MC5," Armstrong said.[8]

Composition

[edit]

According to lead vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong, the album is "The New! Soul, Motown, glam and manic anthemic. Punks, freaks and punishers!" He would also state that the lyrics are about "the life AND death of the party" and the "lifestyle of not giving a fuck."[9] Writers have described the sound of Father of All Motherfuckers as garage rock,[10] alternative rock,[11] garage punk,[10] pop rock,[12] and pop punk.[13] With a running time of 26 minutes and 12 seconds, it is Green Day's shortest album to date.

Packaging

[edit]

The cover features a repurposed version of the cover art from their 2004 album American Idiot. Armstrong wrote the full album title on the arm, but obscured the word "motherfuckers" with a drawing of a unicorn. The limited edition version of the album uses an uncensored version that lacks the unicorn.[14]

Singles and promotion

[edit]

The album's lead single and title track, "Father of All...", was released on September 10, 2019.[15] A music video was released on September 19.[16] "Fire, Ready, Aim", was released on October 9 as the official opening theme song for the National Hockey League and NBCSN's Wednesday Night Hockey television broadcasts and as the album's second single.[17][18] NBCSN also uses "Father of All...", usually during highlights from previous games for the two teams playing on Wednesday Night Hockey.

The album's third single,[19] "Oh Yeah!", was released on January 16, 2020, along with a music video.[20] The song takes its title and samples the chorus from Joan Jett's cover of "Do You Wanna Touch Me", originally sung by Gary Glitter. Acknowledging the latter's sexual abuse history and multiple convictions, the band mentioned they would donate their royalties from the sales of "Oh Yeah!" to International Justice Mission and Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.[21] The song was used as one of the official theme songs for the 2020 edition of the WWE PPV, Backlash.

At the same time as the album's release on digital platforms, a music video for the song "Meet Me on the Roof" was released, featuring Gaten Matarazzo as a guest star.[22]

To promote the album, the band announced the Hella Mega Tour with Fall Out Boy and Weezer.[23] Initially planned for March 2020, the tour began on July 24, 2021, following the cancellation of shows in Asia and Oceania, and delays to the North American and European dates due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[24][25][26][27]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?5.9/10[28]
Metacritic68/100[29]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[30]
Clash7/10[31]
DIY[32]
Entertainment WeeklyC−[4]
The Independent[33]
Kerrang![5]
Pitchfork6.7/10[34]
PopMatters5/10[35]
Rolling Stone[36]
The Telegraph[37]

Father of All Motherfuckers received polarizing but mostly positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average critic score of 68 out of 100, which indicates "generally favorable reviews" based on 25 reviews.[29] In 2022, Loudwire published that Father of All Motherfuckers was the highest-ranked rock album on a list of the worst albums of the 21st century, based on the Metacritic user score of 4.8 out of 10 and a study of the harshness of language used in negative and mixed critical reviews.[38]

Kerrang! magazine rated the album four out of five stars, saying, "Father of All Motherfuckers is just another sign of a band who have always done things their way refusing to do what's expected of them. And it's a hella mega good time from start to finish".[5] Reviewing for Rolling Stone, critic Jon Dolan also gave album four out of five stars, naming it one of Green Day's most fun albums, and writing, "Father of All... is a bountiful act of recovered rock memory, an effortlessly affirming argument that the first mosh pit or car radio contact high you get when you’re 13 years old can be enough to sustain you long into life.[36]

Comparing it to their previous work, Q magazine said, "By its very nature, Father of All... is slight compared to a sprawling magnum opus such as 2009's 21st Century Breakdown, but it's close to impossible to emerge from its rapid-fire near-half-hour without a smile on your face."[39] Conversely, Entertainment Weekly gave the album a middling "C−", saying, "At its best, [Father of All] might be the dance party we need, but it's not the one we want."[4]

However, several critics described Father of All... as among the worst Green Day has produced; Sputnikmusic gave the album a 1.5 out of 5 rating, calling the album "a hot mess that destroys any hope that Green Day could re-emerge as a band worth listening to."[3] Ross Horton of musicOMH awarded it one out of five stars, calling it a disaster and pointing out that it is not a noble failure.[40] MusicOMH, in a 1-star review, criticized the use of the Glitter sample, while stating they "become the very thing they once despised: buck-chasin’ mild boys of mayonnaise corporate rock".[41]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Father of All Motherfuckers debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 with 48,000 album-equivalent units, including 42,000 pure album sales. It is Green Day's 11th US top-10 album.[42]

Track listing

[edit]
Track listing for Father of All Motherfuckers
No.TitleLength
1."Father of All..."2:31
2."Fire, Ready, Aim"1:52
3."Oh Yeah!"2:51
4."Meet Me on the Roof"2:39
5."I Was a Teenage Teenager"3:44
6."Stab You in the Heart"2:10
7."Sugar Youth"1:54
8."Junkies on a High"3:06
9."Take the Money and Crawl"2:08
10."Graffitia"3:17
Total length:26:12
Japanese edition bonus track[43]
No.TitleLength
11."Bang Bang" (live from the Whisky)3:52
Total length:30:09
Notes

Personnel

[edit]

Green Day

[edit]

Production

[edit]
  • Butch Walker – production, engineering
  • Chris Dugan – production, mixing, engineering
  • Todd Stopera – assistant engineering
  • Tchad Blake – mixing
  • Elin B. – mixing assistant
  • Brian Lucey – mastering
  • Nathaniel Mela – drum tech
  • Andrew Hans Buscher – guitar tech

Artwork

[edit]
  • Chris Bilheimer – design
  • Pamela Littky – photography

Charts

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Green Day Announce New Album, Father Of All…, And Stream Title-Track". Kerrang!. September 10, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  2. ^ Trendell, Andrew (September 10, 2019). "Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer all drop new songs as they announce joint tour". NME. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Sowing (February 9, 2020). "Review: Green Day - Father of All Motherfuckers". Sputnikmusic.
  4. ^ a b c Weingarten, Christopher R. (February 6, 2020). "Green Day's Father of All... plays like a copy of a copy". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Carter, Emily (February 5, 2020). "Green Day - Father of All... Review". Kerrang!. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  6. ^ Lotter, Judah (February 14, 2020). "Green Day album 'Father of All...' skewered online, fans call it the band's worst possible release yet". Meaww.com. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  7. ^ "Billie Joe Armstrong Confirms He's Writing New Green Day Songs". Kerrang!. December 9, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  8. ^ Ryan, Patrick (February 6, 2020). "Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong on new album, F-bombs, why Grammys are 'like a bad prom'". USA Today. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  9. ^ Daley, Rhian (September 13, 2019). "Green Day's 2020 album 'Father Of All...' – tracklist, release date, artwork, and everything we know so far". NME. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  10. ^ a b Garro, Adrian (February 6, 2020). "Green Day: Still Full of 'Piss and Vinegar' on New Album 'Father of All ... ' - They Just Want You to Dance a Little Bit, Too (Review)". Rock Cellar Magazine. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  11. ^ Latham, Greg (February 6, 2020). "Green Day - Father Of All Motherfuckers". Rock Sins. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  12. ^ "Green Day - Father of All.."". Album of the Year. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  13. ^ Beaumont, Mark (February 6, 2020). "Green Day have made a college jock party record and it's the best thing they've done in years". Louder Sound. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
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  15. ^ Minsker, Evan (September 10, 2019). "Green Day Announce New Album, Share New Song "Father of All...": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  16. ^ Legaspi, Althea (September 19, 2019). "Green Day's New 'Father of All...' Video: Watch". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
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  24. ^ Legaspi, Althea (February 28, 2020). "Green Day Postpone Asia Tour Dates Due to Coronavirus Concerns". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  25. ^ Richards, Will (April 22, 2020). "Pete Wentz gives update on Hella Mega Tour with Green Day and Weezer". NME.
  26. ^ Munro, Scott (May 20, 2020). "Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer postpone the 2020 Hella Mega tour". Louder Sound.
  27. ^ "Green Day, Fall Out Boy & Weezer Kick off Hella Mega Tour: See Setlist & Photos/Videos". July 26, 2021.
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  29. ^ a b "Father of All Motherfuckers by Green Day Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  30. ^ Thomas, Fred. "Father of All... – Green Day". AllMusic. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  31. ^ Roseblade, Nick (February 5, 2020). "Green Day - Father Of All..." Clash. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  32. ^ Jamieson, Sarah (February 5, 2020). "Green Day - Father Of All..." DIY. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
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  35. ^ Blum, Jordan (February 5, 2020). "Green Day Struggle to Survive on 'Father of All'". PopMatters. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  36. ^ a b Dolan, Jon (February 7, 2020). "Green Day Channel Classic Sounds They Love on 'Father of All…'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
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  39. ^ Perry, Andrew (March 2020). "Let the Good Times Roll". Q. p. 112.
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