Sony Music Entertainment Australia
Release Date: June 9th 2023
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Savage Garden– Savage Garden (Original Version) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- To The Moon And Back
- Carry On Dancing
- Tears Of Pearls
- I Want You
- Truly Madly Deeply
- Violet
- All Around Me
- Universe
- A Thousand Words
- Break Me Shake Me
- Mine
- Santa Monica
Of all the pointless albums I’ve ever heard about… Savage Garden’s Savage Garden (Original Version), which released this year, would have to be it. Savage Garden, a hugely successful Australian pop band, rose to the top of the Australian radio charts with many of their singles. And then after two albums they split up and both members went their separate ways- Darren Hayes into solo material. And that’s perfectly fine. But for this popular and moving and introspective and thought-provoking album (that I personally love listening to even now!), the re-release makes no sense.
In a time when re-recordings or re-masterings like Switchfoot or Taylor Swift make absolute sense; Savage Garden just re-released the album this year … just as it was in Australian stores all those years ago. This year, the U.S. got a taste of what the Aussies heard all those years ago; but let’s not kid ourselves that this is some groundbreaking release or anything. Because it isn’t. The differences are subtle here. “Mine” and “All Around Me” from the Australian version are re-added onto this altered album, with “Promises” now removed- and the radio mix of “Truly Madly Deeply” has been edited back to the album version. If you grew up with Savage Garden and not the ‘RIYL’ artists I’ve written down below (Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Boyzone, Westlife), then this album is a welcome return to the heart of the release and all of that. But if you’re not a fan, or a casual fan at best like myself, you’d be puzzled and scratching your head… especially as both versions might be available on Spotify or YouTube already throughout the years.
Perhaps the label wants every American to own their CD from Australia. That might be it. But these days, CD’s are more and more obsolete with the advent of Spotify. A track listing like this, frankly, isn’t needed. Regardless though, the original release of this album was groundbreaking for it’s time, and if anything, this re-release might encourage us to revisit one of the most popular albums from the 90’s period. This re-release may make us fall in love with pop music again. And if it does that, then it’s a good thing. But… that’s the only redeeming quality here. We’ve all heard the songs. This album isn’t needed. But I’s nice to be recognised again and to be thought of as important enough to re-release in another country. But… if it was so important, then why re-release now? Why not at the time of release? Food for thought as I sign off for now. Which version of Savage Garden will you listen to? Up to you, but you’ve probably already heard of the ‘new’ tracks, am I right?
3 songs to listen to: To The Moon And Back, Truly Madly Deeply, Mine
Score: 2/5
RIYL: Westlife, Boyzone, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC