GREEN DAY - INSOMNIAC
Black Vinyl — Reissue
Following the phenomenal success of Dookie, Green Day returned with Insomniac, their fourth studio album and a record that deliberately pushed back against the polished optimism of their breakthrough. Released in 1995, it is faster, heavier and considerably darker, capturing the restless energy of a band suddenly dealing with the pressures of worldwide success.
Produced by Rob Cavallo and Green Day, Insomniac retains the three-piece attack that made Dookie so immediate, but the production feels rougher and more aggressive. Billie Joe Armstrong's guitar is pushed to the front, Mike Dirnt's bass drives relentlessly underneath it, and Tre Cool's drumming gives the record its almost breathless momentum.
“Armatage Shanks” opens with a burst of distorted guitars before “Brat” and “Stuck With Me” continue the furious pace. “Geek Stink Breath” became one of the album's defining singles, while “No Pride” and “Bab's Uvula Who?”demonstrate the band's ability to pack sharp observations and dark humour into barely two-minute songs.
The second half contains some of Green Day's most aggressive material. “86” is a direct response to the band's difficult relationship with their former independent label, while “Panic Song” stretches the band's sound into something heavier and more chaotic. “Stuart and the Ave.” and “Brain Stew” provide two contrasting sides of the album, the latter's slow, grinding riff becoming one of the band's most recognisable.
The closing sequence moves through “Jaded”, “Westbound Sign”, “Tight Wad Hill” and “Walking Contradiction”, ending the album with the same restless energy with which it began.
Insomniac remains one of Green Day's most uncompromising records. Where Dookie introduced the band to a global audience, Insomniac demonstrated that they weren't interested in simply repeating the formula. It is lean, loud and deliberately abrasive — a snapshot of Green Day at the height of their original 1990s punk-rock era.
This edition is the standard black vinyl reissue on Reprise Records, pressed as a single LP. The pressing carries catalogue number 9362-46046-1 and barcode 93624604617. The current reissue is listed as a 12" LP release, with the original fourteen-track album sequence intact.
Artist: Green Day
Album: Insomniac
Format: 12" Vinyl LP
Edition: Reissue
Vinyl: Black Vinyl
Label: Reprise Records
Release Date: 7 October 2002
Original Release: 10 October 1995
Catalogue Number: 9362-46046-1
Barcode: 93624604617
Genre: Punk Rock / Pop Punk / Alternative Rock
Number of Discs: 1
Number of Tracks: 14
Tracklist
Side A
Armatage Shanks
Brat
Stuck With Me
Geek Stink Breath
No Pride
Bab's Uvula Who?
86
Side B
Panic Song
Stuart and the Ave.
Brain Stew
Jaded
Westbound Sign
Tight Wad Hill
Walking Contradiction
