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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Version 2.0

Garbage

1998

Version 2.0
Album Summary

This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.

Version 2.0 is the second studio album by American rock band Garbage. It was released on May 11, 1998, by Mushroom Records worldwide, with the North American release on Almo Sounds the following day. With this album, the band aimed to improve and expand upon the style of their 1995 eponymous debut rather than reinventing their sound. Lead singer Shirley Manson wrote dark, introspective lyrics, which she felt complemented the songs' melodies. Version 2.0 was a commercial success, topping the charts in the United Kingdom, France, and New Zealand, and earning platinum certifications in several countries. The album has sold 1.7 million copies in the United States and four million copies worldwide. Building on framework sound and style Garbage established on their debut set, Version 2.0 featured musical references to the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, songs featuring live strings, over 100 recorded tracks, and an interpolation of the Beach Boys and The Pretenders. The band said that the goal of Version 2.0 was to create a "rapprochement between the high-tech and low-down, the now sound and of golden memories." Butch Vig stated that the band did not want to reinvent their sound, as they "felt that we had carved our own turf on the first record and we wanted to take everything we did and make it better". In 1999, it was nominated for Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album. The album's third single "Special" was further nominated the following year for Best Rock Song and for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.38

Votes

123

Genres

  • Rock

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Reviews

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Jan 19 2024
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4

7/10. I think this was a bit worse than Garbage, but still definitely felt like listening to Garbage.

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Feb 01 2024
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4

Yeah, good stuff, but I wonder what this adds that the other garbage record didn't?

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Dec 14 2023
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3

This band was a very meh affair in the 90s imo, and I haven't really changed my opinion there. There aren't any real big banger tunes going on. Everything is mildly catchy, but that's not enough on its own. At least half their appeal was "omg Butch Vig" and some weird idol worship of Shirley Manson. I didn't understand it then, still don't. Not a bad band, not complete garbage(!), but there would have been THAT MANY bands doing something very similar, probably better, that we just never heard of... 3/5.

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Feb 11 2024
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3

Riding high on my post-Nirvana obsession, I ofcourse had to get Garbage's debut album. Anything somehow related to Nirvana was a must to dive into (even if it was only the producer of Nevermind, who apparently could play drums). The debut album was actually quite good! Then a few years later version 2.0 came along. Again, quite good, but not as fresh and new as the debut album. More of the same: catchy tunes, great vocals and all-in-all a 'decent' record. Then years went by and somehow I never revisited it after those initial few spins when it came out. It didn't 'stick'. Hearing it again now brings back fond memories, but this will most likely be the last time I will ever listen to this record in it's entirety.

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Mar 19 2024
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3

Back in the day they were considered a manufactured band of top producers trying to get some limelight and a pretty girl to provide the image for success. There is certainly some truth to this, but their longevity as a group, far greater than the vast majority of 90s bands, also speaks in their favor. This second album built on the success of the first thanks to its hits. But as with all of their discography, after two or three hits there was a lot of filler material

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Feb 20 2024
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1

One Garbage album on the list is plenty.

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Jan 12 2024
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4

Garbage will always have a special place in my heart.

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Jan 14 2024
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4

Haven't listened to this in forever. Great 90s album. Thanks for suggesting.

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Feb 01 2024
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4

I don't think it quite hit the amazing highs of their debut, but this was still a super catchy and fun 90's rock joint.

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Feb 06 2024
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4

Gimmicky tottering toward the millennium this absolutely is. And I have a soft, soft spot for that. In not committing to the more industrial rock bits (Dare I say Manson? Dare I admit to early Skillet?) Garbage proves that those neo-instruments can be good, actually, without art-school pretension. A bit of sadomasochism, though, is apropos.

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Feb 12 2024
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4

Didn't feel a connection with this album, but there are some good songs

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Mar 18 2024
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4

Always good to go back to this one, some happy 90s memories

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Jan 10 2024
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3

Garbage has mostly seemed like straight ahead rock and roll - good and I don't mind listening to it, but I'm not sure it was distinguished by much more than syle.

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Jan 16 2024
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3

This is lots of good fun, but I'm not sure it's better than the Garbage album that's on the real list already!

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Jan 19 2024
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3

Had a couple of good songs and was generally listenable. That being said, I think this was a step back from their album that ended up on the list. 6/10

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Feb 11 2024
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3

I thought the debut was better, less polished. But not too bad.

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Feb 17 2024
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3

Ca s'écoute super bien. On parle de moins reconnu que le gargabe 1.0 Je suis pas certain, je me souviens pus d premier mais celui-ci est super donc même note. Je vais réécouter Garbage 1 et me refaire une tête . 3.5

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Feb 20 2024
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3

Garbage definitely existed in that weird alt-rock meets the new technologies and styles of digital production and electronica. Always was just "ehh it's fine but not my thing" for me. I can tolerate it in small doses.

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Jan 31 2024
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2

Manson has a cool voice but beyond that this album isn't very exciting.

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Jul 04 2024
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5

I'm a little torn on this one, Garbage always felt a little over pushed, however I was 15 when this came out and the hot goth girls were all into it so will always have a special place in my heart plus some great singalongable singles.

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Aug 25 2024
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5

I think Version 2.0 is much better than their first album, in my opinion both should have been included in the 1001 list. One of my favorite albums of all time.

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Sep 09 2024
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5

We listened to Garbage’s debut album on the official 1001 list… and I was really happy to see it there… but this is my all-time favorite from Garbage. Perhaps it was because I discovered Garbage when this album came out and spent more than a year with it glued into my CD player… feeling like the baddest badass around… Yes, I love their debut album, but I love this one even more! Thanks for adding it!

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Sep 09 2024
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5

My take on this album is very much the same as their debut album, which is that I love it. In fact, I shall repeat that review as it fits here too: "This is Garbage!" is what anyone would exclaim upon hearing the shortest snippet of this instantly recognizable band. I don't even know how to describe their music except to say that they sound like they'd make a great James Bond theme, which of course, they did. When this album came out, it sounded very edgy and very new, while still being something you could dance to. It still sounds great, and now I want to listen to more Garbage.

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Jun 08 2024
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4

Fuck and yes! It's like my dad always said. You can't please anyone so you've got to please yourself. He might have been talking about orgasms now that I think about it.

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Jun 15 2024
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4

This album was fine, but I didn’t think it added anything that the Garbage album on this list didn’t already cover. Having said that, this scope of this album is huge and the fact that it works as well as it does is a great achievement.

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Jul 16 2024
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4

Their 1st excellent album is on the main list (I scored it 4 and felt it hadn’t dated, contrary to some other reviewers). This is still very pop with synths and chiming guitars that are not too heavy, but have an industrial edge. Surprising number of radio hits.

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Jul 19 2024
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4

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: I think I’m paranoid, Special, You look so fine

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Nov 01 2024
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4

I gave the Garbage debut a 5 on my list, and I think I prefer that one to this one. A few songs just don't stick right with me ("When I Grow Up" is a little too bubblegum for my taste), and I'm not crazy about the songs that interpolate classics (i.e. "Push It" with The Beach Boys, "Sleep Together" with Romeo Void), but the other songs continue the gritty, self-confident pop-industrial sound that I liked so much on the debut. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Medication", "Dumb"

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Apr 10 2024
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3

I like Garbage overall. The songs are good and I like her voice, but I'm not the biggest fan of the way its mixed. I don't really have the words to describe what I mean, but the instruments all sound sort of mushed together. 3 stars.

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Jun 20 2024
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3

It was an alright album. I would visit it again although no one song stood out in particular

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Jul 01 2024
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3

I always found echo Elly to be a more interesting version of garbage

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Jul 08 2024
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3

Energetic, catchy and mildly trippy. Enjoyed this quite a bit. Fave Songs: Special, You Look So Fine, I Think I'm Paranoid, The Trick Is to Keep Breathing, Sleep Together, Temptation Waits

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Sep 03 2024
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3

A decent album by the hilariously named Garbage. I’ve heard of a few of these songs before mainly in movies but this whole album was not that bad. Pretty shocked it was nominated for album of the year so not sure if it was a down year or the Grammys used to have taste outside of the top 40s. To me there’s better 90s alternative out there. This was a bit too upbeat yet trying to be edgy for me. I’d rather have more hardcore instrumentals with these lyrics. 5.9/10

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Oct 08 2024
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3

I vaguely remember the garbage album on the list so I’m pretty sure it’s pop punk dance type stuff and this felt more electronica and techno but still similar to the first album. Nothing stood out too much to me but I’ve been very outspoken on my enjoyment of this type of female rock. The thirteen cover would make a cool duet with the original tho.

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Oct 28 2024
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3

Alternative rock, synth-rock. Ni fu ni fa.

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Jun 07 2024
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2

While there are some fun early-00’s bops on here, none of them rise above what I would’ve expected for the era. A good time but not wholly memorable all in all.

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