Customer Reviews

Gutterflower

5 star:		(120)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I don't understand all the "middle of the road" reviews on this album by people who loved "Dizzy Up The Girl". To me, this album is just as fantastic as any of their previous albums that I have heard (i.e., everything from 1993's "Superstar Carwash" forward). How can you go wrong with this stunning collection of songs?

The first three tracks on this album set the stage for the makings of a great modern melodic rock album. "Big Machine" gets the album off to a truly huge, catchy start--great mid-tempo melodic anthem. Then comes "Think About Me", a fantastic, acoustic-driven anthem that may remind melodic rock fans of late-90s Night Ranger. (To the rest of you: yes, there is such a thing as "late '90s Night Ranger".) "Here Is Gone" is the third track and first single--a pretty song that is nonetheless a bit more uptempo than, say, "Iris".

But then...the album changes. Robby Takac, takes over the lead vocals from John Rzeznik for a track and belts out a more modern-sounding, not-so-melodic tune in "You Never Know". A couple of tracks later, Robby again sings on "Up, Up, Up"--again in the more modern, punk direction. In the meantime, John sings on more modern-sounding songs like "What A Scene" and "It's Over" before finally settling in with a true acoustic ballad, the beautiful "Sympathy".

The final four tracks are split between John and Robby on the tracks. "What Do You Need" is a truly modern-sounding effort by John which nicely shows his lower vocal range and has a heavy, distorted electric guitar sound. Robby's "Smash" and "Tucked Away" bring back a little of that punk edge, before Robby's vocals are back for the anthemic, more melodic (once again) "Truth Is A Whisper".

This is truly a variety-filled, enjoyable, mature effort by these guys. Clearly more serious than "Dizzy" but continuing in a mainstream direction. I think it is a very exciting listen in which I can get into any track depending upon my mood. To me, a very creative, musically diverse effort that shouldn't be missed.

First off--I'm a hardcore Goo Goo Dolls fan. It would be pretty difficult for them to create a piece of music I didn't like. But all bias aside, this is a GOOD album. Anyone who picks it up expecting to hear a second Dizzy Up The Girl will be sadly mistaken. This is better. (Be still, my heart.)

The GGD sound is here, alive and well, but even more polished. The driving rock abounds, and the lyrics are right on. Unlike the past few records, this one lacks a 'ballad', but it is not missed. These songs stick in your head. "Big Machine" is a driving melodious effort with great lyrics. "What A Scene" is a song for the times, and talks about the falacies of being a "pop sensation", while delivering an awesome sound. It is very unique, I cannot think of another one of their songs with a similiar sound. The only 'slow' song might be "Sympathy", a quieter song without drums, that almost borders on a country taste. On "It's Over", John's voice is barely recognizable, very deep and husky in the beginning (very cool), then the song glides into GGD melody...a brilliant song. And since people tend to overlook Robby's music, I have to make sure to say "Listen to his songs, too!" He is a great lyricist, and his songs have more of a punk flair to them, like in the old days.

You will not regret buying this album--you'll be proud that you do. Hardcore fans will appreciate the progress heard on this cd, and others will be introduced to a mature, rockin' sound. Enjoy.

Having been a follower of the Goos since their long-haired days in 80's Buffalo, I was on pins and needles waiting for the release of their latest album. And I wasn't disappointed.

What struck me most about 'Gutterflower' was its more mature sound; perhaps influenced by Jonny Rzeznik's divorce, the entire album has a bittersweet, melancholy flavor that holds up well despite the polish the band has obviously obtained since releasing Dizzy up the Girl and their EOAC compilation. And while the use of synthesizers and eclectic sounds is a new trick for the Goos, a few of the tracks such as 'What a Scene' and 'Sympathy' are a bit reminiscent of the Goo Goo Dolls' older albums, namely 'Boy Named Goo'. Another nice surprise was the fact that the Goos' bassist, Robby Takac, lends his wonderful voice to a few of the tracks, something characteristic of previous albums. It's reassuring to see that this amazing band hasn't totally let go of its roots as a rock band while learning to grow beyond its hard-edge youth and pop-band adolescence.

I was unsure of what to expect with 'Gutterflower' and I was more than pleasantly surprised. This album is an honest testament to the Goo Goo Dolls' immense talent, and will be a favorite of mine for years to come.

I love the Goo Goo Dolls simply because of John Rzeznik's raspy, sexy voice and unique arrangement of lyrics. I enjoy all their songs on love, and this album does a good job at giving their fans what they want. I'll list the key songs.
Big Machine- You should have heard this by now, so I'll quickly say that it has great, meaningful lyrics and a gripping chorus.
Here is Gone- Fist single off Album, also known. Same as Big Machine.
What A Scene- Powerful from the start, both vocals and riffs. Similar to "Big Machine".
It's Over- Most original song on the Album. Great use of Johnny's voice in the verses. Commanding chorus.
Sympathy- Music isn't all that special, but the lyrics keep you hanging on.
Truth is A Whisper- Travel back to "Long Way Down", it brings that feel back.

Here we are again, 4 years on from the infinitely beautiful 'Dizzy Up The Girl', The Goo Goo Dolls offer up another melodic masterstroke. Unlike their last offering, 'Gutterflower' has a darker tone, with Johnny Reznik's personal lyrics hinting at a tortured soul. The songs are not depressing though, they are refreshing, energetic and easy to relate to, and amoungst the at times agressive, haunted lyrics, he cries, 'God its good to be alive.'

The album bursts into life with 'Big Machine', and the albums tone is set by the lyrics, 'i'm torn in pieces, i'm blind and waiting for you.' The song is a short sharp jab, but its dreamy feel is much like the opening of 'Dizzy Up The Girl' of 1998, with the opener, 'Dizzy'. Soon follows the upbeat ' Think About Me' and then the new single, 'Here Is Gone', armed with a huge chorus. Robby Takac offers 4 of his own punkier songs on this album, the first of which is the encoraging 'You Never Know', one of his best efforts to date. The shame is that the other 3 tracks happen to be hopelessly average, and thus uninspiring in comparison to the brilliance of Reznik's songs.
'What A Scene' comes 5th on the track list, another classic, with an agressive vibe in the verse, that turns to that of sympathy in the chorus. 'It's Over' is perhaps the best track of the album. It shows off Reznik's soulfull voice marvously,
the lyrics express confusion in the mist of emotion, a place many of us have been. Then comes 'Symapathy', a gorgeous acoustic track, followed by 'What Do You Need?' which is perhaps one of the heaviest Goo tracks of all time, which soars gloriously into a massive chorus.
Hidden at the end of the album is the final track, 'Truth Is A Wisper', the albums secret weapon. A dark, mysterious creature, the song seems to be searching for something, it yearns, and touches the listener. And as it fades, signaling the end of the album, the creature, walking back into its cave, claims with a final look over its shoulder, 'i'll be back', with a grin...

Melodramtic as it sounds, this album does indeed take on an identity. If 'Dizzy Up The Girl' was the party, this was the morning after, signaling a new chapter in the epic Goo Goo Dolls adventure.

So, after much anticipation, the Dolls release their 7th studio album. After delivering the stunning "Dizzy Up the Girl," one has to wonder if the Dolls still had it in them.

Guess what? They do.

Have you ever known John Rzeznik to write an outright bad song? He's always written strong pop melodies and in "Gutterflower," he delivers the goods once again.

Now let's get something straight here. If you're expecting something that sounds like "Dizzy Up the Girl," you're gonna be a little disappointed. The only thing that carried over from that album is the rather poignant melodies. Imagine, if you will, "Iris" or "Black Balloon," but with slow but hard electric guitars. If you have a mental snapshot of that, then you've got the general sound of this album. Yes, as traditional in all Dolls albums, there is one totally acoustic piece, but the rest has the sound of their earlier albums, albiet a more harsher sound.

I really don't know what the WB was thinking in releasing "Here is Gone" as the lead single, because truthfully, it's probably the weakest Rzeznik song on the album. "Big Machine" is kinda fun and catchy. "Think About Me" has an intro that sounds like "Name," but don't be fooled; it's loud and another decent song. "What A Scene"'s intro reminds me of "Bullet the Blue Sky" by U2 and features Rzeznik trying out the rap style for part of the verses(which he does fairly well). "It's Over" sounds like a rock version of "Iris." "Sympathy" is YOUR token acoustic song, although not quite up to caliber with "Two Days in February," "Name," or "We Are the Normal." The final two Rzeznik tracks, "What Do You Need?" and "Truth Is A Whisper" are possibly the best tracks on the album. Both of those tracks contain the painful emotion that very few writers/performers are able to inject into a song.

Oh, yeah, and there's another singer named Robby Takac, who's songs are generally fun and his voice isn't as annoying as it has been in the past.

The final verdict? It's hard, it's harsh, and it's a magnificent effort by the Goo Goo Dolls. Definitely worth a buy.

I'm not sure how to interpret some of the people's reviews on "Gutterflower"...do they love it or not? But I'll tell ya straight: The latest Goo Goo Dolls platter is a MUST-have for any dedicated soldier of Power Pop Rock, any Goo Goo Dolls fan, or if recently dumped from a relationship.
I, being a GGD fan for over a decade, declare "Gutterflower" as an instant classic and the best GGD to this date. The Angst element alone is worth buying this CD. If some folks are so-so on songs like Rzeznick's "Big Machine", "It's Over", "Think About Me" and Takac's "You Never Know", and "Up, Up, Up", I must state that they haven't let these tunes sink in, or they just don't get what the artist is really saying.
EVERY song on this disc is a Winner. Believe me: This is really the 1st Goo album that I can start at Track 1 and let play all the way through to Track 12. Previous GGD records, as great as they were, did not achieve what I call "PlayThru". For those who claim Gutter has filler, I'm in total disagreement.
The Goo's made their career through sheer will, perseverance, strong talent, and the ability to sing the painfully obvious with magical subtley.
The Goo Goo Dolls rule for always staying true to their Punk rock roots.

Okay, I'm started to get annoyed with all the people comparing the old Goo albums to Gutterflower. Yes, they're very different (from Jed where it was all Robby singing, to now, where everything is about John and the punk to rock to poprock change) but give them a break. They can't be expected to stay the same forever. Don't look at Gutterflower as "Oh, it's the eighth Goo Goo Dolls album", look at it as "Hey, a new album by some group." If you don't compare it to the past albums, you might enjoy it more. That said, I'll begin.

Let's start with their single, Here Is Gone. The first time I heard this song, the only reason I liked it was because it was Goo, and the only part of the song I liked was the chorus. But after hearing it several time (the radio stations seemed to love it) it grew on me. From their album, I believe it was the most radio-ready.
The second song on Gutterflower is Think of Me. It begins with a riff reminiscent of Name, but after that there's no similarity. Good, solid song.
Big Machine is the opening song for the album...it definitely gets it off on a kick. Energy comes out of this song, if nothing else. It's a sweet song about someone waiting for someone else. I'd love to hear this song on the radio.
Musically, It's Over is my favorite song on the album. It's got that quality, the quality of raw emotion. This song seems like it was written for his ex-wife...it's a beautiful song.
Where to begin with What a Scene...it's my favorite song on the album. Faintly punk, with John R. almost rapping? Well, whatever it is, it works. It's a great song to sing with, once you've got the lyrics down, which isn't easy. There's also a lovely "nah nah" part, though it sounds more like "no" or "now".
Track 8, Sympathy, is an amazing acoustic song. An acoustic guitar, a mandolin, and Johnny Rzeznik's voice make up this number. Good stuff.

Of course, this isn't all of the tracks on the twelve track album, but it's a sample of some. It's a great album. The Goo Goo Dolls have a great sound, perfect for when you're hating the whole world and great when you're ready to rock on. Lyrically, it makes you think and try and decipher the imagery in the songs. All together, a tight album that leaves you wanting more.

Fans had to wait four years after the Goo Goo Dolls' last studio album for the band to release their next one. The wait was worth it; GUTTERFLOWER is part of the Goo Goo Dolls' best work. Johnny Rzeznik performs even more accoustic and clear tone guitar tracks than ever before. His work displays his progression as a player, however his voice does become somewhat repetitive. Robby Takac finally produces decent songs that work well to the overall structure to this album. His pieces are still not as good as Rzeznik's, but they are far better than what they have been in the past. GUTTERFLOWER is also grittier and grudgier than its predecessor. This quality actually sounds awesome with the record's pieces making this album less poppy and more in a rock performance style. This record landed the Goo Goo Dolls tons of soundtrack and promotional spots. It also gave them a chance to perform on the Today Show's Summer Rock Series back in 2002. GUTTERFLOWER is a well performed album and one any Goo Goo Doll fan should own.

Stand out tracks include:
"Big Machine"
"Here Is Gone"
"What A Scene"
"Sympathy"
"Tucked Away"
"Truth Is A Whisper"

If you liked Dizzy Up The Girl, you'll love Gutterflower. The music rocks, as always, and the lyrics are sincere. I wouldn't expect anything else from the Goos. This album sounds like they really are doing what they love to do. Their enthusiasm bleeds into their music. John wrote more songs with his altered guitar tunings, and Robby wrote his riff-driven songs with flare. The guys sound better than ever on this record. Call it power pop, alternative, or whatever you want, the fact of the matter is, it's great music everyone can relate to. I tip my hat to the GGD on their latest effort. It hasn't left my CD player for the year it's been on the shelves.