Coming into this disc, I wasn't sure what to expect. But the more and more I listened to it, it kept growing on me. I started to laugh, then I started to smile, and finally I started to sing along. It was just too infectious, comical, and fun all rolled into one. Take "Al Miller-The Funky President" for instance. The number blends rap, rock, and funk without even losing a step. Goldo being a white boy, I didn't think he could pull off anything rap related. Boy did he surprise me. While Vanilla Ice gets laughs for the sheer comedy of who he is, Goldo collects the laughs for the humor he mixes in with his music. But take a number like "Heaven Girl," which relies a lot more on rock than it does rap. Each album has that one song that grabs your attention before you're able to really get into the album, and this was that kind of song for me. Even drawing on punk influences, this song isn't just a rock song, yet it could blow away almost any modern rockers on the radio today. Slipping in a bit of pop, this song is full of hooks. Hard to resist, you'll be jumping around while your lips spit out the words along with Goldo. With all the humor aside, "Walk Away" shows the serious side of the band. Even with a humor-tint going for it, if you pay attention to the lyrics and get inside Goldo's head while he was writing this, you can see how deep and meaningful this song truly is. A song about someone very close to you 'walking away' from you, this song covers universal turf while showing us the insides of Goldo. Mixing in some electronic beats, a portion of rap, and a pop chorus, this number will is yet another classic cut on this disc. Never one to stay with one sound for too long, "Time To Begin" mixes pop-rock over a bed of hip-hop. The hip-hop gives the song a very bouncy feeling that you can't help but shake your body with, while the pop-rock gives the song the ability to sing along with. Closing out with "If It's Love," they end the disc with a blend of electronica, rap, hip-hop, and rock. Another song that shows the seriousness that they are capable of, this number closes out the disc in slow, heart-felt fashion. But there are also some hidden-track goodies for you, so don't turn the disc off after the last track is over. Wait a minute or so and let the fun continue.

Looks can be deceiving, and words can't possibly describe what Goldo is all about. I should know, because after reading the bio sheet on this band and looking at a picture of them, I was ready to write them off as a clown act who wrote songs about sex in a predominately white-boy rap atmosphere. But after I put the disc in, I was blown away at the talent Goldo and his supporting crew has. A definite listen for anyone that is into the diverse, weird, or truly unexplainable. I'll give this disc an A.

Goldfinger: Stomping Ground

Goldrush: Pioneers

[Issue Eleven // August 1998]