When: Released February 1, 1994
Why? A coworker so enjoyed this album, he loaned me a cassette of it the year it came out. Back then, I didn’t know if “Green Day” was the name of the album or the band! But I listened to it—or at least told him I did. I have zero memory of the experience. Since this is the band’s best-selling album at a reported 20 million copies, and it won the Grammy for alternative rock, I decided to finally give it a real listen.
What? Fifteen songs, 38 minutes.
First Impressions: My pre-listening image of Green Day was that they are an alternative punk band. Maybe that colored my expectations. Because after listening to “Dookie,” I didn’t think the band had anything in common with the punk artists I knew. All these inward-looking songs about boredom, laziness, and broken relationships sounded like the exact opposite of what I thought punk should be (based on my limited experience with the genre). This was slacker rock, and I didn’t get it.
After that first listen, I did some research into the making of the album, the stories behind the songs, and the critical appraisal. I wanted to find out why this album is held in such high regard. What was I missing?
I listened again.
That second listen highlighted one of the things I’ve learned about musical appreciation: Sometimes I have to give an album multiple listens before it becomes a favorite. I can’t say that “Dookie” will fall into the “Favorite” category, but I definitely understood it more and appreciated it more the second time around.
The lyrics still don’t relate to my own experience. But I can now see a depth of storytelling (and even satire) that I completely missed the first time. The instrumental performances are terrific and the band is well produced. The guitars sound fantastic and the drums and bass are powerful and even virtuosic. (Mike Dirnt’s bass playing is ridiculous.) I appreciated the use of vocal harmonies throughout. And I especially appreciated the moments when I heard echoes of bands from the Sixties that I love (the Beatles, yes, but also harmonies that sounded directly inspired by the Yardbirds’ “For Your Love”), which suggest that Green Day has been listening to and building upon those legacies.
So? Given my feelings about the for-their-generation-only lyrics, it’s hard for me to say I really liked this. I’m not sure I’ll ever revisit it. But I’m glad to have heard it. And I’m especially glad I gave it a second chance and listened with new ears.