A Guide to Goo: Part 1

A Guide to Goo: “The goal was to play as loud as you could, as fast as you could.”


For the last eight years I’ve been listening to the various recordings of the Goo Goo Dolls, a band which mostly flies under the conventional radar, but I’m sure that’s the way they like it. Last year’s release of their newest CD, Let Love In, marked 19 years since they first released an album, a longevity that is rarely heard of in the music industry these days. Consider artists from the last few years who have released a few songs and then faded into obscurity. Yet somehow this band from Buffalo, New York has managed not only to stay together, but they’ve also managed to stay relevant.

It’s obvious from listening to their music how they’ve managed to do this. Over the course of the last two decades they’ve taken risks to not only grow as people and musicians, but to combine those two paths to have their music reflect their personal growth. Their studio releases thus far can be grouped into three different lengths of time each encompassing different phases in the life of the band and their evolution as musicians.

For reference, the group was formed in 1986, the original members consisting of John Rzeznik (guitar), Robby Takac (bass, vocals), and George Tatuska (drums). They released their first studio album in 1987.

Goo Goo Dolls (1987)

When the boys first came together in abandoned warehouses in blizzard bound Buffalo, their goal was to admittedly play music that was loud and fast. This rough style is clearly demonstrated on their first release, the self-titled Goo Goo Dolls (although it is often referred to as First Release). First Release runs at a little over thirty minutes of music, most of which is screaming guitars and nearly intelligible lyrics that are veritably screamed by Takac who handled the majority of the vocals at the time. The construction of the songs is mostly relegated to simplified instrumental arrangements paired with often repeating lyrics. One song, ‘Torn Apart’, deals with the complications of binge drinking and smoking and how it affects the rest of your life. While most of the album touches on these issues, ‘Torn Apart’ seems to be the only song with which the band takes the stance of creating a lighter musical arrangement through which their lyrics will be heard.

Jed (1989)

Two years after the first album came the release of Jed, another punk inspired album with a few changes from what came before. Most notably on this album is the emergence of John Rzeznik on two of the tracks, ‘Up Yours’ and ‘James Dean’, to sing lead vocals. John’s vocals on this record are rough, sounding timid at times, a reflection of the stage fright and anxiety that he has said that he felt during performing in the early days.

Between the first release and Jed, the band began to clean up and clear their heads, a move which shows in their music. The lyrics are moved beyond dealing with drugs and alcohol into writing about their personal relationships and the writing begins to become more journalistic, lyrics becoming slightly more subtle with their details yet still managing to express emotion.

One of the most notable tracks on Jed is the band’s cover of the song ‘Down on the Corner’ featuring local Buffalo singer, Lance Diamond. This song is a launch point from which the band can show their musical abilities with a powerful vocalist to push ahead. While first release contained a few cover songs they were mostly played with the same brash style as the rest of the music. But the cover of ‘Down on the Corner’ is a move into a new style for the band. Fusing the soulful singing style of Diamond into the song you can hear them begin to relax and the quality of what they are able to do comes through.

Hold Me Up (1991)

Moving from the tumultuous 80’s into the 90’s the Goos were attempting to break into a music industry which at the current time was flooded with heavy metal glam hair bands and other music which was completely different from their own style. Undeterred by the lack of other artists they could identify with, the band released Hold Me Up, an album which can be seen as the first transitional piece of work up until this point. While still maintaining the fast paced playing, the group has begun to experiment with harmony and real structure in songs instead of just trying to play “as loud and as fast as possible”. Rzeznik takes more of a lead in singing, sharing roughly half of the songs with Takac, his singing has become more confident, clearer and more defined. It’s in this album that Rzeznik’s potential as not only a singer but also as a crafter of song that really starts to stand out.

On the track, “Two Days in February”, an acoustic recording that was done in the middle of the day on a street corner, Rzeznik tells the story of a long distance relationship that exists only over phone lines and the tension between two people who are separated only by physical space and their inabilities to come to a logical conclusion despite their attempts to make it work. The grit of the song comes not from the background noise incurred during the outdoor recording, but from the simplicity of the acoustic guitar layered over the bass line and tambourine interlaced with the heartbreakingly honest details of being in a relationship without actually being present for it.


Following the release of Hold Me Up, the band toured the country as they always had, in a beat up van and living as sparsely as they could. However, the next few years would prove to be the point from which there would be no returning to the garage from whence they came.

A bit of vintage Goo thought

Wow. I wrote this almost 3 years ago during my freshman year at college (which explains the room mate situation) and I just thought I would share it with you. I've been working on a post about how the Goo Goo Dolls have evolved over the years in terms of their music and so I thought it would be fun to just to throw this one up. Enjoy!

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Hello everyone. Looks like I'm back. I took a bit of a break there at the beginning of the term, well deserved, and now here I am, getting ready to move out! Ah! Wait, that's not for a couple weeks yet. Anyways, back on track.

It seems like lately my room mate has decided that she's going "punk". I don't know about you, but a white, middle class, sorority girl sporting a CBGB's shirt has about as much right to call herself "punk" as I do dreading my hair and calling myself a rasta. *horrid Jamaican accent* Isn't that right mon? Ok ok, I'll back off. The other day I was listening to (in my opinion) the best band of all time: the Goo Goo Dolls. But not one of their current cds, I'm talking about the classic, 1980's releases. So while rocking out to a rousing chorus of "Road to Salinas", my room mate pipes in and says, "wow, these guys are so punk!" I swear I wanted to punch myself in the face. She hardly even gives the band the time of day, but then, when she hears that they could be in any way tied to the punk persona, she immediatley thinks they're cool. And that's what bothers me.

Frankly the fact that she judged the band by only listening to their current stuff is not that shocking, because most people don't even know that the Goos have been around since the mid 80's. It really is something to be appreciated that a group like them, who have been through so much in their careers could still be around today. However, much like cockroaches and Cher, I believe the Goos are going to be with us for a long time to come. God bless them.

What gives them this incredible longevity? I think it can be attributed to two people. John Rzeznik, the guitar man, and Robby Takac, the bass man. These two have seen each other through the darkest of times, and their professional and private relationship with each other is something that most people could only dream of having with any individual on this planet. But wait, there's a third member of the band, you say? Of course. How could I have forgotten Mike Malinin, the amazing man in control of the skins of the Goos? Fear not, I have not forgotten him.

But first, lets talk a little about the boys as musicians. I think it's safe to say that they are not the greatest that will ever play their chosen instruments, but, together, they have created music that is definitely one of a kind. John is an amazing, self taught guitarist. And his writing reflects that raw energy that he has from honing and earning his craft on his own. Guitar players around the world know what I'm talking about, because John writes in a key that is his alone. He seems to completely disregard the rules of song writing that so many others trod before him. And that rocks.

With John's guitar skills we can move over to his partner in crime, little Robby with his bass. Like John, Robby plays with a style that is his own, and he shows little mercy to himself as he throws himself about a stage, completely engrossed and lost in his playing. There are few bass players in the world who get as into it as he does. Robby is of the few who know how important his job as a bassist is. He knows that he provides that rich, dark, base for the guitar work to sit on. Without proper support the whole thing would fall apart. (I know this because I played tuba throughout my years and have had the pleasure of experiencing this first hand). And Robby knows this about his instrument, but he doesn't let it go to his head. He also prefers to play barefoot because he wants to be able to feel the music all the way through his body and down to his bones. And that rocks.

Now here we come to Mike. I told you I wouldn't forget. Mike is actually the second man to fill the drummer seat in the band. The first being George Tutuska who formed the band with John and Robby in 1985 but who departed 10 years later. One thing that you notice immediatley about Mike is that he doesn't seem to say much. In any interview that comes out, Mike definitely has the least amount of talk time among the three. But the thing is, Mike doesn't have to talk to let the world know that he's awesome. He simply sits behind his drums, and his hands and feet do the talking for him. No one can disagree when you say that Mike is an awesomely amazing drummer. And if they do, they obviously haven't heard him very well. Mike has this amazing way of owning his drums, and when you watch him, you know that a master is at work. And that rocks.

Not only do the Goos have talent and chemistry, but they've got work ethic like no other. They've been known to tour for two straight years, without even thinking twice. Well, they probably did think twice, but you wouldn't know it from them. They give their all for every performance, every appearance, and every encounter with fans because they know how much they mean to the legions of those who love them. I know that before I have spouted the praises and bewilderment on fans of Clay Aiken, saying that he's got a great fan base. But when it comes to those who are self proclaimed Goobers, there is no other fan that even comes close in comparison. The Goos elcite such an emotional response from their fans that it's impossible for us not to respond with anything except our undying love. The songs that have been written by this band touch something in, and mean something to, anyone who listens to them. It doesn't matter if you are a Goober or not. Everyone can find something in their lyrics that they can relate to. And that is an amazing feat. I know that their are thousands, possibly millions, out there who (myself included) owe the Goos our life. They have helped so many in dark times, that they deserve a medal. But, failing that, we give them our deepest thanks and gratitude, showering them with our appreciation and love every chance that we get.

We Goobers may not be as mobile or "freak-out-ish" as fans of other groups, but we do have something very special. While we adore our band, we know that they adore us right back. It's a love-love relationship that gives us all something to connect with. Fans of the Goos have also jumped on the band wagon of many important causes, forming their own groups, such as the Goo Goo Dolls Fans For Peace group that is very active, and many people participating in Rock the Vote and other such groups that are geared at making change in politics by getting people to take their responsibilities as voters more seriously. And that rocks.

Blogging from the floor...

Hello. Down here on the floor this evening because I've been sitting in chairs too long. What's with the lack of posting? Good question. I have a good answer, I promise. School started again last week. Another 10 weeks of toiling away over those large texts, and another term closer to graduation. Scary. But fun. Wierd.

I won't go into it much right now because it's late and I have to be up early, but it's been along couple of weeks. And a tiring couple of weeks mentally, physically, and emotionally. Tell you all about it later.

I'm in love.