God Bless the Go-Go's

God Bless the Go-Go's is the fourth and final studio album by American rock band the Go-Go's, released on May 15, 2001, by Beyond Music. It was the band's first studio album after a lengthy hiatus, and was released 17 years after their previous album Talk Show (1984).

While many of the band's earlier hits had been written within the band, the Go-Go's worked with other artists for God Bless the Go-Go's; songwriters that contributed to the album included Billie Joe Armstrong, Jill Sobule and Susanna Hoffs, among other musicians.

Release

God Bless the Go-Go's was released on May 15, 2001, by the Beyond Music label.^[1] The album peaked at number 57 on the US Billboard 200.^[2] "Unforgiven" served as the album's lead single,^[1] and was released to radio on March 19, 2001,^[3] followed by a second single, "Apology", on July 23, 2001.^[4]

For the album's 20th anniversary, God Bless the Go-Go's was reissued on May 14, 2021, by Eagle Records. The original album was released on vinyl for the first time, while a deluxe edition, featuring two bonus tracks and new cover art, was released on CD and digitally.^[5]

Critical reception

God Bless the Go-Go's received a score of 68 out of 100 from Metacritic based on generally favorable reviews from critics.^[6] Los Angeles Times critic Marc Weingarten found that "for a band that has been dormant for so long, the musical pieces all fit together surprisingly snugly",^[7] while in Billboard, Michael Paoletta praised the album as a "deliriously buoyant" record of "unadulterated adult-made pop".^[8] "Sharply written, energetically performed, and slickly produced," judged Keith Phipps of The A.V. Club, "it actually sounds like the album Go-Go's fans have waited 17 years to hear."^[9]

Rolling Stone reviewer Arion Berger commented, "The album doesn't attempt to update the band's sound with hip-hop moves or electronic frippery, for which God should bless 'em, indeed. The girls' hold on the current pop world remains so strong that Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong co-writes a song ('Unforgiven') in impeccable Go-Go's drag."^[10] AllMusic's Peter Fawthrop was more ambivalent, writing that "the group took the familiar route with tracks that sound every bit as Go-Go's as their previous records. Every bit as Go-Go's, that is, as their non-hits and less remarkable material. While the Go-Go's sound is intact, there is not a 'We Got the Beat' or a 'Head over Heels' to be found. It is feasible that in this age of pop rebirth, the Go-Go's decided it was now or never."^[11]

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.^[12]

Band members

• Belinda Carlisle – lead vocals
• Charlotte Caffey – lead guitar, piano, backing vocals
• Jane Wiedlin – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Kathy Valentine – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Gina Schock – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Billie Joe Armstrong – additional guitar and vocals on "Unforgiven"
• Rami Jaffee – Mellotron and Chamberlin on "Here You Are"
• Peggy Baldwin – cello on "Here You Are"
• Roger Manning – Mellotron on "Daisy Chain"

Production

• Paul Q. Kolderie, Sean Slade – production, engineering, mixing at the Record Plant, Fort Apache Studios, the Magic Shop and Record One
• Rick Neigher – production and engineering on track 6
• Mike Shipley – mixing on tracks 1–4
• Marc DeSisto – mixing on track 6 at Skip Saylor
• Tom Weir – mixing on track 13
• Mike King, Matt Levella, Chris Reynolds, Jaymz Hardy-Martin III – assistance
• Steve Hall – mastering at Future Disc

Design

• Ginger Canzoneri – cover art direction
• Eric Roinestad – cover design
• DeDe Kelez – second cover design
• Susan McEowen – production art
• Maryanne Bilham, Chris Cuffaro – photography
• Jennifer McManus – styling
• Robin Slater, John Stapleton – makeup
• Ned Neidhardt – hair

Charts

References

1. ^ Newman, Melinda (February 17, 2001). "After 15 Years, Go-Go's Have New Album; Jackie Jackson Launches Jesco Records". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 7. p. 12. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
2. ^ "Go-Go's Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
3. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1393. March 16, 2001. p. 173. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
4. ^ "Impact Dates". Gavin Report. No. 2345. July 13, 2001. p. 43. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
5. ^ "The Original Album Version Of God Bless The Go-Go's Makes Its Vinyl Debut In Celebration Of Its 20th Anniversary". Universal Music Enterprises. February 5, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
6. ^ "God Bless The Go-Go's by The Go-Go's Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
7. ^ Weingarten, Marc (May 13, 2001). "The Go-Go's, 'God Bless the Go-Go's,' Beyond". Los Angeles Times. Archived October 25, 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
8. ^ Paoletta, Michael (May 19, 2001). "The Go-Go's: God Bless the Go-Go's". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 20. p. 18. Archived from the original on June 8, 2001. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
9. ^ Phipps, Keith (April 19, 2002). "The Go-Go's: God Bless The Go-Go's". The A.V. Club. Archived July 27, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
10. ^ Berger, Arion (July 19, 2001). "Go-Go's: God Bless the Go-Go's". Rolling Stone. No. 873. p. 52. Archived from the original on February 14, 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
11. ^ Fawthrop, Peter. "God Bless the Go-Go's – The Go-Go's". AllMusic. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
12. ^ God Bless the Go-Go's (liner notes). Beyond Music. 2001. 63985-78182-2.
13. ^ "Official Albums Sales Chart". Official Charts Company. May 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2024.