Audio: Talking All Things Goo Goo Dolls

I join Buddy Gott on the Gotta Pop podcast to discuss two of the bands biggest records.

Good Morning!

We’re joining Plethora of Pop’s Buddy Gott this morning to talk about the Goo Goo Dolls.

My friend and fellow music writer Buddy Gott recently had me on his Gotta Pop podcast to talk all things Goo Goo Dolls.

In theory, we were there to mark the band’s Dizzy Up The Girl record turning 25 and compare/contrast it with my favorite, 1990’s Hold Me Up.

But like any good conversation, we take a lot of twists and turns, including (but not limited to):

• How we both found the band.

• Why Jed was a fantastic record for 13-year-old me.

• Two things the band does extremely well.

• Nickelback (?!)

There are also more dad jokes than should be legal.

Buddy and I first crossed paths writing on Medium, where I run a publication called The Riff, and he runs Plethora of Pop. It’s a great spot for all things pop culture and worth checking out. He’s also an accomplished writer and an impossibly nice guy.

As for the records: Hold Me Up remains the undisputed champion in my mind, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed listening to Dizzy after having shelved it for so many years. I could keep going a few more years without hearing Iris, but the record holds up well overall.

I am not the most eloquent of speakers, and my streaks of overusing the word “yeah” and tripping over my words both remain intact. But I think our enthusiasm for both albums—and music in general— shines through.

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Listen:

Hold Me Up (1990)

Dizzy Up the Girl (1998)

What do you think? Does one of these records hold up better than the other? If forced to choose one, which one would it be? Do you have a favorite track or other memory to share?

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Thanks for being here,

Kevin—

P.S. In the episode, I mention an article by

Katie Wojciechowski

. You can find that here.