GREEN DAY 39/Smooth - 2009 US LP//" singles reissue of early albums, pressed on 120 gram vinyl
Format: Vinyl Condition: New Year of Release: 2009 Cat. No.: ADLN12 Label: Wea
When Green Day's first album appeared, anyone predicting that fame, MTV, top-selling albums, and more would be on the horizon in the near future would have been happily patted on the head and then sent to the insane asylum.
It helps to remember that Nirvana's breakthrough was still a year away, for one thing, and, for another, '1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hour' isn't a truly great album in the first place. It's not bad, by any means, and quite arguably just about everything on it could be transposed with a slight aural tweak here and there to 'Dookie' or 'Insomniac' without anyone batting an eye. It's just little more than a fun punk-pop album with some entertaining metallic flash here and there, one of many such records that the late '80s and early '90s produced in the indie rock world.
After a great start with "At the Library," it's quickly clear that the rest of the record is going to continue in the same vein. What's fun is realizing how much the band already had to work with, pursuing obvious love of three-chord forebears like the Dickies and the Ramones to energetic if not revelatory ends. Billie Joe Armstrong's balance of disaffection and nervous, goofy passion is well in place, while he's already showing his effective, no-frills approach to chewy feedback melody. Songs like "I Was There" and "Road to Acceptance," not to mention the implicitly weed-celebrating "Green Day" itself, are great calling cards for later breakouts on both levels.
Mike Dirnt's no slouch himself, providing good backing vocals when needed for harmony, but oddly enough, the most prominent performance throughout comes from original drummer John Kiftmeyer, who wouldn't last through to the next album. Call it a quirk of recording, but there it is.
~ Review by Ned Raggett, Rovi
TRACK LISTING:
A1 At The Library With Waba Sé Wasca A2 Don't Leave Me A3 I Was There A4 Disappearing Boy A5 Green Day B1 Going To Pasalacqua B2 16 B3 Road To Acceptance B4 Rest B5 The Judges Daughter C1 1,000 Hours 2:24 C2 Dry Ice 3:43 D1 Only Of You 2:44 D2 The One I Want 2:59 E1 Paper Lanterns E2 Why Do You Want Him? F1 409 In Your Coffeemaker F2 Knowledge
