The Goo Goo Dolls
A Boy Named Goo

THE REVIEW

A Boy Named Goo represented a turning point for the Goo Goo Dolls.

It was indeed the last album recorded with the collaboration of their first drummer, George Tutuska, and it was also the last with Metal Blade Records, which had accompanied them since their punk-like beginnings in 1987.

I approached the band with caution, fearing that their music would turn out to be just a love lament followed by a few riffs, but I was very wrong. To scratch the surface of their sound, getting to know them through this work (or the previous one, Superstar Car Wash) is essential.

A Boy Named Goo indeed contains the least romantic lyrics of their career, concentrating on the negative emotions exorcised by Rzeznik right from the first track, Long Way Down.

It is a wonderful rock n roll album, captivating and surprising with a timing that I adore (a feature of theirs not to be underestimated).

The pieces sung by the aforementioned guitarist alternate with those of bassist Robby Takac, with a punk and acidic verve that makes him seem like the evil part of the trio (he was initially the leader of the band).

It deserves 5 stars especially for Naked, a ballad (but not too much) that is worth the entire set.

Shots in the dark from empty guns, never heard by anyone.

Slave Girl is a cover of the Lime Spiders, and it's easy to guess who masterfully interprets it, with the right amount of venom, halfway between the glam of Mötley and the attitude of Black Flag.

It is surprising that very different tracks alternate with each other, excluding boredom from the reaction one might have after listening.

From the subsequent Dizzy Up The Girl, they would change their formula again while maintaining their recognizable dynamics and style.

Recommended, good class-A rock.