Just the way they are... (Hold Me Up - Goo Goo Dolls)

Member Name: Vemsy

Product:	Hold Me Up - Goo Goo Dolls
Date:	03/07/01 (80 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cracking riffs and tunes, Lyrically diverse

Disadvantages: Tinny sound quality

This album clocks in as the Goo Goo Dolls 3rd album after 'Jed' and the 'Goo Goo Dolls' and it perhaps shows a slight change in direction from the two previously more 'punky' albums. 'Hold Me Up' was recorded in 1990, so it is still incredibly early Goo, which is intriguing too.

John Rzeznik has a nack for thoughtful lyrics and major guitar hooks throughout all the Goo Goo Dolls albums, and 'Hold Me Up' is no exception.

Stand out tracks include the opening number 'Laughing' which harks back to their punk beginnings with Rob (bassist) on vocals. Rob's voice is much rougher than John's and not particularly to everyone's taste but now I think they balance the album out. Also, 'Laughing' has a killer bass line!

'Just The Way You Are' is a classic Rzeznik track, just musically excellent, lyrically heartfelt but still utterly rocking as is 'There You Are'.

'Out Of The Red' is much darker and slower, almost angry, fuelling many a day of teenage angst. Most of the time I find myself relating to Rzeznik's lyrics, but thats probably just a sucker for anything deep and meaningful.

Other stand out tracks include a Prince cover 'Never Take The Place Of Your Man' which seems somewhat out of place on the album, but is quite an unexpected breath of fresh air.

'Kevin's Song' is a instrumental, discordant and a stroke of genius if you ask me, incorporating the use of a piano that speeds up and down without any seemingly obvious purpose.

The last track 'Two Days In February' is an aucoustic number that is both personal and a decent ending to a decent album.

This album isn't a total departure from the Goo Goo Doll's punk roots but it is hardly the same band that you hear on 'Dizzy Up The Girl'. Musically it is excellent and its only downfall is the poor quality of sound, but t
he tracks 'Just The Way You Are', 'Two Days In February', 'Laughing' and 'The You Are' have just been remastered and put on the Goo Goo Dolls best of, 'Ego, Opinion, Art and Commerce'.

This album is certainly worth a listen if you are a Goo Goo Dolls fan already if only to see the progression and direction that led them up to 'Dizzy Up The Girl'.

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