The Network

[Harry Levin Solo]

Since I posted about the Foxboro Hottubs, who's actually Green Day, I'd like to do a post about their other band that they did in 2003 called The Network. They're kind of this weird synth punk type thing that sounds like it's been influenced by Devo. In fact, it was originally thought that The Network was Green Day and two members of Devo. Actually it isn't It's Green Day and members of their touring band: Jason Freese and Jason White (who was/is in two other great bands, Pinhead Gunpowder with Billie Joe Armstrong and The Influents). Anyway, I decided to post a few YouTube videos so you can hear this band:

Supermodel Robots
http://youtube.com/watch?v=flHCvVbTUyU

Teenagers From Mars (Misfits cover)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CMiAg1yQ86E

Transistors Gone Wild:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7nPtPWa5jGw

Hammer of the Gods
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jqud-cePqTc

Spike
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SMHd-zJJt3w

You'll notice there's two covers in there. Most notably the Misfits cover.

There was actually a big "feud" between the two bands. So if you can imagine a band getting into a feud with themselves, you can see why I find it so hysterical.

[fullhouseforever]

I can't say I had really heard of them before you posted either.  I listened to the cover and though I don't recognize I also don't mind it.  It doesn't like 2003 at any rate.

[Harry Levin Solo]

It's the more wackier thing Green Day have done. There's lots of speculation that The Network's album, Money Money 2020 is actually the stolen album that was supposed to be out in place of American Idiot. That album was called Cigarettes and Valentines. The band still has rough recordings of that record but the master tapes were said to be stolen. Some speculate that the theft of the master tapes was a cover story. They think that their label, Reprise rejected Cigarettes and Valentines so they put it out as the Network on Billie Joe's label Adeline.

Personally, I think Money Money 2020 and Cigarettes and Valentines are not one in the same. If I recall correctly, the band said that Cigarettes and Valentines was more along the lines of their 2000 album, Warning.

[fullhouseforever]

Lol, I think I had misread your original post.  I thought you said it wasn't Green Day at all.   My mistake.  I always did find the recording speculations of bands interesting.  If something is unreleased this is another curio as well.

[Harry Levin Solo]

Somehow I like Green Day with synthesizers and hope they try to incorporate some of that on an actual Green Day record. I think this person on another forum years ago was talking out of his/her butt he/she said Green Day once sayd they would cover all of Appetite for Destruction just to make good on their contractual agreement with Reprise.

[fullhouseforever]

What does covering Appetite For Destruction have to do with their contractual agreement (unless you mean they needed another album and didn't want to come up with new material)?

[Harry Levin Solo]

They needed another album. Usually the band loves to joke about things. In 1997 they said they were going to do a Green Day horror movie that they were going to do a concept album for. They even asked Gwen Stefani to star in it (she turned it down).

Turns out they were drunk.

[fullhouseforever]

Lol, well that reminds me of when the Stones were contractually obligated to their record company one more single.  What they did was make the subject matter so raunchy the company had to decline and went with a reissue.

[Harry Levin Solo]

Yeah it's like "you want a single? HERE'S your bloody single!" lol

[fullhouseforever]

Pretty much, lol.  Well the Beach Boys had a really tough time with that.  The record company would order a new studio album and they would get one (in the case of the late 60's and early 70's, it was some of their best work).  Yet, it was not up to executive's expectations and they had to go back into the studio.  They had the ability to send in whatever they want, but the company had to accept it.  Now they have a huge library of unreleased material (30 albums full ).

[Harry Levin Solo]

[fullhouseforever]

Well the acceptance part definitely seems to fit in.  The delivery is a little less precise, particularly in that all performers on some of the records are still not entirely known today.  Also, some of the albums were deliberately sent in with monophonic sound.  For two records, the record company tried to edit this component into stereo, but what they got was a semi-effect.  For the most part I think the delivery was just subject to performing the compositions and handing in a possible lineup of songs.

[Harry Levin Solo]

Ahh I hear ya. The monophonic thing was pretty interesting. I suppose you can say I'm one of those people who would like to be in a position to say "here's this album. This is what you get. Now release it or go suck a lemon."

[fullhouseforever]

Some of the stuff was just so much more stunning in stereo, but Brian Wilson always liked mono because he was nearly deaf in one ear and couldn't benefit from stereo.  He wanted to make it be efficient regardless of an issue like that.

I'm kind of in that mindset you say there as well, lol.  Though if I didn't release, I'd really want to organize it as an idea and not have it lost entirely.  Maybe release an album of outtakes one day if I couldn't find it as a place for a regular album.  This is all fantasy talk but I hope.

[Harry Levin Solo]

So, ever check out the Network?