Rarities #3: Garbage Push It Promo Single (1998)

As you can see from the second pic, this is a promotional (promo) item. It is a 1-track CD and it is usually sent to radio stations for airplay before the album or actual single is released. Needless to say, promo CDs are very rare as they are not meant to be sold, so those copies that you have are actually leaked from radio stations somehow, or you have connections with people in the industry.

Push It was the first single off Garbage's second album, aptly titled Version 2.0. The 2.0 figure came about because the album relied heavily on computers. I like the video for Push It. It is in black-and-white and I remember it being really quirky, with a person having a lamp for his head. Strange, but nice. The song's nice too.

Version 2.0 is my favourite Garbage album so far (haven't heard Bleed Like Me yet though), and it was nominated for Best Rock Album and also scored a surprise nomination for the big prize, Album of the Year, at the 1999 Grammy Awards.

It received 2 more nominations in the 2000 Grammy Awards: Best Rock Song and Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, both for the song Special. However, they won none.

With their latest album, Bleed Like Me, Garbage is returning to their roots of guitar-based melodies for a more raw sound, ditching the gloss and computerisation used for Version 2.0 and beautifulgarbage (2001). It's a welcome return I must say, especially for fans who loved their debut album.

However, at that time, Version 2.0 was a breakthrough for them and its high production values under uber producer/drummer Butch Vig (who produced Nirvana's landmark Nevermind album) ensured that Garbage was a force to be reckoned with. Version 2.0 still ranks among one of my favourite CDs to this day.