Garbage CD

Live Recording

Garbage: Shirley Manson (vocals, guitar); Duke Erikson (guitar, keyboards, 4- & 6-string basses); Steve Markes (guitar, bass, samples, loops); Butch Vig (drums, loops, noise, sound effects).
Additional personnel: Les Thimmig (clarinet); Mike Kashou (bass); Clyde Stubblefield (drums); Pauli Ryan (percussion); David Frangioni, Rich Mendelson (programming).
Recorded at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin.
Garbage was nominated for the 1997 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. "Stupid Girl" was nominated for 1997 Grammys for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.
Personnel: Shirley Manson (vocals, guitar, sampler); Duke Erikson (guitar, keyboards, 6-string bass); Steve Marker (guitar, loops, sampler); Steve Markes (guitar); Les Thimmig (clarinet); Butch Vig (drums, loops, sampler); Clyde Stubblefield (drums); Pauli Ryan, Paul Ryan (percussion); Richard Mendelson, The Clash, David Frangioni (sampler).
Recording information: Smart Studios, Madison, WI.
Editor: Scott Hull.
Photographers: Stephane Sednaoui; Clifford Lecuyer.
Garbage's self-titled debut has all the trappings of alternative rock -- off-kilter arrangements, occasional bursts of noise, a female singer with a thin, airy voice -- but it comes off as pop, thanks to the glossy production courtesy of drummer Butch Vig. Not only is the sound of the record slick and professional, but all the songs are well-crafted pop songs. Unfortunately, only a handful of the songs are memorable, but those that are -- "Vow" and "Queer," in particular -- are small, trashy alternative pop gems. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Garbage? Little bits and pieces that pile up in the corners of the house, over the years...ok, it seems to fit. Except that this is no typical heap. Alterna-producer extraordinaire Butch Vig (Nirvana's NEVERMIND, for one) has put together a band to suit his own tastes and eclectic percussive skills, and the result is Garbage's self-titled debut.
There are indeed little pieces of everything on GARBAGE. The guitars travel into areas of My Bloody Valentine distortion, while the swinging, sampled loops of noise pound with the same trip-hop tremor as Bjork's solo work. Vocalist Shirley Manson coos and caws, spiralling down from quizical to menacing as she mulls over the various distractions in her life--like "My Lover's Box," or being "Only Happy When It Rains."
And just when you think you've identified the natural origin of one of Garbage's many pieces, they slip into another mode, a heavier drum sound, more organic instruments--in fact, a different style altogether. Hey, what's in this stuff, anyway?

Rolling Stone (5/13/99, p.61) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's."
Rolling Stone (9/21/95, p.82) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...Like so much fun and important rock & roll, it's the product of brilliant misunderstandings."
Spin (10/95, p.112) - 7 (out of 10) - "...fluff deluxe. Vig's...genius as an alternative rock producer is the ability to make avant-pop sonic distortions ring out like cash registers....Rarest of all for American guitar music, dance beats proliferate everywhere...with techno and dub equally strong influences..."
Entertainment Weekly (8/11/95, p.52) - "...With their menacing sexuality, sonic playfulness, inventive guitar treatments, and cool vocals by Shirley Manson, Garbage comes off like a punkier, less cerebral Golden Palominos."
- Rating: A
Q (10/95, pp.114-115) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...Garbage flip continually between restraint and letting loose, handling the changing energy levels with considerable skill..."
Melody Maker (12/23-30/95, pp.66-67) - Ranked #18 on Melody Maker's list of 1995's `Albums Of The Year.'
Melody Maker (9/30/95, p.34) - Recommended - "...way too gritty, too dark and grainy and stuck with metal burrs, it slouches and sulks and is too determinedly cynical to ever be considered beautiful...but...it brushes as close to perfection as a pop/rock record ever can..."
Musician (11/95, p.93) - "...Despite its decidedly standard instrumentation, there's nothing conventional about Garbage's sound...the textures are as pliable as silly putty. Yet for all its sonic manipulation, the album never loses sight of the basic values of melody and groove..."
Village Voice (2/20/96) - Ranked #19 in Village Voice's 1995 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.
NME (Magazine) (12/23-30/95, pp.22-23) - Ranked #19 in NME's `Top 50 Albums Of The Year' for 1995.
NME (Magazine) (9/23/95, p.48) - 8 (out of 10) - "...they're the bees knees as far as alternative jangle-rock is concerned....GARBAGE is a reminder of how sweet angst can be in the hands of talented players..."