Garbage: Absolute Garbage
The greatest hits of Garbage
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Friday, 20, Jul 2007 05:28
Warner Bros, out July 23rd.
In a nutshell.
Grinding, rocky, studio-heavy retrospective.
What's it all about?
This greatest hits collection from one of the defining bands of the post-grunge era looks back over 12 years of brooding electronica and snarling guitar rock.
Beginning with a quintet of songs from their eponymous debut, the album comprises 18 of Garbage;s best tracks; ranging from the wry, darkly melodic Only Happy When It Rains to the anthemic Cherry Lips and the sweeping ode to megalomania that is Bond theme The World Is Not Enough.
Who's it by
Garbage release their first greatest hits collection after four studio albums and a long period of hiatus.
Fronted by the gloriously-named Shirley Manson, Garbage's brand of aggressive heavily-produced rock with varying amounts of gothic, glam and techno influences won them many fans in the early days, cemented by their reputation as strong live performers, thanks in no small part to the charismatic Manson.
As an example.
"I came to cut you up, I came to knock you down, I came around to tear your little world apart." Promises of vengeance in the opening track Vow.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
New single Tell Me Where it Hurts is an uplifting summer anthem made for wide open fields and huge concert venues, but otherwise the album will mainly appeal to those who remember the early years of the band.
So is it any good?
With the tracks arranged in chronological order, it's easy to trace the development of the band's musical output; although with the most attention-grabbing songs coming from their second album, the prosaically titled Version 2.0, there's an inevitable feeling that the CD peaks too soon.
The later tracks compress Manson's voice too heavily, robbing the songs of the sultry snarls and whispers of the first two albums, losing dangerous amounts of character in the process.
While there are some gaping holes in the collection - where is the knowing glam-pop of Androgyny and the furious As Heaven is Wide? - Absolute Garbage is still anything but the suggestion of its title.
7/10
Rebecca Malings