The Goo Goo Dolls will release What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce (1987-2000), a collection of remixes, on May 29. The twenty-two songs were selected from the group’s six critically acclaimed albums, Goo Goo Dolls, Jed, Hold Me Up, Superstar Carwash, A Boy Named Goo and Dizzy Up The Girl, all recorded between 1987 and 1998.
Every song has been remixed and remastered and represents the Goo Goo Dolls unique flair for combining power punk guitar-driven rock with melodic pop hooks, a reputation that has established them as one of the biggest success stories of the last decade. Songs like “Girl Right Next to Me,” “Burnin’ Up,” “Eyes Wide Open” and “Bulletproof” attest to founding members, guitarist John Rzeznik and bassist Robby Takac’s versatility as songwriters. It also demonstrates how the trio, which includes drummer Mike Malinin, has evolved musically since forming in upstate New York in the mid-eighties.
Frequently performed favorites like “Two Days in February” and “Lucky Star” are highlights at Goo Goo Dolls concerts, and the audience’s response to those and other previously recorded songs, encouraged the group to enter the studio to review their collected works. “Making this record was like looking at a bunch of photo albums from high school… so wild, all of these bizarre memories came rushing back,” explains Takac. “It had been such a long time since we’d even gone back and listened to the early records. They’re what lead us to our current situation and we had a blast putting this one together.”
The EOAC disc will include a “pass key” allowing access to a special internet site designed for the collection. The interactive site features vintage video clips, photographs and unreleased versions of classic Goo Goo Dolls music. Visitors will also have access to EOAC postcards, expanded album credits and graphics, and exclusive EOAC merchandise.
In 1995, after years of rigorous non-stop touring, the Goo Goo Dolls released their fifth album A Boy Named Goo. The group received national recognition when almost a year after the album’s release, they had their first major hit with “Name.” When “Name” reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the band was able to perform to larger audiences and gained much needed national exposure with performances on television programs like the Late Show With David Letterman and the Tonight Show With Jay Leno. In 1998, the group’s compelling ballad “Iris” appeared on both the soundtrack to the film City Of Angels and on the band’s sixth release, Dizzy Up The Girl. “Iris” went on to break radio airplay records, reaching the No. 1 spot on six separate Billboard charts. To date, Dizzy Up The Girl has sold over four million copies worldwide. The massive success of “Iris” and four other hits from the album, “Slide,” “Black Balloon,” “Dizzy” and “Broadway,” brought critical raves and propelled the band to stardom. “Iris,” “Slide,” “Dizzy,” and “Black Balloon” accumulated over a million plays* at radio stations across the country, and “Iris” and “Black Balloon” garnered three Grammy nominations.
This past July, googoodolls.com was re-launched as the official, artist-operated band website. The group takes a hands-on approach in running the site, offering users the opportunity to communicate with band members and other fans. “The Daily Goo” features daily correspondence directly from the Goo Goo Dolls and is the inside source for news and updated information on the group. Fans can hear unreleased music and enter contest giveaways to win Goo Goo Dolls autographed band memorabilia, guitars and one of a kind items. Tee shirts, CDs, and other merchandise are also available through googoodolls.com, and the site will provide up to the minute details and information on the release of What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce (1987-2000).
The Goo Goo Dolls plan to enter the studio this summer to record their seventh album, featuring all new material. A release date has not yet been determined.