Garbage

I LOVED this album! The production is so gritty and the way that the bass pushes the songs forward was really enjoyable. This feels like cool girl music. Is that a thing?

A well written and well produced album by the band in an era where defining yourself against your competitors as being different must’ve been a challenge.

8/10

Nothing blew me away but enjoyed it all the way through

Uh.

Fantastic album!!!! 4.5 easy. So much good stuff ln it

This is a good album. I honestly thought I'd like it more, but it's actually a bit dated.

Fire! 4.5/5

kat stratforddd

Apt naming

Anything but. Sexy dark album.

Ok

It's ok, I just think I heard it too much in the 90s.

Not my thing when it was released and still isn’t now.

Fresco, innovador, arriesgado. Un gran disco. Disfrute mucho escucharlo de inicio a fin. Creo que lo que hizo Garbage con este disco debut fue crear un mundo nuevo lleno de texturas y sonidos que nunca se habían explorado de la manera que lo exponen. El disco tiene un nivel de producción que hace que estos nuevos elementos (para la época) construyan un ambiente armónico muy único. Para mi este álbum es una evolución del sonido de bandas como Nirvana, Pixies, Soundgarden, agregando elementos nuevos que lo llevan a otro nivel. No necesariamente mejor o peor, simplemente a otro nivel.

Garbage. Lots of familiar stuff.

I knew a few songs in this. It was good. I like Shirley Manson’s voice and I’m always nostalgic for the 90’s.

Not having heard this for many years, I'm reminded how good it actually was. An absolutely typical mid-nineties slab of British alt-rock. Simple, yet effective song structures. It's on my shelves. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★★☆ (7/10) Total reviewed : 209 Already owned : 47 Purchased : 10 To buy list : 4 Nope : 148

The way the Wikipedia is written describes the process of forming this band is, like, 3 producer musician dudes in Wisconsin were noodling on some experiments before they were like, “You know what, we need a lead singer who’s a girl, like just about any girl will do, how about this one from Scotland we saw on TV once?” So if that’s the case, it’s pretty amazing they plucked Shirley Manson out of a hat and ended up with some really solid song structures to wrap all their insane instrumentation around. I love arguably over produced albums so I pretty much dug this and the highly noisy yet very refined approach to production here. Really feels like where grunge meets electro pop.

Best Song: Only Happy when it Rains This has some strong nostalgic value for me. This was really popular, especially with women (who are most likely menopausal at this point) in 1995. It's a good album, I like the direction it was heading us towards and, sadly, wouldn't last too long before the pop queens like Brittney Spears, Christina Aguilera, etc. started coming around. 4/5.

There’s something powerful about this. I gotta rewatch angel.

Now THIS is how you do 90s angst. Love this genre with women’s vocals at the helm in particular and glad to now know Shirley Manson. This made me want to sneak out of my American suburban home via my upstairs bedroom window to go cruising for jocks to scare and some late night diner food with a badass girl gang. One of my favourite album artworks of the list so far too, very 90s but also feels very Brat-era current

I was surprised to learn this album came out in 1995 because in my mind it was very 2002? Anyway, Garbage is an excellent album and we need more angry girl rock; I was delighted to get to listen to this album in full.

oh I am thrilled for this one. When I was a kid I had a long obsession with garbage trucks and when I was given my allocated dial up internet time I would often google things like « garbage » and to my great disappointment instead of information about actual garbage I got the band instead. Anyway since them I have come to love them and « Vow » in particular but I’ve never listened to a full album. I love how crisp everything sounds and the way the sometimes quite heavy guitars play off the melodies and Shirley Manson’s vocals. Vow is probably in my top 5 songs of the 90s and I don’t really think any of the album tracks come close but I did really enjoy listening to it

Feels like something from the Bronze or from Kat Stratford’s car or any other place where you’ll hear angry girl music of the indie rock persuasion which makes me nostalgic for a time I wasn’t really conscious for due to being a baby. But this is fun and angsty and even though, based on my one day of listening, I couldn’t differentiate many of the songs individually, I’d be happy to listen to them again.

Rad

헐 내가 너무 좋아할 스타일인데?

2/5. A listenable album that maintains a consistent mood and sound the whole way through. That's a double edged sword: while the whole of it is cohesive and artistically sound, it can be a little boring hearing the same guitar effects and vocal modifiers song after song. The melodies are generally underwhelming. I think the singer tries to compensate for this through delivery (e.g., whispering, slurring words), but it falls flat. Not a bad album. But not really worth revisiting.

Only Happy When It Rains is an old favorite, and this was a good opportunity to listen to the album all the way through and read more about its production.

Way better than I remember and certainly better than I expected. The beats sound pretty outdated now but the songwriting is sound and it’s an album jam-packed with big tunes. Best: Vow Worst: A Stroke of Luck

Great album

I enjoyed this so much that I started exploring more of their material.

Love a bit of Brit Pop. Especially when it has this amount of attitude. Good songs, particularly Stupid Girl, Queer and Supervixen.

Not exactly my thing, but was listenable, for it's type it was quite good.

So much angst. “Sleep” sounds like a song in Dexter. Somehow listened to the delux album and caught 20+ songs. Wish I knew sooner I didn’t have to do that

Stupid girl was my favorite but the whole album was a vibe

Really good rock album. I enjoyed it

Definitely better on the second listen. Sounded like it belonged on a 90s coming of age movie soundtrack

I liked it!

I squealed when I saw this was todays album

I thought the instrumentals were very interesting and differed enough to stay interesting throughout. Also loved the vocals for the most part, she sounds like Anna Tsuchiya.

Listened Before: No The really interesting and new production outweighs the grungier parts I don't like. Listened to this one twice because I wasn't sure how I felt after the first pass. Locking in a 3.

The album rates itself! Just kidding, its alright. It very much feels like it fits in perfectly with the time period that it was released it. I like it sonically, but lyrically it doesn't really do it for me.

Good but nothing stood out other than “stupid girl” and kinda liked “butterfly collector”

Like it, but after the first couple songs I expected a little more. Liked the vocals, but the music in the background got old. 3/5

That beautiful time capsule where grunge was losing steam and Nu Metal was on the verge of ruining everything. Garbage came to rock.

Not my favourite 90s band but not a bad album.

Never really listened to any Garbage outside of the 4 hits they had. I didn't know what to expect, but this album was quite good.

Good

Le premier titre était très cool, mais le reste de l'album m'a moins parlé. Je dois quand même admettre que c'était plutôt original et que le groupe ne s'interdisait pas de tenter pas mal de truc. C'est vraiment un bon album, mais pas non plus quelque chose qui m'accroche plus que ça.

Great 90s album. Also great live

3.5

nunca he oido esta banda y espero no oir mas de ellos

I really enjoyed this album a lot! I’ve had to listen to a lot of albums from the 90s lately, and this one has been one of my favorites so far. My favorite tracks were Vow, Dog New Tricks, and Supervixen.

Brooding, classic alternative rock. It oozes 90's. Favorite track: Only Happy When it Rains

Some big songs but mostly underwhelming

I liked this more than I expected to. Wild since I never listened to it back when it came out.

If I'm being objective, this is a 2. But I loved it when I was in high school, so I'm bumping it up.

Really enjoyed this

Despite the name it sounded alright.

Pure 90s. I enjoyed the last few songs the most, but I'm only happy when it rains is such a classic song. Was happy I listened to it, but will likely not revisit anytime soon.

Definitely not my usual wheelhouse, but, surprisingly, I liked this. Shirley Manson has a great and powerful presence on the album. Not one that I would visit regularly, though. Confession: I never finished listening to the whole album.

Good album. Grunge era sound that still holds up but nothing extraordinary

I was squarely in the time and age where if Garbage had caught my ear and made an impact it would have. I can see why the radio hits were picked, they are the best songs on a mediocre album.

I had to laugh at getting this album a few weeks after the beach ball incident. She was foolish for making that comment, but I'll see past it, because I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this music. I only ever recall hearing Stupid Girl before from this album, and the rest was a nice surprise, especially Supervixen, what a cool chord progression. It's on the cusp of a 4/5, and it ultimately made it over.

It feels like the kind of album I would’ve been obsessed with if I were a teenager in the mid 90s sexy, a little grungy, and in between alt rock and pop. My standout: Stupid Girl, Supervixen

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Female led grunge had a moment in the 90s starting with these guys right here. Capture the sound of the era while being poppy, punky, and fast.

day 4

It’s so quiet 💔

Not garbage

Very reflective of the mid 90s. Grew up when this album came out, familiar with the radio hits but never gave the album a listen. Very well produced sound and album, again leans into the trendy sound of the time. Vow and Supervixen stand out as non hit songs worth a spin .

Helt ok men lite interessant rock. Stupid Girl har jeg hørt før og er ganske bra.

Liker det nesten, men ikke helt. Noen fete riff innimellom, og litt fet sound. Men land liksom ikke helt hos meg. 2/5

Tja. Heilt OK, men vart ikkje fan.

Likte mye av det, gled godt. Noe gjenkjente jeg, annet oppdaget jeg.

#6/1001 🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Takes me back to my last day of 6th form, buying a very ltd edition copy of Vow. It was a hideous sounding press in a cool metal sleeve. I collected all the other singles too, in equally cool sleeves but got a bit bored of the album and gave it away to a girl that i fancied. Relistening, the singles sound great still, Shirley's vocals are superb and the production is on point. So, i guess it maybe just seems a bit false and contrived. Is that because i pinned too much on NME or Melody Maker reviews at the time? Garbage always reminded me of more poppy version of Curve, who i absolutely loved, although i doubt that we'll see them on this list. I'm going for a very solid 3 stars here. Enjoyed relistening twice today but not likely to rush back. Best tracks for me are Milk, Only Happy When It Rains and Stupid Girl.

this is like if the band from Freaky Friday was real

Drags a bit in the middle, but really good overall.

A mí la potencia y la energía de Garbage me pone las pilas y me pone, a secas, también. La banda encontró ese sonido pulido en su suciedad, bailable pero no simplón, y lo ha sabido mantener durante años. En este primer álbum se hartaron a sacar singles, a cada cual más original e impactante. Larga vida a la basura!

good, so long I started to hate it by the end. the songs make no sense 😭

It’s right there in the album name. J/k, this is fine. I never got into Garbage personally, and my opinion hasn’t changed. I like her voice, but a lot of the music felt generic and commercial.

There is an easy pun in here that I’m going to avoid making…

- kiva, omaperäinen soundi, vähän jäi kuitenkin valjuksi ja levy ikäänkuin lipui ohi ottamatta otteeseensa

Früher viel gehört, jetzt bestimmt 10 Jahre nicht mehr. Warum eigentlich nicht?

Hits a nerve

6/10

pretty middling 90s stuff. Nothing really stuck out to me outside of the well-known songs. someone else here said it really well. It sounds like the music a fake band in a movie would make.

'twas okay

Awesome covers of great songs

amazing. loved it so much! classic 90's rock. 10/10

Cracking album. Why did I never buy this when it came out?

I didn't really like it. I respect the blend of electronic and grunge but I couldn't enjoy it.

Sounds like a fake band in a movie

Just not really my cup of tea. Not terrible, but just not something I enjoyed either.

3.75

This might be the grungiest grunge album I have ever heard. Favorite track was Queer

Okey okey jeg likte veldig amerikansk tidlig 90talls greier jeg mm er mmm på amerikansk generellt men dette var ganske bra det skal sies forventet mye mer basic kjedelig enn dette men overraskende mye varisjon 3/5

356/1089 - I liked it overall. Got a bit too shoegaze-y and out of tune for me on some of the songs but overall liked the dance + alt rock textures. Stupid Girl and Queer stood out to me.

Meine favorite neue entdeckung durch diese app

Very solid throughout

Tbh nur bisschen durchgehört Rating: 5,5/10

The 90s had the best music LOVEE

kinda shocked by how much i liked it

very cool

Reminds me a lot of Depche mode but with funky guitars. Love this pop

So good I kept going back to re listen to the first half that I never even finished jt

It was giving 2000s romcom and I love it! I have heard “stupid girl” before. Loved the vibe!

Wasn't really my thing. Liked "Only Happy When It Rains" and "Stupid Girl," but not an album I'll be returning to. Overall Rating: 4.3/10

Fun album. Needs to listen to it again to decide if I like to add to my playlists or not.

Long album, but it has some great songs.

It sounds so 90s I have no option but to love it. Yes Im a sucker for 90s alt music

alt rock is usually a red flag but this was dope as hell. love how bouncy and danceable it all is. and the noisy passages sound incredible, really great album

Great album! I am a fan of Garbage and like their more recent work as well. But this album was a phenomenal debut. Shirley Manson is one of my favorite female vocalists. Favorites: Queer, A Stroke of Luck, Milk 5

I listened to this album a lot when it came out, so this was tinged with nostalgia. Very 90s, well produced with a satisfying blend of teen angst and adult sophistication.

Not really my thing but not terrible either, never would've listened to this of my own accord. Queer was my fav on this album. Would listen again.

I was surprised by this album. It wasn't what I was expecting. Courtney Love's vocals were strong and blended well with the style of music.

Easy pleasy Toe tapper No hits here but no ear grinders either

Not as bad as Neil Young. Got a bit same and rackety after a while. Do really like Stupid Girl but obvs knew that one already. Have liked the song Milk

It's not my vibe at all really but i could get behind some songs favs: 1 2 3

Een verrassend tijdloos album dat veel strakker en bewuster geproduceerd is dan ik me herinnerde. Wat vroeger edgy en rommelig aanvoelde, blijkt nu gecontroleerd, scherp en zelfverzekerd. De nummers dragen een duidelijke houding zonder te overdrijven, met sterke hooks en een koele, slimme energie. Roept nostalgie op zonder gedateerd te klinken en voelde als een heel fijne herontdekking.

Nope

Felt like it was in a cut scene of Charmed or Buffy throughout this listen.

A good, solid 90’s album. Not a regular rotation album, but a good reminder that I also like this more alternative end of the pop/rock spectrum.

Great album

I have never listened to Garbage before. I grew up only listening to Christian music. I remember we were given material to share with “non Christian” friends about what the Christian bands sounded like to get them to listen to Christian music. It is strange being on the other side of that culture now. Hearing this for the first time, I can hear how much they influenced the bands I grew up listening to. It’s also one of the few albums that I’ve heard where the back end of the album I found more interesting than the first few tracks.

It's not garbage but it's not great either.

i loved it - don't listen to much like it but i thought it was just really really good. i especially loved a stroke of luck and only happy when it rains. 9/10

actually meha fajny

bardzo fun, 4 gwiazdki

- un mix de punk rock et indie shoegaze, very interesting - a fun listen mais je pense pas que je réecouterais l’album complet - meilleure chanson: a stroke of luck

This is so loser core I love it. Typa thing a lesbian in a 2000s movie would have a poster of on her wall. Really enjoying the vibe. It's very me I am the lesbian loser in question. Typa thing I would listen to while getting ready for a night out yk? Like alone in my room smearing black eyeshadow and lacing some docs or something trust the vision. Favourite: Dog New Tricks Least favourite: I genuinely enjoyed all of them

Brilliant. ★★★★★

Quite liked, always love a angry female singer

Before listening: first impressions, it’s cutesy, never heard of them though. I like the cover art and the album was released on my birthday (1995) so that’s cool! They toured with the smashing pumpkins so I’m gonna say it’s somewhere in that range? During Listening: feminine, grunge, rage, my kind of music. It feels very Wet Leg with the beats but with a 90’s sound to it After listening: I did enjoy this throwback, very of the times. And I always appreciate a female forward lead! Before listening: 0/12 songs After listening: 2/12 songs.

Very enjoyable listening. I’d heard some of the songs on radio but never the whole album. Would definitely listen to this regularly.

there were times the lyrics were a little corny and threw me off but overall there a are some pretty good songs on this album. there are a few skips tho

This is an album that I have always wanted to like more than I do. The type of music is right up my alley and I think the songs are well-composed and played, but there's a muted shell that surrounds the music. Shirley Manson never exhibits the vocal range or power to provide a contrast to the instruments, which may be by design (she's often buried in the mix as well). On the whole, I think the album is fine. I don't think there's a bad song here, and there are several that I think would be favorites ("As Heaven Is Wide," "Queer," "Vow," "My Lover's Box") if something about them was allowed to stand out more, either Manson or the instruments. And that's the crux of it. I understand this is strictly a me thing, but I have a hard time just sitting and enjoying this album when I can't stop thinking how much better it could have been.

For me this album started off not great but finished strong. The vocals and instrumentals were good but it was the writing that kind of made me cringe. But as the album progressed it got better. Overall, the album is okay with some songs with replay ability.

Good - some fun songs that are more gritty sounding but some more slow and produced songs that I liked too.

As someone who lived through the 90’s, this might be the most 90’s thing ever. The smell of indie discos comes rushing back. The singles are bangers though

It’s been a long time since I listened to this record. For no particular reason, Garbage just fell off my radar. This is a solid record, especially for debut album. Reading the history of the album after my first listen, this makes sense, this was not the first rodeo for any of these artists. Essentially a mashup of several bands I enjoyed (Smashing Pumpkins, Massive Attack, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana), I was bound to either love or hate this album. On this relisten, I mostly found myself thinking the former. Storied producer Butch Vig [Nevermind (Nirvana), Gish (Smashing Pumkins), Dirty (Sonic Youth)] intentionally created a band that meshed genres and he had the connections and production experience to pull it off. These are clearly all fantastic musicians, and I quite like Manson’s voice. My only complaint is that the album sometimes veers a little too strongly into too familiar pop territory. The more experimental tracks make up for it though and also helped make this album hold up decades later. Now that Garbaqe is back on my radar again, I’m excited to spend some more time with the band to see how their sound has evolved over the past few decades. Epiphanies like this are what makes this project fun.

I liked Queer and Only Happy When in rains, the other weren't for me

I knew and liked "Supervixen" "Only Happy When It Rains" and "Stupid Girl" off this, and those remain my faves on here. I had never listened to the whole thing, and I enjoyed it! Found I also especially enjoyed "Queer" "Not My Idea" and "Vow"

chill. rock. everywhere. crying?

A cool frontwoman, an accomplished producer, and a couple of other dudes. Somehow, for me, usually less than the sum of their parts. Middleweight grunge-pop. The radio his are very good; the rest, never bad, never amazing.

Lots of great songwriting and some interesting sonic textures. I have slept on this album for so many years!

Such a fun album! I have never taken the time to listen!

GOING IN: No strong feelings LISTENED WHILE: walking the dog FAMILIARITY: Know a few songs SKIP RATE: Skipped the odd one REPLAY VALUE: Once was plenty DISCOVERY CURVE: Never happened ALBUM ARC: Pretty even, consistent VERDICT: Fair enough BODY'S VERDICT: Statue mode FAVOURITE TRACK: My Rating: 2.5 Not my thing but not unlistenable.

Two minds on this one. Positive take: Shirley Manson is a superstar, and this is a fairly excellent set of pop songs. Negative take: This is what happens when you get 3 big name producers in a room together. It sounds grown in a lab, or the best result of a carefully curated set of AI prompts looking for a perfectly 1995 sounding mix of alt rock, electronica and 80s Goth pop. Overall verdict: I still can't connect with this, all the ingredients are there, mixed together a different way this would be right up my alley.

Supervixen has hints of Bob Mould. This is a good thing.

I am really enjoying waiting each day for a new surprise album, it’s like opening a gift everyday with excitement. Some of the albums so far are not my cup of tea, but I am liking the experience of wonder and discovering, I can definitely appreciate the intention of the artist and I am really enjoying some of the songs so far that I would have never listened to if it was not for this journey.

Female lead! Didn’t expect that :) Grunge rock I think? Pretty cool. Might need a second or third listen to really get into it.

3.2 coulda been half the length and better

90s slop

Bit soulless to be honest, not a fan

This one was nice, cool mood and sound, a bit grungy, electronical, rocky... I am torn between 4 and 5, but lean towards 4... Misses the mark for greatness slightly

not my favourite at all but can understand why it’s on here.

“You’re hungry cause you starve While holding back the tears Choking on your smile A fake behind the fear” Honestly, really not what I was expecting. I went into this album with little to no knowledge of Garbage but under the assumption they were some kind of post-punk group. In hindsight something of a foolish notion. What was in store for me felt much more akin to Portishead or Massive Attack. Slow and relaxing but pensive and lyrically interesting. I was transfixed from the opening bar to the last and upon finishing the album felt extremely likely to explore more of Garbage’s discography. The highlight of the album for me was Queer which contends with topics that would have been far before their time upon the album’s release in 1995.

Garbage

Lovely! Really great album. Favorites: Queer and As Heaven Is Wide.

Not really my thing/era/genre, but I actually didn't hate this. By the end I felt like it was getting pretty repetitive though. Queer was pretty funny because I initially thought they were using a more modern definition of that word, lol. My favorite was Only happy when it rains.

Contains some crackers

Only Happy When It Rains //

Hey, this band. The vocalist was in the news recently for having a conniption fit at a concert in Australia because one of the audience members was playing around with a beach ball. The Aussies, in our true bantering spirit, busted out dozens of beach balls for their next gig, which caused her to deploy the classic liberal straw man of telling people to concern themselves with greater matters like the plight of the hecking wholesome Palestinian mooslems (as if the human conscious can't be focused on multiple things at once). I don't like to date my reviews with contemporary political bullshit, but I thought that story was funny. I've actually listened to Garbage at one point through Jet Set Radio Live, though I don't remember much about their music - it wasn't my thing. I'm pretty sure they belong to a punky, riot grrrl sound, though I could be mistaken. I was kind of correct in my prediction, though I wasn't expecting this album to have such a subdued sound. This music isn't my thing, though I can't deny that it's interesting. It's unpolished in a very polished way, featuring some interesting effects and attention-grabbing guitar performances. Shirley Manson is a talented vocalist. Her silky smooth, sultry vocals are a good accompaniment to this style of music. "Queer" is pretty cool. The atmosphere of the track is quite unusual. It's heavy and foreboding while also managing to be mixed in a way that makes it sound muffled and sleek. Decent vocals, too. I enjoyed how they complement the guitar hooks. "Not My Idea" has some nice, dreamy guitars. The reverb on "A Stroke of Luck" is also pretty sweet. Book time. Nothing much in there beyond Manson being a good frontwoman, the songs being of high quality and the packaging being unusual - over to Wikipedia I go. Charted well. Many successful singles. Innovative. Solid critic backing. Yeah, I'm favourable to this one. It's pretty unique and ambitious. I cosign this inclusion.

90s alternative pop rock with some atmospheric and fuzziness feels to it. Not sure if I’d listen again, though. A little on the boring side, nothing really makes me want to come back to it. I feel like this album was more a product of its time and didn’t age particularly well.

This debut by Garbage is a polished alternative rock album that serves as a showcase for the distinct vocal talents of Shirley Manson. To me it feels less like a ground-breaking, influential album and more like a very well-executed pop-rock affair. The album’s strength lies in its mid-tempo and slow-burning grooves. Tracks like "Queer" and "As Heaven Is Wide" succeed through a combination of sequenced grooves, hushed vocals, and standout bass lines. The production is a point of contention for me. Despite Butch Vig’s pedigree, the "sound" of the record can feel surprisingly over-polished and, in places, cluttered. A bit more sonic edge or abrasive "grit" would have provided a welcome contrast to the brightness of the mix. The album oscillates between standard "three-star" fare and genuine moments of excellence where the song-writing and Manson's vocals align. The focal point of this album is Shirley Manson. Her vocals are instantly recognizable, shifting from breathy and hushed to authoritative, and they elevate the material. While the "production clutter" on tracks like "Supervixen" or "Dog New Tricks" can be distracting, the album finds itself perfectly when it strips away the noise. For me "Milk" is the stand out track on the album, demonstrating that the band is at its most powerful when the production stays out of the way of Manson’s voice. Four stars. No. Title 1 "Supervixen" (3/5) 2 "Queer" (4/5) 3 "Only Happy When It Rains" (3/5) 4 "As Heaven Is Wide" (4/5) 5 "Not My Idea" (3/5) 6 "A Stroke of Luck" (4/5) 7 "Vow" (4/5) 8 "Stupid Girl" (5/5) 9 "Dog New Tricks" (3/5) 10 "My Lover's Box" (3/5) 11 "Fix Me Now" (4/5) 12 "Milk" (5/5) Total - 45 Average - 3.75 191/1001 106/191 albums reviewed were new to me.

One of the artists that got me into alternative music back in middle school. Was pleasantly surprised to see it here.

Pretty good

good for the most part some for me

It's fun

This did not hit for me but I feel it would be great to hear some of these live.

fantastic album, loved this genre of rock

A very coherent rock album. Not usually my prefered genre, so even though I overall liked it, I probrably wouldn't listen to it as a whole again. Still, I really liked Only happy when it rains and stupid girl, they are going straight to my playlist

Fine. Clean. Safe, despite its obstinance.

Overall, not a bad album, there are a couple of songs that are relatively popular, and it's alright having it in the background.

Is Garbage the perfect evolution of pop rock? Was Jack the Ripper a sixty foot sea serpent from Scotland? Did I take this job for a quick buck? We may never know the answers to these questions...5

I don't hate this, but I don't particularly love it either. #TeamBeachBall

need to finish but was liking that quite some

Not the biggest fan, but a very interesting combination of experimental rock-ish sounds

Shirley Manson (and this whole band) is an absolute treasure.

Pretty good, but nothing I'd really come back to.

pleasant and nostalgic

Decent. Better than anticipated with some unexpected edges.

Decidedly not garbage. I thought Queer was really catchy besides the interlude, and then Only Happy When It Rains was a good follow up. I loved acoustic guitar riff in Vow. I didn’t listen to the last couple songs until Monday morning and no big thoughts on those.

It was ok. That’s all I have for it.

Love how Manson's vocals intertwine with the guitar work here. It's a lengthy album, but there are a good number of change ups and enough versatility to keep me on my toes. I love Milk.

We're the hex girls, and we're gonna put a spell on you . This was tragically 90s alt but not in a bad way. I loved Not My Idea as a concept and a few songs like Vow had a really cool sound. 3.5 rounded down

No preamble this time Listening notes: -Wow, what an opening track. Huge bang -Lol 1995 is pretty late to be using "queer" seemingly exclusively to mean strange, and it such a sexually charged context. Banger nonetheless, no choice but to stan. -Poppy sounds, but not overdoing it. Combines poppy sounds with just enough edginess to be interesting Review: This is awesome. Gives a pop vibe to edgy punchy sounds. Has a nice creeping vibe. Crushed it. We love a new 5-star discovery. Review

After listening to this, I can see why some critics would call Manson the "Godmother of Rock". This thing rocks. Many albums in this list are ones that I would not want to immediately listen to again - this was not one of them.

Low 3/5, but 3/5

90s movies soundtrack vibes - tried really hard to like it just not my thing. Fav song : Stupid Girl

Really liked it. I was worried it would be repetitive, but most of the songs felt different and from each other and crossed genres. I’d never heard of the band or album, so this was a good surprise

Not for me

Kind of interesting

A fantastic debut that has easily stood the 30 year test of time.

Incredible. Guitars sound great; voice sounds great... some cringe-y lyrics at times, but not enough to detract from the overall experience.

Début album from Garbage. A good start but the following one was much better. Well at least it got me listening to their discography all day long so good recommandation.

Who is milk? WHO IS MILK? Garbage: “I am milk.”

A little more polished than I generally like my 90s alt rock but still pretty good.

Not just "pop grunge" or whatever they were called back in the day. This is a band with a style that is instantly recognized, that always evokes a feeling, and that you can both hum while skipping or sing low while brooding. Iconic.

Garbage it certainly wasn’t, a gritty rock album with a couple of poppy songs thrown in.

Garbage is one of those bands to which I've always just been a bit indifferent. I neither hate nor love them. They're certainly unique in their sound, but this record all kind of runs together. The "hits" definitely stand out amongst an otherwise forgettable album. I enjoyed it, though.

Eh barely slipped to a 2 for me. A little boring and samey sounding all the way through

Nice

Genre: alternative rock, grunge, dance pop Production:4/5 Musicality:5/5 Cohesiveness:4/5 Uniqueness:5/5 Concept: 4/5 Replay value:5/5 Favorite song: queer Really unique sound. Solid alternative rock record with twinges of grunge through the vocals and more of a dance hall groove to it. I think this record still has a distinct sound thirty years out. Album is cohesive, but some tracks are a bit too similar. No skip album, can ply straight through for the right audience.

Love this album! Takes me back to high school.

Takes me back, some really good songs on this album.

I can't explain why but this gave me big Fred Jones from the live action Scooby Doo movie vibes

first time listening to garbage, really like the album! HM: queer, only happy when it rains, stupid girl,

Good amount of hits and it sort of meandered otherwise

Sounds fine bit I couldn't catch a feeling.

Really don't like.

Knew all the hits on here as a child of the 90s but really surprised by how complete this album is. Vow is such a good song.

Awesome 10/10

Good for a workout

I recently got into Garbage’s 2005 release “Bleed Like Me”, if you like their self titled debut then give it a listen! Anyway the S/T album is a solid 90’s classic full of bangers. Shirley Manson is a legend and deserves all the praise she gets. 4.5

I never listened to this album, but I'm very familiar with the hits. I enjoyed Vow as one I've never heard. I like Stupid Girl as a favorite hit. Their drummer is an accomplished producer, too, so that's cool. He produced my favorite Smashing Pumpkins album. This album was alright. Not really my jam, but I'll give it a 4 for the sound.

Garbage is one of those bands I always thought about listening to, but never really did. I liked this.

I love Garbage as a band. They're my dad's favorite band, and he passed that love down to me pretty young. A very easy entry into the grunge category, this album is a fantastic start. The Madison based band really knows how to get each instrument to sound just right in the studio. The third track, I only like it when it rains, is their number one hit all time for a reason. All of these tracks are filled with such depth and unique sound. As much as it pains me, I just cannot give this a perfect five-star rating. I believe that they've improved their sounds so much, as well as their songwriting, that despite this being one of their best selling albums, it's not perfect.

As far as albums go, this one is solid. As far as albums in the 90s go, this one is less solid. There are so many great options from the early-mid 90s that I'd have a hard time going to Garbage (although this is hardly trash). Heavily reminds me of Smashing Pumpkins.

This album is so badass. "Queer", "Only Happy When It Rains", "Stupid Girl" and "Milk" are all bangers. Favorite track: Only Happy When It Rains 3.5/5

I always thought this band was simply Butch Vig's band. Famous for no other reason. I can say with confidence now that it certainly isn't the music.

Grunge does pop is the vibe, I guess. Butch Vig (drummer, famous for producing Nirvana) & co reportedly sought a female vocalist to break themselves from their grunge associations, landing on Shirley Manson. Everything is fine and workable but it seems to mostly combine the lesser elements of grunge and pop -- it's all polish and mild emotion. It's a competent affair but not a totally compelling one. The singles are good. And this could really be somebody's jam. But it's more worth listening to as a time capsule of the mid-90s than a place we should seek to return or a style to emulate. Cool but not great. 3/5

Girlboss alt-rock, in the best way Queer-baiting is okay when shirley manson does it

debut album of garbage, a band i haven't heard of, but definitely well known in alternative music circles for pretty good reasons... their first album is a crazy cool collage of sound. a complete curveball. this album actually surprised me with how much i liked it. i love rock music that's stylish, spacey and a little filthy... i'm downright obsessed with how it sounds. maybe a bit of pop, maybe some rock... i'm also getting some mad trip-hop vibes as well when i listen to this. it pulls from all sorts of influences and creates this mad and hypnotizing collection of tracks, and after finishing it, i want to listen to it again.

Had a terrific time with this album, feels quite modern still with its pop-punk blend of styles. Never heard of garbage before but almost every song here really hit for me. Nothing absolutely blew me away but almost every song is just very good

Vow and Only Happens when it Rains. I feel like I remember hearing my older sisters listen to this album.

Good album. Essentially a dance album disguised as an alternative rock album. Lush arrangements (great headphone listening). Modern sound but with production elements that include loops, mellotron, and preverb effects. It clearly helps to have production wizard Butch Vig in your band. Shirley Manson's vocals are mesmerizing. One second sexy smooth, the next second urgent and powerful. Hits: "Only Happy When it Rains," "Queer" and "Stupid Girl." Other standouts: "Not My Idea," "Supervixen," "Milk." Favorite: "As Heaven is Wide."

I don’t remember this album being so long… I’m only happy when it rains is a nostalgic classic for my personally. I’m stuck on thinking about the choice to name yourselves garbage, was it to rise above the misogyny that teaches women they are sub human, or was it just a way to be quirky in the nineties? Curious how my own thoughts and perspectives have evolved including the questions I ask of the media I consume!

This hit hard for me, its like strange but I like it a lot would listen to it again

As a Madtown local, this was a genuine surprise(wanted to hear them ever since my Librarian Tom recommended it). Loved the vocals! "Queer" gave a eerie-flamboyant vibe, which I never thought I'd dig. "Only Happy When It Rains" lives up to its popularity. "A stroke of luck" and "Milk" were some of my other favorites. Certified banger!

Time machine album for sure

solid fun album

My taste in women: garbage My taste in music: also garbage The last I've heard from them was No Gods No Masters and it was pretty good as well

if the entire album was like the first two song were, this was a clear 5/5. Shame

Fucking banger

45/1001 An old favourite. I love just about everything on this album. Doesn’t get much play nowadays though. 8/10

Love me some Garbage. Not every song is a banger, but overall the album is good.

This rocks. Grungy yet poppy enough to be catchy. Just fun all around. Lots of slappers throughout.

Definitely not garbage. Some awesome instrumentals!

An edgier than expected but nonetheless very enjoyable time.

I only ever heard the singles from Garbage as it didn’t really draw me in as a kid. It’s good, but it never scratched the itch for me. Still, a nice listen and brought back some 90s memories.

Not terrible, definitely gives me some 90s nostalgia, but doesn’t really grab me that much overall.

Very fun. This brought me back to a time. Very 90s in its essence and intriguing in its own style.

Solid album. A few highlights.

It's alright. I reckon I'd get more into it if I listened to it a few more times.

I like this more now than I did when it came out.

Didn’t listen to all of it to be honest.

Started hopeful with this one but then trailed off, struggled to finish

Fantastic. We've seen Garbage live three times. This is the last year they'll tour internationally and it was an unforgettable experience.

Great album. The fuzz bass & guitar riffs in general are pretty exceptional. Shirley Manson's dark, seductive vocals give the record a brooding quality. A 90's alt-rock classic.

<3

Classic 90s alternative pop. Hadn’t listened to the entire album in a long time so it was very nostalgic.

In some respects the formula for this was ideal for some part of me: combine loud guitars/dynamics with drum machines (and live playing) + a female voice. One of my personal musician combo ideas is in the same ballpark: New Jack Swing + shoegaze. But if the drums and guitars sound a particular kind of artificial and the lyrics are thrown together, boilerplate alt-rock, well, you get Garbage. I remember this feeling analogous to something like an early talk show with a personality you like (say, early Colbert), but whose writers don’t really have a grip on what differentiates their show yet, or, maybe more helpfully, your trad super group: hey we have all these folks together without their other bandmates and songwriters, surely this will work! Garbage also had a few things going against it with me: the artificial quality of the music wasn’t just limited to a drum sound or whatever, but the entire concept: hot producer wants his own band. Moreover, I had heard a lot of these sounds before because I loved the Vig remix of Depeche Mode’s “In Your Room” not to mention Siamese Dream, all of Curve’s output, etc. I also knew some of Shirley Manson, as a goth-adjacent friend kept up on her (and seemingly ever other female singer in an obsessive way that was kinda weird even at the time, later when he became super anti-feminist, well...), so her presence felt pitched to a certain kind of commercially friendly voice. But hey, I don’t hate all the expensive-sounding stuff from the 90s entirely, so a single like “Only Happy When it Rains” worked, especially for a moody guy like myself. Mostly though, this just struck me as something intended to be “cutting edge” for younger audiences or folks unaccustomed to hearing, I dunno, some crappy RevCo sideproject. Garbage is also a curious sound for this list - mid-90s alt-rock, but Americans (mostly) creating music that takes inspiration from Brits maybe more than their fellow Americans at the time, when this was the height of britpop! Music consumers contain multitudes I suppose.

SORRY

Jammin! I love these guitar sounds, the first track sounds like a remixed my bloody valentine song at first which I really enjoyed. This genre is not always my cup of tea, sometimes there’s too much happening that it can feel muddled for me, but I enjoyed this one! The high-tempo breakbeat drums on “As Heaven Is Wide” got me rockin out a little. Not my favorite album but still a solid alt-rock record. If David Fincher was a girl (or at least had more female-centric movies earlier in his career), it feels like this would play in the background. Favorite tracks: Supervixen, Only Happy When It Rains, As Heaven is Wide, Not My Idea, Stupid Girl

Not my cup of tea

This album may predate the musical schlock that AI currently churns up, but the amount of over production and sterility in every facet of the music seems to be directly tapped into an 90’s AR department’s marketing and development machine.

I was very much into this at the time and have seen them live a couple of times. Can't say for sure that I've listened to it for a decade or so, and despite its very 90s sound, there were enough good songs and a whole heap of nostalgia that made it a fun listen and one I would probably now return to in the right mood.

I am always nervous when I come across bands, albums, movies, books, etc. whose titles invite instant and obvious harsh criticism. Sadly, with Garbage, you get a mixed bag. If they were relevant, important and interesting in their day, time has not done them any favors. If they aren't garbage, they are at least relegated to the yard sale where perhaps someone might find them interesting.

Honestly just fun!

Sonido caracteristico de los 90, produccion con toques industriales, futuristas y con efectos dinamicos. Se me ha hecho un poco largo.

Great album

I had no idea that Butch Vig was the drummer, super cool. Overall, I loved it. It sort of dragged on with the same sound throughout the album, but definitely a lot of highlights.

Boring and over-produced.

Instantly transported back to university. In a good way.

Expected and wanted this to be a 4, but it just didn’t do it enough for me. A solid 3.

Liked this more than I expected. 3.5. Feels too weak for a 4, but there we are.

Congenial

There’s nothing particularly remarkable about this. Played well enough, but sounds over-produced. Unsure why it is ranked among other albums in this list.

This is an often overlooked quintessential 90s staple. Shirley Manson delivers over wide range of hard rock if the time, sometimes feeling grungy next proto industrial back to hard rock and moody lounge.

Some good sounds but the lyrics are... subpar? Not sure I'll listen to that again but I might.

Virkelig fedt album, rock/punk, minder om portishead!! God stemme

SÅ fedt!! 9,5/10 for mig, kæmpe fan, og det var lige mig

Alien Sex Fiend almost made me given this album a 2. Almost. Then the song kept going.

Not bad for a first album. Stupid Girl and Only Happens When it Rains I liked.

I wish the vocals were farther forward in the mix, but this rocks.

This was fine… started strong and ended weak. Was never really a listen again type though.

I remember when this came out! Awesome album.

Does what it says on the tin

Nostalgic album, has a few good songs

Garbage seemed cursed. Shirley Manson went to first meet the band founder Butch Vig, famous for producing Nirvana's Nevermind, on the day that Kurt Cobain committed suicide. Their first promotional tour, supporting Smashing Pumpkins, was cancelled halfway through when the Pumpkins' keyboardist died. Later, their tour of the US to promote their third album, was cancelled, the day they were due to set out being 11th September 2001. Talk about bad luck. Pour your misery down on them. I went down that rabbithole of "what ever happened to Garbage" recently when the question randomly popped into my head by chance, so I was excited to see this appear. Garbage very much remind me of that mid-90s period of pop-rock, and it's probably because they were so instrumental in creating that sound. Imagine the privilege of Vig, getting fed up producing for bands like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth, and wanting to do something in a completely different style. The result is something that feels intentionally over-produced. But I don't mean that in a bad way. It's a distinct sound that somehow elevates Garbage from being an average indie rock group to something quite unique that leans more towards pop and electronica than traditional rock. "As Heaven is Wide" is the perfect example. In the wrong hands, this could be a seriously cringe-inducing song, but in the hands of Butch's production, it ends up becoming a template for a lot of late 90s, early 2000s poppy/metal bands (Skindive, I'm looking at you). Not to completely focus on Butch Vig though - the band wouldn't have worked as well without Shirley Manson, a proper lead for the band, snarling lyrics, and bringing a sort of punk energy to the sound. Some great songs on here, and while they definitely feel "of their era", they still hold up as great songs today.

I haven't ever listened to this whole album and I wish I never had to. I really don't like this band.

I bought this album when it first came out and, while it's perfectly pleasant, there's a reason why I haven't listened to it for the best part of 30 years.

Solid album, but not really my thing. Butch Vig is a legend (great production). Liked Songs Added: Vow

Len Houmous was always a big supporter of girls with guitars! A pioneer in so many ways! 2.7 9/12 Dogs New Tricks

Not their best

mmh

Good slice of nostalgia, taking me back to my mid teens and early festival experiences. Album itself is nothing spectacular though singles all solid and rest listenable.

This album screams "I'm so young and edgy", but it sounds good doing it.

Had totally forgotten that this was Butch Vig's band. Decent shoegaze vibes with a little more polish than some of the other acts that honestly I like a little more. I saw them live back in the day and enjoyed the show, but hearing the album now end-to-end didn't really engage me. I give it a 3 because it was listenable but not amazing for me.

If you're looking for a capsule of the Gen X experience, dive into this album. It contains this sort of malaise and disillusionment that was ripe during the early 90s. Shirley Manson's vocals have an attitude that perfectly pairs with this sentiment. But that's not to say that these tracks are depressed. The electronic backbone of the songs give them a surprising energy. They may be wallowing in self loathing but this music won't put you to sleep. It's a very unique mix of distortion and synth that lets you know you're listening to Garbage. 3.5 Stars

There were some good songs for sure, but the album as a whole wasn't too inspiring.

Pretty good but slightly dated

Was this a big deal in the mid-90s? I feel like a traitor, being a former Madisonian, but it's really underwhelming. A lot of production: cool sounds, big drums, guitar layers, tricks, but most of the songs either seemed real milquetoast or were straight up annoying. Manson's persona can be charismatic, but even the big hits like Vow, Rains, Queer, I'm content hearing those every few years when they show up on the nostalgia radio station.

I’m a Garbage fan, but this album is not as consistent as their next one. There are some hits (“Queer” is phenomenal) and a few misses, and Shirley Manson sounds a little too restrained at times.

I should listen to more "Garbage". Both energetic and mysterious, great compositions, and honestly, some of the best lyrics so far. Highly recommend.

Музыка, вгоняющая в транс своим однообразием… Впрочем, иногда можно включать фоном. Можно ещё так сказать - громкая посредственность. 5,5 из 10.

My sister won a copy of Version 2.0 in the 90s (early 2000s), and I used to think I was cool listening to it (definitely wasn't). The album is moody and brooding. I went to school with a lot of girls I could have mistaken for the singer, aggressive and dark. It's a relatively catchy album, and a lot of effort has gone into the production. I actually enjoyed in, listening on a day stuck on trains, it didn't make me any more annoyed/stressed than I was feeling. My only query, who wrote the 'stupid girl' line first? Them or Matt Sharp in the Rentals' song 'Brilliant Boy'? This was released first, but still, the mind boggles! Oh, 4 stars. It was good, but not life changing.

This album is like being a 17 year old girl who has just transferred to a new school because you were misbehaving at your last one. You miss your friends and you think it’s unfair that you had to leave. Several prissy bitches come and talk to you, but you can tell they aren’t looking to be friends. It’s pretty obvious that your doc martens, torn denim and flannel shirt don’t fit in with their aesthetic. Instead, it is pretty clear they are measuring you up to find things to tease you and ostracise you for. You figure you’re only gonna be at this school for one year before you head to uni, so you pick up your lunch tray and smack the main bitch across the face with it. With a bit of luck, everyone will give you a wide berth until graduation.