Performer Notes

Garbage: Shirley Manson (vocals); Butch Vig, Duke Erikson, Steve Marker.
Additional personnel: Jon J. Vriesacker (violin); Michael Masley (cymbalom); Daniel Shulman (bass); Todd Malcolm Michiles (scratches).
Recorded at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin.
VERSION 2.0 was nominated for the 1999 Grammy Award for Album Of The Year and Best Rock Album. "Special" was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.
"Special" was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.
Unveiling the new model of a machine that made its debut three years prior, alternative rock outfit Garbage polished the raw grind of their hazy first album with the sparkling digital sheen of 1998 sophomore effort Version 2.0. Emerging from the eerie trip-hop and bleak grunge of the critically acclaimed, multi-platinum Garbage, the quartet expanded their vision, going into overdrive with a futuristic sound that blended their inspirations both classic (the Beach Boys, the Beatles, and the Pretenders) and contemporary (Bjrk, Portishead, and the Prodigy). While Garbage retained the sleaze and effortless cool of their debut -- hinted on early tracks "As Heaven Is Wide" and "A Stroke of Luck" -- they infused Version 2.0 with deeper electronic layering, improved hooks, and an intimate lyrical focus courtesy of iconic vocalist Shirley Manson, who seized her place as the face and voice of the band with authority and confidence. On the propulsive "When I Grow Up" and the bittersweet "Special," Garbage took cues from '60s girl groups with "sha-la-la"s and stacked vocal harmonies, grounding them with a delivery inspired by Chrissie Hynde. Elsewhere, the hard techno edges of Curve and Bjrk cut through the frustrated "Dumb" and the lusty "Sleep Together," while Depeche Mode's Wild West years received tribute on the stomping "Wicked Ways." Beyond the blistering hit singles "I Think I'm Paranoid" and "Push It," Version 2.0 is also home to Garbage's most tender and heartbreaking moments, from the pensive "Medication" to the trip-hop-indebted "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" and "You Look So Fine." Balanced and taut, Version 2.0 is a greatest-hits collection packaged as a regular album, not only a peak in Garbage's catalog, but one of the definitive releases of the late '90s. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Professional Reviews

Spin (1/99, p.91) - Ranked #9 on Spin's list of "Top 20 Albums of '98."

Spin (6/98, pp.130-132) - 8 (out of 10) - "...By crafting more fully realized tunes, penning lyrics with a specificity that's at once personal and universal, and pumping up the BPMs with an enthusiasm you can feel, these unlikely stars...have created a nonstop singles aggregration that's going to make the crap glutting Modern Rock radio suck even worse..."

Entertainment Weekly (5/15/98, pp.97-98) - "...[Garbage] shows growth by offering even finer pop tunes and making cheeky new references to music history....With her breathy tone and huffy delivery, [Manson is] Nancy Sinatra walking all over you, or Chrissie Hynde demanding that you stop all your sobbing..." - Rating: B+