▁and ▁signed ▁to ▁Re prise . ▁Sign ing ▁to ▁a ▁major ▁label ▁caused ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁band ' s ▁original ▁fans ▁from ▁the ▁independent ▁music ▁club ▁ 9 2 4 ▁Gil man ▁Street ▁to ▁regard ▁Green ▁Day ▁as ▁sell - outs . ▁The ▁club ▁has ▁b anned ▁Green ▁Day ▁from ▁entering ▁since ▁the ▁major ▁label ▁signing . ▁Ref lect ing ▁back ▁on ▁the ▁period , ▁lead ▁vocal ist ▁Bill ie ▁Joe ▁Arm strong ▁told ▁Sp in ▁magazine ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁" I ▁couldn ' t ▁go ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁punk ▁scene , ▁whether ▁we ▁were ▁the ▁biggest ▁success ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁or ▁the ▁biggest ▁failure ▁[...] ▁The ▁only ▁thing ▁I ▁could ▁do ▁was ▁get ▁on ▁my ▁bi ke ▁and ▁go ▁forward ." ▁ ▁Caval lo ▁was ▁chosen ▁as ▁the ▁main ▁producer ▁of ▁the ▁album , ▁with ▁Jerry ▁Finn ▁as ▁the ▁mix er . ▁Green ▁Day ▁originally ▁gave ▁the ▁first ▁demo ▁t ape ▁to ▁Caval lo , ▁and ▁after ▁listening ▁to ▁it ▁during ▁the ▁car ▁ride ▁home ▁he ▁sens ed ▁that ▁"[ he ] ▁had ▁st umbled ▁on ▁something ▁big ." ▁The ▁band ' s ▁recording ▁session ▁last ed ▁three ▁weeks ▁and ▁the ▁album ▁was ▁mixed ▁twice . ▁Arm strong ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁band ▁wanted ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁dry ▁sound , ▁" similar ▁to ▁the ▁Sex ▁P ist ols ' ▁album ▁or ▁first ▁Black ▁S abb ath ▁albums ." ▁The ▁band ▁felt ▁the ▁original ▁mix ▁to ▁be ▁uns atisf actory . ▁Caval lo ▁agreed , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁rem ixed