Wow! Take This One With You

It's rare EVER that I find an entire CD that I can listen to from beginning to end without HAVING to hit the ff button through one song. This is one of those rare CD's.

I was first introduced to Goo Goo Dolls through "Name" from their last CD. I bought that CD and was not thrilled with it. It's collecting dust somewhere WAY back in my collection.

When Iris first hit the airwaves, I liked it. Thanks to mainstream radio, it didn't take very long before I hated it. Just two months ago, I decided to go out and purchase the CD. I had spent enough time away from their music and felt that I could be objective about this CD.

Overall themes - I felt a lot of early 80's influences in this CD. Also, after having read a lot about Johnny Resnick's personal life, you can't help wondering if a lot of the lyrics are directly pulled from his life experiences. He seems to travel from first to third person easily/interchangably.

Track #1
Dizzy
This is an excellent choice for a lead-off. Throughout this entire CD, flashes of the early eighties kept on coming up in my mind. This particular song, the approach to it, the electric and bass sounds...I just felt like I was in 1983 again.

Track #2
Slide
Amazingly, this is one song played ad nauseum on the radio that to this day, I am never sick of. I swear, everytime the intro guitar licks are played, I get chills. No clue why. Besides that piece of info ;) another great quality of this song is it's lyrics. "What you feel is what you are, and what you are is beautiful". This is one of those songs that I think in ten years, I'll still feel the same about.

Track #3
Broadway
Modern English. I heard this song and thought of another band - Modern English. I think it's the combo of the percussion and lead guitar.

Track #4
January Friend
Ditto on the Modern English. Definitly a song that could have been released as a single. I still make no sense out of the first set of lyrics - Reach, for higher ground, about the way you look, the way you scream out loud, mine, just like the last time, it's all the same to me, she said....

Track #5
Black Balloon
My personal favorite of the CD. If you've ever had someone close to you in a downward spiral, the lyrics (for me) just tear you apart. Poetically beautiful.

Track #6
Bullet Proof
One of my least favorite on the CD. The song seems to not display Johnny's range except within the melody. It almost seems monotonous until the bridge.

Track #7
Amigone
80's, 80's, 80's! Fast guitar riff. Reminds me of some of the better Go Go's faster-paced music. That is until Robby start singing :).

Track #8
All Eyes on Me
Okay song. It didn't grow on me but didn't repulse me. There just wasn't anything in it (at least so far), that reached out and grabbed me.

Track #9
Full Forever
One of the weaker songs. In fact, you could put Robby's songs in that category. Nothing against the guy. He's a good musician. It's somewhat like track #8.


Track #10
Acoustic #3
Another lyrically beautiful song. The acoustic guitar played adds just the right touch to make the song better than just good. "And I wonder where these dreams go, When the world gets in your way, What's the point in screaming, No one's listening anyway".

Track #11
Iris
Lyrically, unmatched. It's just beautiful. The ultimate sacrifice-everything-for-you song. I just wish that radio hadn't killed it.

Track #12
Extra Pale
The difference in Robby and Johnny's lyrics is like night and day. Robby's seem to be choppy and lifeless. Johnny's border on the edge of pure poetry. This song is a good example of Robby's lyrics. Again, a pretty mediocre but not horrible song. Heavy on the electric guitar.

Track #13
Hate This Place
I think that this could have been a single. Good lyrics, good melody.

I think that what disappoints me is that I'm hopeful that most CD's take me on a journey. With this CD, I didn't feel it ended with "resolution". If I have any beef with Dizzy, that's it. But, it's just a tiny beef ;).