Right up there with the best of 1990s rock music

There's something about a good John Rzeznik-written Goo Goo Dolls tune that reminds me of hearty comfort food you crave during the winter. His voice is warm, the guitar hooks and obligatory solo are easy on the ears and often, the arena-ready chorus is the biggest draw of the song. And while Rzeznik's lyrics are usually far from joyous, his talent for capturing a mood and real-life emotion is impressive. The opening track on "Superstar Carwash," "Fallin' Down," captures all the great elements of this band, and what follows is equally great stuff.

Endearingly, Rzeznik and bass guitarist Robby Takac used to flawlessly and unselfishly switch back and forth from song to song on early albums, the former contributing larger-than-life riffs and an all-inclusive sentimental vibe that pulled at heartstrings, while the latter songwriter opted for a more punk-sounding and raspy approach. In either case, both Rzeznik and Takac seemed street smart and wary from the start, which came through in their songwriting; they simply expressed themselves in different -- though no less explosive -- ways. What's cool about this album is the way they share vocal duties on some songs. "Domino," for instance, is an fiery rocker with Takac's frantic vocals up front and Rzeznik's melodic voice in the background during the chorus. The same vocal dynamic between the two occurs on "Close Your Eyes" as well. On "String of Lies," the guys angrily trade vocals back-and forth as lightning-quick drums pave the way for a resentful tune about hurtful past relationships.

Taking a rightful and helpful cue from the loud guitar records by The Replacements, the Goo Goo Dolls were commercial-sounding right away without sacrificing their rock `n' roll integrity. Though the more polished, adult contemporary stuff would come in droves later, melodic and rocking gems like "Lucky Star" and "Girl Right Next to Me" gave the Goo Goo Dolls both street cred and major charting potential. Surprisingly, there are a few guitar moments on "Superstar Carwash" that take me back to the days of 1980s heavy metal music, though many may disagree with that assessment.

To me, it's a tossup between whether this CD or Hold Me Up is better, but one thing was clear about the Goo Good Dolls early on: They knew how to rock, and they knew how to do it with a melodic touch, just like The Replacements, a band that was a huge and obvious influence.

[Saturday, December 29, 2007]

Top of Their Game

I am a hardcore Goo Goo Dolls fan and, even though I think A Boy Named Goo is a masterpiece, No one will ever convince me that this album, SSCW, is not the greatest Goo Goo Dolls albums, and quite possibly one of the best albums of the 90s. Even though I like the Goo Goo Dolls recent stuff, they were at their best during SSCW and ABNG. Unfortunately, the Goos became famous off the song "Name," which was one of their slowest, most acoustic oriented songs up to that point, and were somewhat "forced" by the label to go off in that direction instead of their previous sound. Had a song like "Fallin' Down" or "So Far Away" been released as a single before "Name", I have a feeling the Goos would be a different band today.

One thing that is promising is that, when interviewed about writing the new album (post-LLI), Robby Takac said that they wanted to return to their roots. SSCW 2 would complete my life.

[Monday, November 12, 2007]

Once in a lifetime...

DISCLAIMER: This album should be listened to in solitude for maximum effect. Due to the extreme personal feelings evoked from the lyrics & music, listening with friends in the car or at a party is not recommended.

I don't think there will ever be a moment in time like this one again, an innocence was captured here, as was a band simply set out to make the best record they could, before this "Big Machine" started to roll. It was a different time of life, a different era, it almost feels like this was recorded on a different plane or universe, and if Marty McFly & Doc Brown were around, they would say this might have been the "Alternate 1993". Not one weak track, no flaws, nothing. Each of the band members know their place, and don't try to stand out from each other, the ego's weren't really in place yet. There will never be anything written like it ever again.
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1) Fallin' Down - "Cause all I ever wanted so far gone". This is the best choice to open the record, I'm glad they did it this way. --10/10

2) Lucky Star - They still play this song at concerts now and then, and it's nice to hear. You haven't really settled into the record yet, so you're still on your toes. --8/10

3) Cuz You're Gone - If you were just in a long relationship, and you somehow became unfairly and unwantedly broken up, then this song is for you. Or better yet, that was me, and at the time of writing, still is. No song on this record hit home for me more than this one, and I can't tell you how many days & nights were spent in tears over this song (I'm a 25 year old guy, and I'll admit it). Try and get you're hands on the 'Live In Buffalo' release for and amazing rendition of this song, also with an equally stellar and sentimental "1000 Words" interlude. Perfect lyrics, perfect music. --10/10

4) Don't Worry - Nothing to fret about Robby, I won't. I do worry though that this song gets buried in between 2 gems. --7/10

5) Girl Right Next To Me -
"I lie in my bed you're running through my head
Going over and over and over the things that you said
I'm caught in the trap I'll run like hell right back to you
Cause I'm sober with you and you know it beats drinking alone"

Enough said. --10/10

6) Domino - Approaching the metal realm, I can't get enough of this song, since I am primarily a metal fan. Great guitar solo, and full of melody in the verses. --10/10

7) We Are The Normal - Great words, and check out the video! --10/10

8) String Of Lies - Another tune for the lonely and broken-hearted (at least in my case). Good, powerful, fast song and the finest trade-off of singing between John & Robby ever. --10/10

9) Another Second Time Around - My favorite Robby song ever. He captured all the emotion in himself and out it into this song. The desolate feeling is primarily driven by the guitar lines. I thank the heavens above everyday for this song. --10/10

10) Stop The World - Does the magic stop on this record? Apparently not. There's so much feeling and will to churn out a great song here, and it shows. I think by this time, you realize the album is something special, but amazingly, there's more to come. --10/10

11) Already There - Robby is always talking about snow in his songs, understandable, but strange. I like this song because you can really feel transported to a time when things were better, simpler, and easier. -- 8/10

12) On The Lie -
"I said that hollywood can fall into the ocean, man
Cause it's the ugliest place in the whole wide world"

What happened to that Johnny? Apparently he forgot himself. --8/10

13) Close Your Eyes - The continuing tones of sadness continue on this record, and I appreciate every note. I love when John sings backup on the choruses, it adds some other dimension to the music, and it begs the question, why don't they do things like this anymore?! The organ in the background really adds a feeling that you almost don't realize. --10/10

14) So Far Away - There would be no other fitting way to close this record, and so it closes a chapter of the GGD career, and in an odd sort of unexplainable way, you feel like some sort of chapter of your life closes as well.

"If you break enough glass and there's no one to hear
And your heart's full of hate
Cause your mind's full of fear
Let it go..."

Unmatchable. --10/10
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I always find myself looking up to the sky with fulfillment and feel ready for the day whenever I put this record on. It leaves me with such a feeling of hope and despair at the same time, and there are very few records in this world that are able to do that. This is a unique record in every way, and it receives my highest regards. Prepare yourself to rock, smile, cry, shiver, sing along and long for something more...

[Wednesday, October 31, 2007]

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