In 1991, a rock trio with definite roots in both punk and hoarier, older roots from a city definitely out of the regular media loop, after a couple of indie label releases and various cross-country shoestring tours of the sort low-level bands have done for many a year, released a major label debut with a catchy, brilliant lead single, accompanied by a not bad video at that, the first step on the road to long overdue fame and fortune.
At this point, no doubt, the Encyclopedia of Rock or whatever weighty tome will discuss such things will go on about the brilliant, world-shattering effect of Nirvana, etc. to the point of nausea. And yet why do I find myself mostly ignoring Nevermind while throwing on the platter by the other band, from Buffalo, New York (the exact opposite end of the state from New York City and probably barely thought about by any of the megalopolis' inhabitants) which fits this description to a t instead?
Lacking a well-placed journalist for a high-profile series of hypes and damned by the other writers for sounding too much like the Replacements while ignoring Nirvana's own debt to same -- and summarizing the stop/start effect of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as a tribute to the Pixies rather than a rip-off, and after all, where do the two terms start being distinct, I ask? -- the Goo Goo Dolls just were, and always were. They loved their punk, their pop, their metal, their beer, their Cheap Trick (another overlooked Nirvana influence, but I need not beat this particular horse to death any more), and so forth. They had a chance to grab the brass ring and thought, why not? Couldn't hurt.
The fourth song was that lead off single, "There You Are," and I still think it's one of the most perfect rough-edged power-pop feedback laden rough-edged singing nuggets ever recorded, and I have no problem with hyperbole here. Fucking up and finding redemption in three minutes, and Jon Rzeznik's voice has an ache which Paul Westerberg's might have had, but never quite cut so deep as this, along with a gloriously sloppy lead riff to match. And the video was a fun goof and supposedly starred MC Hammer at Buffalo's Soldier Field, so again, why not?
As for things as a whole, Jon sings with emotion just because he does, and that's why things on "You Know What I Mean" feel so warm amidst all the crunch and swing (and there is a slight swing, a bit of a time change, something subtle but gently anchoring to the song), while Robbie Takac is the forever japester, the goofy guy who loves ya (thus "Laughing") when he isn't laughing his ass off at the weirdness of the world and recording jokey punk rock rips like "Out of the Red" which Sebadoh could never come close to making feel as fun.
Add to that two nuclear strength cover versions -- the Plimsouls' "Million Miles Away," given a kick by Rzeznik to an equally wonderful level as the original, and Prince's "Never Take The Place of Your Man," sung by local lounge singer the Incredible Lance Diamond, longtime guest singer with the Goos and a guy who is The Consummate Showman and whose presence doesn't feel patronizing at all on either side, it just is! -- and the gentle "Two Days in February" to wrap it all up, and to me at least it makes perfect sense why these guys became huge, and god bless 'em for it. Might have taken a while, but, like the great call and response song in the middle of the album is called, "Hey."