Search - Goo Goo Dolls :: Hold Me Up (Reis)

THIS WAS MY FIRST GOOS RECORD & POSSIBLY STILL MY FAVOURITE.

Larry Davis | NYC/Long Island, NY | 07/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'll never forget this...1990, when I was exploring new music not played on the radio and going by reviews in magazines..."Hold Me Up" got like 4 stars in Spin and the review sparked my interest, so I took a chance and bought this record...it sorta changed my life.



My future taste has been highly influenced by this record, as it suited my then-current taste to a T, like it was made to order. It was VERY catchy but loud and raw, some songs were hilariously funny, some songs had lots of heart and poignancy, all stuck in my head for years. I bought all their records at one point or another...now I'm catching up again, as I musta sold them off by mistake...I still think about "Hold Me Up", how its near and dear to my heart. This record is to me what the Replacements' "Let It Be" or "Tim" or "Pleased To Meet Me" is to others...I love the 'Mats, don't get me wrong, but the Goos have a similar vibe here...raw, fun, ragged, catchy, heartful...and they just happened to capture my taste first...sorry 'Mats and 'Mats fans...nothing personal, it's all groovy...plus the Goos are more powerpop, more attuned to my taste than the 'Mats ever were...and I can see how the Goos influenced the Lemonheads too...Evan has the same slacker vibe that Johhny has that 90s chicks love.



Now, I love their prior 2 records..."Jed" and #1...fun stuff...and the followups are all loveable and likable, but this one holds it's own place...loved "SSW", "A Boy Named Goo", even "Dizzy" was good and I'm not sick of "Iris" and "Slide" anymore..."Gutterflower" was underrated and so was "Let Love In"...I hear they're getting back to the slackery rawness of "Hold Me Up" on their upcoming record, produced by Pixies producer Gil Norton...a total plus.



I'll go out on a limb and say that the Goos, even though their first 2 albums were from 1986 and 1987, their real beginning was 1990's "Hold Me Up" and are possibly the greatest band the 90s ever produced, and are still here...sorry Green Day...unlike what Joe Elliot from Def Leppard just said in a Newsday article, that the only 90s survivor was the overrated Pearl Jam...he must have forgotten about our lovable Goo Goo Dolls.



This record is a classic, and the garagey, brash, slackery, fun vibe only enhances its appeal...I wonder if their catalogue will ever be remastered...their 3 collections are cool tho and I hope it's a sign for things to come."

Vintage Goo is Gritty Good-3.5 Stars

Joy E. Scott | Portage, MI USA | 07/13/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"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.

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