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One of the few good things about MTV was the Unplugged specials, in which a range of artists performed live with only acoustic instruments. It was an infallable acid test for which bands had real talent for songwriting and performance, and which ones only got famous thanks to big budget studio production.
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Some of the stand out Unplugged sessions included heavy guitar bands of the grunge and post-grunge era like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Hole, Queens of the Stone Age, and Korn. But sadly, neither Smashing Pumpkins nor Garbage - both often accused of being "over-produced" - ever got the Unplugged treatment. There are plenty of other bands of that era I'd love to hear an Unplugged set from too, including Primus, Tool, Helmet, Rage Against the Machine, and System of a Down.
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I find it insightful to compare Garbage with Elastica, another mid-90s band also widely criticised as "over-produced" at the time. Last night, I listened to the self-titled Garbage album (1995), after having positively reviewed one of their newer albums here a few weeks ago, that prompted my post about the lack of an Unplugged session. It stands up well.
But I also tried to listen to the self-titled Elastica album, released that same year. Couldn't make it to the end : /
Here's an example of why Garbage have grown on me over the years.
I suspect we've all known people who seems to delight only in drama. Who will actively sabotage their own lives - dragging others down with them - seemingly to make sure they've always got something to lament.
When Garbage wrote about this universal annoyance, the song wasn't delivered as an angry rant targeting such people. But rather as an ironic celebration song, from the POV of the drama queens themselves.
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The result was a top 40 pop hit called 'I'm Only Happy When it Rains'.
"I only smile in the dark
My only comfort is the night gone black
I didn't accidentally tell you that
I'm only happy when it rains
You'll get the message by the time I'm through
When I complain about me and you
I'm only happy when it rains
Pour your misery down
Pour your misery down on me"
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@strypey I don't know Elastica (will research) but an interesting tidbit about Garbage that some might not know: their drummer was none other than the legendary Clyde Stubblefield (who retired to Wisconsin or Michigan or whereever it was Garbage formed). If his name doesn't ring a bell, he was James Brown's most celebrated drummer, who invented the 'Funky Drummer', the most sampled piece of music ever.