The right combination of young spoiled brat rage, apathy, simple fun and accessibility makes Dookie the defining pop punk record.

An extraordinarily lavish display of funk with no watered-down politics. Bold and vehement.

The right combination of young spoiled brat rage, apathy, simple fun and accessibility makes Dookie the defining pop punk record.

The rave reviews make me feel like there's something I'm missing out on, or perhaps this particular brand of... 80's African-inspired folk(?) just isn't for me. It's okay.

This story of "deaf, dumb and blind" Tommy couldn't have been written in any other time than '69, but that's when this kind of art would be heralded as game-changing. Thus, even though the taste is questionable and the music not particularly mind-blowing, the adventurous attitude at the root of this record still reels me in.