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Billie Joe Armstrong Reflects on 25 Years of ‘Dookie’

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Melody Bot, Feb 4, 2019.

  1. Melody Bot Feb 4, 2019
    Melody Bot

    Your friendly little forum bot. Staff Member

    This article has been imported from chorus.fm for discussion. All of the forum rules still apply.

    Billie Joe Armstrong reflects on the 25th anniversary of Green Day’s Dookie.


    Random thoughts and gratitude for the 25 year anniversary of the big D:

    We wanted to think of something special to do but we couldn’t quite come up with anything.. Maybe play the record in its entirety at the pyramids in Egypt. Or jam it Machu Picchu ? Exclusive in Viggiano.? Never quite came to fruition.. But never despair. 2019 still has time.. Dookie makes me think about Berkeley a lot. Our house on Ashby and Ellsworth a block from telegraph avenue. Living in a basement with a band called East Bay Weed Company. Our friend Ben Mattick... socialist college girls living up stairs. Coming up with she and coming clean. Riding bikes and bong hits. Turning 21. Pete’s Wicked Ale. Hysterical laughter. Maniacal laughter. Butterball turkey. “The Ashby house” was our little punk house. I would write songs all night and wake up at 2:00 pm. Have a bagel and a coffee on the front steps.. debilitating panic attacks.. my guitar, my Marshall, my 4 track tape recorder.

    Weird A &R dudes sniffing around.

    Eventually Meeting producer Rob Cavallo.. we learned so much from him. Playing Beatles songs over and over... Richie Bucher’s amazing ep cover he did for a band called Raúl inspired us to ask him to do the cover art for Dookie.

    Mike’s G3 bass. Tre’s Noble coolly snare... driving in my old Ford Fairlane hearing Longview on the radio for the first time. Blair Hess. our first show in Italy at a place called in bloom. Wild nights in Barcelona.. having a lot of uncertainty about our future but not giving a shit. Wanting and dreading to be a rock star.. if that’s even possible.. Local punk scene backlash... Fist fights at Gilman street... stress stress stress!! You have to have gratitude for the bad and the ugly too.. Well... that’s the random thoughts I have for now... I hope people keep listening.. cause we’ll keeping playing... love
    BJ
    ​

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  2. Phil507 Feb 4, 2019
    Phil507

    Resident NYC snob Supporter

    I was too young to understand/appreciate all the backlash against Green Day for "selling out" as I was only 11 then but, damn, were they everywhere. For anyone who lives in the tri-state NYC area, Z100 at the time was a hybrid Top 40/alternative station and played the shit out of Green Day which was baffling. Green Day even headlined the 1994 Z100 Jingle Ball over acts like Bon Jovi.

    I know there is probably a portion of this site that thinks Enema Of The State is a better record than Dookie but those people are wrong.
     
    Gallhammer and VanderlyleCrybaby like this.
  3. DooDooBird Feb 4, 2019
    DooDooBird

    Trusted

    Dookie was so much bigger than Enema and it's not even close. I feel like Dookie was way more accessible to music fans across the board while Enema was really just a record enjoyed by a more defined age group/demographic.
     
  4. Orla Feb 4, 2019
    Orla

    little old lady Prestigious

    The first CD I ever owned (I don’t think my mom realised what she gave a 7-year-old for Christmas). Can’t say this doesn’t have a special place in my heart. Love musings like this about the album.
     
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  6. tdlyon Feb 5, 2019
    tdlyon

    Most Dope Supporter

    The way I look at it is Enema holds up for nostalgia reasons, Dookie holds up because it's legitimately extremely well made and catchy music
     
  7. James Steves Feb 5, 2019
    James Steves

    Newbie

    I agree, and I think it's absurd to put Green Day and Blink 182 in the same category. Sure, Enema Of The State is a fun records, but Dookie is a masterpiece which will live on until the end of time. Also, strictly speaking of talent, Blink 182 is a sloppy band both musically and vocally, whereas Green Day is tight as hell. Think vocally; Billie Joe can sing. Mark Hoppus and Tom Delonge cannot. When have you ever heard Billie Joe not sound great?
     
    tdlyon likes this.