Many artists use one of the names of their tracks as their album name however I thought that coming up with a new one would be better.
A random idea I thought up was using every letter of the alphabet to come up with different words that portray the same feeling as the track names. I think using one word as the title will be more effective as it means it will stand out and make it more memorable.
A-alone
B-broken
C-closer
D-dead
E-erased
F-found
G-ghost
H-hated
I-inside
J-juxtaposed
K-kindless
L-lost
M-misused
N-nothing
O-open
P-peace
Q-quitter
R-reselected
S-saved
T-tired
U-undone
V-violent
W-waiting
I thought this was a good idea as it allowed me to explore the different words that come with the different letters.
My favourite word for the title of my album is 'alone' as I feel it represents the names of all of the tracks well, but also gives the same emotion as 'wasting away' which is the song in my music video.
I also took a look at existing pop-punk albums to see what they where called.
I then researched what the albums where about to see whether or not the album name linked with the song meanings.
American Idiot- Green Day
This album is, as described by the band, a punk rock opera. Clocking in at about one hour, and containing two nine-plus minute songs, American Idiot certainly is ambitious for a band who hasn't seen major, multi-platinum success since the release of their major record label debut, Dookie.
Now, I will take you in-depth, reviewing the album song-by-song, and describing the "story" created by the album.
American Idiot
The song's title track is just under three minutes long, and serves as a very good introduction to the album. It seems to show a group that is fed-up with modern life, and are sick of a nation run by the media and hysteria. They shout, We are not the ones who're meant to follow and everything isn't meant to be okay. The underlying meaning and implications of this track are masked by a catchy guitar chord progression and lyrics, but still is a fun track.
Jesus of Suburbia
This track is the first of two longer tracks on the album, at 9:08. This song introduces the titular Jesus of Suburbia, a kind of anti-hero created by Green Day's frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong. He lives on a steady diet of soda pop and Ritalin and may be the singular manifestation of the voices in the preceding track. He feels that the world is a land of make-believe, that don't believe in [him].
This song is split up into 5 sections: Jesus of Suburbia, City of the Damned, I Don't Care, Dearly Beloved, and Tales From Another Broken Home. Each smaller part of the whole song describes part of Jesus of Suburbia's life. City of the Damned describes the town that he lives in, a place that he calls the city of the dead and the city of the damned. He also claims, no one seems to care about anything in the city.
In I Don't Care, the Jesus of Suburbia seems to finally lash out with his anger, repeatedly exclaiming, I don't care if you don't, I don't care if you don't, I don't care if you don't care, and then seemingly makes a call to arms to the other jaded youths of the world, screaming, we are the kids of war and peace, from Anaheim to the Middle East, we are the stories and disciples of, the Jesus of Suburbia!
In Dearly Beloved, Jesus's call has been answered and we hear from the new followers who say nobody's perfect and [they] stand accused, for a lack of a better word, and that's [their] best excuse. At the end of the song, during Tales From Another Broken Home, Jesus of Suburbia and his followers decide to get out of the town and leave to, what is only referred to as, The City. They proclaim that they don't have any shame, [they] won't apologize.
Holiday
This track sees Jesus and his followers arrive in the City. They, seemingly having only known suburbian, small-town life, are amazed by the sights in the city. They shout, This is the dawning of the rest of [their] lives, on Holiday! There is a spoken interlude, which is a fairly obvious attack on the government of the US, seemingly regarding then-President George Bush's invasion of Iraq.
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
This track, one of my favorites on the album, sees Jesus of Suburbia, after the novelty of the City wears off, being abandoned by his followers and lamenting about being alone. He says, My shadow's the only one that walks beside me, my shallow heart's the only thing that's beating. Green Day's frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has said, "If Holiday is the party, then this song is the resulting hangover." (Fun fact: the song's music video won the 2005 VMA for Video of the Year.)
Are We the Waiting
Another excellent song on the album, Are We the Waiting seems to me to be a slight continuation of the preceding track. In this song, the Jesus of Suburbia wonders about his future, and wonders why he seems to be waiting to live life. He believes that the Jesus of Suburbia is a lie and repeatedly is screaming, 'Are we? We are the waiting.
St. Jimmy
This song introduces the next major character of the album, St. Jimmy. St. Jimmy is a "punk freedom-fighter", as described by Armstrong. St. Jimmy has grown up in the city, and says that he is product of war and fear that we've been victimized. He also claims to be the patron saint of denial, with an angel face and a taste for suicidal. Jesus of Suburbia is fascinated by the new person in his life.
Give Me Novocaine
In this track, another favorite of mine, we learn that St. Jimmy is a drug dealer after he tries to sell Novocaine to the Jesus of Suburbia. In this song, Jesus of Suburbia also describes the escape that he feels in the City and with Jimmy, as he takes drugs for the first time. The melody of this song has the feeling of being high on drugs, which are again what the song is about.
She's a Rebel
This track is the introduction of Whatsername, another resident of the city. Whatsername is described by Armstrong as "St. Jimmy's nemesis in a lot of ways." She is a vigilante, missing link on the brink of destruction. Jesus of Suburbia asks, Is she trouble like I'm trouble? It is a love-at-first-sight reaction that Whatsername is implied to not share. Again, not one of my favorite tracks on the album, but it's still a good song. St. Jimmy doesn't like Whastsername, and actively tries to convince Jesus that she isn't good for him.
Extraordinary Girl
This song describes what is going on in Whatsername's head. She is insecure and doesn't like what she knows is there. She sees the mirror of herself, an image she wants to sell, to anyone willing to buy. The Jesus of Suburbia steals the image in her kiss, from her heart's apocolypse. And as Whatsername is all alone again, wiping the tears from her eyes, Jesus feels like dying, and she get sick of crying.
Letterbomb
In this fast-paced, loud song, Whatsername lashes out against Jesus of Suburbia and his love. She tauntingly sings, nobody likes you, everyone left you, they're all out without you, having fun! In the lyric booklet for the album, this song is drawn as a literal letter, while within the album's story, it is metaphoric. Then she screams you'd better run for your f**king life! and It's not over before it's too late, there is nothing left to analyze! She also says, you're not the Jesus of Suburbia, the St. Jimmy is a figment of, your father's rage and your mother's love, made me the idiot America!
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Armstrong wrote this song about his father, who passed away when Armstrong was 10, in 1982. The song, in some continuities of the album, is dated September 10th, which was the date of Billie Joe Armstrong's father's death. In this song, the Jesus of Suburbia is mourning the loss of Whatsername, and realizing that his broken home life has made him into this: a madman. In this song, he also finally comes to comprehend what Whatsername meant, and that St. Jimmy is just a manifestation of Jesus's rage.
Homecoming
This is the album's longest track, (clocking in at 9:16), is my personal favorite, and is split into six different subtracks: Homecoming, The Death of St. Jimmy, East 12th Street, Nobody Likes You, Rock and Roll Girlfriend, and We're Coming Home Again. In The Death of St. Jimmy, Jesus of Suburbia kills off his alter-ego, which manifests itself as Jimmy [blowing] his brains out into the bay.
In East 12th Street, Jesus of Suburbia tries to get a real job and lead a normal relationship, but it doesn't work out so well. He's in his own world and he's daydreaming and would rather be doing something else now, like cigarettes and coffee with the underbelly, and his unnamed girlfriend leaves, saying she had enough and he had plenty.
Nobody Likes You is Jesus being taunted by Whatsername's last words to him, nobody likes you, everyone left you, they're all out without you, having fun. He realizes that Whatsername was right, that he is all alone. (To me, this part brings back the memory of Boulevard of Broken Dreams)
Rock and Roll Girlfriend is the thought of an idyllic life that Jesus of Suburbia is wishing for: he is clean, he has a girlfriend and a few kids, and he's in a band. Jesus longs for this simple lifestyle, and to leave the City and the memories it's held for him.
We're Coming Home Again sees Jesus of Suburbia leaving the City and returning home, proclaiming Home, we're coming home again over and over again.
Whatsername
In the album's closing track, Jesus of Suburbia wonders about Whatsername and what has become of her. He references their relationship's poor ending, saying I made a point to burn all of the photographs, she went away and then I took a different path, and then realizes that he didn't know her all that well, reminding himself I remember the face but I can't recall the name, now I wonder how Whatsername has been.
He says, If my memory serves me right, I'll never turn back time, forgetting you but not the time. This is another excellent track.
The meaning behind the tracks and albums is portrayed in the album name because one of the songs is called american idiot, therefore people listening to the song will know what that is about, and then transfer those emotions into the rest of the album.
Take off your pants and jacket- Blink 182
Take Off Your Pants and Jacket is the fourth studio album by the American pop punk band Blink-182. Produced by Jerry Finn, the album was released on June 12, 2001, through MCA Records. The band had spent much of the previous year traveling and supporting the album Enema of the State(1999), which launched the band's mainstream career. The title is a tongue-in-cheek pun on male masturbation ("take off your pants and jack it"). The cover art has icons for each member of the trio: an airplane ("take off"), a pair of pants and a jacket. Several different editions were released with additional bonus tracks.
The album was primarily recorded over three months at Signature Sound in San Diego. During the sessions, MCA executives pressured the band to retain the sound that helped their previous album sell millions. As such, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket continues the pop punk sound that the group honed and made famous, albeit with a heavier tone inspired by groups such as Fugazi and Refused. Regarding lyrics, the album has been referred to as a concept album chronicling adolescence, with songs dedicated to first dates, fighting authority and teenage parties. Due to differing opinions on direction, the trio worked in opposition to one another for the first time, and the sessions sometimes became contentious.
The album had near-immediate success, becoming the first punk rock-identified record to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 and being certified double platinum within three weeks. The album produced three hit singles — "The Rock Show", "First Date" and "Stay Together for the Kids" — that were top ten hits on modern rock charts. Critical impressions of the record were generally positive, commending the record's expansion on teenage themes; others viewed this as its weakness. To support the record, the band co-headlined the Pop Disaster Tour with Green Day. A European tour was canceled in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Take Off Your Pants and Jacket has sold over 14 million copies worldwide.
Blink 182 are known for being typical american punks and I think this is portrayed in the album name because of where it originated from.
Americana- The Offspring
Americana is the fifth studio album by the American punk rock band The Offspring, released on November 17, 1998 (see 1998 in music). Following a worldwide tour in support of its previous album, Ixnay on the Hombre (1997), The Offspring commenced work on a new album. The music on the album marked a change, expanding their sound and exploring more pop punk elements.
Americana was a major commercial success, debuting at number six on the Billboard 200 with around 175,000 copies sold in its first week and peaking at number two for two nonconsecutive weeks, spending 22 nonconsecutive weeks in the top 10, becoming the Offspring's highest ever chart position. It is the band's second best selling album to their 1994 breakout Smash. Americana has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, with over 9 million copies certified, while achieving 5x platinum status alone in the United States for 5 million copies shipped.
The album contains the hit singles "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)", "Why Don't You Get a Job?" and "The Kids Aren't Alright" being the band's 3 biggest hits to date all crossing over from mainstream rock and alternative rock radio to Top 40 pop radio stations and sharing the similar success to the singles from Smash. "She's Got Issues" was the last single from the album and it only received some moderate success and it was not as popular or successful as its 3 prior hit singles. The singles (except "She's Got Issues") were included on the band's Greatest Hits compilation. The CD version of the album also includes the music video for "The Meaning Of Life", a song from their 1997 album Ixnay On the Hombre, playable on DVD ROM. Americana was nominated for the 1999 MTV Europe Music Awards for "Best Album", but lost to Boyzone's By Request. The Offspring supported the album with a worldwide tour and appeared at the infamous Woodstock 1999, where their performance was broadcast live on pay-per-view television. The band will play Americana in its entirety for the first time in 2015, at Anmesia Rock Fest.[5] It is also the last Offspring album to contain a hidden track.
