Friday, September 21, 2012

#187: Garbage - Garbage (1995)



Zack: Butch Vig must be a cocky motherfucker. After producing Nevermind, one of the most influential albums ever, he killed time producing for bands like U2 and Depeche Mode. Finding that apparently too easy, he decides to start up a band with a couple of friends and do their thing. Desperate for a female singer, they contact someone from another band and tells her to check the production credits on Nevermind. What, are you going to say no to the guy who helped break down an entire generation of music and remake it as something else entirely? Who says no to that guy? And so, there’s all the backstory you need to understand Garbage. Or at least all I’m going to give. I actually listened to this album like a week ago but my schedule kind of works in a wax and wane kind of way. Now that it’s beginning to wane, I can finally capture my feelings about this album. Namely “Hey, this is catchy,” and “Hey, this is really catchy.” That’s really all I thought about. Sometimes I would click over and see I was three songs past where I thought I was. But it wasn’t a problem because I was fine just going back and relistening to them. It was a very pleasant experience, but one that I didn’t feel really hit me too hard. I’d be happy to go back and relisten to Garbage, but I doubt there’s any way I will do it religiously. That’s probably the best way I can put it.
Favorite Tracks: Supervixen; Stupid Girl; A Stroke of Luck

Emily: There's something about female lead singers that just catches my ear. Not all female singers, mind you - I'm not that reverse-sexist. But many of the female singers on this list bring such power to pop and rock that you can't help but be enthralled. That's how I felt about Shirley Manson, lead singer of Garbage. She has the alterna-chick attitude down pat, but her singing adds a soft edge to the toughness. She kind of reminded me of Gwen Stefani with No Doubt. Makes sense, since both Garbage and Tragic Kingdom were released in 1995. While No Doubt mixed alternative pop with ska and reggae, though, Garbage mixed it with grunge. Makes sense that Butch Vig, the production mastermind behind Nevermind, also brought Garbage together. It's a winning mix that I really enjoyed. This is an era of music that I always find myself coming back to anyway, and now this album will definitely be added into that rotation.
Favorite Tracks: Queer; Supervixen; Dog New Tricks

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