Why this album? Well 1.) I just got it a few weeks ago and haven't been able to stop listening to it since, and B.) because like all old people I think my music is better then everything that came before or after it. Seriously, I think most stuff post 1998 is terrible. But this album is from 1995 so we are safely in bosom of awesome here.
And I already liked Garbage immensely. Shirley Manson's voice has almost a siren song like effect on me. It's smoky, sensual, feminine, and almost sexual. Her voice brings up emotions that no other singer does in my little male mind. It also doesn't hurt that she is a pale, red headed, water nymph that activates something deep in my Celtic blood about trying to preserve our people on the Earth. That's a poetic way of saying she makes me feel like when you climb the rope in gym class.
But what I'm looking at is the actual album here, so let's break it down song, by song.
1. Supervixen- Had a been a girl instead of guy in the 90's, I would have been rocking this song hard as my own little personal theme song. It's a great little song about a woman liking the attention given to her. Going even so far as telling the listeners to "Bow down to me." I love this song. It's just great to hear it, and even more so when you know that Manson had self image issues at one point in her life.
2. Queer- As far as I know this song has nothing to do with homosexuality, but it may have a double meaning I'm missing here. But it's more used in the "Strange" meaning. This was the first Garbage song I ever heard, and I loved it at the time and still do. I remember this video was really strange and all shot from the point of view of the guy in the video as Manson lead him around the house and then ended up shaving his head at the end.
3. Only Happy When it Rains- This was another single off the album and was probably the most successful one. I really identify with this song from time to time. That happens with a lot of Manson's songs, but more so off songs from this album then any of the others. When I get depressed I always listen to Garbage. It just captures the mood better then any other band in my collection.
4. As Heaven is Wide -This is only song I don't like off this album. You can really hear hints of the sound they adopt for their next album Version 2.0 here. That change of sound wasn't something I really liked and wished they'd stuck closer to their original sound with their follow up albums. I really wish they'd scraped this song and put the B-side #1 Crush on here instead. A song I've called the most romantic song I've ever heard before.
5. Not My Idea-This isn't one of the better ones of the album, but all albums have ones that don't measure up to the rest. That's not to say this one is bad. The verses are very good, it's the chorus that kinda ruins the song for me. Again, not bad...just not the best either.
6. A Stroke of Luck -This is a song you have sex too. Pure and simple. And I'm not talking about the Lucy and Ricki push the beds together kinda sex either. I mean the raw, you aren't thinking anymore, almost animal like sex. This should be playing in the background when you do that. It just has that kinda sound about it. Course maybe this is just in my warped little mind. This is one of the best songs off the whole album right here and one that not many have heard due to it not being released as a single. I'd never heard it before I bought this album and that's a shame.
7. Vow -This was the first single off the album. I never heard it myself, but apparently it was out there. This one also has a Version 2.0 sound to it, but not as much as "As Heaven is Wide" and still feels like it belongs on this album. Sometimes I skip this song, sometimes not. Depends on on my mood.
8. Stupid Girl -I loves this song. I really do. I know people like this, or sometimes just act like the girl in this song. And it describes them to a tee. This one was released as single here in the U.S. and had a video along with it. Garbage really had a good look with their videos early on that matched their sound and this one was no exception. Great song and one some of you reading this have probably heard before.
9. Dog New Tricks -This one reminds of Not My Idea, in that it doesn't stand out much. That might be unfair to this song though. It's better then "Not My Idea" , actually and I never skip it when I'm listening. It's just there are better song on here.
10. My Lover's Box- This is hands down my favorite song on this album. The verses, the chorus all fit together perfectly. Now I know you see the title and raise and eyebrow, but like Queer that's not what this song is about. A better title probably would have been "A Little Piece of Heaven." but they didn't call it that. I just love this song and sometime I'll listen to just this song and none of the others.
11. Fix Me Now- A good follow to My Lover's Box. It's not as good, but it's still good enough to start bringing you down for Milk, but not so down that it's jarring. It's a slower song that has the same kinda of feel and beat.
12. Milk- Great song to go out on. A nice slow song, but still keeping the mood of the album as a whole. In fact the last three songs couldn't flow into each other any better. I remember the video to this song being very white...I mean white, white. Like Pale Manson, in a white dress, on a white background and then someone oversaturated the whole thing. I find myself identifying with song a lot. Lyrics like "I am lost...so I am cruel." is really how I feel sometimes. It's a great last song and really makes you mello at the end of it all.
At the end of the day this is one of the best albums I own, and even with "As Heaven is Wide" I can listen to this thing all the way through, over and over again. If you put the remix of #1 Crush in there instead of heaven, I'd call this a perfect album. As it is..it's still a Five out of Five.
-Matt
Wow, I remember this from way back on the alternative station.
ReplyDeleteYeah when you say stuff like "From way back" it makes me feel old.
ReplyDeleteNow get off my lawn! *Shakes Cane*