Rating : - No rest for Insomniac!
Green Day, one of the greatest bands of the past 15 years. Their major label debut, Dookie, released in 1994 took the reigns of punk-rock and brought it to a brand new audience who was experiencing it for the first time, and what an awesome experience it was, and still is. One thing about Green Day is that their sound is thrilling and unpredictable, they seem to always take their sound to a new level, leaving the previous elements in place but adding a whole bunch of new ones to make the sound heavier, or faster, or happier, but whatever it is, it's oustanding work. With Dookie, the band rocked with a bit of a lighter tone and many of the songs seemed to connect very well with youth, such as Longview, Basket Case and When I Come Around to name a few. The entire album seemed to flow extremely well and it was relentless with its catchy rhythms and fast, heavy guitar lines. Enter 1995, enter Insomniac! This record is the band's heaviest and hardest work, with many of the songs featuring a very punk oriented sound, while not sacrificing any of the catchy hooks that made Dookie such a success. Insomniac is a severely underrated album in my opinion and I believe it challenges Dookie for Green Day's finest work, but the band has put out such a strong catalog of material that it's hard to choose just one album out of the bunch to crown as their top album. Here is a song by song breakdown of the album.

1. Armatage Shanks 9/10- A very strong lead-off track, this song sets the tone for the rest of the record for sure. Fast and catchy, you'll be singing along in no time.

2. Brat 10/10- A very amusing song about a young man wishing to get his parental inheritance any way possible. Although it's a very short tune, it's so fast and incessantly rhythmic that 1:30 will seem like way less. Great, great tune.

3. Stuck With Me 8.5/10- The first few listens I wasn't sure about this song, but it became one of my favorites after a while. It's a very strong song with a strong rhythm, nice.

4. Geek Stink Breath 10/10- One of my top three tracks on this album. This was a single and had a very memorable video with a young man getting a tooth pulled by a dentist. This track hits like a freight train and is probably their most punk song they've ever released. Highly highly recommend this one.

5. No Pride 9.5/10- Maybe the catchiest song on the album, it's interesting how Longview and Geek Stink Breath are both track 4 on their respective albums and seem to be the heaviest tracks, and Welcome to Paradise and No Pride have a similar relationship of being the catchy catchy tune to follow. Maybe it's just a coincidence. Dig this tune!

6. Bab's Uvula Who 10/10- Another one of my top three. It's so fast and heavy that you can't help but like it. This song is vintage Green Day and really demonstrates their sound well.

7. 86 9.5/10- There's no return to 86! The memorable chorus line talks about Green Day's past and they really don't have too many songs like this one. A very melodic and catchy way for Green Day to go back to their roots.

8. Panic Song 9/10- I really, really like the long intro where a different instrument is added every few seconds. This Green Day song is truly one of a kind, there isn't any other song like it.

9. Stuart and the Ave. 8/10- This is a decent tune for sure, it's not my favorite, but it's still a pretty strong track. The song keeps getting better as it goes.

10. Brain Stew 10/10- Everybody probably knows the 10 note guitar line, and the famous lyrics about Billie Joe's inability to get any shut-eye. This song is just so good, it almost defines the album.

11. Jaded 10/10- Speedy, catchy punk, very fun song to listen to and a great follow-up to Brain Stew.

12. Westbound Sign 8.5/10- Maybe I shouldn't make a judgment about this song because I haven't listened to it enough times to be sure, but I really liked what I heard.

13. Tightwad Hill 9.5/10- A great lead-up to the grand finale. The bridge in the middle of the song is outstanding.

14. Walking Contradiction 10/10- The crowned jewel of Insomniac! Probably the best tune on the album, it will be in your head for hours after just one listen. The lyrics are so cleverly written and the music video is hilarious.

Insomniac is a fantastic album, highly recommended!