Insomniac | ||||
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Studio album by Green Day | ||||
Released | October 10, 1995 | |||
Recorded | December 1994 - May 1995 | |||
Studio | Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco, California | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 32:49 | |||
Label | Reprise | |||
Producer |
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Green Day chronology | ||||
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Singles from Insomniac | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Alternative Press | |
The Arizona Republic | |
Entertainment Weekly | B |
The Guardian | |
Los Angeles Times | |
Rolling Stone | |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
Spin | 8/10 |
The Village Voice | A− |
Insomniac is the fourth studio album by American punk rock band Green Day, released on October 10, 1995 by Reprise Records. Though it peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1996, Insomniac did not have the sales endurance of its predecessor Dookie, largely due to its slightly darker lyrical tone and its heavier and more abrasive sound.Insomniac has sold over 2,100,000 copies in the United States according to Billboard as of 2012. The album was reissued on vinyl on May 12, 2009.
Before the name Insomniac was decided on, the band considered naming the album Tight Wad Hill (after track 13 on the album). After visiting collage artist Winston Smith for the album cover, Billie Joe Armstrong asked him how he managed to make such intricate pieces in such short times. Smith answered: "It's easy for me. I am an insomniac." Armstrong himself has said that the album title comes from his own insomnia, after having been woken up frequently during the night due to his son's screams, Joey. Armstrong also mentions his insomnia in the song "Brain Stew".
"Panic Song" was inspired by bassist Mike Dirnt's panic attacks he has suffered as a result of being born with an enlarged mitral valve in his heart. "86" discusses the rejection Green Day faced from the 924 Gilman Street music club in Berkeley after the band's rise to fame in 1994.