These European reviews were posted by Dirk on the Twisted and Jaded board, October 30, 2001.

This review appears in "musikexpress", Nov. 2001 (original article: muex_review.jpg). It is the most important music-magazine here besides the German edition of Rolling Stone. They included GBTGG in the list of the best 6 releases of the month, for which they offer sound extracts on the telephone:

"The Go-Go's
"God bless the Go-Go's"
(Epic/Sony Music)
rating: 5 stars

The mothers of all riot grrrls with their first album in 17 years.

When they disbanded in 1985, they were a bunch of bitches that hardly ever said a word to each other, suffocated their frustration with alcohol and drugs and dreamt of successful solo careers. But with the exception of Belinda Carlisle's short high-flight, it didn't turn out. The sad end of a talented girl-band that originated in the punk-scene of Los Angeles and wrote wonderful New Wave/Beat. At the end of last year, they went into the studio again - and the result is marvelous. Lead by Jane Wiedlin's [songwriting-] feather, the five mid-forties revive exactly what had made them so famous: 13 [what happened to the 14th?] pieces that burst out good mood, clutching hooks and melodies. Played shortly, meticulous and straight, each single track is capable of getting stuck in your head. Thanks to Belinda Carlisle's honey-sweet girly vocals, Wiedlin/Caffey's tough guitar riffs, Gina Schock's rumbling drums and Kathy Valentine's bass. Merry songs like "Stuck in my car" invite to a journey through the time back to the early 80s."
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This is from "aktiv"-Musikmagazin, Oct. 2001 (original article: aktivmusik_review.jpg):

"The Go-Go's
completely earthly again

The 80s have produced a lot of musical crap, but also a girlpower-quintet that considerably brushed up the ears of pop/rock-fans with hits like "Our lips are sealed", "We got the beat" or "Head over heels". Now, 15 years after their breakup, they report themselves back with a brand-new album. Blessed by the holy spirit of pop-music, the meanwhile a little aged gals care less for actual musical directions and trends and continue where they stopped in the middle of the 80s: punk-rock guitars that meet full vocal harmonies and sixties surf-beat. What would have been called nostalgia-pop a while ago is now absolutely hip again. While the Strokes follow the tracks of the Ramones, the Go-Go's repeat themselves on "God bless". The energy that Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin an co invest is manifested not only by the songs, which seemingly fell straight from heaven into their laps, but also by the fine production works of Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade, who processed already albums from Radiohead and Hole. "We have really made a good choice with these guys," says Belinda, "they gave the album a very modern sound." And if they connect already to their past, in no way they wanted to sound like back then. Which real rock-fan cares if the Go-Go's are modern? When they explode with pieces like "Kissing asphalt" or "Stuck in my car", then they are damn modern, understand?
Current CD: "God bless" (Epic / Sony - release date: 15. Oct)"
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The online-magazine Live-Magazin posted this review, which was already taken off the site again (mirror of the original page: live_mag_review.htm):

"Belinda Carlisle? Wasn't that the redhead with the beautiful pop-songs in the 80s? Right. And exactly she, after years of silence, is now taking off again with the girl-band "Go-Go's". The album sounds like surf-sound from the sixties, like punk-pop and like good rock-voices. Thanks to the mature age, Carlisle and co are quality-wise far above everything that's currently frightening the charts as "girl-power formation". And in spite of that they are fortunately miles away from the mid-aged-women-make-pretentious-guitar-pop type. The Go-Go's and energetic, funny and loud. Besides hymns to jump along, which instantly spread a good mood ("Throw me a curve"), the LP also contains calmer songs ("Insincere"). God bless the Go-Go's for this well-done comeback!"
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