Riffology

Alesis: Revolutionising Music Production Alesis logo

Alesis: Revolutionising Music Production

Chris Baldwin 17 January 2025

Since its founding in 1984, Alesis has remained a trailblazer in the music technology industry. Known for...

FabFilter: Redefining Audio Tools with Precision and Elegance Fabfilter Logo

FabFilter: Redefining Audio Tools with Precision and Elegance

Chris Baldwin 17 January 2025

In the competitive world of music production and audio engineering, FabFilter has established itself as a brand...

Akai Professional: Pioneers of Music Production Technology

Akai Professional: Pioneers of Music Production Technology

Chris Baldwin 17 January 2025

Since its start in 1984, Akai Professional has been a cornerstone in the evolution of music production...

The Rise and Legacy of ADAT Technology: Revolutionising Digital Recording bodyimg-1-adat

The Rise and Legacy of ADAT Technology: Revolutionising Digital Recording

Chris Baldwin 17 January 2025

In music technology history, few innovations have been as impactful as ADAT (Alesis Digital Audio Tape) technology....

ValhallaDSP: Shaping the Sound of Modern Music

Neil Johnson 17 January 2025

In the world of audio effects, ValhallaDSP has become synonymous with excellence, innovation, and accessibility. Known for...

Soul Destruction: The Almighty’s 1991 Rock Revolution 4201_album_art

Soul Destruction: The Almighty’s 1991 Rock Revolution

Neil Johnson 17 January 2025

Soul Destruction by The Almighty: A Landmark in British Rock Raw, rebellious, and bursting with the energy...

Paranoid: Black Sabbath’s Defining Heavy Metal Album 4696_album_art

Paranoid: Black Sabbath’s Defining Heavy Metal Album

Neil Johnson 17 January 2025

Introduction Released in 1970, Paranoid by Black Sabbath remains a cornerstone in the world of heavy metal....

Let It Bleed: The Rolling Stones’ Iconic 1969 Album 8569_album_art

Let It Bleed: The Rolling Stones’ Iconic 1969 Album

Neil Johnson 16 January 2025

Exploring “Let It Bleed” by The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones’ “Let It Bleed” stands as a...

Moving Pictures: Rush’s Rock Revolution 5516_album_art

Moving Pictures: Rush’s Rock Revolution

Neil Johnson 14 January 2025

Exploring “Moving Pictures” by Rush: A Defining Moment in Rock History Released on February 12, 1981, “Moving...

Podcast Episodes

Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums Podcast

Remember when payday meant choosing which CD or vinyl you were blowing it on? Standing in HMV doing the mental maths, convincing yourself two albums was basically essential. Riffology is Neil and Chris chasing that feeling again, one classic record at a time.

This is a show about the albums that raised us —
Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Motley Crue, Def Leppard,
Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Pink Floyd, Radiohead,
Skunk Anansie, Gojira, Soulfly and the rest.
If it’s 25+ years old, loud and iconic, we’re in.

Each episode is two Gen X mates diving into studio sessions, producer chaos and band drama plus the joy of taped-over cassettes, dodgy car stereos and sitting on the floor with a record sleeve.

We nerd out when we should: Albini vs Vig, room-miked vs close-miked,
Neve consoles, dynamic-range disasters and those “how did this get approved?” moments.

If you grew up when albums were events, this is your place. Some weeks it’s an old favourite; other weeks it’s something you abandoned in ’94. Either way, Riffology’s here to talk rubbish, tell stories and remind you why these records mattered.

When Buffalo’s Best Kept Secret Finally Got Its Name Called

Hosts: Neil & Chris
Duration: ~95 minutes
Release: Not scheduled

Episode Description

Neil and Chris dive into A Boy Named Goo by the Goo Goo Dolls, the 1995 album that sold two million copies in the US, made absolutely no impression on the UK charts, and somehow still managed to leave most people unaware it existed. This is the record that contains Name, the song that accidentally became a hit when KROQ radio put it on rotation mid-way through filming a completely different music video. The band had to drop everything and rush out a new video instead. Classic.

Neil makes no secret of his deep affection for this era of the Goo Goo Dolls, insisting that this album and its predecessor Superstar Car Wash represent two of the greatest guitar records most people have never heard. Chris, who was firmly in Offspring and Green Day territory when this came out, admits he’s surprised he missed it entirely at the time. The album sits right at the pivot point where John Rzeznik’s pop songwriting instincts were starting to surface beneath a still-scrappy, punky exterior, and both hosts find that tension genuinely compelling.

There’s also the grim business reality behind the record. Despite the album’s success, the band received essentially nothing due to a punishing Metal Blade contract that swallowed royalties and charged studio costs back to the band. They ended up touring relentlessly with Bush and No Doubt just to cover their legal bills while fighting to get out of the deal.

What You’ll Hear:

The story of how Name became a hit almost by accident, and why nobody expected it
Why the final two tracks feel like they belong on a different album entirely (they were last-minute covers added after the drummer quit over a royalties dispute)
The Metal Blade contract breakdown and how a multi-million selling album paid the band virtually nothing
Neil’s ongoing quest to find a reasonably priced vinyl copy of this album (currently running at 330 Canadian dollars plus shipping)
The Britpop context that explains why this passed the UK by completely

Featured Tracks & Analysis:

The hosts spend time with Name, breaking down its unusual guitar tuning where Rzeznik replaces the B string with a second high E string to stop it snapping under the tension of the open tuning. The track was written about MTV host Lisa Kennedy Montgomery, who Rzeznik found genuinely inspiring. Naked also gets attention, with both hosts flagging it as a standout alongside Name. The production throughout, handled by Lou Giordano of the Fort Apache Boston scene, gets praise for keeping genuine rough edges while still sounding considered.

Tangential Gold:

Neil discovers his old car has a CD slot with a glovebox groove perfectly sized for a disc, which he considers an engineering triumph
A detour into Commodore 64 copy protection, cassette tape counter numbers, and Monkey Island’s eleven floppy disks
Neil’s ill-fated attempt to steal a sunflower from a field and the domestic fallout that followed
A preview of next week’s Matchbox 20 episode, including the story of how the album nearly came out under the name The Woodshed Diaries

Why This Matters:

A Boy Named Goo sits in a strange blind spot in music history. Too polished for the band’s original punk fanbase, not yet famous enough for the Iris crowd, it was heard mostly by people who stumbled across it sideways. Neil’s argument throughout is simple: the songwriting is exceptional, the production has aged remarkably well, and this record deserves far more attention