Customer Reviews

Something For The Rest Of Us

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Ever since 1986, the Goo Goo Dolls have been rocking out and producing uptempo pop-rock, with their commercial peak taking place with their two blockbuster albums, 1995's "A Boy Named Goo" and 1998's "Dizzy Up The Girl."

As the years have gone by, the band's sound has become much softer, but this progression was slow and steady throughout the past 15 years. Their most recent album, 2006's "Let Love In" was comprised almost completely of love songs, and was very soft for pop-rock standards, not to mention alt-rock standards.

So it is no surprise to find their brand new album opening with the energetic and melodically vibrant "Sweetest Lie." A few other tracks are more uptempo and immediate, including the brilliant Robby Takac number "Now I Hear." As is typical with this band, they continue their preference for one word song titles for their singles. "Home" is the latest in a long line of these ("Name," "Iris," "Slide" were some of their other huge hits). And it is a strong single - albeit not as strong as those earlier hits I mentioned.

The highlight of this new set is perhaps the lyrics. "Notbroken" was written about a soldier who is away from home, and Rzeznik waxes philosophical on "Nothing is Real." The title track is also quite engaging. But the true test of an album-oriented rock band is the fact that the entire LP plays through without any bad songs, and has plenty of hooks. And this album reaches that goal. It is not as outstanding as "A Boy Named Goo" or as immediate and energetic as "Superstar Car Wash," but it is right up there with their other gold and platinum albums that came afterwards. Not many bands who have been around for a quarter century are still putting out a quality product like this, and it is a testament to this band's constant desire to improve its songcraft, and they have become old pros at crafting this type of pop-rock that endures years after it is released. In other words, the Goo Goo Dolls are back and as good as they ever were.

The sound and scope of "Something for the Rest of Us" evidence the Goo-Goo Dolls to be in tight shape and high spirits. Playing with the ferocity of a younger band with something to prove, they have more than enough sparkly, shining tunes to please listeners on all levels of interest.

Lead single "Home" benefits from a soaring melody, sharp, pulsing guitars, a tastefully polished sheen and, of course, Johnny Rzeznik's throaty, authoritative vocals.

Opener "Sweetest Lie," which rocks with high-octane intensity, heavy melody, poetic lyrics and longing vocals, as well the arresting, lyrically dense "Notbroken," a potential radio hit that would not ware out its welcome on the hundredth play, are among other highlights which prove "Home" is no Trojan horse to lead listeners unsuspectingly into an otherwise poor album.

There are the requisite lesser tracks, of course, such as the earnest yet repetitive "Hey Ya" (thankfully not a cover of the Outkast hit) and the well-meaning yet weak-pulsed title track, which is only partially redeemed by carefully chosen lyrics ("black streaks of Maybelline run down your cheeks") which show dexterous attention to detail. Rubbing against the stronger material, however, they cannot topple over.

Other tracks such as "As I Am" and "One Night" check all the boxes and sound radio-ready, with great playing and Rzeznik's ever-harrowing vocals leading the way, yet they are also rather unimaginative in the lyrics department. They would sound great gracing the airwaves of your local Hot A/C station, but they might disappoint fans looking for the lyrical depth of past albums. It is unquestionably a matter of taste.

By contrast, "Say You're Free" has a meaty, substantial lyric and empassioned vocals but does not fulfill the promise of its first 30 seconds due to lack of a solid hook.

"Still Your Song" shows off the upper and lower parts of Rzeznik's vocal range, with the mercurial, restless melody accenting the sadness and urgency of the lyrics well. "Soldier" works similarly, underscoring the distressing, conflicted era that has continued onward from the late 2000s. Through the distress, however, there is still a glimmer of light.

"I know things change, but you're living like a soldier who's caught in the fray," sings Rzeznik with resolute compassion. "Don't lose your faith. It's not too cold. It's not too late."

Some will be pleased with "Something for the Rest of Us" and some will not, but those in the latter will surely appreciate its professional and passionate execution.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Goo Goo Dolls, as hard to believe that is. And what better way to celebrate this monumental milestone than by releasing a new album (and hitting the road). By the way, this album is only the 4th studio album of new material since 1995's "A Boy Named Goo" (following 1998's Dizzy Up the Girl, 2002's Gutterflower and 2006's Let Love In).

"Something For the Rest of Us" (12 tracks; 48 min.) starts off with a blistering "Sweetest Lie", by far the best song on the album for me. First single "Home" is pleasant enough. "One Night" has some good punch to it. My other favorits song is "Now I Hear", one of the couple of tracks contributed by Robby Takac. But other than those tracks, there is not a whole lot that hasn't been covered before. Although the album is slightly better than "Let Love In', it's still too "glossy"-sounding for my liking. Take the title track, for instance, by far the least intruiging or engaging track on this collection.

The Goos came to town this past weekend, and while it had been quite a few years since I last saw them live, and I knew I wasn't too overwhelmed with the new album, curiosity got the better of me, and I just had to check them out again. Boy, am I glad I did. Johnny Rzeznik was in super-form all evening. They played about half of the new album's tracks (opening the show with "Sweetest Lie"), and a bunch of older tracks (although sadly none from "Superstar Carwash"). In all, a great evening of music. Meanwhile "Something" is ok, not great. It's clear the band will never release anything close to the perfect double-whammy that were the "Boy Named Goo" and "Dizzy Up the Girl" albums, the latter being the perfect synopsis of the Goos of the early days and the latter era.

I've been a die hard Goo Goo Dolls fan for a long time. For those that remember it, I even have an original Mercenary pressing of their self titled record. I've loved their stuff up until "Gutterflower". The early days (aka the S/T and "Jed" records) had lots of fun, punk influenced rock. They started transitioning into a more melodic rock group with "Hold Me Up". "Superstar Car Wash" was a blast and very underrated record, "A Boy Named Goo" was the album that made a lot of my friends fans, "Dizzy Up the Girl" was a mainstream media's best friend, and "Gutterflower" was a nice blend of their past. Throughout each record, the band had LIFE and they had ENERGY to the music. "Let Love In", while radically slower paced, even had some moments to it that echoed the past, but was ultimately a letdown.

Well, all of that's great, but what does that have to do with this record Chris?

In short, they've lost their luster. Bands weren't meant to release as many albums as they have in the period that they have. They're supposed to take a hiatus, live normal lives and come back when they're ready to really to deliver something refreshing. The Goo Goo Dolls have gotten tired. The music isn't complex like it used to be. Most of the tunes are the basic soft rock drivel you can find from a million other bands. The lyrics are trite and cliche. They've taken most of the fun and refreshing elements out of their music and made it dull. I understand that bands need to change their sound and reinvent themselves, but I feel some artists have done it better than others (aka R.E.M., Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Beatles)

Now, with all that said, this album isn't a complete letdown. In true Goo Goo Dolls tradition, Robby takes the helm on a few tracks and not surprisingly, those end up being my favorites. "Say You're Free" is more like their traditional rock music and has some solid hooks and gives it a more aggressive approach (which is a much needed contrast on this album). "Now I Hear" is a fun song, although nothing new. "One Night" has a great vibe to it, but will probably go unnoticed by the masses. "Soldier" is one of the better ballads on the record.

My biggest problem with the newer music is that it isn't anything new for the band. They've done the typical light and soft verse, overdriven chorus thing to death ("Nothing Is Real"); they've also milked the echoed lead fills already ("As I Am", "Hey Ya", "Still Your Song"). If you've listened to their previous records then you have heard them do these things better before. If they had put more thought into the composition, they'd make these songs stand out more instead of sounding like the same song re-written and titled differently. "Home" starts out with a lot of promise and gets ruined by the chorus (it just doesn't match the vibe of the verse). They need to stop with re-cycling the choruses. While I've always appreciated John's lyrics... "Hey Ya"? Are you kidding me? You simply can't be taken seriously anymore with a song title like that.

Goo Goo Dolls, if you're reading this, I know you're probably going to hate my opinion, but I'm calling you guys out on it - you're playing it safe for the sake of staying on the billboards. Nobody is asking you to write "Don't Beat my *** (With A Baseball Bat)" or "Love Dolls" near the peak of your popularity, but can we get back to the times when there were tracks like "Acoustic #3" (a real straight ahead acoustic song), "We'll Be Here (When You're Gone)" (a very powerful song lyrically with music that gives it great impact), "What A Scene" (socially conscious lyrics and refreshing riffs), "Naked" (an alternative rockers dream) or "There You Are" (just plain fun rock/pop)? There is nothing extraordinary about this new album, it's purely in the "average" to "mediocre" category.

Not going to be long like the others. Just wanted to say I love the goo's.. I to have listened to their stuff since Hold me Up and they are my favorite band. For all you guys who are saying they've lost it, get a grip!!! John once said as he grows older his music will mature.. The man isn't an angry teen any more or a lost 20 something year old so he can't write from that place anymore!! If he was trying to then he'd be a sell out!! His music is mature, relevant and as usual touching!!! Goo's rock!

You know, this was once one of the best alt rock acts prior to alt rock breaking out. They had the enthusiasm of Bon Jovi, and the attitude of the Replacements. It is my view that they peaked with Superstar Car Wash, which is a GREAT American rock album. Following the success of the song "Name", it would appear that they realized hey, we can make more money singing softer. Well sure, they followed that hit with the album Dizzy up the girl and yes, their new formula worked and there are a bunch of great songs on there. Then they released the depressing Gutterflower. Gone was the carefree youth and exuberance of Hold me up and Jed. I had almost given up on them entirely when they released Let love in, which is a solid cohesive and well written/performed/produced effort, so I was very excited to see what they would do next. I read on their website that they were writing the new album together and I had the fanciful notion that they would return to Superstar car wash style flavor. Instead we get this boring piece of mediocre soft rock. I just hope that they have made enough money singing ballads that they say to heck with it, lets jam again!

I'm going to try to be as compassionate and kind as I can be in this review, because I love the Goo Goo Dolls dearly, and I have for almost 2 decades. I've loved nearly everything they've done since they burst onto the scene. But I feel like after this lackluster effort, their "Better Days" may be behind them.

This album lacks inspiration. That's the biggest problem. "Gutterflower", which is my favorite Goo Goo Dolls album to date, was BURSTING with emotion and inspiration. When you have a driving force behind your music, that's when your music can best connect with people. It was there last album with "Let Love In", and heck, it's always been there with The Goo Goo Dolls. But it wasn't there at all this album.

Something For The Rest Of Us is a lifeless, zestless album, where the band is merely going through the motions. Sure, you may catch a lyric or two or three that jumps out at you, and makes you feel fuzzy inside. You might find a song that jives with your current situation in life, and you take a liking to it. But as far as the emotional output of these things, it's just not there, sadly. This album took a very long time to come out, and it's surprising to me that it's so empty.... with one exception, "Home". Home is actually an excellent song, which is deep and reflective.

I'm greatly disappointed with this dreadful effort by the Goo's. I hope for a rebound in their next release, if there is one.

I have been a Goo Goo Dolls fan since 1996 when "Name" was the radio. It was a jangly little rock single that truly captured that time in my life. Once I got to listen to the rest of "A Boy Named Goo", it took me a while to get my head around the idea that none of the other songs on the album were like "Name." However, "Long Way Down" "Naked" "Ain't That Unusual" and even the Robby songs, which at first listen were too raspy/aggressive, grew on me.

"Dizzy Up the Girl" is the album all post-"Name" Goo Goo Dolls fans should listen to. "Gutterflower" and "Let Love in" are merely extensions of that album, in my opinion; the former regarding the loss of love and the latter focusing on its pursuit. Sonically they are complementary. DUTG defined the Goo Goo Dolls sound, that was starting to take shape as far back as "Lucky Star" from 1990's "Hold me Up." It was at this point that one could see where they were morphing from the Replacements' replacements into The Goo Goo Dolls.

At this point in time, the Goo Goo Dolls are no longer the novelty they once were; I don't know if they necessarily appeal to 13 year olds as they did to me at that age. Their sound is established and their craft is polished; the promotional sticker on the "Something for the Rest of Us" CDs cellophone touts "12 Stellar New Studio Tracks" and does not exagerate. This is one of those albums you can listen to from track one to twelve; something I don't believe 13 year olds know how to do at all given the "shuffle" option.

Although I question this album's ability to go double platinum, its excellence cannot be denied. Guitar solos are beautiful and moving, lyrics are moving, pensive and brooding yet optimistsic. John Rzeznik makes songwriting seem easy and Robby and Mike and the rest of the gang jive together like a well-oiled "big" machine. Even though I did find some surprises in the album, they were all pretty tame ones; nothing compared to the surprise I had when I got to "Slave Girl" on "ABNG".

Despite the commercial success of their late 90s albums, this one has to be their best effort and best sound. I really wish and hope that enough people get a chance to listen to this to give it the success it deserves! Great work Goos!

I'm not usually a fan of this type of Rock music, you know, the slick polished sing-along type you hear in supermarkets and on certain movie soundtracks. Opening cut on the Goo Goo Dolls' 9th CD "Something for the rest of us" is the frenetic "Sweetest lie", followed by the ballad "As I am", which both (along with a few other songs) tick those boxes.

Lead-off single "Home" is where things get interesting; slightly askew beats and haunting synths building to a driving chorus. "I need you now, I'm lost without you" John Reznik sings in his gruff tones. "One night" is bouncy and catchy eighties-sounding Rock, as is "Say you're free" which reminds me of The Cars.

The title track is a charming relaxing sing-along ballad. "Hey ya" isn't he Outkast hit but a pulsing U2-style ballad, not surprising as the albums producers include Tim Palmer (U2, David Bowie), Butch Vig (Green Day, Foo Fighters, Nirvana), and John Fields (Jimmy Eat World).

"Notbroken" is a plaintive acoustic ballad with lyrics about a badly disabled war veteran ashamed to leave hospital and return home to his wife as he feels a failure, but she tells him "We're not broken. So please come home". It sounds like CCM Rock. Closing is my favourite song, the haunting absolutely gorgeous ballad "Soldier" with quivering guitars.

If you don't require your Rock music to be edgy and experimental, you should find this fantastic. Pleasant soft Rock is what it is. 3 and a half stars.

Bought for my brother, a Goo Goo Dolls fanatic. I personally didn't find the songs as catchy as their earlier works, but didn't find anything to really dislike about it. He loved it anyway, I'm sure.