MANILA, Philippines?There are some things you outgrow, but when you run into them again after awhile, it's nice to reminisce. To those who spent part of their youth in the '90s, there's been a lot of reminiscing going on in the past months, what with the release of greatest hits compilations from two top '90s bands: Garbage and The Goo Goo Dolls.

It's not often that you hear these two bands being mentioned in one sentence, but despite their musical differences, Garbage and The Goo Goo Dolls actually have a few things in common. Foremost among them is that they were both incredibly popular during the late '90s, both topping the charts and earning Grammy nominations. Then, there's the fact that they both haven't quite made the jump from the 20th century to the 21st. In other words, they're still stars, but they have a dated feel.

Intention

The release of their greatest hits collections, in fact, is fitting. Though it may not have been either band's intention, Garbage's "Absolute Garbage" and The Goo Goo Dolls' "Greatest Hits, Volume One: The Singles" seem like farewells-a last hurrah kind of thing. Whether they are or not, these collections certainly do a good job of reminding us what was good-and bad-about these post-grunge superstars.

The 18 tracks in "Absolute Garbage" are in chronological order, which is pretty handy since it allows you to trace the group's development-from their eponymous 1995 debut to their stint with Bond, and to their more emo moments later.

Opening with their first single, "Vow," and its classic "I can't use what I can't abuse" refrain, this and the following three tracks-"Queer," "Only Happy When It Rains" and "Stupid Girl"-take you back to the heady days when the band burst into the scene with their goth-ish, alt-rock, hard-to-label sound.

Memorable too is the group's red-haired lead singer: Shirley Manson's distinctive voice, straight-out-of-noir look, and slightly damaged aura made her many an adolescent male's object of fantasy. She gave the band a very photogenic face.

Manson may be Garbage's most recognizable member, but the three guys in the background-Butch Vig, Duke Erikson and Steve Marker-don't merely play supporting roles. All producers, the three were already well-known in the industry even before the advent of Garbage. Vig was especially famous for producing Nirvana's "Nevermind," as well as albums by other big stars such as Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth and L7.

But, if "Absolute Garbage" reminds you what made the band such hitmeisters, it also chronicles how they lost their edge. In fact, as the collection comes to a close, it's like watching something bright fade away.

Formula

Like "Absolute Garbage," the Goo Goo Dolls' "Greatest Hits, Volume One: The Singles" tells the tale of a band that once had a good thing going on. Unlike Garbage, however, the Dolls have been strictly middle-of-the-road since their first hit, 1995's "Name," and have followed that hook-laden, easily accessible formula for more than 10 years since. They've gotten it right many times, but this collection also shows that they've dwindled.

Do these greatest hits releases mean that these '90s powerhouses are bowing out? Who knows? Unless they can pull a "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" kind of move, maybe they should-while they can still do it gracefully!