Absolute Garbage

Combining an hour's worth of music videos with a 70-minute behind-the-scenes tour documentary, Absolute Garbage serves as a DVD companion to the same-titled greatest hits CD release from Garbage, the Grammy-nominated rock band that's built a fervent following since their popular, eponymous debut release in 1995. Formed by a quartet of renowned Wisconsin-based record producers who were itching to make their own music (including drummer Butch Vig, who produced Nirvana's Nevermind), Garbage recruited Scottish vocalist Shirley Manson from her previous band, Angelfish, and it's no surprise that Manson gets most of the attention here, as she's a vivid and charismatic performer, who combines bad-girl allure, ultra-cool style, and a charming personality in the 16 music videos presented here, culled from the band's four CDs. All of their best-known tracks are represented by a wide variety of styles, with "Push It" (directed by Andrea Giacobbe), "I Think I'm Paranoid" (Matthew Rolston) and the concert-filmed hit "Only Happy When It Rains" (Samuel Bayer) ranking among the highlights, while the accompanying documentary, "Thanks for Your Uhh, Support," is a real treat for Garbage fans, revealing a close-knit unit (the band also includes guitarist Steve Marker and bassist Duke Erikson) that has endured 10 years of heavy touring and several breakups. Boasting solid audio, Absolute Garbage features a parental advisory label for some explicit lyrics. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (J. Shannon)