Green Day

Dookie (Reprise ’94) Rating: A-
Question (posed by Green Day): “do you have the time, to listen to me whine, about nothing and everything all at once?" Answer: Yes! Question (posed by too many people after the surprising multi-platinum success of Dookie): “is a punk band still a punk band if they sell millions of records?” Answer: Who cares! Rarely has teenage angst been so much fun, and though there’s nothing original about these guys musically (a little Ramones and X here, a lot of Buzzcocks there), they’re very good at what they do, which is producing short, fast songs with great melodies and singable choruses. And though they dish out plenty of snot nosed attitude, there’s nothing malicious at all about these guys, as they snarl with a knowing wink and have a good sense of humor. Also, this is a very tight little trio whose three instrumentalists stand out as being top notch, which may be one reason why they made it big while many of their more punk contemporaries didn’t. Plus, lead singer Billy Joe has a nice voice, which is something that most punk bands lack, and his fake British accent is almost as amusing as the band’s clever lyrics. True, not everybody will be able to relate to this album lyrically since their focus is on awkward adolescent alienation and angst, two topics that even us “young at heart” rock fans tend to outgrow eventually. However, that shouldn’t stop you from “Having A Blast” enjoying these immensely catchy songs. Granted, the album’s last few songs aren’t as memorable or as catchy as the ones that come before them, but “Burnout,” “Pulling Teeth” and “She” are all undeniable, while “Long View,” “Basket Case,” “Welcome To Paradise,” and “When I Come Around” were huge hits on an album that helped usher punk rock music into the mainstream.

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