You have to applaud Grover Biery and his team at Because Sound Matters for giving us something different in the world of audiophile LP reissues. Grover has reached out and delivered on the unexpected, which includes new One-Step titles from Linkin Park, Green Day, K.D. Lang, and even The Flaming Lips (in the near future). All have an appeal for those of us who are seeking the ultimate sound and packaging for some of our most favorite albums. Until now, many just didn't get the attention that they deserved, while other titles were reissued over and over again in several different formats. Thanks to Grover, the door has been opened and with great fanfare and success. The future looks bright for even more surprises!
At our annual family get together during the holidays, I mentioned my upcoming review of the new One-Step of Green Day's third album Dookie to my children, my nieces and my nephews. These "kids" are all 30 to 40 years old, and it generated some very interesting discussions and even some heated disagreements. All seemed to have an emotional connection from their high school and college years, not only for Dookie, but for all of the Green Day albums. Several also had a special affection for the seventh album, American Idiot. I am a big Green Day fan, but I was pleasantly surprised by the passion and love that these younger family members had for the group. From that discussion and from feedback by numerous readers, many seemed to have Green Day CDs or LPs in their collection back in the day, and they played them endlessly. This group and their music was very important to them all.
Beyond the many comments about the amazing skill levels of songwriting and musicianship, the key topic of those discussions centered on which album was Green Day's best. There was a general consensus that Dookie and American Idiot were the two highlights of the Green Day discography, though I am sure that others may have different opinions on this too. Some argued that the strongest and most powerful material was on Dookie, and that American Idiot was slightly more commercial. Others took the opposite position, and felt that American Idiot was much more creative, if not uniquely entertaining and theatrical. I pointed out that American Idiot was clearly the final stepping stone for the band to get the attention and respect that launched them into superstardom and the big stadiums. The Dookie loyalists claimed otherwise. Our Thanksgiving dinner was never so much fun!
No need to go further into those discussions here, but based on this newly discovered insight, I just might follow this review up with another focused on American Idiot. Lucky for all of us, American Idiot was also released as a One-Step by Because Sound Matters, and is still available at all the usual suspects and your local record stores. Bottom line though, and in my humble opinion, these two albums provide us with some of the best punk rock (some might claim it as punk pop), ever from either side of the big pond!
Reception
Dookie was recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California in 1993 and released on Reprise Records in 1994. The three band members included Billie Joe Armstrong on lead guitar and vocals, Mike Dirnt on bass and supporting vocals, and Tré Cool on drums. Armstrong was the primary songwriter, and his lyrics touched on many of his own personal experiences that included boredom, anxiety, mass murder, divorce, and even masturbation. Armstrong never held back!
Five singles were released including "Longview," "Basket Case," "Welcome to Paradise," "When I Come Around," and "She". Dookie won a Grammy for "Best Alternative Album" at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards in 1995. It reached number two on the Billboard 200, and was later certified "Double Diamond" (20 times Platinum) by the RIAA. Dookie was the band's best-selling record and sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Rolling Stone magazine included it on the "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time," and number one on its "50 Greatest Pop-Punk Albums." Dookie was also selected for the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2024.
Production
As a One-Step, Dookie is spread across four sides on two LPs, and is pressed on super quiet Neotech VR9000-D2 180 gram vinyl at 45 RPM. Mastering was provided by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering using the original analog master tapes. Pressing was done at RTI by Dorian Sauerbier using the One-Step process. Packaging and and all printing were provided by the Stoughton Printing Company. The album is housed in a top quality, foil-stamped, uniquely designed and numbered slipcase. Production will be limited to 3000 numbered copies. As you can see, Because Sound Matters has taken every step to utilize the very best design, materials, manufacturers, and engineers in the industry. The Because Sound Matters One-Step reissue for Dookie is truly a first class offering!
Sound
I have an original 1994 copy of Dookie. I was surprised by the current pricing of the OG on Discogs, which has a median selling price of $272 and a high of $1350. Of course, there is a certain element of collectability embedded in those prices. There was a copy on the Holy Moly Wall at a local record store that caught my attention when placed on display just a few weeks ago. The asking price was $750. It just recently sold for $450, though the owner was confident he could have received his asking price if he was more patient. I do not have the 2009 Kevin Gray or 2023 Chris Bellman reissues for comparison.
Let's start with the 1994 OG cut at 33 RPM. Discogs lists the engineers as Neil King and Casey McCrackin and mixed by Green Day, Huckle, Jerry Finn, and Rob. Pressing was done at Specialty Records. Not sure what to make of those last few names (LOL!). I do have a minty looking copy, though the vinyl can be slightly noisy on some tracks, which was not abnormal for the day.
I want to be clear, I have used the term "audiophile" a few times already in this review. Based on my time with the OG during this comparison, I would be hard pressed to call Dookie an audiophile recording, but this pressing does have its appeal. We are not talking Miles Davis, Kind of Blue here. After all, this is a punk rock recording where the original intent was probably more of a grungy, raunchy type of eclectic sound. Let's please not get into an argument about intent, this is just my personal impression. If this was the objective, we get some of that throughout, but we also get a pressing that has a certain sense of freshness, as the tapes were probably in better shape in 1994.
There is a definite amount of compression going on with some sibilance on certain tracks, but there is also a nice level of mid bass bloom and weight that adds to the experience of this type of music. Bass performance was fine, but nothing earth shaking. I did love the edge and raspy strut of Billy Joe's guitar, but again, I found the highs and especially the snares a little on the bright if not overly metallic side.
The One-Step is cut at 45RPM. This allows for so much more landscape to spread out those grooves and clearly provides additional clarity and an expanded sound stage. The Neotech low noise vinyl is especially effective, as additional detail and three dimensionality shines through that is simply missing on the OG. Chris Bellman has been on a roll these last few years with some exceptional reissues (though his work has always been outstanding). Some of the recent Neil Young, Tom Waits, and Genesis titles comes to mind. This second attempt on Dookie, is just another jewel from Chris who is clearly one of the best mastering engineers in the industry.
We have plenty of punch and dynamics when it comes to bass and drums on the One-Step. Mike and Tré have a new and exciting presence that I find much more engaging. We still have what seems like some slight compression. I could be wrong on this, but my ears tell me that there is a considerable improvement on this issue over the OG. You still want to crank it up, but the results are so much more fun. This album is meant to be played loud, and the One-Step seems to have no limits.
A few tracks come to mind. The bass lines and drums on both "Burnout" and "Chump" are absolutely thunderous. You have to love the toms on "Longview" as they almost explode into your face with plenty of newfound crispness and thwack. The Billy Joe vocals are so much more defined and easier to sort through on all of these songs. Yes, he can be a little irritating and over the top on some, but you cannot ignore his energy and drive. The passion and excitement is all there in spades for all three musicians. If you don't get out of your listening chair and start doing the pogo or start moshing, you may need to have your ears checked!
Final Thoughts
Dookie is a true classic and is revered and loved by fans from many generations. Sound Matters has done something very special here. The musical presentation and fun factor on this reissue is better than ever! If you have ever dabbled with the idea of dipping your toe into the world of Punk Rock, this would be a good place to start. Again, I am super excited about the future of Because Sound Matters. Come on Grover! We are rooting for you! I cant wait for your next new reissue announcement!
