If you ask many people to name Green Day's first album, I guarantee they will say 'Dookie'. Well, they are very wrong. There were two CDs before that multi-million selling record. 1989's '39/Smooth' and this, 1991's 'Kerplunk'. This was were it all began. So strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.
The first thing you notice with this record is the production. Its terrible! But seeing as though they only spent about $1000 on this, its actually ok. And remember kids, its all about the songs. And not many bands do it better than Green Day when it comes to two minute blasts of buzzsaw pop tunes.
'2000 Light Years Away' rocks. There is no other word for it. A classic Green Day song which was criminally missed from their recent best of collection. 'One For The Razorbacks' is cool too. Its very Green Day, and any fan will know what I mean by that. Has a cool guitar solo too, something which is absent from a lot of the later Green Day material. An early version of the classic 'Welcome To Paradise' follows up, and again the [lack of] production is very evident. I personally prefer the 'Dookie' version, but I suppose that makes me not punk or something stupid. If you haven't heard this song, then you've been living under a rock for the last ten years.
Just when you think things cannot possibly get any better, up pops 'Christie Road', the song which I think is by far the best pre-'Dookie' Green day track. "Give me something to kill some time" whines Billie-Joe, almost three years before he asked if we had the time to listen to him whine. To say that it all goes downhill from here would be a bit unfair, but one or two tracks aside, it never quite reaches these high notes again. 'Private Ale' starts off like a dodgy metal song. Then it comes over all Green Day. But for some reason the sound is even more tinny than the rest of the album. 'Dominated Love Slave' is hilarious the first time, but I'm sorry to say that after ten years it's rather annoying. Tre, please stop it...
'One Of My Lies' has a classic Green Day intro riff, and unmistakable Billie Joe vocals. Its cool, but very generic Green Day. Would have easily fitted onto 'Dookie'. '80' starts with a very bassy riff, then the drums kick in. But I've never been convinced by this track until the chorus starts and it gets a hell of a lot better. But Green Day have done this a million times better. 'Andriod' is pretty cool though, and will have your foot tapping in no time.
'No One Knows' starts off like a slow Metallica song. Or at least I think it does. Thats not to say its a bad song, just a bit bland and uninspiring. And slow. 'Who Wrote Holden Coulfield?' is anthemic Green Day and 'Words I Might Have Ate' is pretty cool too. It has been done a hell of a lot better during the Warner Brothers years, but bearing in mind it was 1991 and this lot where only 20, I think we can forgive them.
The next couple of tracks are a bit average and even worse production wise. To be honest, the sound is awful. But closing track, a cover of The Who's 'My Generation' is top notch. And worthy of a place on the best cover versions of all time CD that will probably be hitting the shops around Christmas.
This is where the pop-punk scene all began. Buy and savour a record made before it all began. It's not 'Dookie', 'Insomniac' or 'Nimrod', but its better than anything Sum 41 will ever do.
Paul Savage
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