Garbage

A Scottish "supervixen" fronting a band of considerably older Wisconsin rock veterans, Shirley Manson was the ideal embodiment of pop-star-as-one-night-stand on Garbage's debut: sleek, wicked, asking nothing but a reciprocation of her icy lust. Teasing "You can always pull out if you like it too much," Manson offered all the ego boost of attracting your own private stalker without the messy reality of late-night phone calls and restraining orders. Like Manson's lip-licked poses, the cold trickery of the electroid guitar hooks masterminded by Nevermind producer Butch Vig flaunted their tawdry disposability. Who could resist? The band hit big with Manson's difficult-woman anthem "Only Happy When It Rains" and the dismissive "Stupid Girl." With Version 2.0, Vig increased the density of the debut's dance-rock beats with chilly slabs of electronic sleaze, hitting again with "Push It."

Beautiful Garbage found Manson vamping less and sulking more, and still remaining coldly clinical with her interpretive approach; even the girl-group facsimile "Can't Cry These Tears" is an homage more to Blondie than to the Shirelles. By now many young rockers were starting to copy Blondie themselves, though, and Garbage's version of new wave -- from a band that could remember the real thing -- seemed a little dated. (KEITH HARRIS)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide