Rating:  -
The thing about the Goo Goo Dolls' albums is that each one showed a clear evolution from the last (more commercial, yes, but that's not always a bad thing). Gutterflower, however, I found disappointing because it does not have that aspect. Although it's a perfectly listenable pop album, it may as well have been called Dizzy, Part 2. What I mean is that the songs--and the album itself--follow the same formula as Dizzy Up The Girl. The album kicks off with the powerpop stylings of "Big Machine," then, like Dizzy, goes into the most mainstream tracks of the album. "Here Is Gone" is a great song, but it sounds exactly like "Black Balloon" to me! Next up is Robby's unfortunate "You Never Know" (I say "unfortunate" because his songs always sound like the stuff he did three or four albums ago! I guess you could say that with Robby's songs, "you ALWAYS know"). Then comes the dirty (a la "BulletProof") "What A Scene," one of my favorites on this album. "Sympathy" (another good one) is a nice acoustic number. "What Do You Need?" is just more rehash. Robby's songs "Smash" & "Tucked Away" are right next to each other on the album, which I found strange. The closer, (and possibly my favorite) "Truth Is A Whisper," I found to be the most exciting song from Gutterflower. Its sound is slightly different and as it fades out, I nearly forget that the rest of the album was so bland.
To sum things up, if you don't mind unoriginality, this is a good album for you, but if you're like me and prefer a bit of exploration, you might want to think twice before purchasing this one.
Rating:  -
In order for me to give this album a four star rating, I was forced to black out every song by Robby Takac. Every track that is sung by John Rzeznik is sparkling(for those of you who only know the Goo's for their radio hits, John is the man behind all of those, but he still allows Robby to sing and write 1/3 of the songs for some reason). Rzeznik's rock is mature and sultry (most of the songs he penned on this album are about his recent divorce, a painful situation for John) while Takac holds onto a punk sound that the band left behind ten years ago and swapped in for mainstream success. Standouts on the album include the hit single "Here Is Gone," and "Think about Me" "Big Machine" and the touching "Sympathy." The 8 songs by Rzeznik are some of his finest, but the only complaint on this album remains the fact that Takac sings and writes four of the tracks. This has been announced as the second to last album from the Goo's. As they near the end of their time with one another, the music of John Rzeznik continues to mature along with his bandmates, at least on his tracks. This album is definitely worth picking up for anyone who enjoys heartfelt music with a great sound to go along with it. John Rzeznik has reached the peak of his songwriting career with these tunes.
Rating:  -
I highly recommend the album Gutterflower by "Goo Goo Dolls".
Although "Gutterflower" shows no sign of "Goo Goo Dolls'" harder
rock past, its catchy melodies are still present in this album.
Compared to "Dizzy Up The Girl", the songs are more up-beat on
the average, and contain no string section. Therefore, they
sound more rock-ish than the previous album. So if you thought
"Dizzy Up The Girl" was too soft for you, give "Gutterflower"
a trial spin, you won't regret it.
Rating: -
I waitied and waited for this CD to come out and I was not disappointed at all. I feel this CD blows DUTG away! Its harder, edgier, and just so much fun to listen to. If you are a long time Goo fan you will appreciate the difference in sound. If you are a new fan there is just nothing not to like about this CD. Its even better seeing them live.
Rating:  -
"Gutterflower" comes off very forced and desperately commercial. The end result is a very dull and boring album that doesn't offend, but it is very unmemorable. Spend your cash on "Superstar Carwash" if you don't already have a copy and don't waste your money on this disappointing effort. I hope the boys wisely invested all the money they made from "Dizzy Up the Girl". Look out Spin Doctors & Gin Blossoms, here come Goo Goo Dolls.
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