Garbage
Absolute Garbage

The last studio album by Garbage dates back 3 years, that rock-ish "Bleed Like Me" which almost severed ties with the other electronic half that has always distinguished the group from the beginning, and which unfortunately today is yet another piece proclaiming the slow decline of this very trendy 90s band, which declared itself "momentarily split" (pff) and working on solo projects (ué Shirley, I'm still waiting!).

In the summer of 2007, whether due to record deals, purely commercial reasons, or to boost their stock, never as low as now, they finally decided to release this first greatest "Absolute Garbage," which had already been anticipated for some time. This collection comes 12 years after their first self-titled work, making it an acceptable and entirely understandable choice, considering the massive number of small-time artists who, after barely 2 albums and as many years of activity, come out with ridiculous Best Of ($$$). The tracklist is laid out chronologically, opening with the great early classics and closing with the more recent works, and one can easily notice how the scale definitely tips towards the earlier productions, light years away from the sugary tracks of the new millennium (especially the singles from Beautiful Garbage). To confirm the lost appeal of Garbage, the album did not achieve great results in terms of copies sold.

3 available editions: a single base with their major hits, an unreleased (the easy "Tell Me Where It Hurts" (not great), and a new excellent re-edit of "It's All Over But The Crying", a ballad present in its original version on "Bleed Like Me"); a limited double version, adding a bonus CD of 13 remixes curated by big names from various genres, plus a gem, a new version of "Bad Boyfriend" re-edited by Butch & company (far better than the original); finally, a DVD version with all the videos they released and a 69-minute documentary including backstage material, TV, interviews, snippets of tour/studio, and some interesting "behind the scenes," often filmed by themselves. In all editions, the presence of "The World Is Not Enough" (superb soundtrack dated 1999 for the eponymous chapter of the 007 film) and the seductive yet spectacular "#1 Crush" (soundtrack of the film "Romeo + Juliet" released in 1997), both released at the time in CD-single version, will surely be welcomed. Disappointing the black and white artwork, which, in addition to the obvious editorial credits, lists the places visited on their tours, some biographical notes, photo collages, lyrics, and the usual cliched thank-yous from each member.

So what? The usual Greatest made to fleece die-hard fans like Yosif? No, unlike rogue artists who limit themselves to a systematic and mechanical singles collection, the album presents some really interesting factors that fully justify the expense, obviously referring to the limited double in my possession, which, beyond the already mentioned gems, contains some unmissable remixes, most of which are edits of remixes already published on CD-single and vinyl versions, but some rare and currently hard to find. Some examples? Besides the classic valid club-oriented remixes packaged by the most renowned names in House Music (including Timo Maas, Roger Sanchez, Todd Terry, and not least the legendary Danny Tenaglia), it's worth diving into other Trip Hop and Electronic remixes. Such is the case of the "The World Is Not Enough" remix curated by the well-known U.N.K.L.E project, or the "Milk" version signed by none other than Massive Attack (it cannot fail to be appreciated by fans of the Bristol Sound). The dirty and vocoderized Electro remix by Felix Da Housecat of "Androgyny" (revolutionized) is also very valid, which in fact more than a remix, creates a new song on its own. The Crystal Method enhance, decompose, and "destroy" "I Think I'm Paranoid" with a hefty big beat remix in Prodigy style. The eclectic Fun Lovin' Criminals instead re-propose the masterpiece "You Look So Fine" in an acoustic-blues-jazz key. Certainly, there are some disappointing moments like the terrible remix of "Queer", but the thumbs-up remixes definitely prevail.

What, by any chance, don't you know Garbage?! You can start by getting this collection, you will find the various "Vow", "I Think I'm Paranoid", "Only Happy When It Rains", "Special", "Stupid Girl", and the tracks that made the history of the group; if instead the answer is negative or you don't love the band, it's not to be underestimated for the more open-minded the possibility of enjoying the remixes, which span across innumerable genres. 

Complete Tracklist: www.discogs.com/release