Insomniac by Green Day
Insomniac is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released on October 10, 1995 through Reprise Records. Though it peaked at number two in the United States and went double-platinum (according to the RIAA) by 1996, Insomniac did not have the sales endurance of its predecessor, Dookie, largely due to its slightly darker lyrical tone and heavier, more abrasive sound. Insomniac is the band's third-best selling album behind Dookie and American Idiot with sales at over 10 million worldwide and 2,100,000 copies in the US alone. The album was reissued on vinyl on May 12, 2009.
As the follow-up to their surprise hit <i>Dookie</i>, <i>Insomniac</i> is every bit as solid and true to the spirit of the Berkeley punk trio’s influences and interests. Success never changed Green Day in any discernible way. Billie Joe Armstrong continues to write the same quick, catchy, cute and quirky tunes he was writing before the world took note. “Armatage Shanks” picks up where “Longview” and “Basket Case” left off and the band continue to pummel with the same dedication of their punk heroes—The Jam, Buzzcocks, Descendents. Green Day’s emergence as punk’s most famous pop superstars never made them flinch, never made them question their approach. Unlike other alternative bands who felt a need to further explore their sonic realm, Green Day were a melodic punk band who saw their role as writing fast, strong songs that fans could dance and pogo to without thinking. “Walking Contradiction” attempts to make sense of this dichotomy, but the truth is in the irresistible hooks. “Geek Stink Breath” is a brilliant pop hook brought to further life with production that never tries to soften the attack.
