A Boy Named Goo

A Boy Named Goo
Studio album by Goo Goo Dolls
Released March 14, 1995
Recorded 1994 at BearTracks Studios, Suffern, NY and Trackmaster Studios, Buffalo, NY
Genre Alternative rock, punk rock
Length 42:20
Label Warner Bros./Metal Blade
Producer Lou Giordano
Goo Goo Dolls chronology

Superstar Car Wash
(1993)		 A Boy Named Goo
(1995)		 Bang!
(1997)
Singles from A Boy Named Goo
  1. "Only One"
    Released: 1995
  2. "Flat Top"
    Released: 1995
  3. "Name"
    Released: September 26, 1995
  4. "Naked"
    Released: January 1996
  5. "Long Way Down"
    Released: March 1996
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Robert Christgau [2]
Melodic.net [3]
Rolling Stone favorable[4]

A Boy Named Goo is the fifth studio album by American rock band Goo Goo Dolls, released in 1995 on Warner Bros. As a commercial success, it has been RIAA-certified as double-platinum.

History

This is the Goo Goo Dolls' last studio album with George Tutuska on drums; he was replaced by Mike Malinin just before the album was released. This album is the Goo Goo Dolls' first studio album to not have fourteen tracks. The song "Stand Alone" was written by George Tutuska, and because Johnny Rzeznik didn't want to exploit George's efforts after his dismissal, the song was only included on a promo version of the album. On the wide-release version, it is replaced with "Disconnected" and "Slave Girl", which were initially B-sides to the "Only One" single. On the same promo, "Ain't That Unusual" was labeled as "Someday". The two replacement songs are covers of songs by defunct Buffalo and Sydney punk bands The Enemies and Lime Spiders.

The song "Name" is well known as the Goo Goo Dolls' first hit. According to lead singer Johnny Rzeznik, the song's unusual composition came about "quite accidentally".

This album also marked the band's last with the Metal Blade Records imprint.

Track listing

All songs written by Johnny Rzeznik except when noted.

No. Title Length
1. "Long Way Down"   3:28
2. "Burnin' Up" (Robby Takac) 2:29
3. "Naked"   3:43
4. "Flat Top"   4:30
5. "Impersonality" (Takac) 2:41
6. "Name"   4:30
7. "Only One"   3:17
8. "Somethin' Bad" (Takac) 2:30
9. "Ain't That Unusual"   3:19
10. "So Long" (Takac) 2:33
11. "Eyes Wide Open" (Rzeznik, Takac, Tutuska) 3:56
12. "Disconnected" (J. Bompczyk, B. Guariglia, P. Seacrist, F. Suchman) (The Enemies cover) 3:00
13. "Slave Girl" (Mick Blood, Richard Jakimyszyn) (Lime Spiders cover) 2:17

Original track listing

The track listing for advance copies—before George Tutuska was fired from the band—was slightly different.

No. Title Length
1. "Long Way Down"   3:39
2. "Burnin"   2:29
3. "Naked"   3:44
4. "Flat Top"   4:30
5. "Impersonality"   2:40
6. "Your Name"   4:31
7. "Only One"   3:18
8. "Something Bad"   2:31
9. "Someday" ("Ain't That Unusual") 3:22
10. "So Long"   2:33
11. "Stand Alone"   3:43
12. "Eyes Wide Open"   3:57

Covers and media appearances

Haste the Day, a metalcore band, covered the song "Long Way Down" for their album When Everything Falls.

The song "Ain't That Unusual" was featured on the soundtrack of the 1995 film Angus. A remix of the song "Long Way Down" was also featured on the soundtrack of the 1996 film Twister.

Personnel

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1995 U.S. Billboard 200 27
1995 Canadian RPM Albums Chart 15

Single

Year Single Chart Position
1995 "Naked" Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 9
"Name" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 1
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 1
Billboard Hot 100 5
"Only One" Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 21
"Long Way Down" Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 25

Certifications

Organization Level Date
RIAA – U.S. Gold November 16, 1995
Platinum February 8, 1996
Double Platinum July 17, 1996

References

  1. ↑ "A Boy Named Goo - The Goo Goo Dolls". Allmusic.
  2. ↑ "CG: goo goo dolls". Robert Christgau.
  3. ↑ "Goo Goo Dolls - A Boy Named Goo". Melodic.net.
  4. ↑ Wild, David (1998-04-02). "Goo Goo Dolls: A Boy Named Goo : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2006-05-09. Retrieved 2012-05-01.