Green Day
Dookie

THE REVIEW

When it comes to Punk, especially here in Italy, in most cases one doesn’t actually know what it's about, since Punk is very often reduced to a noisy, pointless genre suitable only for a narrow group of people. This opinion could change if the right songs were listened to and the best albums, among which there is that masterpiece known as Dookie, the third album from the then-unknown Green Day.

Dookie was received like any cheap album from kids only capable of screaming, but this opinion changed after MTV discovered Green Day and consequently the Punk which was then discovered by the entire world. Dookie was a complete album, the true essence of Punk, a complete work in every sense.

This album is to Punk what Thriller is to Pop, just to give you an idea. Moving on to analyze this work more closely, right from the first track we notice the majesty of the CD and its creators.

The first track is "Burnout", the right start for this CD. In fact, this is a fast, enjoyable, and energetic song just like the entire album. The second track "Having A Blast" is quite similar to the previous one but distinctly better. These two great songs are just the beginning of this memorable CD since the history of modern Punk arrives in the next 6 tracks.

The third song is the beautiful "Chump" which has an expertly played part that is the perfect prelude to one of the best songs on the CD, namely "Longview", the first Green Day video to air on MTV which gave an excellent push to an already perfect song. The CD continues without pauses and takes us to "Welcome To Paradise", the Dookie version following the less brilliant one on Kerplunk. This is one of Green Day's gems, managing to insert into a seemingly simple song, fantastic energy and lyrics supported by a video and Billie Joe's voice. As the sixth track, we have the excellent "Pulling Teeth", a fitting prelude to the quintessential Punk song, the gem of the album and perhaps one of the greatest songs of the 90s and beyond, "Basket Case" which brought worldwide success to Green Day and Punk with its chorus that sticks in your head and after years you realize it hasn’t left yet. The song gives you exceptional energy supported by an ingenious video.

After so much beauty, one might wonder what more the album can offer, much since from the eighth track it’s clear that Green Day have not run out of steam. Indeed, "She" is a beautiful song, catchy and suitable for everyone, just like "Sassafras Roots", perhaps the weak link in the "battleship" Dookie, and the slow yet energetic "When I Come Around" suitable for absolutely everyone, even those who don’t listen to Punk.

The following 4 tracks are "Coming Clean", "Emenius Sleepus", "In The End", and the excellent "Fod" that respectfully closes one of the best Punk CDs ever.