Goo Goo Dolls

Goo Goo Dolls is the debut album from the Buffalo, New York band, released in June 1987 on Mercenary Records. It is a far cry from the polished rock the group would later be known for. Bassist Robby Takac sang every song, as he was originally the lead vocalist, and the band recorded it in their hometown at Trackmaster Audio on a budget of just $750. The sound sits in hardcore punk and punk rock territory.

The sessions ran from late 1986 to early 1987, and the band later admitted in a 1999 VH1 Behind the Music special that drink and drugs fuelled the recording. Johnny Rzeznik recalled little of it. The record has also gone by the titles First Release and Made to Be Broken, the latter used for a 2013 digital reissue with the tracks in a different order. It is worth hearing as the raw starting point of a long career.