Published on May 15, 1998
Garbage has to be one of the coolest supergroups with an indie
attitude in the 90s. A category shared with…no one, I guess.
Butch Vig and a couple of his middle-aged mates invented Garbage
out of a studio. They got a sexy vixen with a panther-like atitude
with Shirley Manson. But each artist has proved their worth. They
wear their Wisconsin roots (Steve Marker and Manson exempt from
that) with honor. Therefore, the pressure to prove something was
relatively nil when it came to making their newest album,
Version 2.0. Or…was it?
Their self-titled debut was a refreshing mix of hard rock and
dance club beats. Their lyrics were deliciously dark. And it was
such a surprise that you couldn’t help but like the mix because it
caught you off guard. You’re supposed to hate studio-conceived
super groups, right? Well…the surprise has worn off. And
Version 2.0 had to offer something to keep listeners
interested. To Garbage’s credit, they did just that on
Version 2.0.
It’s more intense than their self-titled debut. Far more
electronica than rock. Each song seems to ache for about a dozen
remixed versions to come out on a single. The loops on tracks like
“Sleep Together” and “Temptation Waits” are far more in your face
this time out.
Given Vig’s knowledge of music (producer of Smashing Pumpkins
and Nirvana’s best works), it is little surprise that pop history
is evident on
Version 2.0. “Sleep Together” is a nice play on the classic
chorus, “I might like you better if we slept together”. Brian
Wilson gets props with a sample of his song, “Don’t Worry Baby” on
“Push It”. Pink Floyd gets a nod in “Medication” when Manson’s
siren-like voice declares, “I don’t need an education.” Even the
intense “Wickid Ways” sounds like Pat Benatar on some really
intense substances.
Manson still knows how to sound like an obsessive while still
maintaining her inner strength. “I’ll be back to frame you/when I
grow up”, she croons on “When I Grow Up”. Still, the rapid-fire
drum beats threaten to make some of the tracks on
Version 2.0 sound repetitive.
Sadly enough,
Version 2.0 sounds exactly like that. You expect a better
version in one or two albums. A deeper groove, something that has
always been Garbage’s trump card would have elevated
Version 2.0. The sultry swagger of “Stupid Girl”, the
pensive “Milk” and even the strutting and slightly disturbing “#1
Crush” all had a slower groove that burned in your consciousness. A
couple of those type of songs might have made
Version 2.0 a key contender for album of the year.
If any album comes to mind when I hear
Version 2.0, it is U2’s fan-panned
Pop album. Realistically enough, U2 did about the same thing
Garbage tried to do on
Version 2.0, but did it in a better way with more shifts in
tempo and better lyrics. Still,
Version 2.0 is an album with heart. It’s one of those albums
where you can put on at a party and still mope. And even as I type
this, I can feel this album growing on me with each listen. For
right now though, it’s a new dose of a band that promises to do a
lot in the next millenium. And
Version 2.0 is not a bad way to end off the 90s for
Garbage.