Hold Me Up

by

Goo Goo Dolls

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I bought this CD to hear "Two Days in February," with the lines "everything's wrong, well it's alright." Those lines best sum up the vibe on this early Goo Goo Dolls album. These songs feel wrong to those of us who began with "Dizzy Up the Girl" and even "A Boy Named Goo" but after a few listens I guarantee you will find it to be alright as well. "There You Are," an unusually upbeat song by Johnny, is a charming and infectious tribute to someone who saves him from his potential self-destruction. "Just the Way You Are" is a similar song but darker. Robby shines too, especially on the carefully written "So Outta Line" and the insanely funny "Out of the Red." For those that want to mellow out, try "You Know What I Mean," "22 Seconds" or the awesome "Kevin's Song." And, of course, combine the best of both worlds with the duet with Johnny AND Robby on "Hey." This is an album that honestly deserves its positive reviews. It's one of my 4 favorites, all of which are the Goos!

This is the album that Johnny referred to as their "real" first album. It's an enjoyable listen if like a more garage/jangle/rock sound. I personally enjoyed it when I first bought it back in 1999 and still listen it to it today because of surprisingly, its simplicity. There are no violins, piano, or other additional instruments in most of the songs. It's just guitar, bass, and drums. The song writing and delivery might not be as good as Superstar Car Wash or A Boy Named Goo but the rawness and lack of slickness adds to its blemished appeal. Surprisingly, Robby's voice sounds much better on this album than Dizzy Up The Girl (DUTG) and latter albums because his raspy voice compliments the muddy sounding guitar, bass, and drums.

Some fans whose first exposure to the Goo Goo Dolls is DUTG, Gutterflower, or (shivers) Let Love In might not enjoy this album because of its lack of ballads like Iris and it's harder sound. But longtime fans who longingly wish the Goos will get back to their Buffalo rocking roots will treasure it.