Version 2.0

Garbage began writing their second album, which would go under the working title of Sad Alcoholic Clowns, Much of the percussion was recorded in a disused candy factory located in Madison; Vig, Steve Marker 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", "I Think I'm Paranoid" 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 of the Beach Boys and The Pretenders. 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 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 declared that "we didn't want to totally embrace the world of electronica", so Version 2.0 juxtaposed "the super-hi-fi with the super-organic". 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, 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". Manson added that only "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" had something that was out of her life, being inspired by her friend Ruthie Trouble. 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, the icons designed to represent each single release, provided point-of-sale and the band's videogenic sensibility. 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, 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 under the alias Stupid Girl. The Version 2.0 World Tour officially kicked off with club dates starting at San Francisco's Warfield Theatre 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, and then back to Scotland to perform at two "warm up" shows at Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom and then headlining the last night of the Reading Festival. The European run ended in Madrid on February 11. Garbage revisited Europe to play a second summer of rock festivals, beginning with Vienna's Libro 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 in Edinburgh on July 1. The European dates conclude in Duisburg on July 25. Garbage then travelled to South Africa to play four shows with Placebo. 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, on November 24. ==Critical reception==

Version 2.0 received critical acclaim. In a review for Time magazine, Christopher John Farley found its music exceptional because of songs that are gloomy and sexual yet lively and introspective, while J. D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun 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 critic Greg Kot believed its mix of pop and electronica has an "ersatz charm", while the noisy production retains Garbage's tuneful hooks. Barry Walters of Spin felt the songs are better developed than on the band's debut, while showcasing their passionate, avant-garde sounds and Manson's personalized yet relatable lyrics. Billboard 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. Newsweeks 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 facetiously remarked "it's bin done" in reference to the similar approach used on Garbage. Stephen Dalton of NME 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 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, calling Version 2.0 "Balanced and taut" and "a greatest-hits collection packaged as a regular album, [that is] not only a peak in Garbage's catalog, but one of the definitive releases of the late '90s." It was included in year-end best-album lists by The Guardian, Q, Kerrang!, Melody Maker, NME, Select, Spin, Gear, Mojo and Music Week. 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, On July 14, the video for "Push It" was nominated for eight MTV Video Music Awards (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'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 Awards for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album. "Push It" was nominated for Best Alternative Record at Winter Music Conference. "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, 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's sales continued into 2000; it was certified platinum in the UK for the second time on February 11, 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", written by Brian Wilson 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 • Steve Marker • Butch Vig Additional musicians • Daniel Shulman – bass • Michael Masley – cymbalom • Todd Malcolm Michiles – record scratching • Jon J. Vriesacker – violin Technical • Garbage – 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==