Goo Goo Dolls

Whatever else one might think of the Goo Goo Dolls, no one can say the band hasn't paid its dues. Formed in the mid '80s, the group hovered at the fringes of commercial success for more than a decade while it slowly built a cult following and garnered moderate critical acclaim. From the start, the Goos leaned toward a hyper-kinetic power-pop style that — in the group's early years, especially — contrasted with prevailing music of the day. Interestingly, even when the band finally struck platinum, the success was generated not through its stock-in-trade guitar rave-ups, but rather through a bit of polished acoustic balladry.

The group's beginnings can be traced to Buffalo, New York, where, in 1985, a cousin of Johnny Rzeznik introduced the fledgling guitarist to Robby Takac. Takac, who was 20 at time, was playing bass in a heavy metal band, while the 19-year-old Rzeznik had recently given up aspirations to become a plumber in favor of joining a punk band, called the Beaumonts. The two became fast friends and, after recruiting a school chum George Tutuska to play drums, decided to form their own group.

Dubbing themselves the Sex Maggots, the band began playing clubs in and around Buffalo. Due to a local promoter's insistence that they drop their mildly offensive moniker, the trio soon settled upon the more benign name of Goo Goo Dolls, a phrase they culled from an ad in the back pages of True Detective magazine. Specializing in off-beat covers of songs written by artists like Prince, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and the Plimsouls, the group honed its musical skills and began working on original material, most of which was written by Rzeznik. The guitarist spoke with Guitar World in 1996 about how the group's sound developed: "What I wanted to do — and still want to do — is get the sound of a big, huge, hard rock guitar, but play something really melodic, catchy and interesting …. I was always attracted to the power that metal bands had in their guitar tone … but I hated what they did with it."

Released in 1987 and 1989, respectively, the Goo Goo Dolls' first two albums mixed the band's own songs with a smattering of irreverent covers, including hyper-charged versions of the Stones' "Gimme Shelter," Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," and CCR's "Down on the Corner." Those albums generated a critical buzz, but it was the Goos' 1990 effort, Hold Me Up, which elevated them beyond a status as "promising band" and made them a force to be reckoned with, at least on the alternative scene. Freewheeling, spirited, and musically just tight enough, the album also triggered the now longstanding comparisons to the Replacements, a band the Goo Goo Dolls had regularly cited as an influence.

Released in 1993, the group's next album, Superstar Car Wash, followed a similar musical course. The album also featured one song, "We Are the Normal," co-written with former Replacement leader Paul Westerberg. (The band's label, Metal Blade, felt Westerberg's presence would enhance the Goo Goo Dolls' indie credibility; in fact, however, it saddled the group further with the tag of 'Mats wannabes.) Despite receiving critical raves, Superstar Car Wash sold only modestly, and Rzeznik began contemplating a change of career. As he told Guitar World, "I didn't want to be a 35-year-old guy playing bars. It's so sad to see these guys in their late '30s who … still believe they're going to get the big record deal — the castle, the girls, all this shit."

Though slow getting out of the gate, the Goo Goo Dolls' next release, 1995's A Boy Named Goo, eliminated any inclination Rzeznik might've felt to seek other employment. Thanks to heavy airplay by the influential rock station, KROQ, a beautiful ballad from the album, titled "Name," began stirring interest first in L.A., and subsequently in the rest of the country. Originally, the record company had no plans to release the song as a single, but listener response was dramatic enough that the label quickly opted to go with the flow. Within a year, the Goo Goo Dolls had a platinum album on their hands.

Happy as the band was at its good fortune, the sudden success brought its own brand of pain and controversy. First, in the weeks just prior to the release of A Boy Named Goo, Rzeznik and Takac fired drummer George Tutuska, feeling that he was involved in too many extraneous pursuits. Mike Malinin, a former drummer for Minor Threat who had been a long-time fan of the group, quickly replaced Tutuska. Just as distressing, as the new album climbed the charts, the Goo Goo Dolls discovered they were in the grips of a slavish contract that allotted them only a paltry sum in royalties. Following a nine-month legal battle with the Metal Blade label, the band finally wrangled out of its contract, and subsequently signed exclusively with Warner Brothers Records (who acts as Metal Blade's distributor).

Whether as a result of this turmoil or not, as the Goo Goo Dolls approached the making of their next album, Rzeznik found himself in the throes of a writer's block. The problem lifted, however, when the band's management company (who is also involved in film work) asked the Goos' frontman to write a song for an upcoming movie, titled City of Angels. After attending a screening of the film, Rzeznik went home and came up with the poignant ballad, "Iris." (Incidentally, the title of the song — though not the song itself — was inspired by country singer Iris DeMent.)

The biggest single of 1998 for Warner Music, "Iris" became the Goo Goo Dolls' first No. 1 hit, and helped kindle anticipation for the band's next full-length album. In September of 1998, fans were treated to Dizzy up the Girl, which, like "Iris," has since gone platinum.

Next on the horizon for the band is a lot of touring. Following a brief jaunt to Europe and Japan, the Goos will return to the U.S. in time for the Grammy awards, then gear up for a stint opening for the Rolling Stones. Then "as soon as that's over," singer-guitarist Johnny Rzeznik told Wall of Sound, "we go into a production rehearsal before we do our headlining U.S. tour all through spring, summer, fall, and 'til the end of 1999."

Through all the success and ensuing visibility, the Buffalo natives remain humble. Although "Iris" garnered three 1999 Grammy nominations — for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — Reznik insists the roots from whence the Goo Goo Dolls came is still his biggest source of pride.

"I'm most proud of the fact the Goo Goo Dolls wasn't put together by a producer or a record company guy," he said in a recent interview with Australian magazine Sanity, "but by three kids in college wanting to make some noise, hang out, and have some fun. Right now, I think the band's playing stronger than it ever has, and I'm real excited about the future."