Garbage

It's very... negative, I would dare to say. Not quite my vibe. A bit to depressing. The music itself is good though.

queer und milk sind die besten tracks!

Enjoyed it more than expected, it kept growin on me 3.5/5

Yeah No. Not for me

Interesting. I've never heard about them before. I really liked "Milk" and "Not My Idea", other tracks are good as well. I can't say I am in love with them, but they are worth exploring.

fun lil throwback. good production

midwestern abba

Not quite my cup of tea but not terrible

Lands somewhere between a 3 & 4 for me.

Constistantly ok but no standout songs.

Grungey weekend

Yeah it's good enough but not my fav

It's not Garbage! Some good tracks.

meh

I've always semi-liked this band but to be honest they're pretty much a mish-mash of a number of styles that were popular (and still are) at the time. Nothing really inventive her but a pleasant 90's alt-rock album.

So fucking 90s

Just alright. I think the first song was pretty good

I was really surprised by this, reminded me of a more punk Susie, halfway decent!

Enjoyable 90s alternative

62 tracks? That's a lot of Garbage.

3,5

Pretty chill.

pretty good 90s sound, enjoyed it and recognized some of the songs.

Abwechslungsreich, gut produziert viel teenage angst Gut!

Dirty. Dark. Solid.

Stupid girl

I saw them tour with this album in 98. Some amazing songs, but too homogenous for me

That's an incredibly inconsistent album. Frustratingly so. Some of these tracks are amazingly produced and, almost 30 years later, sound like they could have been dropped yesterday. And some are so painfully mid-90s with incredibly dated performances and production. There were times when I loved this album and times when I hated it. I wanted to give it a better score but, ultimately, my frustration ended up docking this one a couple of stars.

Almost a 4, some nice songwriting

Liked it

There are some excellent songs on this album, but there are some real duds, too. The lyrics are often dark, but well thought out (except for Alien Sex Fiend, I don't know what the point of that was). However, Shirley Manson has a very limited vocal range, and therefore all the songs are composed in the same key (or very close to it). This sometimes makes it difficult to distinguish one song from the other. If this site allowed for half stars I would give it 3.5.

girly pop punk not bad not great

i liked it but nothing amazing

I had to wait for a bad mood day to appreciate it.

It's a perfectly fine album, doesn't take many risks but doesn't have a lot of bad tracks either. Good as far as alt rock goes but not super memorable

It was a little bit better than mid for the most part. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t super good. Most of it just felt “okay” or “this is alright”. There were a few standout tracks I really liked though. I thought “Not my Idea” and “Vow” were both pretty good. I REALLY like “Fix me Now”. Overall, I’ll give it a 3. If a 2.5 is a perfectly neutral/in the middle score, then a 3 is perfect. I’d maybe even give it a 3.5 if I could.

Was ok it had some nice tracks it just didn’t appeal to me I liked queer and stupid girl

Helt kurant. Litt kjedelig til å begynne med, men tok seg opp:) tror jeg likte «Vow» best.

Popish, pleasant, forgettable.

Very solid album! Enjoyed. 3/5

Never heard the opening track "Supervixen" before - really enjoyed it. I love the sudden stops/silences in the rhythm. Enjoyed the grimy sound/vibe of the entire album.

My sort of music and pleasant to listen to but nothing about the album particularly stands out. Poppy grunge.

nice background music for toxic girls. nothing wrong sonically noting really stood out except the opening track and stupid girls One could say this album is ‘garbage.’

Smashing Pumpkins Lite

such a fun album, I'd forgotten most of it!

Finally caught up! Great listen, surprised by the consistency, just could’ve used a bit of fat trimmed from the track list. STRONG 3, very close to a 4.

Punk influences but with complete sound. Interesting and begs another listen

hmmm enjoyed! especially liked milk, lovers box, dogs new tricks, vow

-Didn’t write a BL- AL: pretty solid. Knowing there is personnel overlap with the smashing pumpkins and nirvana makes a lot of sense. While doesn’t compare to those two this was still a good listen and I enjoyed it FT: “only happy when it rains”, “stupid girl”, “milk” 3/5

Was alright. Nothing blew me away. A little too grunge.

interesting

Never cared much for Garbage. I did warm up to this a bit, but still I don't care. 3/5

Average, nothing special.

Un clásico de los 90. 4 muy buenas al menos se mantienen bien: "Supervixen", "Only happy when it rains", "Not my idea" y "Stupid girl".

Een wat commerciële potpouri van de alternatieve scene uit de jaren '90. Een handvol scherp geprijsde huismerken van o.a. The Cranberries, Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, Massive Attack en Portishead. Ondanks dat ik al die invloeden wel waardeer is het een vrij saai album geworden. "Vow" sprong er positief tussenuit.

6/10

Definitely not a garbage album! Really solid production, and a lot of the sounds are familiar in the sense of the influence that this album had.

PREFS : Supervixen, Queer, Only Happy When It Rains, Stupid Girl MOINS PREF : A Stroke of Luck

I listened to this album a lot in high school. I enjoyed how each song was varied in genre elements, such as hip hop vs rock, etc. Listened to it again today and my opinion on it hasn't changed much, the songs are still good. Granted it is pretty easy to like, but that's besides the point. I do have to say the album artwork leaves something to be desired, since I think they could've made some sick art, based on the overall, "edgy" style of the album. That's just me though. I do think the color pink can be cool for a rock album, I just think they could go a step further with the imagery. Despite my ramblings I went with 4/5 stars because while it is enjoyable and all that it's 90's rock album and it's not perfect.

Too much alt, not enough rock.

Surprisingly different from what the name suggests. Though it is quite heavy on the emo vibe/lyrics

This was a fun listen.

meh

Pop-rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.

Good variety in sounds with an overall consistency. Would say it's "pop rock" not deep lyrically imo but not offensive.

I'm very familiar with Version 2.0 and liked it a lot when it came out. I've never really listened to this first Garbage album. Overall this was a disappointment. I think Queer and Stupid Girl are the only songs that have a timeless quality and still sound great. This would have been (and was) a great mid 90s pop album, but today it sounds a little bland and forced. Just for reference, I listened to 2.0 again (it's gotta be 20 years) and it also has diminished in my ears. Version 2.0 is still better than this one though.

ok 3 pq ja ouvi piores

One song seems to borrow a little bit from The Beatles' 'No Reply', and the last track is a lovely bunch of layered mellotron. I don't remember much else except a lot of yellin' about heaven.

3/5. A pretty solid album with some unique songs and catchy ones. Will maybe come back to this one at a later time.

Cool rock, with interesting parts of the song that are weird at first but make the song a whole almost 3/5

Ok, fairly harmless songs. Didn’t love any but didn’t hate any either.

Debuutalbum van de Amerikaanse alt rock band Garbage, geproduceerd in hun eigen studio. Tracklist is beinvloed door grunge/alt rock, o.a. Soundgarden. Nummers zijn ok, maar niet heel inspirerend verder. leukste nummer: Supervixen Drummer Butch Vig produceerde Nirvana's "Nevermind." Op dezelfde dag dat Garbage voor het eerst bij elkaar kwam leerde hij van Cobains zelfmoord.

Can’t quite describe them by their namesake but not a memorable album. Has PJ Harvey vibes with some of the electronic influence of the late 90s, and a decent production, but just not a collection of impactful songs. The fadeouts take too long as well making the album 10 minutes longer than necessary.

Decent 90s rock that stands out mostly because of the female singer, not so much due to their songs

Garbage do music good, but like so many before and after them there are too many fluff pieces in between the really good tracks. P.S. I also don't consider this one their best album.

Couple songs I knew from rock radio growing up but never knew the artist. Overall a really solid enjoyable listen.

It isn't garbage, but it is a record that is musically quite minimalistic and not really memorable. It sounds a bit like dreampop/alter rock but in fact it is just a pop record. As I said it isn't very bad but not really great either.

not garbage

Only happy when it rains! I know that song. Overall not a bad listen, solid instrumentals and lyrics. Not exactly my typical jam but wasn't a bad listen. 3 stars for me

Sounds like it was recorded by Cyndi Lauper's emo daughter Definitely fits right in with the grungy 90s music I wanted this to be bad so I could say they picked the right band and album name but I actually enjoyed it

Very nice of them to name track 8 after Evelyn. The angst of this album made me want to burn my neighbors structure down. Some hits towards the beginning but trailed off at the end for me.

Hmmmnnn

SORRY TO MY DEAR DEAR TAYLOR FOR BEING WORSE AT THIS WHILE WE HAVE GUESTS BUT WE BACK. I LIKED THIS ONE HUT DONT REALLY HAVE ENOJGH THOUGHTS.

Pretty good for its genre Favorite: Vow, Milk

My first time hearing Garbage outside of "Stupid Girl" a few times. A pretty decent listen overall.

Really kind of the lounge music of 90’s grunge/punk isn’t it? Overall I believe this album has a solid vibe. While there’s nothing that takes away from the project, there’s also nothing that puts it over the top. A very neutral listening experience from my point of view. I’m not afraid to say that the singles off the record “Only Happy When It Rains” and “Stupid Girl” carry the project. They are easily the two most identifiable tracks on the album, and also the best. Everything else seems like it was written with the same formula and provided Shake and Bake Pork Chop vibes: was fine to listen to once, but I wouldn’t be thrilled to experience it again.

Another one that takes me back to high school. Flashbacks to 107.7 The End cranking from the boom box while I cooked pizzas in Paisano's. Was never one of those bands I sought out but when they're on they're enjoyable.

It WAS raining. I WAS happy. 5masterpiece/4loveit/3likeit/2whatever/1turnitoff

Expected to rate this one lower but realized I know and like more songs off this album than I thought and found myself movin' and groovin'. Well done. Just not suuuper my go to genre

Fairly generic 90's pop it's fine nothing too bad but nothing really great either.

I think Shirley Manson has quite a good voice, and the music is mostly good. But quite a few of the songs are missing… something. Hard to put a finger on it. It’s a good album with some fine songs, but didn’t leave much of an impression.

Song to song this is cool and a fun listen but an hour and a half is too much.

Garbage was one of those bands that I never paid much attention to. I was only ever aware of their singles. The only song I recognised by name before listening to the album was ‘Stupid Girl’. So I honestly didn’t know what to expect. The album is an interesting mix of pop, rock and electronic. Overall it’s a decent debut album, but I did find it somewhat repetitive. I’m sure my opinion of the album will change after a few listens. My stand out tracks were ‘Queer’, ‘A Stroke of Luck’ and ‘Milk’. 3.5 stars

Garbage was probably one of the first female led grunge rock bands I was introduced to growing up, and it's always so refreshing to hear a female singer in a grunge band. Their self-titled debut is a solid mix of pop/punk fundamentals, all pulled apart and put back together, finished off with the grittier vocals of Shirley Manson, show that angst with some direction in the right hands is a winning combination. Best: Only Happy When It Rains Worst: Dog New Tricks

Good album. I like the vibes, but a lot if the compositions outside of the singles are pretty forgettable.

garbage by garbage is garb- no, it's all right actually

I remembered a lot of these songs. Still not my favorite, but it's a cool time capsule.

72/100 3/5 Solid. Trippy. I remembered it differently than when I listen in 2023.

Pretty cool sounding rock album. More varied than I was expecting.

Good 90s vibe. I woudn't say it would be a top 90s album in my book but was enjoyable.

I would have liked this a bit more with more refinement to the sound (although I think their sound is more unrefined). Either way, signature 90s sound

Good memories here so the 3 stars certainly influenced by those old clubbing days!

A fair, solid, fuzzy 90s album that sounds not quite like anything else, without feeling especially unique. Some of the songs are recognisable, the filler tracks are pleasantly traversable. A fair go.

Average britpop

Today's happy discovery is that of polished rock that tries to be coy about its pop credentials. I'm not sure how much of an ingredient that coyness is in comparison to the trip-hop stylings of the band's opening salvo. The only way to find out is in.

Ok album

My knowledge of Garbage was from the James Bond song for The World is Not Enough, one of my favourite films as an 8 year old whipper-snapper. The glitchy, industrial production tickled my hustle bones, but I felt like it got less enjoyable on repeated listens

Pop-rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.

Favourite tracks: As Heaven is Wide, Not my idea, Vow

Some catchy songs and some annoying songs. Might listen again but would have to be in the mood

I'm not entirely sure I have spent much time with this album. I remember it being quite well thought of on release. I remember liking the singles, but not sure I ever gave it a full listen... It's definitely a 90s album. It's pretty cool, but I'm probably gonna reach for Portishead when I want the moody atmospheric pop lushness. I'm sure it would benefit greatly from a headphone listen.

Pretty garbage, 3 and a half big brolic black dudes named Requis out of 5

It was okay

7,5/10

Nice and poppy

Geen garbage, maar ook weer niet zo geweldig. Rock met iets te oud/ruig gitaarwerk, en een vrouwenstem.. 3*

It's great garbage

Un album à mettre au compost après utilisation pour qu'il puisse être tansformé en engrais.

C'était même pas si nul que ça mais je n'en peux plus des conneries de Robert.

Definitely nostalgic hearing the singles. I always liked Stupid Girl, I’m Only Happy When it Rains, and Queer. My favorite “new” song is Stroke of Luck.

Lekker op de achtergrond en soms een stukje mee neurien.

Dit was vergelijkbaar met de MacDonalds experience: Je hebt er echt zin in, maar achteraf ben je altijd teleurgesteld en voel je je leeg en depressief. Wegens jeugdsentiment toch 3 sterren.

Leuk om weer eens te horen. Bijna 4 sterren als ik zin had gehad in een wat zeurende stem.

An okay album. It had some good songs, but none that grabbed me. I wouldn’t rush to change what I was listening to though

Se laisse écouter

3.5

This was enjoyable. I remember some of these songs. Nothing new really grabbed me but it was fine.

Yeah good. The singles are obviously the best songs, but overall pretty solid 90's rock 3/5

Some great songs on the album but lagged a bit at some points.

Er zijn zoveel betere platen uitgebracht in de 90s, dat het niet zo gek is dat ik deze nooit heb gedownload in die tijd. De hitjes ken ik uiteraard wel en die zijn prima.

I love Sheryl Manson and she’s a spitfire live.

Decent, love female lead singer

Not a band I ever spent time listening to, but I surprisingly enjoyed this album now that I'm old enough to understand the anger/existential dread. "Only Happy When it Rains" and "Stupid Girl" were my favorite tracks.

Even if Butch Vig’s idea for Garbage was not as original as he thought it was (whatever they made from this record, I hope Curve were getting some of it), it’s still pretty well executed. Part shoegaze wall of noise, part danceable power pop with a few very catchy hooks thrown in for good measure. Like I say, the cut and paste sample approach in noise rock is a direct lift from Curve, and the similarities are frankly too great to overlook here. But the singles are far more chart friendly than anything Dean Garcia and Toni Halliday came up with (that’s not to say these tracks are better), at the expense of some actual innovation. Being a group mostly comprised of producers and industry professionals, the sound is largely forensic and calculated which is to the ultimate detriment of the record. But even while it clocks in at nearly an hour, the songs are strong enough to justify its length. On the whole, a decent record.

wow, the 20th anniversary edition is 7 years old. Still a good fun pop rock album.

Conflicted about this one, there were some good riffs and the grunge pop mix works sometimes, but every now and then seemed a bit silly. Might listen again

Hits are great. Vow too. Very 90s. Quite enjoyed it I could've sworn Garbage were Welsh though

The use of electronics makes this one stand out from others of the time.

3.5 stars

4/12, 33%

Solid 3.5/5. Fun, upbeat, eccentric. Solid debut by Garbage. I don't think it's anything new or interesting, just a pleasant listen through.

Sounds really dated now - used to love it

It was alright, not a huge fan of the sound though.

Very good. 3.5/5

Meh. Dark. Cult classic it seems lots of followers still. Heavy ass bass and drums. Drowns out the vocals. Had to turn down car bass and mid to hear it

3/5 Best Song: Stupid Girl Interessante Mischung aus Rock und Indie

3,5/5 Mid Aber zwischendurch auch sehr strong Also es war sehr gut teils und teils anders langweilig

A seminal 90s Grunge album. Shirley Manson's vocals match well to the distorted sound. One of the better grunge albums that has held up still. 3.5/5.

It’s a long album. There are some good songs on here but it drags at the end

A mixture of eccentric pop of the Pixies with the eccentric dance music of New Wave. (6/10) FT: Only Happy When It's Rain, Stupid Girls

Despite the name of the band and album, this was not garbage. Seems like they have some real self-esteem issues. This was pretty good I’m somewhere between 3-4 for this and we’ll see how I feel at the end. The intro to Supervixen was pretty cool.

2nd September 2022 Listened in the morning while getting ready to go on Chris’s stag do in Oxford. Bit of 90s grunge, Cranberries vibes. Not as heavy as Skunk Anansi but I liked it.

Pretty good

This was surprisingly good (had expected garbage). I can definitely see what other people are saying about it being too slick, though. Milk was a stand-out. This is really a 3.5; might listen again.

surprised at how much i knew.

I got this album for Christmas in 1995, I believe. I really liked the song "Stupid Girl," mostly because the bass line and melody in the bridge reminded me of a Super Nintendo game I really liked (Top Gear 3000), but admittedly I was a little embarrassed to own it. That Christmas, a significantly older cousin of mine saw it in my present stash. I thought for sure he'd laugh at me for it, but instead he picked it up, read the track listing and said "...cool". I think about that every time I hear songs off this album.

I've always thought of Garbage as a band formed to write commercial hits rather than a band who write artistically. Well they managed their objective. Loads of hits on this. I appreciate their craft rather than their art or insight.

decent. almost a 4. empowered white ladies.

I was familiar with "Only Happens When It Rains" and "Stupid Girl." Had completely forgotten about this band so was glad to see it included on this list. Liked some of the writing, vocals, and guitar work, although several of the songs were too much alike.

I'd never heard this one before. Quite pleased by what I've heard. Kind of over putting in depth notes unless durnk. This is very 90's maybe an evolution of the Cranberries. Regardless quite enjoying it. 7/10 Granted this doesn't feel like an album that needs to be listened to back to front and front to back.

3.5/5. Only Happy When It Rains and Stupid Girl are obvious standouts.

Gets points for somehow straddling riot grrl, grunge, and britpop; loses them for some truly dreadful album filler tracks. "Queer" and "Vow" are their best songs.

Pretty good - I'll listen to this one again.

Ganske hole aktig

Some good and powerful songs, but soon gets very samey

Decent enough. Very of it's time (and it didn't sound particularly ground breaking in the 90s) but the singles still slap and Manson is a great frontwoman

Fittingly seeing Garbage perform with Tears for Fears tomorrow, thanks for the warmup

Upon fresher listening, it seems that STUPID GIRL is just about a girl that Garbage think is stupid and there's not much more going on than that. 3 stars.

Pa nije smeće

E njih sam uživo vidio na inMusicu 2019. godine, i bio sam zadovoljan izvedbom. Tako da fora tipa "kakvo ime benda, takva i glazba" pada u vodu.

A bit samey, and dreary. Not awful

Nothing stuck out to me, but it was still fine to listen to.

Three stars ? Three stars and a half maybe ? As someone wrote elsewhere in this group, the whole project seems *a little* too calculated by sound masterminds trying to profit from the nineties' indie explosion to be considered as a *spontaneously* relevant masterpiece. Producer and band member Butch Vig, of *Nevermind* fame, certainly knew the state of the music business at that particular moment of history. Listening to the album, you can even hear the grind of the charts and graphs in his mind as he and his colleagues try to please very different sections of the audience all at the same time (from trip hop enthusiasts to "alt-rock" explorers, from (n)eurodance and/or UK clubs night owls to dad-rock interlopers--and so on, just take your pick...). Truth be told, if a "corporate grunge" band ever existed, Garbage is probably the one. Too bad their "something for everyone" selling points did not always exactly reach their intended goals, some of them even landing quite flat on the ear today (see "As Heaven Is Wide" or "Not My Idea"). That being said, *other* parts of this first album are still holding out quite well 25+ years later, as dated as the production shenanigans are on the more minor cuts. Yes, sure, even back then you could sense that not everything in this catalogue of angst-ridden-yet-glossy rockers would age gracefully, but in spite of those shortcomings, the songwriting behind a lot of those tracks still redeems a large chunk of the record's flaws when it comes to its sound and overall direction. Many melodies are catchy, evocative and/or instantly memorable, often in a good way. Take "Vow" 's layers of guitar riffs, for example (some of them seemingly recorded backwards): not only are they terrifically efficient earworms, both intense and expansive, but they also prove that Garbage's studio wizardry could lead to truly compelling moments when channelled properly. Likewise, it's not difficult to gather why dancefloor-friendly tracks such as "Queer", "Only Happy When It Rains" or "Stupid Girl" had become such huge hits in the months that followed the release of this record. As calculated as those moves are, there's still an urgency in those songs that make them a worthwhile listen. And it's not as if this record didn't have its lot of darker or less obvious corners to explore, though. Trip hop arrangements, for instance, are conveying a welcome dark atmosphere to the proceedings from time to time ("A Stroke Of Luck", "Milk" ), one that's still working in 2022. As for Shirley Manson, she often has a commanding presence, from "Supervixen"'s stop-and-go dynamics to a "Fix Me Now" that's aiming for the skies and beyond, at least vocally speaking. In the forefront of those Alternative / Industrial Pop landscapes, she brings a goth-yet-melodic spark that fuels the necessary fire to make the whole thing satisfying, at least on an emotional level. Think Siouxsie with a lower voice and a knack for seductive or dangerously sensual choruses. I guess "alternative rock" fans can still thank Vig and his weathered American pals for putting their younger Scottish protégée into the spotlight here. Without this album (and band), chances are that Manson would never have reached this type of instant fame--and frankly, it would have been a shame *not* to get acquainted with her talent as a singer... On a sidenote: check out the bonus tracks recorded during that early stage of the band's career. Some of them are even better than certain songs on the album--replace the three or four clunkers from the original record with cuts like "Subhuman", "Sleep" and "#1 Crush" and maybe you would have had a 4 or 4.5-star album instead. Never got why those great tracks had been discarded in favor of less compelling ones. But maybe this poor choice has something to do with all those charts and graphs in Butch Vig's mind. Whenever you're in doubt about who's reponsible for partially bad results, always blame the board first. Number of records left to review or just listen to: 918 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 42 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 22 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important to me): 19

You’d be wise to give singer Shirley Manson (I’d be willing to bet this is a stage name, particularly the ‘Manson’ choice) a wide berth. There are no less than two references to the burning down of houses, along with the accompanying burning of Manson’s own hands, and then a full out ‘You burned me but I’m back at your door like Joan of Arc coming back for more.’ In fact, Manson begins that song, ‘Vow,’ by cautioning ‘I can’t use what I can’t abuse, and I can’t stop when it comes to you.’ That one’ll put the fear of Goddess in ya. She continues, ‘Ah, you burn (there’s another fiery instance) and turn to get under my skin. You’ve gone too far now I won’t give in. You crucified me but I’m back in your bed like Jesus Christ coming back from the dead.’ That’s a perfect example of the misuse of the crucifixion image in contemporary music. The utter folly of comparing God’s revelation in the crucified Christ to Manson crawling back into bed with whoever did her a dirty should be obvious. Unless its far worse than that. Indeed, on the opening song, ‘Supervixen,’ she commands her disciple to ‘Make a whole new religion (of me)… and I’ll feed your obsessions. There is nothing (no thing) but this thing, that I’ll never doubt.’ She then concludes with a repeated refrain of ‘Bow down to me.’ Interestingly, this is a lyrical technique she employs on near half the songs on Garbage, revealing a not so well hidden insight into the inner workings of Manson’s troubled mind: ‘Bow down to me… (it’s best to repeat these lyrics several times for the effect)’- ‘Supervixen.’ ‘Pour your misery down on me…’- ‘Only Happy When It Rains,’ a self-explanatory title. ‘Falling…’- ‘A Stroke of Luck,’ all bad. ‘Stupid Girl, I can’t believe you fake it…’- ‘Stupid Girl.’ ‘(Piece by piece) Send me an angel…’- ‘My Lover’s Box.’ ‘I’m waiting (& aching) for you…’- ‘Milk,’ which as an image for loneliness and longing was lost on me. Musically, average. Garbage is a good band, but chooses that increasingly popular, contemporary option of substituting the overall band sound- the power chords of effected guitars and keyboards- for an instrumental solo. I think some good old guitar soloing would significantly improve Garbage, from an ok band to a rather good one. I don’t know if there is much hope, however, for any improvement on Manson’s atrocious self-esteem. And if her loathing were to be only self-inflicted that would, of course, be unfortunate. But she’s genuinely ‘Only Happy When It Rains,’ including the drenching of us all. You know the expression: misery loves company. And hey, if you are, miserable, then you’ll find this LP crowded like a large Irish Catholic wake in a small house in Boston. My suggestion- have a couple of beers, extend your condolences, and move on before Shirley gets there. ‘Cause when she does, (again, from ‘Vow’) ‘I came to cut you up, I came to know you down. I came around to tear your little world apart. I came to shut you up, I came to suck you down. I came around to tear your little world apart… and break your soul apart. I can’t stop when it comes to you.’ Family of the bereaved, caring friends and honored guests, please do not offer her a whiskey. I’d keep the casseroles and desserts out of her reach as well, along with the sharp silverware. And do I need to remind you about securing the matches? Otherwise, things are gonna burn.

Better than I expected/remembered, but it's kind of two songs and a lot of filler. Best track: Stupid Girl

Yep. Sounds of 90s radio stations. That's about all I can say. They're decent sometimes. Post-grunge sound is overdone during those years and these were the leaders. It's well written and recorded and that helps. Added to Library? N Songs added to Playlist - Stupid Girl

I was really enjoying this. Then the guitars just kept on doing the same thing and the lyrics kept on about angels and demons. Maybe I don't have the patience for this, or maybe it's a little bit pants.

Way better than expected. Shirley Manson has a lot of charisma and Butch Vig does a great production with this more electronic approach. I think it's the kind of album that I would have on rotation if I had known it at the right time, but it's still cool to discover it now.

Great album, but I wasnt really in the mood when I listen to it.

I was familiar with the group before I listened to this album, but I had never listened to a full album of theirs. The album was alright. "I'm Only Happy When It Rains" is the best song. I don't think I would listen to this whole album again.

There is some strong nostalgia here, and a few mostly deserved 90s hits. But there are also some pretty cringey lyrics, and some forgettable songs in between the hits. While Shirley Manson was probably what got Garbage the attention, Butch Vig is probably the most interesting in terms of the evolution of rock and grunge in the 90s. His role as a producer for Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins leads me to view Garbage in a slightly different light. However, in the end the works he produced for other bands rise above the efforts here.

And a half

Not too Garbage

As mid-90s alt-rock goes, this holds up surprisingly well. I haven't listened to this in a good while. Am I crazy? Even when it's dripping with that sort of 90s faux-angst, the tunes hold up. I feel like I should want to roll my eyes at 'Only Happy When It Rains', but it works for me. Maybe I just believe it more when Shirley Manson says it. Regardless - a happy surprise. I might put this one on more often.

This is, and I don't mean this in any pejorative sense, the most 1990s album I've encountered thus far on this app. Still, I really enjoy the slinky vocals, and for the most part the songs hang together nicely without really popping. You don't tend to hear guitar or hi-hat tones like that in modern productions any more, do you? Highlight is the enigmatic 'Queer', though most of this is very listenable.

'S ok. Stupid Girl is a classic but the rest was a bit meh.

Q. Why do streaming services only have the extended/remastered versions and not the shorter originals? I think they released 'Vow' as the first single and it's still sounds amazing. 'Supervixen' too. 'Vow' is one of those songs that pops into my head every now and then and I have to go and listen to it straight away. But they were never as good as Curve! Curve should have been massive. As a palate cleanser, I'm gonna go listen to 'Doppelganger' now I think.

Sounds like a studio project, though some of the tunes are catchy. Very digital distortion sheen over things.

Wanted to like this more

Interesting album, some fun songs on there but overall nothing that caught my attention. Might have to revisit

Generic 90s alternative. To quote John Prine, "Pretty good, not bad, I can't complain. But actually, everything is just about the same." 3 stars.

average at the time, and average now - couple of good tunes, some filler, some shite

Better than expected but nothing that overly interested me on it.

Close to a 4. Really good throughout.

Varied and solid from start to finish.

Three Starbage

I didn’t know the band well but when I saw the name I didn’t think I liked them. Perhaps it was their later music that I didn’t like or it might also be that the name of the band doesn’t help with first impressions. They're leading with their chin in that regard. Anyway this was a decent listen. Sent from my iPhone

This was ok, The Singles are decent but nothing here really gets me excited. Shirley Manson uses a distinct snarl in her singing that sounds very mid-90’s and dated today

I wanted to like this more, the first track was really good, but it went downhill into whinyness

poppy grunge

Smashing 90s bangers

Mostly enjoyed the album but had heard enough by about halfway through

Alright, ok. Not my jam, but I get it.

Full of 90s attitude and style. Really like all the shifting grooves and noisey center to this album, but it remains catchy. The guitar tone is very indicitive of mainstream 90s rock but it sits well with the other instrumentation and vocals throughout. A tad too long however.

Good songwriting, good groove, just not really my cup of tea.

Listened to 1/27/21 2.5/5 Favorite song: Kick My Ass BIG head thrashing in your parent’s garage energy - also A Stroke of Luck would make a great murder matter video

It's alright...

This is a decent album! Garbage live made me appreciate this more but not like a super fave

It was pretty good. I got a little bored by the end. It comes out swinging with the hits and then gets a little meandering

2.8 - Garbage never really stuck out to me when they were contemporary and they’re even less notable to me now. Maybe it’s the years that have gone by, but their sound doesn’t seem particularly innovative and the angsty vibes miss their note.

Une bonne ecoute, mieux que je pensais . 3.5

Probably 3.5 stars. There is something quintessentially 90’s about Garbage and that’s not a bad thing. With Butch Vig both in the band and behind the boards they couldn’t really wrong but there is a dark sultry-ness to these songs that make them stand out from the crowd.

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Supervixen, Queer, Vow Cutting Edge: Stupid Girl Overall Notes: Sick, slick sonic atmospheres and a distinctive vocal timbre. Once you've heard a couple songs you've kind of heard the whole thing, so it goes down as a 3.5 rounded down. Still pretty good.

piacevole ma non impressiona

Only Happy When It Rains - Like this song, nothing special though. As Heaven Is Wide - This is cool, it sounds quite mysterious in the intro and has good guitar. Not My Idea - I like this one too, got a fun chorus and when some quite nice vocals at times. Vow - This is my favourite track so far, very fun and a bit less moody than the others (not lyrically though) Stupid Girl - Everyone knows this one. Good ol' 90s rock that's fun to sing too. Milk - I like this, sadder than the tracks before it and I think it works well. Overall I think this is a solid album, though I think it's very 90s in style and maybe a bit too 90s for me. The lyrics tend to all be very aggressive and 'kick-ass' which I got tired of fairly early on but musically the songs are solid.

Vähän vaikea levy kun välillä tempaa mukaan ja jalka tamppaa ja sitten taas tippuu täysin raidalta. Ei missään nimessä paskaa ja varmaan jos pari kertaa pyörittäis läpi niin pisteetkin saattaisi nousta. Kallistun kolmoseen.

Jos koko levyn taso vastaisi I’m only happy when it rainsia, niin olis ehdoton femma. Valitettavasti loput aika kaukana siitä, joten helppo antaa 3

Nice poppy tunes but unremarkable as an album

Feels dated to the 90s for sure. I don't mind it but I don't love it.

Lekkere plaat!

Still held up well. Sounded a bit more sequenced than I remember

Quintessential 90s. Very enjoyable!

A grunge and alt-rock pairing that engenders subtle dark qualities and evokes mystery. While modest in its production as a rock album, the harmony of composition still achieves the intended direction - mildly loose rhythms and liberal use of distortion and crunch. On the whole, 'Garbage' (album) boasts organized arrangements that were influential in the 90's, rendering certain tracks CHBs and the entire album an effortless listen.

Butch Vig and Shirley Manson are legends. I've heard this album a hundred times and always enjoy it

Superxiven and Not my Idea are actually great songs the rest was quiet average for my music taste

ok garage rock

Pretty average sounding now, all the singles are excellent though.

Mmm, Shirley Manson. Hotness notwithstanding, this has a nice grungy feel to it that isn't obnoxious or forced.

Kinda good, pretty emo. High 6

A nice 90s grunge throwback. A solid listen. 3/5

Shirley Manson had been performing with the Edinburgh-based rock band Goodbye Mr Mackenzie since 1984. In 1993, several of the members, including Manson, formed the side project Angelfish. Their only studio album, the self-titled Angelfish, was as commercially unsuccessful as preceding albums by Goodbye Mr Mackenzie, selling only 10,000 copies. Initial sessions with Vig on vocals and the members' past work with all-male groups led to the band's desire for a woman on lead. Marker was watching 120 Minutes when he saw the one-time airing of the music video for Angelfish's "Suffocate Me". He showed the video to Erikson and Vig while their manager, Shannon O'Shea, tracked Manson down. When Manson was contacted, she didn't know who Vig was and was urged to check the credits on Nirvana's album Nevermind, which Vig had produced. On April 8, 1994, Manson met Erikson, Marker and Vig for the first time in London. Later that evening Vig was informed of Kurt Cobain's suicide Garbage continued to work on the album throughout the start of 1995, delayed by Vig's work producing Soul Asylum's Let Your Dim Light Shine album and the songs being "piecemealed together in the studio". Vig described the composing process as a "dysfunctional democracy" where someone would bring a loop or a sample, which was followed by jam sessions in which the band members would "find one bar that's kind of cool, load that into our samplers, jam on top of that, [and] Shirley will ad-lib", with the process continuing until the song was finished, often with "all of the original ideas gone, and the song had somehow mutated into something completely different." Among the songs that were completely reworked, "As Heaven Is Wide" went from "a big rock track" to a techno-style song with Tom Jones-inspired beats, only keeping Erikson's fuzz bass and Manson's vocals from the original recording

good stuff

Finally something that is not making my ears bleed.

I spent the first 3 hours of today pissing a skid mark off the toilet bowl and listening to this on loop. It was one of the best mornings I've ever had in my miserable life. For once the everyday ennui was penetrated, just like your mum was on her 13th Birthday. Now I will suck on the bones of a duck carcass that I have been saving for such a gleeful moment. Forgive me father!

Pretty good. Definitely not garbage. A good mix of different styles to make some great rock listens.

Rock band Garbage's debut album from 1995 sounded more like alternative rock, and was released to critical acclaim. The band experimented with many different genre's sounds and it's even said that most tracks were completely reshaped during recording, with many samples and loops being added. The lead singer Shirley Manson provided the iconic pop/rock female voice to harmoniously blend with the various songs' structures. I, as well as the 4 million people that purchased the album since release, enjoyed listening to this album and am happy I found it here!

Liked more than some of the punk I’ve heard, some cool and interesting sounds on the record but not too memorable tbh

Solid, innovative, original.

Never liked their song on RockBand which was my introduction so happy to say this was a solid album

Better than expected. Very mature songwriting for a first album. They try a little bit of everything, but there is no common theme running through the album. I prefer albums that are more than just a collection of songs.

It starts off like it's mid-song, I kind of like that. I've never liked their biggest hits - the queerest of the queer and the rains song. Not my vibe but I'll keep going. A stroke of luck is nice. I always enjoyed Stupid Girl and I still like that one. My lover`s Box is great.

Solid collection of songs for the most part, very much of that era. I'm surprised how many of these songs I know. Garbage were on the periphery of things I was listening to in the mid-90s, but it turns out it was quite a bit more than I remembered. Not anything I'm planning to revisit anytime soon. Fave songs: Vow, Queer, Milk

// Favs: Only Happy When It Rains / Vow Score: Strong 3 to Light 4

I figured I'd like this album...and I do. Solid indie rock. Songs are all good if not that memorable. I will listen to it again. 3.5 🌟

Enjoyed that

Blast from the past, not bad.

Few classic songs but not a classic album

You know the hits. This was a nostalgia fest too.

Not really my gig, enjoyed sone tracks.

not really a grudge guy but not bad. Most of the songs I know are from this one.

The album is okay. I only really enjoy “Stupid Girl”.

Not bad

Good old fashioned alt-rock of the kind I adore, with a few other influences like trip-hop, it’s like this album was tailored for me; the way every piece of the sound works together is great. Favourite track: “A Stroke of Luck”

Enjoyable but not brilliant! Really good music and Shirley Manson pipes are just incredible! Am I gonna buy it? No. Would I turn it off if it came on randomly? No. 3 stars.

Pretty good overall, definitely 90’s. I probably won’t listen to it again, but I enjoyed it while I did.

Pretty great. Solid damn album from the doyenne of Scottish alt-punk.

Pretty good alt/pop rock. Fav tracks were Queer, Only Happens When it Rains, and My Lover’s Box.

bah c'est cool franchement. peut-être un peu long? 3.5/5.

I really enjoyed this album -I'm a sucker for female pop/rock (it all started with P!nk). It was varied and felt like the sort of thing that would have made me feel powerful had I heard it earlier in life when I had more feelings. Particularly liked 'queer', wonder if this was at the start of the reclaiming of the word or if they were using it because it was controversial.

Nothing special, a few songs are nice.

this is a very shiny pop album masquerading as something it never was - music for girls at the front of the city hall. Accessible but angsty enough - built for singles by butch vig - never hated this back in the day and still don’t ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Actually liked this WAY more than I thought I would. Has that specific style/feel, but it's not bad.

3.5/5 it has some interesting songs, i'll have to listen to it again

Teenage throwback

3 stars. I do not feel like I need to listen to this album again. I think that the album touches several different styles with different songs. For example, comparing Milk and Only Happy When It Rains. To me this does a great job capturing the start of the female lead soft punk/pop bands that developed in the mid 90's. This band fills a similar niche to No Doubt (with Gwen Stefani), but doesn't do nearly as good a job.

good garage band vibe

Brings back memories, but it’s not exactly my cup of tea. It’s bearable (and even enjoyable), but I don’t see myself searching for this on Spotify again.

decent album but not really of any distinction from other rock bands of the same period. nice to listen to though

3.8 - Right in my 90s music periphery growing up. I've always loved the radio hits, "Queer", "Only Happy...", "Stupid Girl." The album lies at the cross-section of many genres of that moment - electronic, grunge, breakbeat, trip hop. Shirley Manson cuts a convincing frontman both in terms of vocals and appearance. But really Butch Vig as producer/drummer is the MVP here, synthesizing a sound that's slick, durable and diverse enough to remain current 25 years later.

Stupid Girl - Clash Sample

Garbage

Good album. Are their hits actually their worst songs?

It’s fine. Paved the way for some other female-fronted alternative/rock bands in a scene that was decidedly male-dominated. In terms of the actual music, I was never that big a fan.

Panicking right now cos I listened to this maybe twice and I can't remember anything about it. Does that mean its garbage? It was very 90s. As someone else said it was like No Doubt (but not quite as good). Just not massively my thing I guess

Very 90s. Actually really enjoyed it. A few great songs and love the singer.

Muy bueno cómo no.

Está bueno.

Some decent old tunes

Ironically, the best songs on this album are the ones that aren't radio hits.

Very 90s, but not bad. It makes me want to watch a movie about teen punks or something. Didn't listen to the whole thing though.. Needed a break after a while.

Sometimes I felt like the lyrics were just like... too 90s for me. It was strange, some songs seemed really self-aware, and others seemed a little too edgy for me. I also noticed there were a few tracks where I really liked a particular section, and then it cut in with some guitar that spoiled it for me. Like "Fix Me Now". Overall, 3/5 for me! :)

Pleasantly surprised by this, not skim instant classic but got really into a couple of the tracks.

Enjoyed it. 3.5 stars

90s Grunge, not bad, has a time and place, but a lot sounded the same. Stupid Girl is a great song and the single off of the album and I like the overall theme, but not a musical grand masterpiece.

This is just okay for me. I prefer the grungier side of the 90s over the industrial/alternative side of it. But there are a few quality tunes.

Good and important, but not my favorite

More like not garbage

Good, not amazing. A couple of the songs stuck out to me, like Not My Idea

Didn’t like this when it came out. Hasn’t aged well

Not much to say about it. It'skay

me perderam nos momentos trip hop

5.4

Fine alt rock 90s pop.

1:Supervixen- 4/10 Nice melody and very stylistic. don't like the empty gaps though, wouldn't listen to daily 2:Queer- 8/10 nice melody and development 3: Only happy when it rains- 5/10 like the chorus, the verses not so much. wouldn't listen to again 4: As heaven is wide 4/10 nice start. didn't really like it as it progressed 5: not my idea 4/10 nice start. just don't like how it sounds after a few minutes 6: a stoke of luck- 5/10 like the start again. sounds cool and moody. not a fan of the chorus So far i think i like the base/ ideas behind the songs, but the execution is not for me 7: vow- 7/10 like this one at the beginning.ike the more rock vibe compared to the others. still not a fan of chorus. may not listen to again 8: Stupid girl- 8/10 nice start 1:20 love it now so funky got me moving. the piano line is amazing. sounds like the bridgestone song tho lol 9: dog new tricks- 2/10 cool start. not a fan, but tacky in my opinion 10: my lovers box- 4/10 nice start once again like the chorus and harmonies. not a big fan though. 11: fix me now- 5/10 cool start. like the verses and chorus. don't know if i would listen to again though 12: Milk- 4/10 took a minute to grow on me (more like 3) chorus is good, not sure about verses Overall Cool and mysterious vibe, grungy. Like how full the album is, although there was at least one thing i didn't like about every song, so good but not perfect for my own music taste. What would i listen to again? Queer and stupid girl were great.

Made up band by a producer, a good looking woman as frontperson and songs in different styles to harvest as many hits as possible. Again, I wonder why this album is chosen for this book, there are better and more important albums from the 90ties

not for me. grunge but too sad

I was ready to make trash jokes, but the album has its merits. They find a nice balance of pop, rock, and sleaze without feeling overproduced. It was decent (2.5+)

While Garbage’s self-titled debut serves up an intriguing, punkish attitude driven by earworm guitar tension and standout panning effects on tracks like "Vow" and "As Heaven is Wide," the album ultimately buckles under the weight of its own production. Heavy-handed compression frequently muddies the sonic landscape, leaving Shirley Manson's vocals feeling recessed and emotionally detached when they should be cutting through the noise. Aside from a few catchy hooks, memorable bridges, and decent closer moments like "Milk," a vast portion of the tracklist stumbles into mediocre, goofy, or structurally uninspired territory—further plagued by questionable mixing choices like the jarring snare work on "Fix Me Now." It is an album brimming with raw potential that is ultimately stifled by poor engineering, making a disappointing amount of the record live up to the band’s literal name.

I only know the tracks “Only Happy When It Rain" and "Stupid Girl", but the rest of the album is actually quite nice too. Two stars...

Pretty much what I remember from when it came out: a couple of really good tracks and the rest is decent enough.