Pop Quiz: Goo Goo Dolls

Pop Quiz: Goo Goo Dolls

Aidin Vaziri | For everyone who thought we were just hearing the same Goo Goo Dolls song over and over all this time, the band has just helpfully released "Greatest Hits Volume One: The Singles." In case the title doesn't make it clear, the disc contains a dozen of the New York trio's biggest songs, many of which simply happen to be string-driven, midtempo epics with one-word titles ("Name," "Slide," "Iris"). With that cleared up, we spoke with front man Johnny Rzeznik, who is also a judge on the new Fox reality show "The Next Great American Band."


Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls
Q: Coming out of the whole '80s college radio thing, did you ever feel like a sellout?
A: Absolutely. It was one of those things like, it happened and you would be an idiot not to accept it and not have gratitude for it. I got a lot of s- from friends in bands and other musicians. People would write letters saying I was a sellout. But you have to brush that off.
Q: I think the general point of starting a band is to play in front of a lot of people, not just 20 of your friends in the back of a pizza restaurant.
A: There's nothing wrong with that either. There are times I want to do a side band and just play some gigs and have fun.
Q: Maybe you'll finally get a good review.
A: I've taken a lot of crap. That's just the way life is. There are going to be writers who like you and writers who despise you. I'm getting older, so I don't really give a s-.
Q: During the past 20 years, which singer have you been mistaken for most often: Simon Le Bon or Jon Bon Jovi?
A: Jon Bon Jovi, by far. Occasionally, when people are drunk, they think I'm Simon Le Bon. But when they're sober, it's always Jon Bon Jovi.
Q: I hope you use that to your full advantage.
A: I don't, but that would be hilarious: "Don't forget my name!" Continue reading.