Customer Reviews

Insomniac

5 star:		(169)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Simple. Juvenile. Immature. Yep, that's the essence of Green Day. It can be a good thing though - being a grownup all the time isn't good for you, and punk is nothing if not a celebration of everything bratty and angry. For all the criticism it invites, Insomniac nevertheless succeeds very well at what it does, more so (in my opinion) than its breakthrough predecessor Dookie. It may be impossible to be objective but even now, years onward from the time I practically wore the disc out as a depressed high-schooler, I have to say it stands up remarkably well. It's energetic, it's bouncy, it's mindless, it flows effortlessly, it's got the same kind of fluffy sing-along quality that AC/DC elevated to an art form. (Sort of. Maybe. Well what would you call it?)

The music is mostly as basic as it gets; people usually need some simple basic fiber in their diets among the more fancy stuff, and Green Day did manage to do more with three chords than anyone since the Ramones. But there's a little extra here - the tight instrumental opening section of "Panic Song," the chunky minor groove of "Geek Stink Breath," the sinister plodding "Brain Stew," the subtle-but-impressive bass work behind "Stuart and the Ave." It's nothing that'll blow anyone's mind, but it adds enough flavoring that the whole thing avoids being a string of similar riffs throughout. (For more variety, try Nimrod.)

The band has moved on to other things since, even currently having a punk-rock opera in the works - I guess everyone has to grow up sometime - but Insomniac remains the highlight of the catalogue for me. Even when it can also make you want to break some furniture. No.. *especially* then.

Yeah, you heard me. UNDERRATED. I remember when this album came out, so many people were going, "Ugh, this stinks!" or "They've lost it!" What?! I thought this album was great! It's just as good as "Dookie," if not more. Green Day remains one of the coolest bands ever, especially when they perform live.

"Insomniac" is a great album that sill contains the punk edge that made them famous in "Dookie." (Great CD cover!!! You could look at it unfolded for hours, man.) EVERY song is great on this album. Yep. EVERY song. The lyrics are great, the guitars are great, and yes, the drumming is great.

My favorite songs are as follows: "brat," "stuck with me," "geek stink breath," "86," "stuart and the ave.," "panic song," and "walking contradiction." I really do like ALL of the songs, but those are the ones I listen to the most.

I really like the lyrics and the singing best of all. Billie Joe has an awesome voice, and a great ability of creating great and catchy lyrics.

Overall, a great album. Haven't gotten tire of it yet. And I don't think I ever will. Especially after seeing them live for the first time, I dig them more than ever before. Green Day is a very talented band that deserves more respect. Even today, yes TODAY, they still rock. And, they're still together after all of these years. Pick up "Insomniac" as soon as you can.

I am a total Green Day fan. I have every one of the six albums and am proud of it. This is arguably my favorite. This review won't be too helpful if I just talk about me though, so here goes...

Armatage Shanks- It surprised me at first, sounded distinctly different from 1994's Dookie, but I got used to the slightly heavier, catchy punk sound that is maintained throughouth the recording.

Brat- A fun song mostly due to its feisty, irreverent lyrics that magically capture the whole spirit of Green Day. It opens with nothing but vocals and then suddenly burst into a horde of crunchy guitar chords.

Stuck With Me- One of my favorite songs by the guys, mostly for the way the words perfectly illustrate how a teen can feel sometimes. The thoughtful yet fast-paced angst makes the song a real keeper.

Geek Stink Breath- Great live. Its hard to catch some of what Billie Joe is saying, and he sings it like he been dead for a few days.

No Pride- I originally didn't carre for this particular number but grew to like the quick beat and catchy melody.

86- Some great lines in this one and a killer chorus that had me hooked from the start. Definitely another one of my faves.

Bab's Uvulva Who?- Don't let the odd title distract you from a super and wonderfully negative track that generally produces a feeling of hyperness that is probobly not healthy.

Panic Song- I love this. Once you make it through the drug out beginning instrumental, you dive into a song full of lyrics that are above my head but nonetheless terribly enjoyable: "The world is a sick machine/breeding a mass of ..." And how can you not treasure BJ tailing it all off with "I wanna jump out" over and over again?

Stuart and the Avenue- Catchy yet not repetitive, you could listen to this 3,000 times in a row and not get sick of it. Please don't test my theory, though.

Brain Stew- This huge hit was written at the time of BJ's newborn baby's screaming in the night, hence the tired lyrics and album title. It has a more than memorable base line that was rudely stolen by 2000 raprock superstars Papa Roach. Toooo bad.

Jaded- THis quickie is best directly following Brain Stew and plays well blaring mercilessly on the stereo with volume to the max. From what I can tell, it bashes evolution and the human race.

Tight Wad Hill- THis was an actual place in Berkely or Oakland or somewhere that could be seen from Billie's school. A fun, fast song that certainly ends too quick. But then, isn't that how all Green Day songs are?

Westbound Sign- I've listened to this less that anything on the album. I don't know why, its still a great song to listen to.

Walking Contradiction- Wow. I live for this song. Thole thing is just great. All it is is a bunch of contradictory phrases mixed together, back to back. The opening line is the best: "Do as I say not as I do/cause the *'s so deep, you can't run away."

Well, that's it. Buy it! Buy it now! Before the world ends! You'll need all the time possible to listen to it!

visit greenday.net for cool stuff on the band if you don't know much about them...

I remember getting this cd way back in 1995. It was my 10th birthday party in December 95 and my best friend bought the cd for me. I went up to my room with my friends and put the cd in my cd player. I listened to the cd about 10 times that night, i was in love with this music i had never heard. That was when i first started getting into punk music and started playing the guitar. Now that I am 14, this cd still is an inspiration to me and the way i live. I think this cd is soooo much better than Dookie or Nimrod. The punk blasts out from you speakers and you instantly become mesmorized by the music and lyrics. It is pure 100% energy and makes you want to jump around and start singing along. Although Nimrod and Dookie are great cd's, this cd is always in my cd changer now along with Sublime's Selftitled cd. The screaming guitars and driving lyrics make my insides rumble. Eventhough it never met the sales of Nimrod or Dookie, I think it is the greatest Green Day cd and one of the greatest 32:56 ever produced by any band. Everybody should have this cd and i cant wait for WARNING: October 3rd. Thank you Green Day.

I'm surprised that INSOMNIAC is probably Green Day's most commercially disappointing album thus far. The guitars and attitude on this are stronger and heavier than those on DOOKIE, NIMROD, or their earlier releases. Armstrong and company play with no mercy from start to finish, and their loser-attitude lyrics almost seem believeable at times. Some of the tracks like "Walking Contradiction" and "Geek Stink Breath" became hits on radio and MTV for good reason, but there's really no filler at all. "86" and "No Pride" have probably never been heard by most people, but they contain the energy and three-chord power that make Green Day so important to the genre they're at the forefront of. "Brain Stew/Jaded" is unique in that it's a punk rock epic, something not usually a part of thirty minute records, and shows Green Day can do more than just create two and three minute explosions that sometimes end too quickly. It's too bad MTV and other music stations no longer play the videos from the hits on INSOMNIAC because "Geek Stink Breath," "Brain Stew/Jaded," and "Walking Contradiction" contain sick and laughable scenes that only add to each song's explosiveness. Anyone who's a fan of Green Day needs this record, and it can also be said that those enjoying heavy metal or grunge rock bands like Creed and Godsmack will also be surprised that INSOMNIAC rocks harder than those bands do at many instances here. I'm definitely looking forward to the release of WARNING that I'm sure will only further solidify Green Day's status as one of America's most important rock bands.

I own every single Green day album, and this is probably the best one they have done. If you are expecting this to be something like "American idiot", then think again. Musically, this is nothing like "American idiot", the music on this album is a lot more heavier, punkier and snottier and the lyrics are just crazy.
The songs are:

1. Armatage shanks: Just a catchy punk song really. One of the best on the album, but nothing much else to say. 10/10
2. Brat: Not great. A bit fast and short, but not too bad I suppose. From the lyrics it seems to be about wanted your mom and dad dead so you can get all your inheritance. 6/10
3. Stuck with me: Not only is this the best song on the album, it's one of my favourite Green day songs ever. I don't know why, cause it's just a simple 3-finger chord punk song, but it's just so damn catchy and fun. It has a good bass solo too. 10/10
4. Geek stink breath: A bit more heavier than the other songs. The lyrics are a bit more disdurbing, and the song is somewhat slower-paced. 9/10
5. No pride: Catchy and fun, but just not a favourite. 7/10
6. Bab's uvula who?: Billie Joe sings so goddamn fast on this. Not a great song, but if you want a headache, listen to this. 8/10
7. 86: A good song, many seem to overlook. Heavy again, but a lot like something from "Dookie". 10/10
8. Panic song: Good song. The 2-minute build-up gets a tiny bit boring after a while, but once the singing co9mnes in it's just a great, fast catchy song. Best guitar work on this song out of the whole album. 10/10
9. Stuart and the ave.: Good bass again, but this song is just too short and after a while iot becomes more repetative. A bit more upbeat and lighter songs on the album. 8/10
10. Brain stew: Slow, spooky song. Kinda downbeat, but it somehow gets me hooked. If you can't sleep you could probably relate to this song. 10/10
11. Jaded: Very short song, that gets more moving about again after the slow "Brain stew".
12. Westbound sign: Another overlooked song. Upbeat and catchy again. 10/10
13. Tight wad hill: Simlar to "Westbound sign" but it's just not that good enough really. 7/10
14. Walking contracdiction: Catchy song again, but the guitar riffs are a bit too repetative. A good song at first, but gets boring soon after. 8/10

This album is simlar to "Dookie" but it just seems a lot heavier, darker. The problem is that all the songs are very similar, there are no solos are anythign like that in the songs, and it times it takes a while to remember how some of the songs go. Still, once you've given this album a few listens you'll love it.

By taking a different approach here than on their punk/grunge debut Dookie, Green Day produces what should be, indisputably, their greatest accomplishment to date. As middle-of-the-road as Insomniac appears to punk enthusiasts who turned on Green Day for taking the road less traveled, it's amazing to hear how unblemished it really is. This album holds their best song to date, "Brain Stew", along with numerous tracks that are hidden gems that only a few people justly know about (i.e. "Panic Song", "Westbound Sign", "Stuart And The Ave.", "Armatage Shanks", etc). Their lyrics here are either paradoxical, naïve, smart, extremely negative, secluded, or cynical; each aspect seems to attach itself to its specific song. When they're not working together, of course. Do not expect this CD to sound like Dookie. Instead, brace yourself for 14 unbelievably great songs. Here's an overview:

1. Armatage Shanks - 5/5 - a perfect start. Starts with: `stranded... lost inside myself', followed later by `I must insist on being a pessimist'. Aside from the excellent lyrics, which are right to the point, the drum work is some of the best Green Day's ever done.

2. Brat - 5/5 - one minute, 42 seconds of an altered procrastination (waiting for your parents to die so you can inherit their money) provides for one of my personal favorite songs. How this song went so overlooked is beyond me. A definite highlight.

3. Stuck With Me - 3.5/5 - one of the few overrated songs on Insomniac. It's a decent song--don't get me wrong--it just doesn't outdo most of the other songs that didn't quite make it to International Superhits!; the songs I wish had made it there.

4. Geek Stink Breath - 5/5 - another one of my favorites. The line `wish in one hand / shxt in the other / and see which one gets filled first' is one of the album's finest excerpts. It's pretty straightforward as far as its words. It's the music that stands out.

5. No Pride - 4.5/5 - the personal favorites just keep on coming... here's yet another. My 4.5-out-of-five rank is rather misleading, I just believe it's harder to love this song when some of the others outperform it. Flawless exhibition of how to sing a chorus beautifully hard.

6. Bab's Uvula Who? - 3.5/5 - a very fast-paced song that might lose a couple of people. Unless you actually read the lyrics you'll most likely miss everything aside from `...all wound up'. It's an intriguing track that will grow on you over time.

7. 86 - 5/5 - if the title doesn't inform you what "86" is all about, you'll miss the point completely. The lyrics say it all. Another greatly overlooked tune that is right up there with the best of this band.

8. Panic Song - 5/5 - here is, quite possibly, the best song on the album; it's my favorite at least. The first half of the song is instrumental, which might lead some of you to believe it stays that way. It does not. "Panic Song" features the best quotable line I've ever heard in a song: `the world is a sick machine / breeding a mass of shxt / with such a desolate conclusion / fill the void with... I don't care'. Awesome; just awesome.

9. Stuart And The Ave. - 5/5 - short, sweet, and somewhat pop-ish (in a punk sort of way). It's becoming tiresome for me to tell you how great the lyrics are and how underrated these darn songs are. Get the idea?

10. Brain Stew - 5/5 - somehow this one separates itself from the rest of the songs. The meticulous, drumless onset proves to be just one of the many brilliancies it possesses. It's my 13th favorite song of all-time, and of any band. Classically rocking, classically great.

11. Jaded - 3.5/5 - an unavoidable, hard to understand outro to "Brain Stew", basically. It made it to International Superhits!, but probably for the wrong reasons.

12. Westbound Sign - 5/5 - this one is also a bit hard to understand, but it seems more purposeful and worthy of mention than the previous track. It's also a breakup/love song; something that's a rare find on Insomniac. Should've made it to Superhits!, but that's already become old hat here.

13. Tight Wide Hill - 3/5 - my least favorite song on the album. Still good, but it just doesn't compare to "Armatage Shanks", "Brat", "Stuck With Me", "Geek Stink Breath", "No Pride", "Bab's Uvula Who?", "86", "Panic Song", "Stuart And The Ave.", "Brain Stew", "Jaded", or "Westbound Sign".

14. Walking Contradiction - 5/5 - apart from the ambiguously funny lyrics and the classic punk rock sound that this finale provides, the video is also great. It's probably Green Day's best video to date. You've probably heard the song already anyways. Splendid!

I cannot emphasize enough how amazing Insomniac is. And my five-out-of-five rank on nine of the 14 tracks should single-handedly make you want to buy this album, if you haven`t already. If you've heard either "Brain Stew" or "Walking Contradiction", rest assured they are not the only great songs. In fact, a number of the other songs are actually better (a tactic unlike Dookie and Warning's). Billie Joe's lyrical abilities don't outweigh the music, and the music doesn't overshadow the words. Insomniac is a perfect example of how to balance the two. I'm not going to keep twisting your arm on this one. If you aren't convinced yet you're not a Green Day fan, and, in all probability, you'll never be. This is one of the best rock CDs to come out of the `90s. And it is undoubtedly the best Green Day record you will ever hear.

I'll try to help whoever reads this...
This used to be my favorite Green Day album until I got "1,039/smoothed out slappy hours", anyway, this album is lyrically Green Day's best. Every song on this album has a dark, pessimistic meaning behind that happy punk-ish tune, every song contains a charge of negativity not seen in other Green Day album...don't take it so seriously, it's really fun to listen to especially when you feel angry, rejected and hateful because the lyrics pretty much identify with that.
Musically is also great,the song "86" is, in my opinion, THE BEST Green Day song ever...so, if you wanna get a good album, musically satisfying and lyrically brilliant, get "Insomniac" by Green Day.
I conclude my review.

I bought this album a after Dookie and I was amazed. I heard people saying it sounded too much like Dookie, ha. This album is probably better than Dookie. Green Day keeps a good punk sound and the drums in this album are amazing! Everything about this album is strong. I don't recall any songs that I skip it's so good. This is Green Days second best album next to Kerplunk but this is by far the most easy to listen to.

Armatage Shanks- The drums in this song are excellent! 8/10
Brat- Short but a decent song only because it's quick. 6/10
Stuck With Me- Catchy, the cd really picks up here. 9/10
Geek Stink Breath- Also catchy, Hard not to press repeat. 9/10
No Pride- A good song but the vocals are weak. 6/10
Bab's Uvula Who- 2nd best on the cd, get's you pumped up! 10/10
86- An ok song, but I didn't understand the lyrics. 7/10
Panic Song- Best on the cd! Really makes you wired! 10/10!
Stuart and the Ave- Decent punk song- 8/10
Brain Stew- Slow but in a good way, makes me relax. 8/10
Jaded- Fast! Quick! and adrenaline pumping! 9/10
Westbound Side- Couldn't get into this one, worst song. 5/10
Tight Wad Hill- Love it! Still good tracks later in the cd.8/10
Walking Contradiction- Great way to end a cd, wow! 8/10

As you can see there arn't many bad songs. Even the worst ones are still alright. If your a green day fan you need this, and if your a punk, rock, or a fan of music this is the Green Day cd you need, one of the best!

I'll add my voice to the (long) list of people that are all saying the same thing: this is easily Green Day's best effort. A lot of listeners were disappointed when this was released after the mega-success of "Dookie," and brushed it off as simply not living up to "Dookie"'s sound. Well...those people are idiots.

"Insomniac" is not only Green Day's best album, but I would not hesitate to call it one of the top 10 (or at least top 20) punk rock albums of all time. And, yes, Green Day is punk rock, even if they are on a major label. Every song bristles with catchy hooks, crunching guitars, and snotty vocals. If you're one of the "Insomniac" dissenters, you probably haven't bothered to listen to the album. Hands down, one of my favorites.