As the 1990s rolled on, could Green Day continue to be a relevant band after the critical and commercial success of their 1994 classic album release Dookie? This album seems to prove that this was the case. Dookie was the breakthrough album for Green Day, but their follow-up in 1995, Insomniac, seemed to be a bit of a disappointment overall. After a failed European tour to promote Insomniac, the group spent four months recording this album. The idea was to break away from the notion of a thematically made album, and instead to put their focus into individual songs as such and to explore new styles of music as well. This enabled the group to specifically mix a bunch of different styles and sounds into their songs as a focus., rather than just continuing on with a formula. This album was more successful than Insomniac, selling better and getting more promotion behind it than that album ever did. The album was produced by Rob Cavallo and issued on Reprise, being released on October 14, 1997. Green Day consists of: Billie Joe Armstrong (lead vocals and guitars); Mike Dirnt (bass and backing vocals) and Tre Cool (drums and percussion). Let’s warp back to 1997 and take a listen to this key Green Day album, and we shall hear where it goes.

Nice Guys Finish Last begins with some choppy drum rolls, and launches into a great-sounding song that is very catchy and different. A really good listen, and the song title exhibits a great deal of truth about the concept of being “nice” in a world full of nasty people. Nonetheless, this song exhibits some great Punk Music attitude, and sounds like a million dollars, to this very day. A really cool listen to hear, this sounds absolutely awesome throughout. Very much a straightforward and punchy Punk Pop song, Green Day sounds like they are on fire here. A really great listen, through and through. This is an amazing listen that deserves to be cranked up loud. Really awesome.

Hitchin’ a Ride begins with a violin part, before launching into a strange descending bass guitar-driven riff section with supporting instrumentation. This is a punchy, powerful and different song that sounds very, very catchy. This album so far is definitely one of the most underrated listens in musical history that you will find out there. This isn’t even seen as the greatest listening experience by Green Day as well. It is an angry, aggressive and powerful tune that sounds absolutely awesome throughout. A really great tune to listen to, this has a unique sort of musical power about it. It ends smoothly.

The Grouch is an interesting song with some great guitar riffs throughout. To be fair, Billie Joe Armstrong is a fantastic musician who has a great idea about what Green Day should sound like, from at least a vocals and guitar perspective. This is very much present on songs such as these. A really simple, profane and powerful tune to listen to, this is a golden slice of Green Day that fans will warm to. It just sounds really fantastic throughout for a short two-minute-long piece of Punk based Music. A really solid listen about raising a middle finger to the world. Sweet.

Redundant launches into an acoustic guitar-driven piece of Pop Punk that sounds really quite good. The music throughout is absolutely marvellous with some unusual groove about it. Again, this sounds really fantastic and is proof that Green Day could write some of the best and underrated Punk-inspired songs of the 1990s. Sure, the American Idiot album was also very popular, but the real quality of Green Day lies in songs such as these. A powerful, interesting and unique listening experience from start to finish. Billie Joe Armstrong’s persona is through all these songs, and he sounds really switched on musically. A really timeless addition to this album. Hopefully, the reader has never been made redundant, either. Being sacked is an unpleasant experience to go through, this song is a good one, however.

Scattered begins with a fade-in of guitars, and quickly launches into a sweet and upbeat tune to listen to. This smells like teen spirit, in a good way, and fights the good fight throughout. Billie Joe Armstrong sings very nicely throughout, and the music from start to finish is very, very good. Green Day was more or less about keeping the spirit of earlier bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash alive, in the best way possible. A very straightforward and aggressive-sounding song, this really sounds amazing throughout. A really cool listen, this does sound super awesome throughout. Punchy, interesting and powerful music to hear, time after time. Great.

All The Time begins with some more awesome guitar riffs, and launches into another short and bitter song that sounds really excellent from start to finish. This is much better than anything one would ever expect from a band such as Green Day, and the simplicity and musicality of these guys are incredibly fantastic. Blowing away a lot of the other cheesy Punk wannabes of the time, Green Day have consistently proved over time that they can make great music that lasts. Another worthwhile listening experience.

Worry Rock begins with some crunchy guitars and enters into a straightforward and more Pop/Rock styled tune than before. It seems that Green Day is attempting to make their own version of an album in a styling similar to The Clash. Nonetheless, this does sound, again, quite good to hear. There are some very good lead guitar solos throughout, showcasing that there is more than just Punk Music going on here. Billie Joe Armstrong sings sweetly alone here in a break in the second half, and he has a very pleasant singing voice overall. Another decent song to listen to.

Platypus (I Hate You) is the name of an animal unique to Australia. This is a thrashy, Hardcore Punk based number that is a bit of a left turn on this album, and bristling full of furious energy. Still, it sounds really great to listen to, just like all the songs so far on this album. Green Day excels at making 1990s Punk Pop with a difference on this album, and the mixture of sounds and playing is really fantastic to hear. Fast, blistering and a musical assault on the senses, this sounds quite a lot like the Dead Kennedys. Brilliant, however. A really great listen throughout. It ends with some great guitar riffing.

Uptight begins with some chugging and muted guitar and bass guitar parts, which sound restrained. This is a gorgeous and melodic tune that is really awesome, simple and full of suspense throughout. This is a great example of palm-muted glory in a Pop Punk sense. Green Day beat their contemporaries, such as The Offspring, very, very easily. The chorus eventually enters, and this song is a really great listen. This no doubt would have been played on rotation in various USA college dorms at the time. This music is a reminder of the 1990s: a simpler and more enjoyable era for culture. A great song about being emotionally distraught. Green Day’s music still sounds great to this day, and wonderful, too. It ends with some interesting guitar volume swells.

Last Ride In segues in from the previous song and has some basic Rock instrumentation over the sound of rushing waves. It sounds like a smooth and Surf Rock-based tune, which is very, very different. Still, Green Day had the talent and guts to pull this sort of style off in their own music. It is a very good instrumental that sounds really brilliant throughout. A magical, interesting and sweet tune, complete with a string section to match. Even without vocals, Green Day do their best to impress the listener. A smooth, sweet and enjoyable tune that is very unforgettable, this does sound really excellent throughout. The song and music sound superb. This also has some interesting horns in the second half of the track. A really great listening experience from start to finish. Worth your time and ears throughout. Green Day expands the expectations of Rock Music far better than what the average critic can judge them by. It ends with the sound of rushing waves.

Jinx begins with a manic count in, and quickly launches into a great song with a pulsating and welcoming energy throughout. This two-minute piece of glory sounds manic, aggressive and full of despair throughout. A really awesome and top-notch tune that has seismic energy and power throughout, this music is absolutely wonderful and a great source of powerful energy to listen to on a regular basis. Again, better than what the average music critic thinks, this album is definitely a memorable classic throughout. Great song.

Haushinka launches into a hard, menacing and heavy song with some great and chiming electric guitars. A really great and powerful listening experience throughout, this sounds really awesome and great to listen to. Very 1990s, but a great example of exactly what made the 1990s awesome to remember, Green Day does their best at making the perfect Pop Punk Music of the era. The music and performances are extremely memorable, and this song is no different. A genuinely great listening experience to hear, and a musical equivalent to a punch to the face, Green Day are Rock legends. The second half has some interesting overdubs and differing musical sections, alongside Tre Cool’s punchy and powerful drum rolls. Excellent.

Walking Alone begins with some drum rolls, and harmonica and enters into a glorious song about despair and heartbreak in a relationship. Hence the song title here. Green Day still packs a punch on this unusual song, and they deliver another upbeat and really great song that millions across the world can connect with. Relationship issues are something that many of us need to deal with in our own lives, and Green Day perfectly articulate the difficulties that young love can present. A really great and interesting song, this is a good reminder of being heartbroken with our first crush. It ends with the sound of drumsticks being dropped.

Reject begins with some punchy and speedy drumming, launching into another powerful and enjoyable listening experience about being a reject in the circumstances given. Again, this music is brilliant, just sounding interesting, powerful and consistent throughout. The music is outstanding here for the simplicity and the nature of the Punk Pop music that Green Day make. Very, very good. There is a good breakdown with some nimble bass guitar work, followed by some nicely powerful guitars and drums to conclude with. Again, excellent.

Take Back is a one-minute-long piece beginning with guitar amplifier hum, launching into a loud and punchy frenzy of musical sound throughout. This isn’t the best song on the album, but even so, is a good listen with some growled vocals. It’s over very quickly.

King for a Day is surely a joke song? It begins with some horns and launches into a witty and interesting piece of punchy Punk Pop Rock Music that sounds energetic and is a really wonderful and excellent listen throughout. The horns throughout this song are all really hilarious to hear. An enjoyable, powerful and interesting song that sounds very, very good. A cool listening experience which is obviously a Jazz parody, this is extremely catchy and worth putting on repeat, just like the rest of this album. A really great listening experience, this music is definitely a listen. The horn section is hilarious throughout. A gem of a song.

Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) is the most loved song that has been ever made by Green Day. It begins with a false start, before launching into a super sweet acoustic guitar with some great singing by Billie Joe Armstrong. This is a classic 1990s song that is awesome, powerful and yes, moving throughout. The string section adds some deep emotion throughout. Decades later, this is a solid golden oldie to hear which will instantly make you happy upon hearing it. Not bad for a two-minute-long masterpiece of 20th-century music. Great, sweet and wonderful, Green Day turns heads with this song. A very nice modern ballad.

Prosthetic Head begins with a guitar being plugged in and launches quickly into a good song to wrap up this album. Billie Joe Armstrong leads the band, with this song which is a punchy and rocking tune that sounds incredibly enjoyable and infectious throughout. A really great and exceptionally powerful tune, with some clanging bass guitar, roaring electric guitars, punchy drumming and great singing, Green Day shows the world how to make excellent Pop Punk in the late 1990s. This music is interesting, exciting and proof that after the release of Dookie, Green Day was not looking back. This song enters a bit of a jam before reaching the final verses with a punchy and interesting feel to it all. A joyous conclusion to a great album, and proof that Green Day were here to stay.

Green Day were given yet another chance to shine with this album, and they did so on this release. Sure, it may not be as often cited as 1994’s Dookie or as highly sold as the 2004 release American Idiot, but this album is a very consistently enjoyable and appreciable listen. Bonus points are for the amazing Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) song, which really cements this listening experience. Should you listen to this album? Absolutely, it is a solid gold classic that is a great reminder of what 1997 was like musically, in the best sense.

Awesome Punk Pop with some interesting surprises throughout.

9/10