1989

Alice Cooper’s ‘Trash’: A Glam Metal Revolution alice_cooper-trash

Alice Cooper’s ‘Trash’: A Glam Metal Revolution

Neil Johnson 25 July 2024

Alice Cooper's album "Trash," released on July 25, 1989, marked a pivotal comeback in his career, blending...

From Rebellion to Radio Hits: The Making of Skid Row’s Debut 0982e79b6c4143a43b32e0959a33d677.1000x1000x1

From Rebellion to Radio Hits: The Making of Skid Row’s Debut

Neil Johnson 3 June 2024

Introduction Some albums don’t just mark a year; they define an era. Skid Row’s self-titled debut, released...

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 KROC 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