Version 2.0
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''Version 2.0'' is the second studio album by Scottish/American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Garbage Garbage, trash, rubbish, or refuse is waste material that is discarded by humans, usually due to a perceived lack of utility. The term generally does not encompass bodily waste products, purely liquid or gaseous wastes, or toxic waste produc ...
. It was released on May 11, 1998, by
Mushroom Records Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival Mu ...
worldwide, with the North American release on Almo Sounds the following day. With this album, the band aimed to improve and expand upon the style of their 1995 eponymous debut rather than reinventing their sound. Lead singer
Shirley Manson Shirley Ann Manson (born 26 August 1966) is a Scottish musician and actress. She is best known as the lead singer of the American alternative rock band Garbage. Manson gained media attention for her forthright style, rebellious attitude, and di ...
wrote dark, introspective lyrics, which she felt complemented the songs' melodies. ''Version 2.0'' was a commercial success, topping the charts in the United Kingdom, France, and New Zealand, and earning platinum certifications in several countries. The album has sold 1.7 million copies in the United States and four million copies worldwide. Garbage embarked on an 18-month-long world tour, and released a string of commercially successful singles backed with innovative
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
s. ''Version 2.0'' received generally positive reviews from critics, and was included on year-end lists of 1998's best albums by several publications. In 1999, it was nominated for
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
and Best Rock Album. The album's third single " Special" was further nominated the following year for Best Rock Song and for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group.


Recording

Garbage began writing their second album, which would go under the working title of ''Sad Alcoholic Clowns'', in March 1997 in the band's label head
Jerry Moss Jerome S. Moss (born May 8, 1935) is an American recording executive, best known for being the co-founder of A&M Records, along with trumpet player and bandleader Herb Alpert. Music career After graduating from Brooklyn College with a degree ...
's vacation house in Friday Harbor,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
. The group demoed and made rough outlines for new songs. When they felt they had made a good start, Garbage took the work they made in Washington back to their
Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
, base at
Smart Studios Smart Studios was a recording studio located in Madison, Wisconsin. It was set up in 1983 by Butch Vig and Steve Marker to produce local bands. The studio produced bands such as Killdozer, The Smashing Pumpkins, L7, Tad, and Nirvana. After in ...
and begin fleshing out the ideas and rough sketches over the following year. The group recorded all of their work for the second album through a 48-track digital system digitally, direct to
hard drive A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magnet ...
s utilizing a 24-bit Pro Tools rig. While only one recorder was up in the early sessions, eventually another was installed to edit, and ultimately a third so Manson could record vocals while the other members fiddled with recordings. Vig estimated that the sample collage approach led to "probably have five albums' worth of music", and songs featuring up to 120 audio tracks. After the digital file was ready, mixing was done in an analog tape deck, which held only 14 tracks. Much of the percussion was recorded in a disused candy factory located in Madison; Vig,
Steve Marker Steve Marker (born March 16, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a cofounder and guitarist of the alternative rock band Garbage. Early life Steven W. Marker was born in Mamaroneck, New York on Marc ...
and sound engineer Billy Bush set up a drum kit within the factory and recorded various fills, utilizing the acoustics of the dilapidated building. Forced to stop after local police officers responded to complaints about the noise, some of the percussion was later incorporated into "
Temptation Waits "Temptation Waits" is a 1999 song performed by the band Garbage and is featured in their second studio album '' Version 2.0'' as the opening song. "Temptation Waits" was not released as an international single, but was released as an airplay-o ...
", "
I Think I'm Paranoid "I Think I'm Paranoid" is a song written, performed and produced by Garbage (band), Garbage and was the second single released from their second album ''Version 2.0''. The song was released internationally in July 1998, following up on the succ ...
" and "Hammering in My Head". Garbage completed recording by December 1997, as Manson wanted to return to her family in Scotland for Christmas, and asked her bandmates to just move onto the mixing. Vig added that otherwise more time would be spent recording, and "it was kind of scary—because we had to commit to what these songs were going to become." Production was done until mid-February 1998. The eventual title, ''Version 2.0'', was a tongue-in-cheek take on how computers were heavily involved in the album's production, with Manson adding that "in the studio, at any given moment, someone would come in and find the four of us in front of the screen."


Composition and style

Building on framework sound and style Garbage established on their debut set, ''Version 2.0'' featured musical references to the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, songs featuring live strings, over 100 recorded tracks, and an
interpolation In the mathematical field of numerical analysis, interpolation is a type of estimation, a method of constructing (finding) new data points based on the range of a discrete set of known data points. In engineering and science, one often has a n ...
of the Beach Boys and
The Pretenders Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Fa ...
. The band said that the goal of ''Version 2.0'' was to create a "rapprochement between the high-tech and low-down, the now sound and of golden memories."
Butch Vig Bryan David "Butch" Vig (born August 2, 1955) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the drummer and co-producer of the alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of the diamond-selling Nirvana album ''Neve ...
stated that the band did not want to reinvent their sound, as they "felt that we had carved our own turf on the first record and we wanted to take everything we did and make it better". This meant to "have the guitars noisier and write poppier melodies", showing how the band had grown together: "With ''Garbage'', we were struggling to find an identity and to get comfortable with Shirley – and vice versa. After touring so much, there's a better camaraderie and sense of communication."
Shirley Manson Shirley Ann Manson (born 26 August 1966) is a Scottish musician and actress. She is best known as the lead singer of the American alternative rock band Garbage. Manson gained media attention for her forthright style, rebellious attitude, and di ...
declared that "we didn't want to totally embrace the world of
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
", so ''Version 2.0'' juxtaposed "the super-hi-fi with the super-organic". The band wanted there to be echoes of music they like in the record, "and that means not just
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
and Portishead and
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
but
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
and Beach Boys and
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
", Manson said, concluding that the album is overall "more diverse—it goes to extremes." The increased usage of techno beats emerged from frequent exposure to electronic music during the
Garbage tour The ''Garbage'' tour was the debut concert tour by American rock band Garbage, in support of their self-titled debut album (1995). It began on November 5, 1995, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and ended on December 18, 1996, in Inglewood, California ...
, both in clubs and listening to
The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...
and
The Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat genre t ...
.
Steve Marker Steve Marker (born March 16, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a cofounder and guitarist of the alternative rock band Garbage. Early life Steven W. Marker was born in Mamaroneck, New York on Marc ...
stated that the band used as a reference point the ''Garbage'' song "As Heaven Is Wide", "but with a more technoey and dance end." The band also aimed to channel some of the energy of their live shows into the rhythm parts of the album. Vig remarked that "the songs sound looser, tougher" that way, as by the last concerts, "we'd speeded things up and toughened up a lot of the grooves" and in the album "we wanted that to be apparent from the get-go." While ''Garbage'' had lyrical input from all band members, Manson was responsible for all the lyrics in ''Version 2.0''. Consequently, it was described by Manson as "more direct and more personal than the first. I was able to verbalize things a little clearer this time—I mean, I'm no
Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Ca ...
, I'm never gonna be
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
. I do what I can to express myself." The singer "tried to let the darker undercurrents come through to offset some of the pop melodies", adding that "like human beings, songs shouldn't be one-dimensional". The singer declared that the introspective nature of ''Version 2.0'' served to "reassure myself while I'm going crazy" due to her experiences during production, as she was "living by myself in a hotel, and I had no one to really talk to" and every day coming back by herself really late after working on the studio. Manson added that only "
The Trick Is to Keep Breathing "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" is a song by Garbage, released as the joint-fourth single from their platinum second album ''Version 2.0''. The single was released in a number of European countries including Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal an ...
" had something that was out of her life, being inspired by her friend Ruthie Trouble. "Medication" came about from a frightful, isolating experience with the US medical system. The song, Manson explained, is "a reflection on past ills in a way ... about taking blame on yourself for things that you had no control of at the time, and finally pushing off and realizing that this was not my fault. It wasn't all my fault. There's a huge relief and release that comes from that".


Release and promotion

The entire visual campaign for ''Version 2.0'' was tailored to play off the album
cover artwork Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper (Tabloid journalism, tabloid), comic book, video game (box art), Album, ...
, the icons designed to represent each single release, provided
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and the band's videogenic sensibility. Garbage spent three weeks in Europe providing interviews with music journalists from a multitude of territories, while Manson continued on her own to Australia and Asia. ''Version 2.0'' was released in Japan on May 4, 1998, a week ahead of the international street date, to counteract
parallel import A parallel import is a non-counterfeit product imported from another country without the permission of the intellectual property owner. Parallel imports are often referred to as grey product and are implicated in issues of international trade, a ...
s. The album was released in two editions, a standard album with a bonus remix of "Push It" by
Boom Boom Satellites were a Japanese electronic music duo consisting of guitarist and vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima and bassist and programmer Masayuki Nakano. They were signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan, with whom they had released all of their albums in Japa ...
and a limited run of 20,000 copies featuring two international
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
s, "Lick the Pavement" and a cover version of Big Star's "
Thirteen Thirteen or 13 may refer to: * 13 (number), the natural number following 12 and preceding 14 * One of the years 13 BC, AD 13, 1913, 2013 Music * 13AD (band), an Indian classic and hard rock band Albums * ''13'' (Black Sabbath album), 2013 * ...
". ''Version 2.0'' debuted at number four in the Japanese international album chart. ''Click "Visit non-flashed site" link below and then "Enter garbage.com without Flash".'' On May 11, ''Version 2.0'' was released worldwide, with the North American street date a day later. Mushroom Records released the album in the United Kingdom on CD, LP and cassette. In North America, ''Version 2.0'' was released on CD and cassette by Almo Sounds in partnership with
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
, who shipped 500,000 copies to stores in the first week.


Tour

Preceding the start of their world tour, Garbage played three shows in the
Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
under the alias Stupid Girl. The Version 2.0 World Tour officially kicked off with club dates starting at San Francisco's
Warfield Theatre The Warfield Theatre, colloquially referred to as The Warfield, is a 2,300-seat music venue located in San Francisco, California. It was built as a vaudeville theater and opened as the '' Loews Warfield'' on May 13, 1922. History In the 1920s, T ...
on May 20, 1998, and took the band to a number of cities in the United States and Canada. Garbage then travelled to Europe to play a number of rock festivals beginning June 1 at Netherlands' Pinkpop and wrapping up at Scotland's T in the Park on July 12. In between the festivals, Garbage performed some headlining shows in France and the United Kingdom, with support coming from The Crystal Method. In August, the band travelled to Japan to perform on the bill at the
Fuji Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan. ...
, and then back to Scotland to perform at two "warm up" shows at Glasgow's
Barrowland Ballroom The Barrowland Ballroom (also known as Barrowlands) is a dance hall and music venue in Glasgow, Scotland. History The original building opened in 1934 in a mercantile area east of Glasgow's city centre, built by Maggie McIver, the "Barras Queen ...
and then headlining the last night of the Reading Festival. Garbage returned to North America on September 17, to start a three-month tour. Support came from
Girls Against Boys Girls Against Boys is a post-hardcore band which formed in Washington, D.C. and subsequently relocated to New York City shortly after their formation in 1989. The band released albums on the labels Adult Swim, Touch and Go Records, Geffen Record ...
. The itinerary took the band from
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, up the West Coast as far north as Vancouver, before routing towards the Southern states. Following these dates, the tour moved up the Eastern Seaboard and into Quebec and Ontario, before finishing up in the Midwest on November 28 in
Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...
. During December, Garbage performed at
radio shows A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode. Radio networ ...
on both coasts, including
KROQ-FM KROQ-FM (106.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Pasadena, California, serving Greater Los Angeles. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts an alternative rock format known as "The World Famous KROQ" (pronounced "kay-rock"). The stat ...
's Almost Acoustic Christmas, and made a visit to Mexico City before wrapping up on December 20 in Detroit. Continuing their touring commitment into 1999, Garbage launched a European arena tour on January 14 at Dublin's Point Theatre. Local acts such as Laurent Garnier and
The Rasmus The Rasmus is a Finnish rock band that formed in 1994 in Helsinki while the band members were in upper comprehensive school.Main source of the band's history: The original band members were Lauri Ylönen (lead singer-songwriter), Eero Heinonen ...
supported continental dates; Moloko supported Irish and UK shows. Concerts in Paris and St. Petersburg were filmed to be broadcast by
MTV Europe MTV Global (formerly as MTV Europe) is the international version of the American TV channel MTV, a 24-hour music and entertainment TV channel that began broadcasting on August 1, 1987, as part of the worldwide MTV network. Initially, MTV serve ...
and MTV Russia, respectively. A show in
Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
was cancelled on the day when the band's equipment was held up by
customs officials A customs officer is a law enforcement agent who enforces customs laws, on behalf of a government. Canada Canadian customs officers are members of the Canada Border Services Agency. It was created in 2003 and preceded by the Canada Customs and ...
at the Estonian border. The European run ended in Madrid on February 11. Garbage then returned to North America to support
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...
on two legs of her
Junkie Tour The Junkie Tour is the second concert tour by Canadian American recording artist, Alanis Morissette. The tour promoted her fourth studio album, ''Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie''. Beginning January, the tour played over 100 shows in the Amer ...
, starting on February 16 in
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, routing along the Midwest,
Four Corners The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. The Four Corners area ...
states and onto the West Coast, ending on April 7 in Los Angeles. Garbage revisited Europe to play a second summer of rock festivals, beginning with Vienna's
Libro is a Japanese book retailer. A unit of the Seiyu Group, it is headquartered in the , Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest ...
on May 19. The shows included visits to Israel and Iceland, although four concerts in the Baltic States and Russia were cancelled on the advice of the American Embassy due to the US's involvement in Kosovo. Garbage headlined a special show to mark the opening of the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
in Edinburgh on July 1. The European dates conclude in
Duisburg Duisburg () is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine and the Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruhr Region, Duisburg is the 5th largest city in Nor ...
on July 25. Garbage then travelled to South Africa to play four shows with
Placebo A placebo ( ) is a substance or treatment which is designed to have no therapeutic value. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like Saline (medicine), saline), sham surgery, and other procedures. In general ...
. The final legs of the Version 2.0 tour see Garbage moving on to New Zealand and Australia to co-headline with Alanis Morissette, beginning in
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
for 16 days from October 1, and ending in Newcastle. During this time the band also performed at the
Livid LiViD, short for Linux Video and DVD, was a collection of projects that aim to create program tools and software library, software libraries related to DVD for Linux operating system. The projects included: * OMS * GATOS * mpeg2dec * ac3dec In 20 ...
festival. Garbage returned to North America to wind down the tour by headlining a series of shows organised by MTV on university campuses. Titled the ''Campus Invasion Tour'', and supported by Lit, the shows began on October 20 in Denver and is routed through the Midwest, North East and Southern States, Arizona and California. The final date of the Version 2.0 tour is held in
Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on ...
, on November 24.


Critical reception

''Version 2.0'' received critical acclaim. In a review for ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine,
Christopher John Farley Christopher John Farley (born July 28, 1966) is a Jamaican-born American journalist, columnist, and author. Early life Farley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in New York. He is a graduate of Brockport High School and Harvard Unive ...
found its music exceptional because of songs that are gloomy and sexual yet lively and introspective, while
J. D. Considine J. D. Considine (born 1957) is a music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977. Background J. D. Considine's work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. ...
of ''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
'' said the album is a more melodic version of the approach exhibited on ''Garbage'', and commended the songwriting and Manson's multifaceted singing. ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' critic
Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...
believed its mix of
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...
and
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
has an "ersatz charm", while the noisy production retains Garbage's tuneful hooks. Barry Walters of ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' felt the songs are better developed than on the band's debut, while showcasing their passionate,
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
sounds and Manson's personalized yet relatable lyrics. According to Jim Farber of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', Manson's vocal presence elevates the unexpected sounds and makes the songs "more than just clever exercises in avant-pop". Rob Sheffield, writing in ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', said the songwriting has improved, but Manson remains the highlight, her seductive, emotive singing evoking new wave greats and appropriating the band's complex sounds into a well-crafted, original
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
album. Donna Freydkin of
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commended the album for enhancing, not departing from, the style of the debut, and praised the amalgam of sounds and Manson's "clever, biting lyrics". In a column for ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'',
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
concluded that the metallic, discordant music suits Manson's aggressive sexuality and allows listeners to experience
sadomasochism Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...
vicariously through "12 impregnable theoretical hits". Jane Rocca of ''
The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' praised it as a "personality loaded" sonic spectacle and concluded that it "salutes the new millennium with futuristic nuance". ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' writer Paul Verna said the group has expanded the possibilities on an impressive upgrade to their debut. John Pecorelli of '' CMJ New Music Monthly'' felt that the album noticeably deviates from the style of ''Garbage'' as it is more melodious, more saturated, and features enhanced percussion, while its lyrical themes make it arguably more subversive. Other reviewers lamented Manson's singing and the production effects.
Brett Milano __NOTOC__ Brett Milano (born 1957) is a Boston-based music critic and columnist. His fourth book, a biography of Game Theory's Scott Miller, was published in October 2015. Music journalism and writing career According to the ''Boston Globe'', Mil ...
conceded in '' Stereo Review'' that Garbage can produce hooky songs, but felt Manson showed limited "emotional range" as she sang in no other way but "sexy". ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
''s David Gates was critical of the samples and what he believed to be "space-age wheeps" and "calculated showbiz shtik" in the music. Danny Eccleston of ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' facetiously remarked "it's bin done" in reference to the similar approach used on ''Garbage''. Stephen Dalton of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' called the album a lifeless, "beautiful engineered piece of modern design" and believed Manson's lyrics to be its weakness, criticizing a directness and shortage of wit. Melissa Bobbitt of ''
The About Group Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, l ...
'' was more enthusiastic in a retrospective on important 1990s rock records by female artists. She argued that Manson's intimidating and alluring style, the singular electronic rock sound, and the feminist stance on ''Version 2.0'' were innovative at the time, but these elements also embodied "the futuristic path music and technology were racing toward" and can be heard throughout modern popular music. Reviewer Neil Z. Yeung also praised the album in his re-evaluation for
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, calling ''Version 2.0'' "Balanced and taut" and "a greatest-hits collection packaged as a regular album,
hat is A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
not only a peak in Garbage's catalog, but one of the definitive releases of the late '90s."


Accolades

''Version 2.0'' was voted the 19th best album of 1998 in the
Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...
, an annual critics poll run by ''The Village Voice''. It was included in year-end best-album lists by ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', '' Q'', ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'', ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'', ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', '' Select'', ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'', ''
Gear A gear is a rotating circular machine part having cut teeth or, in the case of a cogwheel or gearwheel, inserted teeth (called ''cogs''), which mesh with another (compatible) toothed part to transmit (convert) torque and speed. The basic pr ...
'', ''
Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...
'' and ''
Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...
''. It was the seventh and 18th highest rated album by ''Spin'' and ''Rolling Stone'', respectively. ''Version 2.0'' was Canada's largest modern rock station, The Edge 102's number-one album, while three tracks make Australia's
Triple J Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music listener poll hosted by the publicly-funded, national Australian youth radio station, Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Australian and alternative music of the ...
annual poll: "I Think I'm Paranoid" (at number 57), "Push It" (number 87), and "Special" (number 89). On July 14, the video for "Push It" was nominated for eight
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
(for Best Group Video, Best Alternative Video, Best Breakthrough Video, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Direction and Best Special Effects), coming second to
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's " Ray of Light" video which received nine. On October 1, Garbage were nominated for three MTV Europe Music Awards: Best Group, Best Rock Act, and Best Video for "Push It". On January 5, 1999, ''Version 2.0'' was nominated for
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s for
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
and Best Rock Album. "Push It" was nominated for Best Alternative Record at
Winter Music Conference The Winter Music Conference (WMC) is a week-long electronic music conference, held every March in Miami Beach, Florida, United States since 1985. It is also known as the premiere platform for electronic dance music. The conference brings togethe ...
. Garbage performed "You Look So Fine" for ''Gala Ragazza'' in Madrid on June 3. On September 9, 1999, the video for "Special" won Best Special Effects at the
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
. "Special" received Grammy nominations for Best Rock Song and for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group.


Commercial performance

''Version 2.0'' debuted at number 13 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 88,000 copies in its first week. As of August 2008, the album had sold 1.7 million copies in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number one on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, with first-week sales of 31,476 copies. It had sold 579,912 copies in the UK by May 2012. Elsewhere, ''Version 2.0'' topped the charts in France and New Zealand, while reaching the top five in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Norway, and Portugal. The album received its first gold discs on May 22, 1998, in the UK, Belgium, France and New Zealand, and by early October, it was certified platinum in New Zealand, Canada, and the UK, and certified gold in the United States, Australia, and seven European countries. It was eventually certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) on February 24, 1999. During the week of March 8, 1999, ''Version 2.0'' was officially awarded the European Platinum Award by the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 19 ...
(IFPI) for sales of one million copies across Europe. On June 3, 1999, ''Version 2.0'' was certified platinum in Spain, and claimed the fifth-longest chart run on the
Spanish Albums Chart Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
on June 20, while an airplay-only single, "Temptation Waits", was released to Spanish radio. The album's sales continued into 2000; it was certified platinum in the UK for the second time on February 11, 2000, before re-charting in the UK for the final time on July 15, 2000. As of May 2018, ''Version 2.0'' had sold four million copies worldwide.


Track listing

Notes * "Push It" contains an interpolation of "
Don't Worry Baby "Don't Worry Baby" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their March 1964 album ''Shut Down Volume 2''. Written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, Wilson's lead vocal on the track is considered one of his defining performances, ...
", written by
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...
and Roger Christian, and " Push It", written by Hurby Azor.


Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Version 2.0''. Garbage * Duke Erikson *
Shirley Manson Shirley Ann Manson (born 26 August 1966) is a Scottish musician and actress. She is best known as the lead singer of the American alternative rock band Garbage. Manson gained media attention for her forthright style, rebellious attitude, and di ...
*
Steve Marker Steve Marker (born March 16, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a cofounder and guitarist of the alternative rock band Garbage. Early life Steven W. Marker was born in Mamaroneck, New York on Marc ...
*
Butch Vig Bryan David "Butch" Vig (born August 2, 1955) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the drummer and co-producer of the alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of the diamond-selling Nirvana album ''Neve ...
Additional musicians *
Daniel Shulman Daniel Shulman (born 2 October 1966) is an American performer; playing bass guitar. Although he has made a significant contribution as a session musician, working with Run-DMC and Meredith Brooks, he is best known for his work with the Scottish ...
– bass * Michael Masley – cymbalom * Todd Malcolm Michiles
record scratching Scratching, sometimes referred to as scrubbing, is a DJ and turntablist technique of moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable to produce percussive or rhythmic sounds. A crossfader on a DJ mixer may be used to fade between two records ...
* Jon J. Vriesacker – violin Technical *
Garbage Garbage, trash, rubbish, or refuse is waste material that is discarded by humans, usually due to a perceived lack of utility. The term generally does not encompass bodily waste products, purely liquid or gaseous wastes, or toxic waste produc ...
– production * Billy Bush – engineering * Mike Zirkel – engineering assistance * Scott Hull – mastering * Howie Weinberg – mastering Artwork * Garbage – art direction * Ade Britteon – design * Michael Faherty – 3D * Stéphane Sednaoui – band photograph


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications and sales

! scope="row", Worldwide , , 4,000,000 , -


References


External links

* {{Authority control 1998 albums Albums produced by Butch Vig Almo Sounds albums Garbage (band) albums Mushroom Records albums