A Quietus Interview
Glenn Branca
Baker's Dozen
The Garbage Collection - Butch Vig's Favourite Albums
The Garbage Collection - Butch Vig's Favourite Albums
Louie Gatas
, May 28th, 2012 08:05
Louie Gatas talks to imperial grunge producer and Garbage man about his favourite albums
U2 - Achtung Baby
I think that when this came out I put it in my car and didn’t take it off for six months. Honestly I think this record, at least for me, was one of the influences on us making that first Garbage record. I loved how they reinvented themselves; how they started flirting with electronics and fuzz and beeps and industrial noise yet made these amazing songs. They stirred it all up, threw it against the wall and spat it all out. They redefined themselves and it resulted in what I think is their finest work. At the time I think a lot of people couldn't quite get their head around it and then they went out and did that massive Zoo TV tour, which was quite a sensory experience. You could see that the band were almost making fun of themselves: there's almost a self-deprecation in there, telling us how they were approaching themselves. There's some gritty humour in the songs, I think.
We (Garbage) were thrilled to be asked last year to a do a cover of 'Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses' as all of us absolute love that record. When we tried sounding like U2 it didn't work. We needed it to sound like Garbage so, much like U2, we had to sort of reinvent ourselves and take a different slant on it to give it something that we felt comfortable with, which ended up being a whole heap of fun to do! We stripped the verses down and we're all pretty pleased as to how it turned out as we were honoured to have been asked to have been involved. Bono sent us a note and it was lovely; I can't remember exactly what he said but it was something about the way Shirley sang the verses and the bridge making him feel like a peeping Tom. He obviously listened to the track and he got where we were going with it. It was an awesome note.
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Plapla
May 28, 2012 8:06pm
May 28, 2012 8:06pm
Depeche Mode are a "guilty pleasure" of Shirley Manson's? Why does she feel so guilty about it? It's not as though Garbage are some incredibly leftfield, underground band and she should therefore feel embarrassed for liking a commercial act like Depeche Mode. It's also not as though Garbage are at all original or genre-defining, whereas it could be argued that Depeche Mode are to some extent. Honestly, Shirley, if a member of Depeche Mode had uttered the same words about Garbage, I could understand it, because Depeche Mode are good whereas Garbage are shite, but coming from you it sounds quite arrogant and ridiculous.
matt lindsay
May 28, 2012 10:01pm
May 28, 2012 10:01pm
And just like your comment.
I cannot stand it when people on here berate artists for liking 'obvious' records when making these lists.Not a massive U2/World Party fan but those two records are among their finest. And all the other selections are stellar , obvious or not. I suppose you would prefer it if he had selected a C90 tape recording his smackhead mate made of a defective fridge in 1988.
Lou lewis
May 29, 2012 2:35am
May 29, 2012 2:35am
I'd be interested in this, but sure ain't going thru 14 clicks for it. Why no single-page? Link-bait.
May 29, 2012 1:12pm
In reply to matt lindsay:
I would rather listen a defective fridge than garbage any day...
Burl
May 29, 2012 1:38pm
May 29, 2012 1:38pm
Wow, what an amazingly banal list-- the MOST banal ever on Quietus? Even the good records there stink like rotten cheese from their proximity to the dross but hey, at least we know Butch's music come's by its insipidness 'naturally.'
For those who haven't been there, I swear that in real life, Wisconsin was, is and NEVER will be as lame as Butch Vig.
Lodger
May 29, 2012 2:07pm
May 29, 2012 2:07pm
In reply to Burl:
your dirty mouth stinks, really
go to hell of the super cool and super super cool music you like...let us listen and enjoy Garbage without your dirt from your mouth...
Post-Punk Monk
May 29, 2012 2:09pm
May 29, 2012 2:09pm
Agreed with all of these comments. Hell, I own half of these and the other half? They're my pet peeves - to put it mildly. Nevertheless, this is as safe a list as I've ever seen here. This is the kind of list your sophisticated aunt, who graduated college [BA English Lit] in the mid 60s, but who wants to appear "edgy" would proffer. I've never heard Garbage, but don't think I missed anything. And Ms. Manson, no pleasure involving music should everinduce guilt.
http://postpunkmonk.wordpress.com
For more ruminations on the Fresh New Sound of Yesterday
May 29, 2012 7:21pm
I like safe music of still ton dressing toward a slyly slick oil plastic manufacture. I do like lady gingers.
Spacious
May 29, 2012 7:47pm
May 29, 2012 7:47pm
I really enjoy Baker's Dozen. Everyone always has some interesting bit of music I've never heard before. Everybody but Butch Vig.
Perhaps Butch could be tapped to review the letter 'D' in John Peel's collection. Broaden his horizons.
Stan
May 29, 2012 9:20pm
May 29, 2012 9:20pm
In reply to matt lindsay:
I met Butch Vig (and the rest of the band) outside of a Garbage gig one time. They couldn't have been nicer. I told him how much I enjoyed his Zephyr Mix of DM's "In Your Room." He was genuinely appreciative and said he didn't hear that compliment often. I don't see the need in slagging his selections.
Gordon Russell
May 30, 2012 10:00am
May 30, 2012 10:00am
It might be predictable but there isn't really a bad album on that list.
At least his selection is honest and unpretentious.
Electro
May 30, 2012 11:19am
May 30, 2012 11:19am
In reply to Plapla:
Excuse me, but you sound to me "quite arrogant and ridiculous". Garbage and Depeche Mode are both great bands. You are shite.
Blind Joe Deaf
May 30, 2012 5:45pm
May 30, 2012 5:45pm
What no Bob Seger? No Oasis? What a horrible list, though anyone listened to Firetown (!!) ought not have expected better. Hard to believe this guy actually recorded some very nice ROCK records once upon a time, though maybe they didn't suck because Butch didn't get "points."
Sara E.
May 30, 2012 8:46pm
May 30, 2012 8:46pm
These are HIS personal favorites, so why put him down or garbage down. It's not like you all have to listen to this listen of his favorite albums. Good lord. Also don't put down Garbage,they are an amazing band. Get over it, it's just a fucking artical.
Daniel
May 30, 2012 8:52pm
May 30, 2012 8:52pm
I think that many of the people commenting are forgetting that these picks are his favourite albums. You don't have to put down him or his music simply because you don't agree with his choices. I'm sure many people wouldn't agree with your choices if you were ever asked to make a list, and isn't that what makes us as people so great? We can each like different things and have different taste in music?
If you want to talk about sounding arrogant and ridiculous, maybe you should reread your asinine comment and realize that the world does not revolve around you.
Electro
May 31, 2012 10:16am
May 31, 2012 10:16am
In reply to Daniel:
Well said!
I bet they expected some obscure albums from Butch Vig's list. And like damn hipsters, they complain about everything (including: "this is as safe a list as I've ever seen here").
They also forget that this is a selection of Vig's favorite albums. Personal taste.
PS: I like at least half of the albums mentioned by Vig.
Apop
May 31, 2012 4:20pm
May 31, 2012 4:20pm
If you're a true music snob you're sure as shite not going to slag on a list which includes The Pretenders or Roxy Music. 'cos yeah, Mr. Ferry and Ms. Hynde (sp?) are utterly unoriginal. I own everything Joy Division recorded, everything PiL recorded and I just downloaded Robyn's single "Call Your Girlfriend" cos it fookin' rocks! Do I care what you or my friends think? No, cos I'm not fucking 12.
Jun 7, 2012 5:33pm
In reply to Plapla:
have to admit you are right. Even though I did like Garbage the last 2 albums have been rubbish and they were only really great on the first 2. It does beg the question what status does Mrs Manson see Garbage holding compared to the mighty 4 decade spanning electro gods DM? ..somewhere under there feet. Musically they are as close as close can be. I don't get her comments.
Aug 21, 2012 7:39pm
Well no surprises here but if you actually love the Clash, Who and Roxy music why throw in something obscure or eccentric just for the mere sake of it? AND he loves Marquee moon, best record ever made :)
Errr....
Aug 28, 2012 11:52am
Aug 28, 2012 11:52am
She said that about DM because DM are not "cool" in many circles: guilty pleasures are generally defined by communities. When it is not "cool" to like a band but you do anyway--guilty pleasure. She wasn't slagging off DM. She was referencing the fact that, to her knowledge, liking them is apparently not something to advertise.
Dorian Gray
Nov 14, 2012 1:40am
Nov 14, 2012 1:40am
What about Curve's "Doppelganger"? Garbage wouldn't exist without that record - it's where they got their sound!
Vår
The Memory Band
The Focus Group
Neon Neon
Chance The Rapper
Mikal Cronin
News Headlines
May 28, 2012 3:00pm
yeah, boring, obvious and dull. just like garbage.
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