Track Listing

1. Laughing
2. Just The Way You Are
3. So Outta Line
4. There You Are
5. You Know What I Mean
6. Out Of The Red
7. Never Take The Place Of Your Man
8. Hey
9. On Your Side
10. 22 Seconds
11. Kevin's Song
12. Know My Name
13. Million Miles Away
14. Two Days In February

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #85077 in Music
• Released on: 2007-01-01
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Great fun record!
Ok when I first heard this I wasn't too sure as I'd become comfortable with the more radio friendly Goo Goo Doll's sound from 'Superstar Carwash' upwards.

But it is one hell of a grower!! After repeated listens it certainly didn't take long for me to realise what a damn fine album this is, how unique it is and HOW MUCH FUN it is! They obviously had a blast in the studio.....

In my opinion Johnny and Robby are equals on 'Hold Me Up' probably because they wrote more stuff together in those days. 'Just The Way You Are' was the single released at the time and is a classic piece of punky pop, resembling The Replacements. Each track is fast and melodic with the exception of a couple, the acoustic 'Two Days in February' resembles Johnny's future work although the production is rough (it was recorded outside) but it just adds to the fun factor.

It is an album containing songs with mostly extremely fast tempos and sound very Robby-ish, so it kind of suits being turned up LOUD before going out in the evening. A real adrenalin booster!

Of course 'Hold Me Up' doesn't match the quality of their next releases but definitely beats their first release and 'Jed'. Plus 'Hold Me Up' has it's own unique quality that only comes out properly after repeated listens.

Don't take this album too seriously, approach it as a fun record, give the songs time to grow and realise this is the sound of a band finding their way. Then you'll understand why I'm giving it 5 stars.

This is terrible album!
I read the two previous reviews with absolute horror, because, compared with GGD's other, amazing work, this album is awful. Much less polished than later albums, the only songs that really stick with you are 'Laughing' (which is brash, below standard rock, but tries to make up for it by being loud), and 'two days in February' (which is good song, but has been re-released in a much better format).
Overall, the album seems rushed, and lacks the strong emotive lyrics that characterise and immortalise GGD's later albums. Not worth the money and search to find this album. Keep with the later work!

A surprisingly good album!
From what I'd heard and read on the internet, the Goo Goo Dolls' first three albums were better seen and not heard. It seems that I was misinformed. For whilst Jed and Goo Goo Dolls are both albums of fast and frankly unappealing punk, Hold Me Up is when they started to get good.

Hold Me Up isn't as instantly accessable as any other Goos CD, but it grows on you. For the first time Johnny gets equal billing as the singer and comes out with some quality tunes, "Two Days In February" and "You Know What I Mean" being highlights. Frog-voiced Robby also provides tracks more worthy than anything he's done after SuperStar Carwash, particularly "So Outta Line".

Overall this is a great fun record, with only the cheesey Prince cover "Never Take The Place of Your Man" showing any dip in quality.

If you like the Goo Goo Dolls other albums this is a must have. If you're new to the band get "A Boy Named Goo" or "GutterFlower" first. Then buy this!