Shannon
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"Vol. 2" review article!
« on: Sep 2nd, 2008, 3:55pm » |
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"Vol. 2" a worthwhile trip down memory lane
Colin McGlinchey
It's not often that a sequel tops the original, but the Goo Goo Dolls managed to do just that with the second half of their greatest hits collection.
"Greatest Hits Vol. 1: The Singles" was released last November and featured the singles that helped make the band one of alternative rock's biggest acts. It was a great way for casual fans to finally own the songs that they have been enjoying on the radio for the past 12 years, but hardcore fans were left out in the cold.
New versions of "Name" and "Feel the Silence," as well as the new song "Before It's Too Late," simply weren't enough to justify the purchase price.
For starters "Vol. 1" only included material from the Goo Goo Doll's last four albums, totally ignoring their first four, admittedly less popular but no less enjoyable albums.
The next problem with the collection was the new versions of old songs.
The new version of "Name" was more polished, slightly shorter and in no way an improvement over the grungier original.
The "Feel the Silence" remix is virtually indistinguishable from the version that appeared on 2006's "Let Love In".
All that being said it was still a collection of very good songs even though most fans already owned them already. Fortunately the Goo Goo Dolls kicked things into a higher gear with "Greatest Hits Vol. 2".
The CD contains 22 of their lesser known tracks from all of their eight albums including seven covers, five of which never appeared on a Goo Goo Doll's CD.
Best of all the CD comes with a DVD that features 17 of the band's music videos as well as a six song live performance recorded at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.
It's the DVD that really makes the collection worthwhile for the more seasoned Goo Goo Dolls fan. Sure, the CD has some nice rare tracks, but nothing can beat the fascinating experience of watching a band literally grow up before your eyes.
When you pop in the DVD it offers you the option to watch all 17 videos in chronological order starting with 1991's rocking "There You Are" and ending with the 2006 ballad "Let Love In".
You can literally watch the Goo Goo Dolls transform from mullet-sporting metal heads to the chart topping, arena filling band that they are today.
It's quite the experience and makes the collection a must have all by itself. The CD, while not quite as cool as the DVD, is no slouch either.
Tracks like "I'm Awake Now" from the "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" soundtrack and "Lazy Eye" from the "Batman and Robin" soundtrack are nice to finally be able to own on a CD. The same goes for the cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl", which was recorded live at the Concert for New York that followed the September 11th terrorist attacks.
The Goo Goo Dolls bought a tremendous amount of energy to the stage that evening as they transformed Petty's 1977 hit into a rallying anthem. That energy can still be felt, as strong as ever, nearly seven years later.
Just like with "Vol. 1" the Goo Goo Dolls felt the need to include different versions of songs we already own. The result is more positive then it was with "Vol. 1", however. "Vol. 2" features a live version of "All Eyes on Me", which is nice to hear but not really necessary and a serviceable but far from mind-blowing remix of "We'll Be Here (When You're Gone)."
The real kicker here is the demo version of the band's biggest hit "Iris".
Just like with the DVD, it provides a means with which one can track the band's development and growth. The demo is a stripped down, almost unrecognizable version of the song that cemented the Goo Goo Doll's place in mainstream music. Lead singer Johnny Rzeznik sounds as if he's shouting most of the lyrics and it features a completely altered musical arrangement.
It's simple, raw and yet the beauty of Rzeznik's creation still shines through. While it won't replace the original version in your heart it still it will provide a valuable insight into the creation of one of the 1990's biggest hits.
The band could have stopped there, but instead chose to compile a list of some of their more off beat covers. Some of those included on the disc are INXS' "Don't Change" and Fleetwood Mac's "I Don't Want to Know". The band's unique take on this diverse collection of songs rounds out a very strong CD set.
"Greatest Hits Vol. 2" is not perfect, because no greatest hits collection truly can be. There will always be smaller hit songs and fan favorites missing, especially true of a band that is still writing and recording.
It does come closer then its predecessor did, however, and even manages to top 2001's "What I Learned About Ego Opinion, Art & Commerce".
That CD was the band's career retrospective that avoided some of their bigger hits in favor of some of their own favorite tracks.
"Vol. 2" is sure to please casual and hardcore fans alike. Something that, like a perfect greatest hits collection, is nearly impossible to do.
Colin McGlinchey is a fourth-year student majoring in English with a minor in journalism. He can be reached at [email protected].
http://media.www.wcuquad.com/media/storage/paper676/news/2008/09/01/Ente rtainment/vol-2.A.Worthwhile.Trip.Down.Memory.Lane-3411748-page2.shtml
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| « Last Edit: Sep 2nd, 2008, 3:58pm by Shannon » |
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