Butch Vig

ALBUM RANK: GARBAGE

One of the more positive things about the last couple years, especially during the height of the pandemic, was that during that time, I went on some really great catalog deep dives. There were quite a few bands I did this with and the end result was rather positive. One of the bands that I went down the rabbit hole with was Garbage. I still remember going to the store to buy their first album when it came out as well as the second one. Both of those albums were in constant rotation back in the day for me. Now after going through all their albums and then some, I have come up with a pretty solid ranking of their albums. If you’ve never delved into the Garbage catalog, I strongly suggest you do. They have some absolutely great albums and songs. Plus, their evolution throughout the years has made their music intriguing and reinvigorating to the genre.

07) Bleed Like Me: This one gets the bottom not because it’s a bad album by any means, it’s just that it’s a very front loaded album that when you get to the halfway point, a lot of the songs fall into familiar territory. The album feels like it’s trying to recapture a feeling or time but in the end it just falls a bit flat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YIIihW89Ac&list=OLAK5uy_mTHaqnibIxQY_BBx5-av2_8IJ9_y7vzoo

06) Beautiful Garbage: This album is a bit of a departure for the band only in that it doesn’t embrace a particular sound or style. Instead it’s a more experimental album, that finds the band looking to expand upon their sound. At times there are songs that are more “pop” than alternative, and other times you will find songs that are more aligned with an R&B style. This album for me is one of those that has to be listened to under the right circumstances. Put it this way, if you were really into the first 2 albums, this one leaves you a little bit more on the side of “it’s not bad but, it’s not what you thought it would or could be.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-g3Eapd9Q0&list=OLAK5uy_kITr4nsYBdjTcYSVVtZttY35W1tn_6ExM

05) Not Your Kind Of People: This album was the bands first in about 7 years after Bleed Like Me. This album is a sort of return to form for the band with some new modern production elements added. It’s a very solid album though it drags a bit as there could have been a couple songs cut off. As a comeback album, this is quite good and worth a good listen. I wouldn’t be shocked that if I did an album rank revisited on Garbage in a year or so, this one could move up a notch or two.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PDPUxm2UJY&list=OLAK5uy_mEtuFEHTkI-Ohuurftezr3OekKXpOjo6o

04) No Gods No Masters: Their most recent album is an absolute blast of a listen. It explores a lot of ground without being a nostalgic trip. The lyrical content on this album is quite thought provoking as well. You could even say that this is a very mature album both in the thematic sense as well as musically. After 7 albums together, they know what works best and doesn’t and it shows on this album very well. I really enjoyed this album and keep finding new things to like with each listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG047b1uE9I&list=OLAK5uy_kONe0n9SUMEHydt2_Cxjc7oBTa1t4f3Gc


03) Strange Little Birds: The first time I heard this album all the way through, I felt like this was a sort of sequel or logical follow up to the band’s first 2 albums. There’s a really cool element of mixing the old with the new on this album. Strange Little Birds is a rather deep album lyrically and compelling. The album has some really catchy moments just like the first 2 have. There’s also an anger to this album that you can hear musically as well that really compliments every component well. Each time I listen to this album especially the final song “Amends,” I feel compelled to start it again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbZMYxaNTvU&list=OLAK5uy_lhRIYO6WW7WkwYpHgSZGWlx21lFo11PEY

02) Garbage: The debut and the one that started it all. What a superb debut album. It’s got all the great things that made music in the 90’s such a game changer. I love this album and think it’s one of the quintessential debut albums of all time. There is no doubt about the quality of the album from the songs, production, and performances. I also believe that this album became a blueprint for a lot of other bands/artists that have come out since.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMqslcTBRf8&list=OLAK5uy_kBhKWqtEqoNf2WFc1RkX_PJ1xUivlzqJw

01) Version 2.0: The band’s second album and my personal favorite gets the top spot. This one adds to their superb start and goes even further into what they are capable of. The darker elements, especially the lyrical content is quite a trip. Musically, there is so much to discover on this album as the band pulled inspiration from bands from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. One of the things I love most about the album is the production on it. There’s a really cool Hi-Fi meets Lo-Fi compliment to the way the instruments sound as well as the vocals. This is one of those second albums, that (like myself) you might enjoy more than the first one. That’s not to say the first one isn’t the tops, it’s all a matter of preference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1yxXhMxe28&list=OLAK5uy_niRa7PPkLBcfu7yjgkIvwNhN4VQyTRVQY


Those 90’s Songs: Garbage- Vow

Garbage - Vow - Amazon.com Music

I don’t know how I wind up listening to things at times. The other day while I was working, somehow I wound up listening to the band Garbage. I still have no clue what brought that up but, I’m glad it did. I spent the rest of the day and most of the next delving back into their catalog and history. Garbage really have some pretty great songs and albums. Their newer albums too are pretty damn good. While listening to their debut album, I had a flashback to the first time I heard the band and their song “Vow.” I remember listening to the radio and being totally taken aback by the voice I heard. Shirley Manson really left a mark on me and the music the backed her up on that song was just as grabbing. Some interesting history on the song, Garbage had not initially planned to release “Vow” as their first single, as a single at all, or even include it on their self titled debut. According to the band, they felt that “Vow” was not representative of the album’s genre-hopping body of work, although they later came to appreciate the situation that led to the song becoming their debut. Manson declared that “now we can do whatever and people won’t know what to expect”, but if the band had instead settled for “of the more clubby tunes” as a single, “we would have been pigeonholed as a dance band and that’s a hard tag to shake.” Either way, I’m glad it was released and on their debut. It wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t.

Garbage- Vow:

 

 

 

Secret Songs: Nirvana- Endless, Nameless

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I still remember listening to Nirvana’s Nevermind all the way through the first time and wondering why there was all this empty dead air after “Something In The Way.” Then, after about 10 minutes of silence “Endless, Nameless” begins to play and it all makes sense. The song itself is an interesting one. It’s a very Sonic Youth inspired song with all the noise but, it also has this really cool vibe that acts as a precursor of sorts (all be it probably indirectly) for what would become the raw sound attached to In Utero. It’s also worth noting that this is the only other song on Nevermind credited to all three members of Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” being the other.

Nirvana- Endless, Nameless:

 

Secret Songs: AFI-The Spoken Word & This Time Imperfect

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NEW TOPIC!!! This one will showcase all the hidden songs at the end of albums. You know the ones you had to wait 10-20 minutes for after the last song ended.

A.F.I.’s 2003 album Sing The Sorrow was quite a success. The album saw the band shift their sound even more from their once hardcore/horror punk roots. The end result though, despite many of the bands early fans not accepting the change, was an album that is pretty damn good. The album also featured two hidden tracks at the end.  After a brief silence at the end of “…Bit Home Is Nowhere”, piano music begins to play as guitarist Jade Puget’s younger brother Gibson speaks the first third of the poem. After the poem is concluded, the hidden track “This Time Imperfect” fades in, featuring a guitar playing backwards and extensive sampling. “This Time Imperfect” is a really cool song that contains a lot of the elements heard on Sing The Sorrow.

A.F.I.- The Spoken Word/This Time Imperfect:

 

Album Anniversary: Garbage- Self Titled

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The mid 90’s were a very special time in music. So many ground breaking and influential albums came out and shaped the lives of my people.  On August 15, 1995, Garbage released their debut album. After spending time doing remixes and working on other peoples records, Butch Vig, Steve Marker and Duke Erickson decided they wanted to take the different instrumentation they had been doing and form a full fledged band. According to the way the story goes, Steve Marker was watching 120 Minutes on MTV, when he saw the music video of Angelfish’s “Suffocate Me.” He then showed the video to Duke and Butch and had their manager track Shirley Manson down. Shirley Manson met up with  Erikson, Marker and Vig for the first time in London. Due to Shirley’s other band on tour, Garbage was put on hold till after they finished their cycle. The three guys then attended Angelfish’s show in Chicago and Shirley was invite to audition for the group. The audition did not go well, but after talking with the guys while there and they found they had a similar taste in music. Shirley then called Garbage’s manager and asked to audition again.

The album itself is a blend of many different genres from punk, rock, techno, hip hop all with an incorporated pop tinge. There are so many great tracks like, “Vow,” “Stupid Girl,” “Only Happy When It Rains” and “Supervixen.”  Radio and MTV really picked up on the bands singles. To support the albums release, Garbage was the main support for The Smashing Pumpkins while on their tour for Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

20 years into their career and Garbage still have a knack for creating great music. Their singles really still hold up well, as well as some of the deep cuts. The albums as a whole are a little iffy, but there is a real sense of pride within the bands as to what they have created. One thing I noticed while Listening back to all their albums, is that on Version 2.0, they really seemed to find their sound and hone it gracefully.

There is no doubt that all the members of the band are extremely talented, each bringing in something different to the table to create a great body of work. The one thing that always stood out to me about Garbage was Shirley Manson. She has a way about here that is part punk rock, alternative, and hypnotic. Her voice stands out amongst a lot of here peers in the entire genre.

Garbage is going on the road to celebrate their 20 year anniversary by playing their self titled debut in it’s entirety, as well as re releasing it with a slew of extras.

Garbage-Garbage:

Garbage EPK from first album:

By: Brian Lacy

Unsung Masterpieces: AFI- Sing The Sorrow
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AFI is a band that has gone through a lot of changes stylistically throughout their career. They started out as a punk band with hardcore roots, then shifted more to the Horror punk side of things. As time went on and the band evolved they found a balance of their roots of punk and added a more goth element to their music. So in 2003, AFI released their most ambitious album up till that point, Sing The Sorrow. Their die hard fans were caught off guard by the departure of their original sound, while at the same time finding a new audience. Sing the Sorrow was produced by Butch Vig and Jerry Finn, allowing the album to be more experimental. Lyrically, the album is darker and more poetic than their previous material. I for one, when I first heard the album wasn’t really in to it at all. It just wasn’t the AFI I was a fan of. Fast forward a few years and I revisited the album and really grew to love it. There is something truly intriguing about it. The depth of the songwriting really took things to another level for the band with the use of synths, strings and the all around lyrical content. Songs like “The Leaving Song Pts. I & II,” “Bleed Black,” “Death Of Seasons,” “But Home Is Nowhere,” really show the maturity of the guys in the band. There are some songs that are a little more radio friendly like “Girls Not Grey,” “Silver and Cold,” and “Dancing Through Sunday,” but that doesn’t change the fact that the songs are really good.

This is one of those albums that with time you really come to love. There is something about Sing The Sorrow that really hits home. Sure the production on it is a little too slick and AFI has completely changed from what they once were, but the growth on this album is truly astounding. Give it another shot if you gave up on them.

AFI- Sing The Sorrow:

By: Brian Lacy

Album Review: Foo Fighters- Sonic Highways

 

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When a band reaches a certain point in their career it’s hard to keep things fresh and inspired. For the bands eighth album the gents in the Foo Fighters tried something different. While the idea is a great one, the final product falls a bit flat. The idea of recording a song in a different city is a great idea. Lyrically it just falls flat. The songs feel rushed and incomplete. It’s as though the thoughts were unfinished. The show on HBO is quite interesting and full of a rich musical history. In my opinion the show is way better than the album. The albums eight songs are very hit and miss. The best song I heard on the album is a song called “Outside” which features the great Joe Walsh. This is the best song on the album hands down. This album is very disjointed and not an “album.”  It’s a collection of single songs, that have no cohesiveness. Also the use of Butch Vig as a producer I think was the wrong choice. His input and methods just don’t work for what the band was trying to do, Nick Raskulinecz would have been the perfect choice. The first song “Something From Nothing” is a good track but nothing special. The whole record is nothing special. In fact I’d probably put this album towards the bottom of the list of ranking their albums. I truly thought that after how good Wasting Light was they would continue on a path similar to how that album turned out. Nice try on this one Foos.

On the scale of 1-10: I give this a 4

By: Brian Lacy

Album Debate: Nevermind vs In Utero

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There is a debate that has been going on for quite some time about Nirvana. There are many out there that consider Nevermind to be the holy grail of their brief catalog. Then there are those who hold In Utero in higher regard. I tend to fall in the In Utero camp. Not to take anything away from Nevermind, In Utero is just the better album in regards to the production, and songwriting. Sure “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come As You Are,” “Lithium” and “Drain You” are all good songs. Those songs while meaningful just don’t connect as much as the ones on In Utero. There is more desperation anguish, and suffering in the In Utero songs. The production of the vocals really show that as well. Steve Albini’s engineering skills trump Butch Vig any day. Not to take anything away from Butch, his work on Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream, and all the Garbage albums are great. Nirvana just needed someone like Steve Albini to really get at the raw nature of the songs. Songs like “Scentless Apprentice,” “Heart Shaped Box,” “Rape Me,” “Milk It” and “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter” have that hard edged roar to them and the way they were produced really captures that demand to be noticed. The softer side of the album with songs like “Dumb,” “Pennyroyal Tea” and “All Apologies” embrace the very delicate nature of the band. The only song to really capture that on Nevermind was “Something In The Way.” The drums thump in more of a way that captures the true essence of how Dave Grohl plays. The bass sound has more of a dirty yet balanced sound that attaches itself to the rhythm in a clearer way. The guitars have more edge to them. They cut through the songs with an abrasive razor sharp dynamic. Vocally you can hear all of Kurt’s pain in every syllable he sings. His screams reach new heights since Steve Albini refused to double track Kurt’s vocals. It’s quite noticeable at the end of “Rape Me.” There is something else that has always bothered me about Nevermind. The way Nevermind turned out sort of has a very controlled production and compressed radio-friendly mix.That is something that is not very flattering to a rock band like Nirvana.

Granted this is all just my opinion, but I think this makes for a good debate. Sure we will never know what the next step for Nirvana would be. Though the indication of “You Know You’re Right” which was done by Adam Kasper shows that they were continuing in the direction that Steve Albini steered them in.

 

By: Brian Lacy