Even in their early days, Green Day didn't have a particularly aggressive or uncommercial sound- they were their some jumpy, poppy selves, a virtual assembly line of pop-punk crunchiness, with crunch three-chord melodies and nasal vocals. Back then, Billie Joe and company still wrote songs about girls and laziness and boredom, with shades of humor and angst shimmering through the mix. The only thing that was particularly different (aside from the somewhat muddy sound quality) was that Tre Cool had yet to become the band's drummer- his predecessor, a fellow by the name of John Kiffmeyer, isn't bad by any means. He doesn't have Cool's explosive approach, but he knows how to keep a rhythm just fine, and he's got more than enough punky energy.

This disc offers plenty of proof of that. It's a compilation that includes their entire first album (39/Smooth, which makes up the first 10 tracks), as well as two E.P.s (1000 Hours and Slappy, which, respectively, make up tracks 15-18 and 11-14 of this record), and the compilation track "I Want To Be Alone." All of it was released on Lookout! records, and all in all it comprises about half of their pre-major label output. It's all fine stuff for a fan of the band. If you hate Green Day based on records like Dookie and Insomniac, this probably won't change your mind very much. If you've never listened to them before, this isn't really the best place to start: the aforementioned two records are a better bet. Or you could go for the wonderful International Superhits compilation.

As far as highlights go, I really like the rollicking "Don't Leave Me," as well as the exuberant "Going To Pasalacqua." There's also a wonderfully emotional four chord romp called "Only Of You," and a deathlessly catchy song by the name of "1000 Hours." It isn't perfect- "Why Do You Want Him?," "The Judge's Daughter," and others sound more generic than anything, and the cover of Operation Ivy's "Knowledge" sounds like more of a bad joke than anything else. But it's still a fine collection, if you're into this kind of thing (and I certainly am).

The very first glimpse of Green Day....it rocks. This is solid punk...loud, fast, and awesome. Anyone who remotely likes punk should dig this. The price is great and well worth it, because it comes with all of that cool extra stuff. If you enjoyed this album, then try Kerplunk also, because it has the same great punk sound. I like Insomniac a lot, but after hearing this I had to consider, because 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours rocks too.

I don't really have any favorites on here because I like them all, but At the Library, I was There, and Green Day are some good ones. The song Green Day will tell you all you need to know about how they came up with the band's name...... So if you've found yourself becoming more and more disappointed with Green Day as the years go on, I suggest that you look backward, not forward. So, have you bought it yet? If not, then stop reading this and do yourself a favor by buying it!!!!!!!

1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (damn, that's a mouthful) is an awesome album. Especially for being their first album (compiled of old EPs) it's catchy, entertaining and consistent (except for the song Knowledge). You won't be dissapointed, and it will hold your attention from "At the Library" on down (by the way, it's my favorite song).

I got this back when I was a really big green day fan... I'm not so much of a fan of theirs anymore, but I wish my tape of this tape didn't break because it was pretty good... the songs are very catchy and a lot of them are just about being an awkward geek in school, which I can relate to because I am am awkward geek at school... there are also some very nice wistful love songs on here... they don't swear on this album at all. In fact in one song Billy Joe even says "what the hey", which is cheesy, but somehow charming... having this album is sort of like having your best friend's college band's demo around and listening to it, and in a sense it almost is what you are doing... nice little slow, almost relaxing cover of "Knowledge" by Operation Ivy on there too...

Even though this is some of Green Day's earliest work, the quality of the music is just as good as ever. The band is very commendable for upholding its reputation throughout the years, for my favorite Green Day albums are this one and American Idiot, the earliest and latest CDs as of now. The style of 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours is a punk rock one, and has a similar feel to Kerplunk yet is much more catchy and well constructed. Appeal is also derived from such factors as choppy guitars, cool patterns, and a more than satisfactory amount of songs (nineteen). The melody I would most recommend on this album is "Don't Leave Me", which is a fun punk rock piece with a good chorus, fast-paced guitar, and an incessantly catchy chord progression. I also highly favor the song "Knowledge", which is very different compared to Green Day's usual style. The electric guitar on this track is much slower, and cruises along in a swinging manner while Billie Joe emits insanely catchy lyrics. Aside from this tune, basically all of the songs on 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours are genuine punk rock. It amazes me how Green Day seems to excel at every genre they attempt, whether the fast-paced style of this album, the all-out rock of American Idiot, or the soft rock layout of such songs as "Time of Your Life" or "Macy's Day Parade". I would give this album a full five star rating, for it has an expert conception of punk rock, contains great lyrics, and has some of Green Day's catchiest pieces to offer.