Dookie is the third album from the legendary punk rock band, Green Day, and turned 30 years old, as of this February. The band originated in the Bay Area of Northern California, near Oakland and Berkeley. The members consist of guitarist/lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tré Cool. My best friend is a massive Green Day fan, and I really liked their critically acclaimed 2004 album, American Idiot, which I gave a perfect 10/10 score. I’ve been trying to get into more of Green Day’s music, outside of American Idiot and this won’t be the last album of theirs I review, by any means. Here are my thoughts.

   Like much of their catalog, Dookie is a primarily pop-punk album. Armstrong doesn’t like critics and others labeling them as “pop-punk,” but along with skate punk, it’s the best genre to categorize them in. They were actually kind of ahead of their time with the genre, as pop punk bands like My Chemical Romance, Yellowcard, and Blink-182 didn’t really become super popular until the late 90s and early 2000s. The early 1990s were chock-full of grunge bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, as well as non-grunge rock bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Radiohead. There was a wide variety of genres in the 90s, but pop-punk hadn’t caught on until later in the decade. Still given these factors, Dookie, was a welcome change of pace from what was currently on the radio. 

    The tracks on this thing were seriously groundbreaking in the time they came out. The lyrics are funny and relatable, especially on tracks like, “Burnout,” “Longview,” and “Basket Case.” “Burnout,” is a track about being an outcast in society, which many people can identify with. I can really relate to “Basket Case,” as it’s about anxiety and panic attacks, and “Having a Blast,” is a darkly humorous track about a suicide bomber. “Chump,” has elements to it that sound similar to Social Distortion’s cover of “Ring of Fire,” by Johnny Cash, mainly because of the key that the song is in. It transitions very well into “Longview,” where Armstrong sings about the boredom from sitting in the house all day. I really like the guitar riffs and bass riffs on this album, as they’re incredibly catchy and memorable. “Welcome to Paradise,” is easily one of the best songs on the album, as Armstrong sarcastically sings about how his crime-ridden hometown of Oakland is “paradise.” 

      He details the struggles he faced having moved out of his mom’s house, and the struggles that his fellow residents experienced like homelessness, homes being in disrepair, gang violence, and drug addiction. In a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Armstrong said, “You look around and you see cracked streets and broken homes and ghetto neighborhoods, and you’re in the middle of it. You’re scared, thinking, “How do I get out of here?” Then suddenly it starts to feel like home. There is a sort of empathy that you have for your surroundings when you’re around junkies and homelessness and gang warfare. I was describing exactly what my surroundings were.” “Pulling Teeth,” is another track with a serious topic, as the lyrics are about a man who’s being abused by his girlfriend. It doesn’t feel like the track is humorous, despite the upbeat tone of the track, as the lyrics are incredibly sad and are realistic because it’s the justifications that an abuse victim makes for their abuser. As for “Basket Case,” that track has my favorite guitar riffs on the entire record, with “Welcome to Paradise,” being a close second. “She,” has easily one of the best bass riffs on the album. I enjoy most of the tracks on this record, but “All By Myself” is probably my least favorite on the record, if I had to pick one.

     “When I Come Around,” tells the story of a boy who wants to keep his relationship with a girl casual, but she wants it to become serious, and he describes how his low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence is keeping him from taking the relationship to the next step. “Coming Clean,” is Armstrong’s personal story of coming out as bisexual to his parents. I like the analogy of “what it takes to be a man,” which is telling the truth to his parents, as hard as it is. 

   All in all, Dookie is regarded as a classic by listeners and critics for good reason. While not a perfect record, it’s an incredibly anthemic and down-to-earth album, and the mostly strong songwriting and energetic guitar riffs inspired bands such as Blink-182 and New Found Glory. It’s not just one of the best albums of the 1990s, but one of the best punk albums of all time. This record, along with American Idiot, is an absolute masterpiece from the band. The sound is authentic, the production is strong, it’s not entirely perfect, but it’s a fantastic album nonetheless.

Overall Score: 9/10

Favorite Tracks: “Burnout,” “Having A Blast,” “Longview,” “Welcome to Paradise,” “Basket Case,” “When I Come Around,”

Least Favorite Tracks: “All By Myself,”

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUTGr5t3MoY

Genres: Pop Punk/Skate Punk/Punk Rock