One of the most conspicuous musical success stories of the decade, the Goo Goo Dolls have proven that total creative commitment, hard work and determination really can take a band to the top... and keep them there!
A fierce focus on the fundamentals of great songwriting and seamless ensemble playing has brought the Buffalo-based trio to the peak of their profession, as well as creating enough momentum to catapult them into the next millenium with some of the best music of their career. It's a contention backed up by the Goo Goo Dolls' extraordinary accomplishments racked up since the 1998 release of Dizzy Up the Girl, their latest Warner Bros. Records album, featuring the smash hits "Iris," "Slide" and "Black Balloon."
Consider: the double-platinum sales to date of Dizzy Up the Girl have been buttressed by a virtually non-stop round of touring, that has brought the band international acclaim and earned them fervent followings across Europe, Australia, Asia and points in-between. Stateside, the group regularly performs before crowds of 15,000 to 20,000 and their intense, high-energy concerts have made them one of the most popular live draws in the country.
"Iris," which was first heard on the multi-platinum soundtrack to the film City Of Angels, went on to become the Most Played Song of 1998, according to Airplay Monitor, as well as earning a BMI award for Most Played Song From A Film. A No. 1 hit on Top 40, Airplay, AAA, Modern Rock, Modern Adult, Adult Top 40 and Top 40 Track charts, "Iris" was singled out for three key Grammy nominations as Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or a Group. "Slide," the follow-up to "Iris," also attained chart-topping status on all of the same charts and further enhanced the Goo Goo Dolls growing reputation for making innovative and accessible music with extraordinarily wide appeal.
It's a reputation cemented by an outta-the-box success with "Black Balloon," the third consecutive hit from Dizzy Up the Girl - another evocative and original offering from a group that, after twelve years together, is only beginning to hit its creative stride. Small wonder the Goo Goo Dolls have been the subject of both the MTV series' Biorhythm and Fanatic as well as VH-1's Behind the Music.
Yet, for all their singular success, the Goo Goo Dolls remain unswervingly dedicated to a musical vision first glimpsed when founding members John Rzeznik and Robby Takac joined forces in the mid-80's in their hometown of Buffalo. Beginning with their self-titled 1987 debut, and through such seminal releases as Jed, Hold Me Up and Superstar Car Wash, the Goo Goo Dolls combined a potent musical attack with a sharply-honed songwriting skill, earning an intensely loyal following through extensive touring throughout their region and, eventually, across the country.
Finally, in 1996m the Goo's fifth album, A Boy Named Goo, provided them with their long-overdue mainstream breakthrough, thanks in part to the massive success of their first major hit, "Name." Abetted by new drummer Mike Malinin, they would go on to spend nearly two years touring before coming back to the studio - road-tested veterans, returning to begin work on the album that would become Dizzy Up the Girl.
Produced by Rob Cavallo and highlighting material that artfully combines power chords and strings, intimacy and immediacy, and pure studio craft with passionate performances, Dizzy Up the Girl delivers on the promise of the Goo Goo Dolls. At the same time, it points to new directions for music in the next century.
Simply put, the Goo Goo Dolls' time is now.
