Green Day drummer Tre Cool names his favourite album of all time
Green Day drummer Tre Cool is one of the finest of his generation. Fusing the vibrance of The Who’s late Keith Moon with the unrelenting energy of punk, the Californian has provided many notable moments in his time, with the likes of ‘Welcome to Paradise’ and ‘Basket Case’ two tracks that stand out as examples of his prowess.
A highly dextrous drummer, there’s no surprise that Cool has cited an array of rhythmic masters as his favourites. Notably, when speaking at Green Day’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2015, he credited rock legends such as Keith Moon, Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham and The Rolling Stones’ Charlie Watts among his heroes, as well as the likes of Buddy Rich, Alex Van Halen and Aaron Elliot from the Californian punk bands Crimpshrine and Pinhead Gunpowder.
Because of the punk tag, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Cool’s drumming heroes would all be from this area – but Cool is not that predictable. As anyone semi-familiar with the band will know, his style encompasses many other areas, with the drummed undoubtedly acting as the band’s secret weapon. After all, their expansive 2004 rock opera American Idiot would not have been so dynamic without his technical grasp, augmenting the work of frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt.
Reflecting the point that his artistic breadth stretches far outside the confines of punk is that Tre Cool’s favourite album of all time is Bob Dylan’s 1975 masterpiece, Blood on the Tracks. Notably, this is the record that many deem the American troubadour’s masterpiece, with the songs linked to the state of Dylan’s personal life at the time, which involved his complicated estrangement from his then-wife, Sara. Some of the classics involved are ‘Tangled Up in Blue’, ‘If You See Her, Say Hello’ and ‘Shelter From the Storm’.
When speaking to Forbes as part of an expansive list of musicians picking their favourite albums, Tre Cool revealed his love for the Bob Dylan record, describing it as “a perfect 1970s record”. The Green Day drummer also called the body of work “shocking and beautiful.”
He said: “It’s Bob Dylan at the top of his game. It’s vulnerable and guarded, it’s honest but don’t believe everything you hear, it’s proud yet insecure, it’s shocking and beautiful. ‘Idiot Wind,’ ‘You’re A Big Girl Now,’ ‘Shelter From the Storm’ draw you in and make your head spin. Entertaining and enlightening. It’s a perfect 1970s record”.
Listen to Blood On The Tracks below.
