i grew up in kutztown, but i went to school elsewhere. i didn't meet lew until after i'd graduated and was living at home again. yeah, we're pals.

that superdooper 7" really isn't much. there're 4 songs, but none are very good. the best part is the cover art, which is a picture of angelo at maybe 4-5 years old. he's wearing a sombrero and a suit with an unbuttoned shirt revealing a superman t-shirt underneath. very amusing.

I somehow skipped over this thread and decided to add my two cents.
I've never been a big fan and the more and more they get played on Commercial Alternative stations with all the Emo-esque, pop-punk and Nu-metal bands that are out now, the more I hate them.
I didn't really think they took themselves seriously until American Idiot, then they seemed to be overtly political in alot of their commentary. To me, them and the Offspring were far too defensive about justifying their punk status while selling out. I've got nothing against selling out and I was never a hardcore punk, but I respect a band like the Sex Pistols alot more for saying we just want the money than these groups trying to skirt the selling out issue.
Somehow I managed to avoid heavy listening to pop punk during my younger days. I went from listening to the Beastie Boys to late 70's and early 80's DC and NYC punk as well as the Dead Kennedy's from the Bay area by virtue of the Beastie Boys Some Old Bullshit. Then came Fugazi and the Dischord scene and I basically went indie.

z - oops i crapped my pants. i'm going to crash at lew's place when i go to austin this summer.

pro - Green Day was defensive when it came to the punk vs. selling out* issue however, when they they were one of the biggest band in America in '94 or '95, they were also probably the most hated band by punk rockers as well.

*some could argue that Green Day didn't sell out at all. they didn't change their sound or become more accessible** when they signed to a major label. also, they could have EASILY, EASILY lawyered their first two albums away from Lookout, so that they could be re-released on a major and get millions more***.

**they did change their sound a bit with that "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" song. more overplayed than their most overplayed songs put together.

***recently Green Day took their first 2 albums away from LK, because LK is broke, going down the tubes, and owes the band quite a bit of money in royalty checks.