Looking For A Green Day Album? Check Your Mom's Minivan by Nick Law - November 27, 2008 Long before Green Day became a political force in the music industry, the trio from East Bay, California wrote some of the best punk rock music ever. The group has been around since 1987 and made a name for itself in the underground punk scene with 1992’s Kerplunk. It wasn’t until 1994, however, that Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals/guitar), Mike Dirnt (bass guitar/vocals) and Tre Cool (drums) achieved mainstream popularity with Dookie. Originally appearing as Sweet Children at the age of 15, lifelong friends Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt worked hard to establish a fan base. It was during this time that Larry Livermore, owner of Lookout! Records attended an early show and heard enough potential to sign the group to his label. Lookout! Would go on to release Green Day’s first 2 LPs (39 Smooth and Kerplunk, respectively). In a move that drew heavy criticism from even the band’s most loyal punk fans, Green Day eventually decided to leave Lookout! On friendly terms and sign with Reprise Records, a much more well-known and mainstream label. The transition took place around 1994, just after the group switched original drummer Al Sobrante with present day percussionist, Tre Cool. The label change caused some fans to view the group as sellouts, beginning with Dookie and the subsequent explosion of MTV airplay it generated. For many fans of the punk rock genre, the style of music is seen as a social movement, independent of corporate sponsorship. I was in sixth grade when I first heard Dookie and thus, too young to care about any of the sellout accusations. All I knew was that I liked what I heard, and the fact that parents didn’t like it only made me like it more. If I could only find some way to listen to Green Day, while at the same time play Mortal Kombat and watch Beavis and Butt-Head, my mom was sure to freak! As I got a little older, I started to realize why all the Kerplunk fans were so pissed off at Dookie. The videos made that all too critical jump from MTV to VH1 (remember when both channels still played music?). Soon enough, I started to hear “Basket Case” on 102.7 CRAP, the local radio station playin all your favorites from the 70s, 80s and TODAY! The day that my dad picked me up from school and told me about his trip to Sam Goody where he picked up Dookie, I knew it was over. Years later, the band is still around and as important as ever among their newer, older crowd with albums such as American Idiot. The band has started to write lyrics that are more political in nature. Unlike Springsteen’s music, however, I doubt we’ll be listening to “Holiday” twenty years from now. Angry punk fans will always have Kerplunk. Angry sixth graders will always have Dookie. Angry parents in minivans will always have American Idiot. Green Day will always have money. And the world just keeps on spinnin’.  Subscribe to Latest Articles

1 Response

Hissyspit November 29, 2008 11:27 PM The final paragraph is the secret of the universe summed up in five sentences.

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