the goo goo dolls / albums

9,310,311 plays
2,208 SHARES
35,895 FAVS
325 fans

- A Boy Named Goo
- - 815,387 plays
  - 198 favs
  - 141 shares
The Goo Goo Dolls
Released 1995

Long Way Down
03:27
88,799 plays

Naked
03:43
57,530 plays

Ain't That Unusual
03:19
42,278 plays

- Add to cart
- buy
- share

songs

- 1
- Long Way Down
- 03:27
- 88,799 plays

- 2
- Burnin' Up
- 02:29
- 34,053 plays

- 3
- Naked
- 03:43
- 57,530 plays

- 4
- Flat Top
- 04:29
- 35,909 plays

- 5
- Impersonality
- 02:41
- 28,804 plays

- 6
- Name
- 04:29
- 345,761 plays

- 7
- Only One
- 03:16
- 34,700 plays

- 8
- Somethin' Bad
- 02:31
- 25,338 plays

- 9
- Ain't That Unusual
- 03:19
- 42,278 plays

- 10
- So Long
- 02:33
- 26,960 plays

- 11
- Eyes Wide Open
- 03:54
- 41,489 plays

- 12
- Disconnected
- 03:00
- 27,176 plays

- 13
- Slave Girl
- 02:17
- 26,604 plays

- play all

album review

Produced by Lou Giordano with his trademark full-bodied, immediately accessible, but never washed-out sound, A Boy Named Goo finally got the band across to a wide audience, and deservedly so. Right from the start, the Goo Goo Dolls sound perfectly on the right track after Superstar Car Wash's OK but ultimately go-nowhere feeling -- "Long Way Down" is another stone-cold classic of wounded romanticism wedded to catchy Cheap Trick-tinged punk-pop, Rzeznik's singing the not-so-secret weapon. Hearing him on the descending chorus, matching the just sad enough guitar crunch, makes one realize that there's always hope for full-bodied rock & roll. The eternal Replacements tag now makes less sense than ever -- the Goos have their own enjoyable sound, Rzeznik's a more individual singer than ever, and all three rock out accordingly. Takac similarly has his own sonic improvements, his formerly rasped high register now just a little more controlled but no less affecting, as winners like "Burnin' Up" and "Somethin' Bad" easily demonstrate. Rzeznik-sung highlights are equally everywhere -- the commercial but never stupid "Naked," with a great chorus and immediately radio-friendly music, the equally sharp "Only One," and the mighty fine "Ain't That Unusual." There's no question what the highlight is, though -- however untypical of the rest of the album's mid-range feedback fun, "Name," with its sweet but sad acoustic arrangement, made perfect sense as the Goos' long-delayed radio breakthrough. Rzeznik's empathetic vocal, delivering one of his best lyrics on favored subjects of friendship, loss, and fame, matches unfolky strumming and quiet energy, creating a song that feels like both a farewell to the American Dream and to a long-lost partner. All this without sounding a Bruce Springsteen sermon -- a rare thing indeed. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide