Garbage: "Garbage" (1995) - 90's Alternative/Experimental/Grunge

The year is 1995, halfway through the decade and nearing a new millenium. New music was paving the way for the world; including the budding electronica. It was this year that Kurt Cobain had been gone for a year. Fans and friends and family alike were still grieving the loss of what has been said by many as "The Last Real Rock Star". It was official that grunge was probably dead but in some sense, still existent with the help from bands such as Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, and the up and coming band known as Garbage. Formed by "Nevermind" producer, Butch Vig in Wisconsin, Garbage began its roots in 1993 when grunge was in full throttle and the world was awaiting the "next Nirvana" as they called it in the early 90's. Vig sent in tapes of the band playing; to several labels. Keeping his name anonymous to prevent any extra ears and hands to get ahold of the material. Many producers claimed that at first, Garbage... well really did sound like their namesake; garbage. And they struggled to find a lead singer for the band as Vig didn't sing. But that soon changed when Steve Marker, guitarist of Garbage, saw Angelfish's "Suffocate Me" on MTV's 120 Minutes in 1994, this would be the one and only broadcast of the video. Scottish Lead singer and songwriter of Angelfish, Shirley Manson, was a sex goddess and had a voice that gave you goosebumps; a beautiful voice.


Shirley Manson of Garbage in the early to mid 1990's.

Shirley Manson had been working in the music business for about 10 years at the time. She was originally in a band called Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie; where she was a keyboardist and did backing vocals for the band. She wasn't a shadow on stage and she was and still is very talented. Record companies approached her with a solo album; which led her to recording an album with her Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie members under the name Angelfish. They only released one album in 1994 labeled "Angelfish" featuring the song which aired on MTV, "Suffocate Me". The band dissolved in 1994.
Butch Vig knew this was the future of Garbage and shipped her to the States to start recording their first few sessions, one of them being for their first single, "Vow" along with "Subhuman" and the original version of "#1 Crush". Which already got honors and apraisal around the world even before their debut album was ever released. Critics admired their "up-to-date" sound and making transitions from the old style "rock and roll" standard to the then modern sound of electronic music and mixing of the songs. And the fact they not only electronically edited the guitar riffs, but also used household objects to add effects to their songs; such as a broken DAT tape deck (this is so 90's right?) and an air conditioner. It was goth, it was dark, it was grungy as well but it also made you get up and dance, or tap your feet if you weren't a break dancer.

Finally, after over a year of recording, in August 1995, "Garbage" was finally released to the public. And with the release, also brought heavy promotion of the band in stores as well as heavy rotation of hits such as "Stupid Girl" and "Only Happy When It Rains" on MTV and modern rock radio stations throughout 1995 and 1996.
The album was filled with angst, revenge, deceit, depression, and betrayal. It was a teenager's gift in the mid 90's to have an album like this in their home.

As you pop in the CD and press "play", "Supervixen" is the first track and begins playing with a grungy/poppy intro. A man (or men rather) being captivated by one woman is the message behind "Supervixen"! "I will be your religion" says Manson. You can't live without her and you must "bow down..." to her in order to get what you want; her. We all know at least one girl who acts exactly as described. Allows men to honor her, worship her. In other words, for a lack of a better word, a woman who wants her man to be her bitch! It can't get any clearer than that. It's an A+ song. Shirley is sexy and she knows it and she proclaims it in this song.

Next we have "Queer". Though the namesake is queer and many people associated it with homosexuality, it's not to be confused. It's implying queer as in weird, strange, obscure. As the song says "The queerest of the queer". And according to the video, the song describes a sex favor, if you will. Shirley uses those looks, that charm, and her wits as described in the previous track to lure a man into doing a "favor" for her. And that favor? To drag him against the floor, shave his head, dress him down, then dump him out half naked. Sounds like a juicy number!

The 90's was filled with tons of great songs about sex, rape, murder, you name it! So why is it today we get drunk ketchup and Gaga proclaiming she's on top of the world? We're not always gonna be in a dapper mood; that's what the 90s were for!

"Only Happy When It Rains" is almost an ode to grunge, the early 90s and the way of thinking by the youth of Generation X. It's obviously directing toward Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, you name it! "I only listen to sad, sad songs"; "I only smile in the dark/My only comfort is the night gone back/I didn't accidently tell you that/I'm only happy when it rains". It's a great song, it was a perfect single and a perfect video as well. It hit the nail on the coffin! Perfect 10!

"As Heaven Is Wide" is one of those songs that sounded like it should be in a spy movie or a car chase scene. It should've been the theme song for "Speed"; if it was released a year earlier. It's full of revenge, it cuts deep, cuts to the bone ("If flesh could crawl/My skin would fall from off my bones and run away from here"). Revenge is a key topic in Garbage's catlog of music and they sing, write, make the music on par with the mood. The whole crew knows exactly what they're doing; even when they first started out.

"Not My Idea" is a pretty good song with a great guitar riff to start off! It got me banging my head, tapping my shoes, feeling crazy when I heard it for the first time. The lyrics are revengeful, the guitar riff is revengeful, everything about this song is about revenge; that's all you really have to know. It's yet another great track!

"A Stroke of Luck" is one of those experimental songs that I was talking about earlier. You know the use of tape decks and air conditioners? This one uses that A/C example. And might I add, gives it a mellow and... cool sound; I couldn't resist! If I heard this song in 1995, I would've swore I jumped to 2000 when I heard this! It sounds so ahead of its time. Something that should've been on "Version 2.0"! Put your mind in 1995 for a sec and you'll see what I mean. But nonetheless, an awesome track with a dark trip hop beat behind Shirley Manson's signature soft-loud-soft vocals.

"Vow" the earliest track made by Garbage is definitely one of those songs that may not get out of your head for weeks. In the same tone as "As Heaven Is Wide", the song goes into details about a betrayal and how the girl will get her revenge on the person that broke her. I have to be honest with you, somebody broke me a couple of months ago, betrayed me by saying things behind my back, as soon as I got in the car and left for home, THIS was the song that made me feel... better. Why? I guess because I vented it out by singing along with Shirley's revengeful tone of vocals. It's just one of those songs that anyone can relate to... heck! Pretty much every one of Garbage's songs are relateable in some way.

"Stupid Girl", one of the most popular songs by Garbage and the first song I heard by the band, was the song that got me captivated by the band and got me hooked. Why? Because it's gripping, it's emotional, it hits the nail on the coffin. Because there's a lot of these "stupid girls" in this world, much of them being teenagers. We all know them! We all know some girl who makes silly decisions and pretends "to be high", pretend they're "anything just to be adored". It gives me chills everytime I hear it. And I still haven't got tired of hearing it after at least 1000 times of listening to it!

"Dog New Tricks": I think this song is about someone who puts someone down; put Shirley down maybe. Made her "feel worthless", used, abused, and neglected.

"My Lover's Box" is about someone yearning for love in their life, I believe. Lost love, abandonment from others, etc.

The last few songs really touch on the same topics so I'm not going into detail with "Fix Me Now". It's a lot like "Dog New Tricks" and "My Lover's Box".

As always, Garbage always has a gripping last track that makes you wanna crawl for more and leaves you hanging. That perfect example: "Milk". A very ambient song that puts your mind at ease for 4 minutes and leaves you at peace after listening to the first 11 songs. It's an amazing track, one of Garbage's best songs, and should not be dodged.

After their unknown status rose to the top, Garbage made millions on their first record. Giving Shirley Manson a job that she would still have today. Today, they are still going strong and just finished recording their fifth studio album, "Not Your Kind of People" (click here to see my review on the album). Which turns out to be a great album, just as good as their first. To be honest with you, I have never heard a necessarily bad Garbage song or album. They're all great albums and leaves you with a sense of "you're not alone".

Keep your eyes pealed for "Version 2.0" this summer!**

Garbage - "Not Your Kind of People" (2012) - Today's Alternative Rock, Grunge

Garbage has always been the band to be on the outside looking in. They know what it's like to be outsiders, misfits, what have you. They even label themselves as "weirdos". And they're pretty comfortable about it. A lot has changed since 1995 for Garbage. At the time, Shirley Manson was in her late 20's, breaking up with her former bands Angelfish and Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie. Butch Vig had famously recorded some of the 90's best albums; "Nevermind" by Nirvana, "Dirty" by Sonic Youth, and "Siamese Dream" by The Smashing Pumpkins. What started out as a filthy garage band, turned into a collaborative effort and from there, made fame with their first two albums "Garbage" in 1995 and the Grammy nominated "Version 2.0" in 1998. Now that the band members are no longer spring chickens and pretty much know the ropes around the music biz, they were extremely tired of mainstream record labels. Preferably, the one they were with when they recorded "Bleed Like Me". The record company, had high expectations for the record and only cared if the record reached number 1 on the Billboard Charts and sold millions of copies. Even though "Bleed Like Me" peaked at Number 4 on the Billboard 200, the label was still not satisfied with their efforts. And as Shirley said in an interview with AVClub:

After a while, we really got beaten down by corporate expectations, and as a result, I think we all just wanted to buck against that. It was like a creative straitjacket. Because when you’re signed to a record label, you have to run all your music through them, and they decide whether they will release it or not. After a while, you just want to scream, and hand them some really obscure, weird, obtuse, unmarketable music, but then of course they’d never release it. I think taking a hiatus was our reaction against that. We wanted to free ourselves of that straitjacket. Then, of course, years passed, and you start to feel creative again, and get excited about the notion of getting into a room with people you love, and making music. That’s basically what happened. I think we were all surprised by the record that we made. It wasn’t the record we thought we’d make. I think we thought we would make the kind of record we’ve talked about doing for years, what we call our bummer record—it’s all bummer songs. But we were excited to be together, and you can’t control what comes out. This is the record that came out.

As a result, Garbage fought against the mainstream and created their own independent label, Stunvolume. Which essentially broke the boundaries they once had. They were free to put out the songs they liked the most and put them on the record. Which, I personally, applaud them for that. They took the right step in their career.



So how exactly does NYKOP sound and does it reflect the Garbage we know and love? It sounds great, and yes, it does reflect the "Garbage sound". It sounds amazing. This is a great record; on up there with their first two albums! "beautifulgarbage" and "Bleed Like Me" are great albums, but NYKOP seems like an updated "Version 2.0" to me. And that's great! Because I love "Version 2.0"! "Automatic Systematic Habit", "I Hate Love", and "Sugar" sound like "Version 2.0" if it was released in 2012, instead of 1998. "Blood For Poppies" and "Man on a Wire" sound a lot like the "Bleed Like Me" sound. Guitar driven, not much electronic frills in it but enough to make it a great song! "Battle In Me" gives me a "Supervixen" feel to it when it jumps into the chorus with the "stop start" guitar riff. It sounds familiar, it sounds modern but still sounds grungy!

After all these years, Shirley Manson still sounds as gorgeous today as she did in 1995. Shirley Manson is one of the few musicians who actually has different tones, moods, and vibes in her voice. Her voice alone can make a song sound depressing, happy, revengeful, and lonesome. She's still a badass at heart, but she's grown up a little; she's aged gracefully. She still has a voice of an angel, looks that can kill, and a personality that can make anyone's heart melt.

Butch Vig still has those stellar drumming capabilities that are on up there with Dave Grohl! Hits it right on the money!

Steve Marker and Duke Erikson play the guitars as lively and as hardcore as possible. Especially in "Blood For Poppies", "Battle In Me", and "Man on a Wire". "Battle In Me" has a guitar riff that just forces you to bang your head back and forth!

Some of the highlights of this record is "Sugar", "Not Your Kind of People", "I Hate Love", a gripping and creative song that touches on something that no one has ever dreamed of discussing out loud. "Beloved Freak" is another tune that'll stick in your head. As I've said before, Garbage is outsiders. And "Beloved..." touches on being on the outside looking in. But at the same time, being proud you are on the outside and "Let it shine" as Shirley proclaims in the song!

The deluxe edition and vinyl editions include 4 additional songs; "The One", "What Girls Are Made Of", "Bright Tonight", and "The One", which is worth the few extra dollars! Some people are skeptical on these songs but I personally enjoyed them and they're just as good as anything Garbage has done!

This album is definitely for the ones who feel neglected, isolated, and confused. It's got lots of grungy lyrics. It hits you like a Mack truck; which is what Garbage is famous for! According to the members, it's okay to feel like an outsider; you can create some spectacular songs if you are.

Garbage still has that 1990's appeal. And yet they continue to make it sound modern at the same time as well. Garbage has done it again!

It's a wild roller coaster of emotions. Garbage is back in their A-game! And I have a good feeling, they're not going anywhere, anytime soon. Let's just pray that we don't have to wait another 7 years for another Garbage album!

Hole - Live Through This (1994) - Grunge/90's Alternative

It's hard to believe that 18 years has passed since this album was released. Much less 18 years since Kurt Cobain died. Now you know we can't talk about LTT without bringing up Kurt. Now I don't believe those stupid conspiracies about Kurt writing this album. This stuff doesn't really sound like lyrics from "In Utero" or "Nevermind" or even "Bleach" for that matter, in my opinion. And we all know "Violet" and "Doll Parts" were both written before she dated Kurt; in fact, "Violet" was written after her stint with Smashing Pumpkins frontman, Billy Corgan. But believe it or not, Courtney listened to Nirvana, she heard Kurt play his music while at home and on the road and both Kurt & Courtney pretty much had the same taste in music. So it's understandable to think that Kurt wrote "Live Through This", however I beg to differ.
Hole had released one record previously. The raw, dirty, "rough all around", "Pretty on the Inside". And with all intents and purposes, it sounds totally different than "Live Through This" and many early Hole fans in 1994 didn't want to accept this new, poppy, soft, clean grunge, if you will, that was "Live Through This". It was like a transition from Nirvana to Foo Fighters, very noticeable, very crazy, and you can tell Courtney struggled to find a sound or an edge that suited her very well. And I believe she still struggled with it for many years.
Now mind you, "Live Through This" is a great, fantastic album. One of my favorites of all time. In this album, Courtney still has her rough edge, like in the first Hole album. That raspy, grungy voice of her's is still as prevalent in 1994 as it was in 1991. But the sound of ecstasy "Sonic Youth like" guitars or the "Sub Pop sound" of the late 80s and early 90s that was POTI was now being replaced by a "Nevermind" like, DGC sound; dirty but not as rough around the edges. "Live Through This" is no "post grunge" album by no means. And it's not lacking any common ground that was found in grunge or 90's alternative rock albums. But you can tell, pop influences were surrounded a lot more in this record. And I enjoy pop, not today's pop but you catch my drift.
"Live Through This" was released April 12, 1994; four days after the lead singer, Courtney Love's husband Kurt Cobain of Nirvana committed suicide in Seattle.
The album starts with a revenge-y number, "Violet" which as pointed out before, was written about Courtney and Billy Corgan's relationship before Courtney married Kurt. This song along with two other songs on this album were popular on modern rock radio and MTV in 94 and 95 along with "Doll Parts" and "Miss World". "Violet" is your typical Courtney Love song ("When I get what I want/I never want it again") but still a masterpiece at best. It's a great intro for what's to come on the album.
Next we have "Miss World". We know every girl, at least once in her life, have had self image issues. This is exactly what this song touches on. The perfect outlet for any girl (or guy for that matter) to relate to in some way. The lyrics alone give you goosebumps for anyone feeling like they wanted to die in their own skin ("I'm Miss World/Somebody kill me/Kill me pills/No one cares").
After the somber tone of "Miss World", we walk into "Plump". One of my favorite tracks on this record. "Plump" touches on weight issues and bulimia ("They say I'm plump/but I throw up all the time"). At first glance, Courtney Love knows exactly what it's like to be on the dark side of girldom. And she already had a rough life; abandonment from parents, drug abuse and working as a stripper and becoming a D-rated movie star in the late 80s.
"Asking For It" was written about an incident that happened in the early 90's at a Hole concert; where Courtney was almost raped.

"We had just gotten off tour with Mudhoney, and I decided to stage-dive. I was wearing a dress and I didn't realize what I was engendering in the audience. It was a huge audience and they were kind of going ape-s**t. So I just dove off the stage, and suddenly, it was like my dress was being torn off of me, my underwear was being torn off of me, people were putting their fingers inside of me and grabbing my breasts really hard, screaming things in my ears like "pu**y-wh**e-c**t". When I got back onstage I was naked. I felt like Karen Finley. But the worst thing of all was that I saw a photograph of it later. Someone took a picture of me right when this was happening, and I had this big smile on my face like I was pretending it wasn't happening. So later I wrote a song called "Asking For It" based on the whole experience. I can't compare it to rape because it's not the same. But in a way it was. I was raped by an audience, figuratively, literally, and yet, was I asking for it?" - Courtney Love.

"Jennifer's Body" is a juicy number. It's like a scene out of a thriller movie, really puts you in the shoes of a torture/murder victim. In fact, yes, the 2009 film of the same name starring Megan Fox, is based loosely on this song. And "Violet" is featured in the end credits of the movie, according to the Wikipedia article. The producer is a huge fan of Hole.
"Doll Parts" is one of the more popular songs by Hole. Written before Courtney and Kurt were dating, Courtney tries her best to be with Kurt. Sending heart shaped boxes (sound familiar?) and miniature toys, candies, and flowers. All to get no answer from Kurt. So as a result, "Doll Parts" was written. The structure of the sound, the pain is A+ and you can feel it in every breath Courtney takes. To top it off, the wailing of Courtney exclaiming "Someday you will ache like I ache" instantly puts your heart, body, soul and not to mention, your eyes, on total meltdown. Courtney does a fine job of transferring her pain, anguish, angst, as well as rage and hatred against the world into the ears of the listeners. And allows others to feel like they're in Courtney's life for 40 minutes or so.
"Credit in the Straight World" is an old cover from Young Marble Giants. The original sounds very hipster-ish, almost punk, and acoustic as such. But add Courtney's raspy flair, the guitars of Kristen Pfaff and Eric Erlandson and the banging of Patty Schemel's beats, and you've got yourself a grungy/very 90's number. Hole makes this their own with their punk roots and charm.
"Softer. Softest" is like "Doll Parts" Part 2; starting right where it left off. Courtney expresses her hatred for pee girls and sour milk; it's goosebump worthy. The tone, the mentality of "Doll Parts" are still intact in this song. Water works are all up in this record. Don't be surprised if you need a Kleenex or two.
"She Walks On Me" is an ode to early/post punk. Back when the Ramones, Sex Pistols and The Wipers made themselves at home. This is where Courtney still proves to her listeners, she still hasn't lost her early Hole roots... yet! She still has her edge, but she's growing up from her babydoll days. But yet somehow, she was still comfortable with it in 1993 and 1994. It's definitely a punk song, for sure, with plenty of fast riffs and screams to make you get up and bang your head!
"I Think I Would Die" is possibly my favorite on this record. It's definitely the song for rebellious teenagers, faced with being forced to fit in with the conformity of high school kids. Forced to wear the same clothes as the preps, listen to the same music as the other kids, that kind of thing. An already good song, the F-U makes this song 10 times better! It was the cherry on top of an already delicious ice cream sundae! The Hole crew is at their best here!
"Gutless" is a step down from the last track, but still great in it's own right. It's contradictory and very Nirvana like. Like a track off of "In Utero" except instead of Kurt, we have Mrs. Cobain in his place.
The final track is labelled as "Rockstar", however, the track is really called, "Olympia". The reason? Courtney wrote Rockstar, before the death of Kurt. Included is a verse that goes "How'd you like to be Nirvana/I guess you'd rather die". Courtney thought it would be in bad taste, as Kurt died 4 days before the record was released. And opted to replace the song with another one that didn't make the cut. However, since labels, sleeves, and CD's were already manufactured, many people believe "Olympia" is actually called "Rockstar", but don't let it fool you.
But "Olympia" touches on life as a teenager growing up in Olympia, Washington in the 80's; where everyone knew the music scenes of Washington, wore the same clothes, talked the same, acted the same, you catch my drift. A punk song about the grunge scene? Way better than the original, proposed track in it's place! It should've been the first choice, but hey, we're not complaining now are we?
So in a nutshell, "Live Through This" is one of those records that defined the 90's. And inspired many future musicians. It's possibly Hole's best record, according to critics and fans.
After the album was released, however, Courtney wasn't relishing in the success of the record, due to the death of her husband and soon went downhill. And bassist, Kristen Pfaff died in the summer of 1994 from a heroin overdose and was replaced by Melissa Auf Der Maur. Who stayed with the band until 1999. As a result, Courtney's heroin addiction returned, she relied on the booze once more. Most of the time while on tour for the record, she was often high or drunk and slurring the vocals and causing scenes with fans and even went off on someone that threw water at her and screamed out she killed Kurt.
In 1995, at the MTV VMA's, she threw her compact at Madonna (which was very hilarious, I must admit), got on stage to perform, nonetheless, drunk as a skunk. And by the end of the night, flashed her lady parts to the press and was eventually drug out of the red carpet, passed out, by her fellow bandmates.
Although Courtney seemed to be going the same route as her husband, she turned herself around. And in 1996, starred in the film, "The People Vs. Larry Flynt" and released the "post grungy" record, "Celebrity Skin" in 1998.
So should you buy this record, if you don't already have it? Why of course you should have it! You would have to have no life to not have this masterpiece of a record. However, don't hold me accountable when you start bawling like a baby when you hear "Doll Parts" **