Reflecting Pool: Green Day - Shenanigans

Hey! It's Green Day's B-Sides! I don't know why that excited me so much.



Green Day - Shenanigans - 2002 (iTunes - Amazon)

Let's just go through this track by track, shall we?

1. Suffocate. B-Side for Good Riddance
Classic Dookie type GD. (A)
2. Desensitized. B-Side for Good Riddance
Well, the beating at the beginning should scare the shit out of you. And the song, another pop/punk classic delivers. (B+)
3. You Lied. B-Side for Good Riddance
Lazier than the others. The first track that really doesn't belong on an album. (C)
4. Outsider B-Side for Warning
I wish this had just a little more teeth. Armstrong's vocals are more Joey Ramone than ever. It's really a Ramones tune at heart. (B)
5. Don't Wanna Fall In Love - B-Side for Geek Stink Breath
Terrific punk skiffle. (A)
6. Espionage - B-Side for Hitchin' A Ride
Green Day's take on The Peter Gunn Theme. Instrumental 60s era surf-rock, TV Spy theme. (B+)
7. I Want to Be On TV - B-Side for Geek Stink Breath
Black Flag would be proud. Cover of a Fang tune (A)
8. Scumbag - B-Side for Warning
A rare Mike Dirnt track. Good enough to be included on the first three records. Wouldn't really have fit on Warning. (B+)
9. Tired of Waiting for You - B-Side of Basket Case
The Kinks' Classic! This proves where GD's roots really were. 60s Pop. Much to their chagrin, I'm sure. (A)
10. Sick of Me - B-Side for Hitchin' a Ride
Like it fell off Insomniac. In a lot of ways a rewrite of Walking Contradiction. (B)
11. Rotting - B-Side for Good Riddance
Surf Punk that calls to mind, believe it or not, The Beach Boys. To me, at least. (B+)
12. Do Da Da - B-Side for Brain Stew
That Classic GD Sound. I would have played this track more than the A Side. It's more fun to Air Guitar while driving. (A)
13. On the Wagon - B-Side for Basket Case
Terrific Cow-punk. If Hank Williams was a GenX punk, he would've written this. Or covered it. (B+)
14. Ha Ha You're Dead - Previously Unreleased
Another Mike Dirnt Track! Tight, Taut, simple punk. (A)

All in All. A blast. Do you need Shenanigans? Probably not. But the band would never really sound like this again.

Grade B+
A Side: (Of a bunch of B-sides) Ha Ha You're Dead, Suffocate
BlindSide: Desensitized, Espionage
DownSide: You Lied