 BURBANK, CA (Reprise Records) - Reprise Records will release re-mastered versions of two classic Green Day albums, the Grammy Award-winning band's 1991 debut "1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hour" and its second full-length, 1992's "Kerplunk," on January 9, 2007. The reissues capture the best-selling Berkeley, California trio at the start of its long career, displaying singer Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt's relentless three-chord power-punk formula that eventually became a blueprint for countless imitators and led to a revival of interest in American punk. Originally released on Berkeley indie label Lookout! Records, "1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hour" was a compilation of Green Day's early no-frills EPs "39/Smooth," "Slappy," and "1,000 Hours." In 1992, Lookout! released the more melody-minded "Kerplunk," which marked the recorded debut of drummer Tré Cool, who brought an impressive blend of energy, speed, and technique to the mix. The album included the stand-out tracks "Welcome to Paradise" (re-recorded for Green Day's 1994 Reprise debut "Dookie"), and the rampaging opener "2,000 Light Years Away." "Kerplunk" sold 50,000 copies in the U.S., a considerable feat for an indie punk band at the time, and went on to sell more than 2 million copies worldwide. The remastered recordings will delight old and new fans alike, and prove once again why Entertainment Weekly has called Green Day "the most influential band of its generation."
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