Stephen McNulty posted on September 21, 2007 00:37
Review snapshot: Garbage start out not being garbage... and then slowly but surely they become absolute garbage. Unfortunate.
The CLUAS Verdict? 5 out of 10
Full Review: Garbage fairly well leapt out of the blocks in the mid 90s. They seemed perfectly formed. Powered by Butch Vig (famed producer of Nirvana's Nevermind and other luminaries like Sonic Youth) and fronted by Shirley Manson, a Scottish dervish whose look was more suited to the shoegazer bands of the late 80s, Garbage received massive support from MTV. Now 4 albums and 12 years later, the band have decided to consolidate with a Best Of collection. Or is it an epitaph to what has become a faltering career?
Absolute Garbage shoots its bolt early on. Vow, Queer, I'm Only Happy When It Rains were all sleek, poppy hits garnered from their eponymous, and best, debut album. Shining brightest of all is Stupid Girl, a fab tune with a Claytonesque bassline and a sexy lyric. Manson's snarling delivery was reminiscent of Chrissie Hynde.
But it's all downhill from there. Garbage have, essentially, remade their debut with ever decreasing rewards. I Think I'm Paranoid was a minor hit. Their Bond theme, The World Is Not Enough, was pretty much unmemorable (as was the movie) - I challenge you to hum the tune. Probably the best of their latter period songs, Androgyny, has been bizarrely omitted from this collection. By the end of the album's generous 18 tunes, one has to desperately resist hitting the forward button.
My advice? Pick up their debut album from a bargain bin. It's an interesting document of 90s alternative pop.
Stephen McNulty
To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here.
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