The success of “A Boy Named Goo” inspired Warner Music to release some Goo Goo Dolls material representing the band at their purest, rawest form, that is when playing live.
It it stated that one of the reasons producer Lou Giordano was hired to help the Goo Goo Dolls craft their fifth album was because of his ability to capture the potent, live energy of a given band and unleash it into the studio throughout recording sessions. That was one of the Goo Goo Dolls’ aims for the release of their new CD “Boy”: a focus on creating an audible representation of the ardor and intensity their live performances were capable of providing the audience with, in conjunction with the aid of a big-budget production to polish the rough edges.
The final result was the release each Goo fan knows like the inside of their pockets. After “Boy”, a number of CD Singles were released, most of them featuring at least one live take of a song. A dedicated EP featuring only live takes (well, at least for 80% of its entirety) was the “Bang!” EP.
“Bang!” featured a total of four live takes, mostly acoustic, and also the final studio version for the song “Long Way Down“. My understanding is that this EP was only released in Japan. I’m guessing the label realized that the band’s fifth effort was worth promoting in Asia, especially after the success of “Name“, and invested some money towards that purpose. The Goo Goo Dolls performed in Japan for three concerts in 1996.
On the EP, a live cover of INXS’ “Don’t Change” makes an appearance, this is another tune the band loved playing during the 1990’s.
I tried posting the EP as a video on YouTube, but it was blocked worldwide. As a consequence, you cannot listen to it, but only download it. Download links are available at the end of this post.
TRACK LISTING:
- Name
- Don’t Change
- Girl Right Next To Me
- Another Second Time Around
- Long Way Down (Studio Version)
Temple of Goo - The rarest Goo Goo Dolls releases, for real Goo fans only 