Absolute Garbage
by Garbage
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 36 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 36
  3. Negative: 3 out of 36

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  1. BrandonS
    Jul 26, 2007
    8
    They've lost a little momentum from their mid-90s heyday, but they're still a great group, and there are a few songs from their more recent albums I'd have liked to see make the cut (Parade and Can't Cry These Tears, to name a couple). Overall a great collection from a great band.
  2. giuseppem
    Jul 28, 2007
    10
    garbage are the greatest band ever so this is a wonderfull collection
  3. Josh?
    Aug 13, 2007
    10
    This collection is Rock Star all the way. The new track only cements how great this band always was & hopefully always will be. I Love This Band!
  4. ClayS.
    Jul 25, 2007
    10
    I love Garbage! While this CD is missing a few of their hits, it's still really nice to have most of them on one CD. The remix CD is a nice addition too. :)
  5. DrewF
    Aug 18, 2007
    9
    If you were ever a fan, this album is a must-have. Their unique sound defined my transition from teenager to adulthood. I'll never understand why their more recent work has been so frowned upon by the public at large. Still, along with Muse, the only band whose every release I anticipate. Hopefully this is not the end for Shirly, Butch and the gang!
  6. GeorgeM
    Aug 9, 2007
    10
    the first good band i ever loved, and i still love them, i do think version 2.0 was their strongest album, but i love nearly evrythin theyve done, i think alexis has got it spot on.. well, anyway, the songs speak for themselves!! i do think there was a few other tracks that def shud have been on here, "sex is not the enemy" "androgyny" "silence is golden" and a few others!
  7. carlm.
    Jul 24, 2007
    10
    Amazing!
  8. AnnaM
    Jul 25, 2007
    10
    Amazing collection of songs from one of the best bands of the 90s and indeed the 00s. Shirley's voice manages to be sultry, alluring and sarcastic all at once and no two songs on this compilation sound even vaguely alike.
  9. Alexis
    Jul 28, 2007
    10
    Absolutely essential & classic band. The critics don't know how to react to their legacy in 2007 because they themselves are worried & confused slaves to momentary trends. Don't worry about them. This music is every bit as good as it was in 1998. Excellence doesn't turn like the tides, only hipster demands do. Ignore them, please, and remember that this band was once Absolutely essential & classic band. The critics don't know how to react to their legacy in 2007 because they themselves are worried & confused slaves to momentary trends. Don't worry about them. This music is every bit as good as it was in 1998. Excellence doesn't turn like the tides, only hipster demands do. Ignore them, please, and remember that this band was once praised as one of the best of the 90s by these very publications. In 2010, when the 90's revival returns, they will again be awed at & repositioned upon a pedestal. Just do yourself a favor, and be your own judge. Did you love their singles then? Then, there is no reason for you not to celebrate them now & perhaps even more so as few bands have done anything this edgy with pop music ever since. Trendiness be fucked.… Expand
  10. ScarTissue1990
    Mar 11, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved it, but it pissed me off that they didn't put "Breaking Up the Girl" on it.. But out of it all, It is an amazing compilation of their previous work!… Expand
  11. ofscar
    Jul 11, 2013
    8
    An interesting and captivating look at Garbage's catalog. I do feel that the tracks were not put in the right order, with the grungey sounds of the first two albums being unfairly spliced with the poppy tracks of Beautiful Garbage in a way that undermined both.
  12. marcmyworks
    Feb 9, 2014
    9
    A great compilation from a great band. Some of the remastering has taken the sparkle from the original tracks but overall this is truly a wonderful album from one of the best bands ever.

Awards & Rankings

49
#49 Most Shared Album of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. AllMusic
    70
    The only thing lacking after the debut were the pop songs. This was evident with each successive proper album, but this flaw is put into too sharp of a relief on Absolute Garbage.
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  2. Blender
    60
    The bonus disc of dance remixes merely piles another layer of fastidiousness atop the already epically fussed-over tracks. [2007 Aug, p.120]
  3. Pitchfork
    53
    The band's seemingly desperate to reinvigorate their cultural cachet, but Absolute Garbage's latter half emphasizes the depths they've fallen.
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