Since its release on September 20, 2004, Green Day's seventh album, American Idiot, has sold a staggering 23-million copies worldwide. And to celebrate the album's upcoming 20th anniversary, the Californian punk trio are teasing the October 25 release of limited edition super deluxe box set reissues, featuring album demos, rarities, live recordings, B-sides and not one, but two, documentary features on an album frequently cited as their boldest and best artistic statement.
The reissue sets will feature 15 previously unreleased American Idiot demos, a 15-track 2004 live gig recorded at New York's Irving Plaza venue on September 21, 2004, nine previously unreleased live recordings and 14 songs originally released as B-Sides and bonus tracks.
In addition, two Blu-ray discs will house a 110-minute documentary film titled 20 Years Of American Idiot, and the previously released Heart Like A Hand Grenade documentary, which captured the making of the blockbuster set.
Furthermore fans will be able to revisit some classic BBC Live performances, incorporating Top Of The Pops appearances and songs taped exclusively for Later… With Jools Holland.
To tantalise their fan base further still, the band have shared three songs from the box, a previously unreleased demo for Holiday/Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, B-side Favorite Son and a teaser for the 'Live From Irving Plaza' disc, in the form of Warning-era single Minority.
The box sets are now available to pre-order, as is a limited edition colour vinyl of the original 2LP version of the epic rock opera.
In a statement related to the reissue, Warners say, "In the summer of 2004, Green Day entered the studio with Rob Cavallo to create American Idiot, uncertain of what the future held. They were audacious, rebellious, and stressed out by the state of the country at the time. American Idiot was crafted as a response to the daily bombardment of media that spreads it far and wide, making us desensitized and weary -filled with themes that still ring true today, even 20 years later."
