Garbage

I never had this album when it came out back in the `90’s. I would have been exposed to Garbage through Version 2.0 which was an album I did pick up initially around the time that it came out. Nonetheless, I remember playing tracks off of this album on the juke box at the bar. Through that it must have made an impression as my memories there were the reasons I elected to pick it up.Something that sticks out to me is that this is a reissue of the original album. The sticker that came on the album shrink wrap indicates that it was derived from the original analogue tapes, though, so that is something that I appreciate. Personally, I think the album is structured well but I do feel that the band has stronger albums in their discography which is something that isn’t uncommon for a band’s debut album. That being said, it does have some classic tracks including “Only Happy When it Rains” and “Stupid Girl”. Personally, I like “Stroke of Luck” quite a bit too (amongst others) but I do wonder if the “Supervixen” track is broken? It has some strange pauses (rests?) in it that made me wonder if the CD was skipping in my hardware? Nonetheless, I was able to get a good rip of this album on my PC so if this track is broken it didn’t affect my ability to back up the remainder of the album digitally and I can accept it for what it is as a result, I guess.I really like the deluxe edition features. Having access to a whole CD of bonus tracks is pretty nice and I have picked up two other deluxe edition albums from the band by virtue of those sentiments. I would say the track that sticks out the most in the bonus material is “#1 Crush”. I remember my brother had a copy of the William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet soundtrack where this song would have been featured. When I listened to and remembered this track I thought it strange that it never actually made it’s way into an actual studio album by the band since it is a pretty noteworthy piece of their early work. It’s a memorable track but probably not to the extent as the Cardigans’ “Lovefool” which is probably the song the William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet soundtrack would be most remembered for.I also like the packaging for this album. I thought it was pretty cool that it came in a cardboard sleeve rather than a traditional jewel case. It definitely gave the album a vinyl-like vibe. The artwork inside the sleeve is pretty cool as well. Something that I also noticed is that the reissue is credited as being released under Almo Sounds which is interesting given Garbage’s affiliation with Stunvolume these days. The band’s most recent studio albums have been released under the Stunvolume label as was the 20th anniversary reissue of Version 2.0. Thus, I thought it was interesting that the Stunvolume label didn’t get a nod here. That being said, I feel the album sounds just fine even in spite of this.The service from Amazon for getting this album was good and I have no complaints. The case showed up with no damage. That was nice and the fact that it is packaged in more of a cardboard sleeve rather than a traditional plastic CD jewel case might be part of the reason that was the case. The CDs worked fine, as well, and I was able to both listen to them and back them up to my PC. The liner notes were undamaged as well. Thanks.

1995: I remember grabbing the CD of this on the spot, as soon as the pink feathers and the word "garbage" on the cover caught my eye at a local record store in the UK, and could not believe my ears as I realized I had just discovered my new favourite super-band! Few months later they were all over the place, and by next year they had hit it really big. 2015: Digital copy preordered. Maybe not quite as desirable as the physical release, but loyalty to the music nonetheless. Frustrated that the super deluxe edition of this is only available as a download, I would rather have all tracks in digital copies, than not at all. Ironic that I should pay for music in a format that is slowly killing off CDs and vinyl. Plus, how weird to obtain music that, as a music collector, cannot actually "collect", since it is stored on a hard drive instead of a shelf.At 62 tracks, the running time would make this a 4-disc set, which would have made an excellent deluxe CD set, but one that may have been a little pricier than all but the most die-hard fans would like to pay. I suspect Garbage would not sell thousands of 4-disc packages at this point, so keeping it digital-only for the fans makes some sense. With 6 options to choose from (see below), one would have thought that at least one of these would include both physical and digital material in one package, but no. Annoying as this already was, it actually became even more for buyers of the digital super deluxe edition. Available originally at only £7.99 from most EU retailers (well, e-tailers in this case), just 2 days before release amazon e-mailed customers, apologizing for not being able to deliver the pre-ordered MP3 album.The result was them cancelling preorders or redirecting to a link, which took you to a copy of the standard 21-track digital download, and for double the price. Customer service can issue a refund, as it turns out, so the price for the 62-track bundle is actually £7.99 and not the inflated £15.98, but why all this hassle? Even the physical copy of this anniversary edition is causing frustration. With regard to the 2LP vinyl, it is still not clear at present whether the pink-coloured vinyl is limited or exclusive to one region. In my country (Greece), we get the standard black vinyl (I checked with 3 different retailers). I would love to get my hands on those pinkies, they look fantastic on the promo photos! Please, feel free to post any info as to where one can get this set.Listening to the digital version of the album that made me a fan 20 years ago, makes me realize how dramatically things have changed since Garbage introduced themselves with this flashy self-titled debut. What remains the same, though, is the impact of this genre-defying set, which feels just as instrumental for post-grunge, as it does for trip-hop music. Younger audiences are probably unaware of this band's contribution to alternative rock, but it was this very record that bridged different worlds, and drew different audiences together under Garbage's unique banner. Calling them the forbears of alternative rock is only fitting. All it takes is a random listen to any of the songs on this, from the opening "Supervixen" to the closing "Milk". As for the G-Sides, they are only indicative of the band's legacy. Garbage rule!List of 20th anniversary releases (all remastered):Physical- deluxe CD edition (CD 1: original 12 tracks / CD 2: 9 G-Sides)- standard vinyl edition [2LP: original 12 tracks (pink-coloured vinyl not confirmed for all regions)]* includes download card- deluxe vinyl edition bos xet [3LP: original 12 tracks / G-Sides / fan zine (3LP 180gram vinyl)]* includes download card and autographed photo of bandDigital- standard edition (original 12 tracks)- deluxe edition (original 12 tracks + 9 G-Sides)- super deluxe edition (original 12 tracks + 9 G-Sides + 29 remixes + 12 alternate versions)

Love it

I was pleasantly surprised to find the second CD has #1 Crush on it.