Kerplunk (album)

Untitled

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Allmusic
Robert Christgau
Pitchfork Media	(8.5/10) link

Kerplunk is the second studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released on January 17, 1992 through Lookout! Records. Kerplunk was their last release on an independent label and was also the first album to feature their current band lineup, with Tré Cool on drums. The album has gone on to be among the best selling independently released albums of all time. Major labels took notice of Kerplunk's phenomenal popularity and many approached the band. Green Day realized that they had outgrown their record distribution capacity with Lookout! and eventually signed with Reprise Records. With Reprise, Green Day would record and release their third album Dookie (1994).

The album officially includes only 12 tracks, but the versions released on CD and cassette also include the 4 tracks from the Sweet Children EP. One of those 4 tracks is a cover of The Who's "My Generation". Another notable track on the album is "Welcome to Paradise", which the band would re-record for their next album Dookie.

As of August, 2010, Kerplunk had sold 753,000 units in the United States and 1,000,000 units worldwide.

In August 2005, Green Day pulled the album, as well as all of their other material released through the label, from Lookout! due to unpaid royalties. It was reissued on CD by Reprise Records, who Green Day has been with since leaving Lookout!, on January 9, 2007. Note that in Europe, the album was released by Epitaph Europe, and has remained in print. It was reissued on vinyl on March 24, 2009 by Reprise Records and includes a reissue of the Sweet Children EP.

In December 2007, Blender magazine ranked Kerplunk #47 on their list, "The 100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums Ever".

Track listing

All tracks are written by Billie Joe Armstrong, except where noted

No.	Title	Length
1.	"2,000 Light Years Away"	2:24
2.	"One for the Razorbacks"	2:30
3.	"Welcome to Paradise"	3:30
4.	"Christie Road"	3:33
5.	"Private Ale"	2:26
6.	"Dominated Love Slave" (written by Tré Cool)	1:42
7.	"One of My Lies"	2:19
8.	"80"	3:39
9.	"Android"	3:00
10.	"No One Knows"	3:39
11.	"Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?"	2:44
12.	"Words I Might Have Ate"	2:32
Total length:		33:58

Bonus tracks (CD only)

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Sweet Children"	1:41
14.	"Best Thing in Town" (Armstrong, Mike Dirnt)	2:03
15.	"Strangeland"	2:08
16.	"My Generation" (written by Pete Townshend; originally performed by The Who)	2:19
Total length:		42:09

Album notes

• The booklet included with the album contains a humorous story (written in first person perspective, as a diary entry) detailing the adventure of a Green Day fan who murders her parents in order to go on tour with Green Day.
• The track "2,000 Light Years Away" was later remixed by Dookie producer Rob Cavallo and mixer Jerry Finn and released on Jerky Boys: The Movie soundtrack in 1995. Also, a live version of the song appeared on the UK "Basket Case" single. It was later released as a single with the Green Day 7" Vinyl Box Set in 2009.
• The booklet thanks Jason Relva, whose death would later inspire Mike Dirnt to write "J.A.R.".
• Christie Road is a road in Martinez, California, slightly northeast of Berkeley. 38.0076°N 122.2106°W / 38.0076; -122.2106 (Christie Road)
• "Dominated Love Slave" is Green Day's first song to be written by drummer Tré Cool and the first song which he sings and plays guitar on. Billie Joe Armstrong plays drums on this song.
• "Words I Might Have Ate" was their first song not to feature any electric guitars.
• Billie Joe Armstrong stated during the 21st Century Breakdown World Tour that "Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?" is his favorite song on Kerplunk. This can be heard on the live album Awesome as Fuck (2011).

Personnel

• Billie Joe Armstrong – lead vocals, guitar, drums on track 6
• Mike Dirnt – bass, backing vocals
• Tré Cool – drums, lead vocals and guitar on track 6
• John Kiffmeyer (Al Sobrante) – drums on tracks 13-16