I'm not a huge Green Day fan, but their 2004 magnum opus American Idiot was undeniably brilliant, and while their 2009 follow-up 21st Century Breakdown was not as groundbreaking, it held together quite well on its own right. I had that American Idiot was adapted into a Broadway musical, but my interest wasn't piqued until I heard that the stunning "21 Guns" (off 21st Century Breakdown) was also given the theatrical treatment. My curiosity sufficiently stoked, I decided to check American Idiot - Original Broadway Cast Recording out, and came away very sufficiently impressed.

I was expecting a by-the-numbers adaptation of Green Day's songs on this recording, but what surprised me was the (occasionally) radical reworking the music received. "Are We The Waiting?", already one of my favorite cuts from American Idiot, benefits from a subtle string arrangement during the mournful verse and the powerful chorus. The soft piano arrangement of "Whatshername" works better than the simple guitar riffage of its counterpart on American Idiot, and the strings evoke a sense of wistfulness that the original couldn't. The best comes from "21 Guns", Rebecca Naomi Jones' voice taking the song to heights that Billie Joe Armstrong's nasal tone could only dream of, before the entire company comes in to send the song home. You hear "21 Guns", and you can tell the American Idiot musical was no token musical. Green Day wrote such good music on American Idiot, it translated across genres and styles, from punk rock to Broadway, where it was accepted with an open mind and a healthy dose of flair.

Accomplished as though the singers on this performance are - John Gallagher, Jr., who plays Johnny, won the 2007 Tony Award for Best Performance By A Featured Actor In A Musical - I can't help thinking that there's a bit of an American Idol slant to some of the vocals. That's not a slight to the singers in the company (or a note on the pun between the titles), but there was a charm to Green Day's "three guys jamming" approach that is lost with a full ensemble (plus violin, viola and cello). Fortunately, any perceived American Idol infestation doesn't last too long, because these performances are just so damn good. For the most part, that is - "Know Your Enemy" doesn't quite work . Billie Joe Armstrong's angry punk rage doesn't translate well to Broadway. I'd reserve the same criticism for "American Idiot", but it's really hard to argue with company trading vocal lines in the rising build before the climax of the song.

Because the music (primarily of American Idiot, but also 21st Century Breakdown) has so much going for it, the Broadway adaptation is both natural and inspired. With the plethora of vocal talent on offer, the core instrumentation (played by Green Day for this recording) take a back seat (another minor quibble, because some of the solos are altered), but it's there. Besides, if you want the original instrumentation, listen to the original. American Idiot - Original Broadway Cast Recording is a fun, creative, imaginative reinterpretation of two great albums by a band that, prior to 2004, probably didn't know Broadway from Boardwalk. 4.5/5