Version 2.0

by

Garbage

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I may not be as passionate about this group as I once was but they're still, and always will be, one of my all-time favorite rock bands. I've seen them in concert twice now and they're just as good, if not better, live, and I absolutely love listening to Shirley Manson breathlessly speak to the hyped up crowd with her heavy English accent after jumping around the stage while singing a familiar tune.

The self-titled debut album by Garbage was my first actual record (the "Queer" video beckoned me to follow) and I've been hooked ever since. Despite the less-than-cheery lyrics, their music helped me through some tough times in my life and kept me sane as my parents moved me from place to place in my early teens. I'm older now and can easily account for the fact that my tastes have broadened over the years (I've got a huge CD collection to prove it) but I always return to 'Version 2.0' when everything else becomes yesterday's news, so to speak. Their sophomore release passed the tragic curse so many groups befall after a successful beginning (or so I should think with all these 5 star reviews), and while their journey forward looks humble indeed, I'm certainly not the only one to think that they deserved the Grammy over Sheryl Crow for best Rock album a few years back. I'm still bitter over that undeserved loss but I'm grateful they were at least nominated for the prestigious award. I do not wish to dwell on the past though. I'm just so impressed with this record and believe it to be their best work to date. Not only did they dodge the possibility of failure their second time around but they also shut the bashful critics up for a while who claimed that Butch Vig was the real genius keeping Garbage together and that Shirley was holding the group back from their true abilities, which is ridiculous because Garbage wouldn't be the same without her special touch. Growth in all corners is evident on 'Version 2.0' and the songs are more refined here. Their hypnotic blend of rock and electronica - not to mention Manson's punk-like attitude - quickly sucks the listener in and keeps them coming back for more. When I first saw them perform live, I couldn't help but notice what an eclectic array of people they draw in, and that's likely the reason for their international fame because so many individuals can identify with their preferred style.

I've been putting off writing a review on this for quite some time now because I've always found it difficult to put words together to give this album justice but 'Version 2.0' should be in everyone's collection.

This will be with me forever. I even had to replace it once because I wore it out from excessive playing.

What can you say about an album that melds pop hooks with the rubbery blast of guitar riffs so indelibly that you wonder why no one has thought of this sooner? (And no, Bon Jovi, doesn't count). Unlike other bands that may be accused of sellout status, Garbage nimbly avoids this niche by constructing pop songs without compromising their edginess. Credit Shirley Manson for singing without the saccharine grandstanding of today's divas and kudos to Butch Vig for producing a sharp sound replete with hooks that beg to repeat in your brain over and over.