REVIEW: Goo Goo Dolls, Dizzy Up the Girl (Warner)
- Joann D. Ball
It should come as no surprise that the Goo Goo Dolls have crafted such a beautiful and memorable song as "Iris." After all, during the past ten years the Goos have steadily evolved from a blue-collar thrash punk trio into a mature, intelligent power pop band. While 1991's Hold Me Up was a move away from the band's dive bar roots, Superstar Carwash which followed two years later, elevated the band to a whole new level. The band's first stab at the big time was the single "We Are the Normal," written by the Goos and their major influence Paul Westerberg. By the time of the collaboration, Westerberg had laid his band The Replacements to rest, effectively passing the singer/songwriter/good time rock-n-pop band badge to the Buffalo, New York based band. If the hit single "Name" made the Goo Goo Dolls' 1995 studio outing A Boy Named Goo a breakthrough record, then the song "Iris" from the soundtrack of this year's summer movie "City of Angels" should finally establish the band as a rock tour de force.
All of the attention generated by the soundtrack single, also included on the brand new album Dizzy Up the Girl , significantly alters the scheme of things for the Goo Goo Dolls. But singer, songwriter and guitarist John Rzeznik and musical brother, vocalist, songwriter and bassist Robby Takac meet this dream of a lifetime challenge head on with the thirteen tracks on Dizzy Up the Girl. Those just discovering the band may have hoped for a record filled with lush tracks identical to "Iris." But what they get instead is a record that contains a number of great radio friendly songs which explore the sonic range of contemporary modern rock.
The band throws itself into "Dizzy," a rocking opening track that peaks with John's typical full vocal/big sound chorus. The second track is "Slide," the first single from Dizzy Up the Girl which quickly hit the number one spot on the modern rock chart and helped propel the album into Billboard's Top Twenty. "Slide" is the stuff that longtime fans have come to expect from the Goo Goo Dolls and new fans will come to love. The infectious guitar-based song has all the right hooks, a sing-along chorus and a great upbeat vibe making it the best summertime song ever released after Labor Day.
The Goo Goo Dolls' sound essentially boils down to guitars, bass and drums, with keyboards and strings accenting that basic arrangement on tracks like "Iris." The tracks on album number six strike a wonderful balance between all out rockers and slower, mellower numbers. Indicative of the former is the insightful uptempo cut "Broadway," on which John reveals his ability to tell a great story with Westerberg-like skill. The song also features the guitar work of another influence, the now almost legendary pop tunesmith Tommy Keene. While John sings most of the songs on the record, Robby does belt out a few tunes on Dizzy Up the Girl. He delivers "January Friend" and "Full Forever" with typical gusto in his nasal, everyman's barroom voice which is the perfect complement to John's clear, full and passionate vocals.
The Goo Goo Dolls do a superb job entertaining the listener on Dizzy Up the Girl. But to fully comprehend the true heart and the soul of the band, one must experience the band live. The Goo Goo Dolls recently kicked off an eagerly awaited American tour at the intimate Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana, California and were well rehearsed and rarin' to go. The Goos were full of energy and good humor as they served up turbo charged rock-n-roll with great enthusiasm. Resident skins man Mike Malinin kept the rhythm super tight behind John and Robby, with session musicians Nathan December on guitar and backing vocals and David Schulz on keyboards and backing vocals rounding out the tour line-up. Whereas on previous tours, the band operated as a trio with John working overtime handling all the guitar work, the addition of these two excellent musicians expanded the band's sound and gave John a chance to play acoustic guitar, concentrate on his vocals and play the ever friendly host of the evening.
On opening night, the Goo Goo Dolls delivered an awesome 21-song set that drew heavily from the new record and the previous two releases. It's a move that will likely be repeated as the band plays theaters and mid-sized venues across the country. The Goo Goo Dolls are an excellent bet for a good time and an awesome rock show, so don't miss the fun when it rolls through your town. Check out the band's website at http://www.googoodolls.com
