Customer Reviews

Kerplunk

5 star:		(93)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Before Green Day's epic album "Dookie", there was "Kerplunk". An album that clearly shows the band at their beginning musical roots of punk. What may catch most off guard is the fact that even though they were slamming on their guitars and being as immature as possible, they still remained serious musicians. "No one knows" lyrics and tone flow differently from the whole album, much slower and more in depth.

But, the side of the band that most came to know and love is heard in full force throughout the album. To this date, I have not heard one band do a better punk cover of The Who's "My Generation" then Green Day. A great album in every aspect.

Whether they are playing Alternative ("Nimrod"), Punk ("Dookie" "Kerplunk"), or just showing full fledged maturity ("Warning"), Green Day never dissapoints.

Green Day's second and final album with Lookout! Records, and much better quality than the first album off the Lookout! label (more funding went into this one). Includes first recording of the punk rock trio's hit 'Welcome To Paradise'. 'Christie Road' is a slower paced song about a place to escape to, much in the theme of the young Green Day. 'Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?', a song based on the main character in the classic book 'Catcher In The Rye' by J.D. Salinger, and The Monkees inspired 'Words I Might Have Ate' closes the album before the 4-track recording of the very early Green Day, Sweet Children. These and many more Green Day material make up the Kerplunk collection, which seem to be very much inspired by singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong's early musical interests. A fantastic Green Day album if you're into them, 'Kerplunk' has many punk-pop tunes that should keep you entertained until they release something new!

todays' generation only knows "american idiot", and have no clue about green day's older albums, (1039/smoothed out slappy hours, kerplunk, dookie, etc.) so many people only known green day as a "pop/punk" band. and people who like american idiot think they know who green day is - and they're full of it! this is the true green day, before they changed their sound on dookie - and went on to create the first "rock opera". every song sounds brand new everytime - and you never really get sick of it. but if you've heard dookie before this won't actually beleive how different both albums sound. the majority of the songs are faster on dookie, and billie joe's vocals sound different also. plus on dookie there's a faster and longer version of "welcome to paradise", then on kerplunk. but what ever version of the song - it's still a classic. so anyways, basically every song on this album is a classic - and i would highly recommend it!

This is a pretty good album, considering it was only recorded in a week or so. It is their last album from the Lookout! records label, and their first pretty big album. Tre cool also made his debut on this album.
So here are the songs and a rating of 1 to 10, 10 being best:

2000 lightyears away: 10/10
this is a very catchy song, a great intro to the album.

One for the razorbacks: 9/10
a pretty good, fast song, but not as good as the rest.

Welcome to paridise: 10/10
The "dookie" version of this song was actually played on the radio, but I like this version better, because it sounds more ameteur. Believe it or not, this was one of the last-minute songs that was put on the album; only a couple days before it was recorded.

Christie Road: 10/10
this is one of my favorites off the album. A band I know is going to cover this song, and I see why. It's very slow in the beggining, then It gets a lot faster.

Private Ale: 10/10
all right! This is an awesome song. Very catchy, and pretty fast.

DOminated luv slave: 8/10
ha ha ha ha ha.......
such a funny song, written by their drummer. It sounds almost country.

One of my lies: 8/10
This souds like one of the newer green day songs. It is also another one of the songs that was written only a couple of days before it was recoreded.

80: 10/10
I love the beginning with the really cool bass. Another one of my favorites.

Android: 10/10
Heres another one that sounds like a newer song. Its pretty poppy, but still pretty cool.

no one knows: 10/10
I love this song. Its so slow, so nicely paced. Belive it or not, this is another song that was written days before it was recorded.

Who wrote holden coulfield?: 11/10
Well I don't know who wrote Holden Coulfield, but I do know this this is the best son billie joe armstrong ever wrote.

Words I might have ate: 8/10
I'm not sure why this is accoustic, but its....... okay.

Sweet Children: 10/10
This is one of the songs that were on thier first EP, re- realeast on this album. These last 4 songs were also recorded in 1987, when they still had thier old drummer. This is a cool song.

Best thing in town: 8/10
not one of the better songs on the EP.

Strangeland: 10/10
very cool. The chorus sounds very ameteur, because his voice goes up and down.

My Generation: 9/10
Not like the whos version, but you could definately tell that green day liked the who.

Overall, this is good album, but not as good as 1039/ smoothed out slappy hours (See my review on 1039 smoothed out slappy hours, entitled "1039% smooth"). If you want to hear something 10 times better than dookie, this is for you.

I like Green Day's later work as well, but somehow, I always come back to Kerplunk! because, well, it's the most FUN of Green Day's albums. The later ones get more musically interesting at times, but they just don't have the same energy. The first 3 EPs are okay, but they're a bit too raw and unfocused for my taste. Kerplunk! is polished, but more carefree. If you've only heard their later albums, you really oughta give this one a try.

This Album is, in my opinion, the best album Green Day has ever made. It introduced the new drummer, and current drummer, for green day.... Tre Cool. Kerplunk is the first album his awesome drumming apeared on. Before the fame, before the money, that is where Kerplunk was. It is a definate need for any Green Day fans. If you like Green Day and want to get away from all the stuff on the radio 24/7... then buy Kerplunk. It will make you twice the fan you already were.

After Green Day released 1,039/Smooth in 1990 and going on their first tour, they released their second album, which would be their last for Lookout! Records. Also, this was their first album with Frank Edwin Wright III (better known as Tre Cool) behind the drum kit.

If 1,039/Smooth was more unpolished and punk, then this album has slightly more of a "Dookie" feel, but still raw. For "Kerplunk!", Green Day's overall feel was, 'If it ain't broke, why fix it?'. And fix it they didn't. For the most part, it features Green Day's now infamous and loved three-chord, two-to-three-minute punk-pop style. But WAIT! That's not all. For a few tracks, Billie Joe and company tried some experimentation...

A hick love song. ("Dominated Love Slave")
Acoustic Guitars. ("Words I Might Have Ate")
A ballad. ("No One Knows")

And, also on this CD, are four extra tracks recorded by Green Day when they were 15, under the title "Sweet Children". The songs on here are actually really good, including a punk rock version of The Who's "My Generation". (Take that, Wimp Bizkit.)

One thing to notice on this album: Green Day improved their songwriting skills. Take this line from "One Of My Lies": "Why does my life have to be so small / and death is forever / and does forever have a life to call its own?". Or "No One Knows": "Call me irresponsible / call me habitual / but when you think of me / does it fill your head with schemes? / Better think again / 'cause no one knows." Somehow I doubt that the Juliana Theory can come up with that. (Or anything beyond breaking up with your girlfriend.) So there's talent to be had here.

Anyway, if you want to hear some great vintage Green Day, check this one out.

For the past decade and some more Green Day has been the best, most consistent rock band. I am sick of people bashing them and calling them sell outs. Anyone who plays music knows how boring it is to play the same stuff over and over. Green Day never sold out. You can't help but become popular when your wonderful. Yes Green Day has changed over the years. Big deal.

Its hard today to find a band who writes their own songs. Green Day does this. This album is a great taste and opportunity to hear the roots of Green Day and where they came from.

Check out Smoothed Out Slappy Hours also, it rocks.

I admit, I fell in love w/ Dookie before their earlier stuff, but this CD simply blew me away. The first 4 tracks are all amazing, and I truly think Greenday is at their best here. Christie Road and Razorbacks could've been taken from almost any confused teen's life, and are incredibly personal songs. It's relative, ya know? From Holden Caulfield to 2000 LYA, pretty much every song on here rocks. Dominated Love Slave made me giggle, and reminded me of my male genes, LOL.

I love this CD perhaps almost more than Dookie b/c it feels like Billie Joe really is at his purest form. Any [one] can figure out that Warning and even some of Nimrod had a few production-line type of songs, where the lyrics on this album are raw...not manufactured punk. Oh and to all those [people] ... who say Greenday sold out w/ slow songs like "time of your life" and "macy's day parade" listen to No One Knows: it's slow, it's personal, and it's GD-lite...but it's ORIGINAL Greenday none-the-less.

Okay finally, I must also admit that I liked Warning quite a bit when it first came out. But then I bought this, and I totally understood why ppl got so [angry] about GD selling out punk-wise. Warning is pop and is absolute [junk] compared to the early Greenday stuff like this and 1039, and even Dookie.

If you want *real* punk, Kerplunk is the CD for you.

Let's face the facts; Green Day's 1994 release of "Dookie" would have never been a blockbuster without Nirvana. Much like Nirvana's "Nevermind", "Dookie" was a case of accidental success. Nirvana opened the door for several underground artists in the early 90s. With that said, it comes as no surprise that Green Day hit the big time with "Dookie" after listening to it's predecessor, 1992's "Kerplunk". The band really settled into their sound, replacing drummer John Kiftmeyer, with Tre Cool. Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool provide a phenomenal rhythm section for Billy Joe Armstrong's Irreverent, snide and sarcastic lyrics.

There are plenty of quality standout tracks on this album. "2000 Light Years Away" is the biggest highlight of their premajor-label years. The original version of "Welcome To Paradise" shines here as well. "Christie Road", a slower number, is among my favorites. "Dominated Love Slave", a Tre Cool original, is a hilarious pseudo country tune. They also belt out a sweet cover of The Who's "My Generation".

"Kerplunk" proves to be a solid effort that brought Green Day to major label success. It is one of those lost gems that many people will never hear, but the true fans can enjoy it with glee.