Green Day

I've been listening to Green Day since their early 7-inch records, and while I listen to them less than I used to, I've been impressed by how well they've handled their fame and popularity -- and think they're a band still worth watching. This lens will help you learn more about a band that might be the most famous alumnus of the Bay Area punk rock scene: Green Day.

Sites You Need to See

The best of what's out there

This handful of web sites represent the best of what's online about the band. If you keep up with these sites, you'll be as up to date as you could possibly be

Green Day: The official site for the band includes news, ringtones, music, videos and the Idiot Club pay-to-play community.
Green Day Music: Another official site, Reprise Records' Green Day pages mostly march in lock step with the above site
Green Day 'Net: Now we move onto the official fan site, which goes more in depth in terms of discography, lyrics, and similar information. There's also a lot of archival magazine articles and interviews, making this a great place to learn more about the band's history.
Green Day Authority: Despite a difficult design, this page is even more fannish -- featuring a Fan of the Week, band member lookalikes and other interactive aspects.

If You Buy Only One Record...

...buy this one

While its current home is up in the air, the Green Day CD "1,039/Smoothed out Slappy Hours" is in some ways the record I started with -- and what your introduction should be. Buy it used, Ebay it, just get it.

Combining tracks from the 7-inch EP's "1,000 Hours" and "Slappy," the album "39/Smooth," and a Flipside compilation (one track), this record is Green Day's Rosetta Stone, the signifier of what was, as well as what could be.

I listened to the records included herein with the Mormon Little brothers and while pasting up issues of the zines ST and No Drama.

You'll also hear the first song Billie Joe wrote, as well as the song that shares the secret behind the band's name.

This is the one to get. Pay up, already!

Reader Feedback

What think you?

Share your ideas and insights

Lensmaster

Lumpkins wrote...

Green Day rules, saw them when Dookie first cam out and they were opening lalapalooza.

peace

Posted October 31, 2007

Lensmaster

RedPenAnni wrote...

I like Green Day also. Pretty good band that has influenced many newer bands.
Good work keep it up.
Come visit me @ http://www.squidoo.com/mychem
for My Chemical Romance lense!

Posted July 09, 2007

Radical Records

Hear ye, hear ye

The band's back catalog, listed in the order I recommend you buy them -- with one exception (as mentioned above)

Dookie

Green Day's major label debut featured more polished production, as well as artwork by Richie Bucher and Patrick Hynes.

Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 07/05/2009)

Insomniac

Featuring collage artwork by Winston Smith, this record picks up where Dookie left off. Offering short, sharp shocks of songs, it's a punk-rock paradise that could've come out years earlier.

Amazon Price: $6.97 (as of 07/05/2009)

Kerplunk

Their last album on Lookout features 12 Al Sobrante-produced numbers still representing classic Green Day. The CD release includes their Skene 7-inch

Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2009)

American Idiot

While I initially dismissed this as an opportunistic concept album capitalizing on misled musical messaging, this record has grown on me. Buy the CD, though, as the iTunes download parses tracks together into medleys.

Amazon Price: $10.49 (as of 07/05/2009)

Nimrod

This is the first record I had doubts about. Perhaps it was the production. Perhaps the song selection. Regardless, it's borderline mersh. Judge for yourself. A watershed record.

Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 07/05/2009)

Bullet In A Bible (CD/DVD, Jewel Case)

This is a great live album to listen to, although watching the concert and documentary footage makes me a little uncomfortable. I don't really dig their stadium rock-star status, but at least their music is getting out there -- and how.

Amazon Price: $22.99 (as of 07/05/2009)

Warning

Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 07/05/2009)

International Superhits!

Amazon Price: $10.49 (as of 07/05/2009)

Shenanigans

Amazon Price: $6.97 (as of 07/05/2009)

Related Labels

Other music imprints connected to the band

Green Day might be on a major label now, but that wasn't always the case. These independent labels have played a role in the band's past -- and present.

Lookout! Records: The band got its start at this long-running Bay Area label in the late '80s. And until not long ago, Lookout kept Green Day's back catalog in print...
Adeline Records: Billie Joe's label has released some wonderful records by other area bands -- and just branched out into clothing

Gawking at Green Day

And, Bands

Other groups the guys are -- or were -- involved in

This isn't comprehensive, but members -- past and present -- of Green Day have also played in other musical groups. This is a partial roundup of related acts

Pinhead Gunpowder: This unofficial fan site details Billie Joe's collaboration with Aaron Cometbus
The Frustrators: Mike Dirnt's other joint
The Ne'er Do Wells: Green Day's original drummer, John Kiffmeyer (AKA Al Sobrante), played in this awesome, awesome band

Pogo Video

As seen on your TV

Want more than just the music? These DVDs are keen

Green Day - International Supervideos!

Apparently, and according to an old blog entry, when this came out in 2002, I didn't like it very much. I'll have to revisit it soon to see how I feel now!

Amazon Price: $22.49 (as of 07/05/2009)

Critical Review: American Idiot

Amazon Price: $15.99 (as of 07/05/2009)

The Only Rhyme That Bites

Amazon Price: $22.49 (as of 07/05/2009)

Green Day Suburbia bomb

Amazon Price: $15.49 (as of 07/05/2009)

Green Day, Seen

Flickr photos related to the band

This is an assortment of recent Flickr pictures that show up when you search for "Green Day."

Billie Joe Armstrong

crowd, lights, and G...

DSC01469

Billie Joe Armstrong

pyro makes for great...

Mike Dirnt

Billie Joe Armstrong

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Books for Smart Punks

Need to read? Read these

I can't vouch for any of these titles, but they might be of interest to the hardest core Green Day fans

Omnibus Press Presents the Story of Green Day (Omnibus Press Presents) (Omnibus Press Presents)

Punk Scene History

Bay Area background

To learn more about the environment in which Green Day formed and thrived, check out these books and web sites -- which are not specifically focused on the band itself

Despite Everything: A Cometbus Omnibus: This hefty collection of material from Aaron Cometbus's long-running zine goes far to document what the Gilman Street scene was like
Absolutely Zippo: A Fanzine Anthology: Robert Eggplant's homemade punk zine is an awesome parallel read to Aaron's slightly more mature approach
The Gilman Street Project: An all-ages, non-profit, collectively organized music and performance venue -- co-founded by Lawrence Livermore, who started Lookout Records
Maximum Rock'n'Roll: Long-running Bay Area punk-rock fanzine -- even more crucial now that Paul Curran's at the helm. Paul was in Crimpshrine with Aaron, who's in Pinhead Gunpowder with Billie Joe -- he's been around forever

Green Day on Auction

Get your bid on

Collectibles and other Green Day items, courtesy of Ebay

Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by

Green Day

Sites You Need to See

The best of what's out there

If You Buy Only One Record...

...buy this one

Reader Feedback

What think you?

Radical Records

Hear ye, hear ye

Related Labels

Other music imprints connected to the band

Gawking at Green Day

Related YouTube videos

And, Bands

Other groups the guys are -- or were -- involved in

Pogo Video

As seen on your TV

Green Day, Seen

Flickr photos related to the band

Books for Smart Punks

Need to read? Read these

Punk Scene History

Bay Area background

Green Day on Auction

Get your bid on

by heathrow

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