REVIEWS:
One of the more creative and popular alternative rock bands of the 90s, Chicago's Smashing Pumpkins were one of the bands who ushered in the era of grunge with their debut Gish. Angst-ridden lyrics, layers of guitar overdubs, and a tendency for mood variation - one song might be heavy as hell with constant screaming and loud metal riffing and the next a really really soft, sappy love ballad with appropriate vocals to go along with it - often made up the Pumpkins sound. Speaking of frontman and almost completely dominant songwriter Billy Corgan's vocals and lyrics, many listeners are turned off by his whiny, almost pencil-necked voice, and his lyrics can be too obscure and cryptic for their own good, but neither feature has ever really bothered me that much for some reason.
The lineup of the Smashing Pumpkins is as follows: Billy Corgan (vocals, guitar, dominant songwriter), James Iha (guitar, occasional lead vocals), D'Arcy (bassist up until 1999 when she departed) and Jimmy Chamberlin (drummer who was kicked out of the band in 1997 for drug problems but later returned). Releases have included the aforementioned debut, Siamese Dream (their commercial breakthrough and quintessential release), the underrated B-sides and rare tracks compilation Pisces Iscariot, the overblown conceptual double set Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, the stripped down, less successful Adore, and their latest release Machina/The Machines Of God, which was their most disappointing album to date.
Update (5/24/00): Billy Corgan has announced that the band will be finishing out their current 'The Sacred And Profane' tour and then breaking up. This won't be the last we'll be seeing of the band just yet, though... as there are possibilities of an album's worth of unreleased stuff from Machina/The Machines Of God (yawn) and a live release seeing the light of day. Personally, I think it was for the best, as in my opinion the songwriting was starting to go downhill, as you can see from my Machina review.
--Nick Karn
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"Personally, I think it was for the best, as in my opinion the songwriting was starting to go downhill, as you can see from my Machina review. "
dickhead
smashing pumpkins were the coolest band of the 90's and the sound of grinding guitars and sweet lovely dream pop were still cool today as it did in the 90's. from the band's debut 'gish' in 1991 with the hits. ''siva'' and ''i am one'' to the more polished but still rockin' guitar odessy, the multiplatinium 'siamiese dream from the guitar anthems like ''cherub rock'' ''today'' and ''rocket'' to soothing songs like soma and ''mayonaisse''. next is pices iscariot a b-sides collection that goes from destructive like ''pissant'' ''hello kitty cat'' to starry ballads like ''landslide''. then came the extravagant theatrical overblown but bombasticly rockin' mellon collie and the infinite sadness. with anthem rockers ''zero'' ''bullet with butterfly wings'' to dream pop sweeties ''1979'' ''33'' to prog rock ''thru the eyes of ruby'' ''porcelina of the vast oceans' to love ballads ''love'' ''by starlight'' ''lily'' and the title track. then came 1998's adore a goth opera with experimental songs ''ava adore'' and ''perfect'' the finally we go to machina: the machines of god. the 2000 hard rock includes ''stand inside your love'' and ''everlasting gaze'' billy formed zwan and with jimmy and the gang they rock with the new album 2003's mary star of the sea. keep rockin' pumpkins!
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
A key defining early album in the grunge scene (but not a product of Seattle), the Smashing Pumpkins' debut release actually preceded Nevermind by a few months or so. It's their most straightforward rock effort that, although it's unlike their heavily textured, diverse and experimental later offerings, the elements of their sound are already here. Some (like fellow Pumpkins freak Jason Kuhn) prefer this style, and they have reason to do so. The songs are quite catchy and enjoyable, the riffs are well-crafted and the band plays tight, although rumor has it that Billy Corgan played everything except the drums on the first two albums - I don't really believe it.
"I Am One" opens up the album with a bang as a great arena rock styled song - Jimmy Chamberlin manages to work a great groove with the song's simple riff, and the chorus is nice and "Siva" is more of the same, featuring interesting lyrics, a good hook, and also a soft bridge that's key to the song's buildup. "Rhinoceros" is the first ballad-style song on the album, with a relaxing guitar line essential to the rest of the songs and one of the band's most excellent chorus hooks ever ('she knows, she knows..'), which makes it one of the best early period Pumpkins tunes. "Bury Me" features more hard-hitting Chamberlin drum work, playing off Billy Corgan's guitar style and the melody perfectly - awesome chorus too and "Crush" is a pleasant slow, quiet, dark song with a good bassline that closes out the first side.
The second half isn't quite as captivating as the set of songs that compose the first, but it doesn't ever approach boredom or mediocrity - "Suffer" also works as a quieter Pumpkins ballad with the nice opening line of, 'all that you suffer is all that you are' and the slow buildup to a faster section is a highlight of the tune. "Snail" and "Tristessa" are decent compositions too, and both showcase the early potential of this band, while "Window Paine" is an extended track highlighted by a great catharic ending and "Daydream" is a short D'Arcy sung acoustic ballad which is very pleasant. All in all, a consistent set of songs, and probably my second favorite album from the band.
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(Nick Karn's review)
The band's breakthrough release commercially, featuring the two smash singles and alternative rock classics "Today" and "Disarm", and definitely their most consistent and captivating set of songs. After Alice In Chains' Facelift and Pearl Jam's Vs. this is probably my third favorite album associated with the 'alternative rock' genre, and for great reason - there's all kinds of great stuff going on with the layers of guitars here, very enjoyable melodies, dramatic epic moments and powerful song passages, and hardly a dull moment during these 13 tunes. The band may be remembered more for Mellon Collie because of its' commercial success and overall ambition, but this is the release I'll always associate them with.
"Cherub Rock" has just about everything I'd want in an opening track - a memorable riff, an easily singable melody, powerful instrumental work (especially in the drums) with hardly an out of place note and the whole thing is perfect for Billy Corgan to sing. Following is "Quiet", one of the heavier hitters on the album, a furious blast of distortion and phenomenal energy and "Today" is one of the more obvious pop-oriented numbers here - it became a hit single with a ridiculous ice cream truck video and a similarly stupid (in a good way) guitar part. It's a darn catchy number though, and just as memorable as any song here. "Hummer" is the first really lengthy track at almost 7 minutes in length, and it's pleasant sounding, almost progressively constructed in its' mood shifts. "Rocket" was a minor hit single, and is actually the only song on the album I wouldn't consider anything great, but it's certainly not bad - it has a dorky melody and is somewhat original in its' guitar sound, but it's nothing compared to what follows.
The following single, "Disarm" begins the most astonishing sequence of Pumpkins songs by a longshot, and that sequence alone is reason enough to buy this album now. The aforementioned song has phenomenal drama with the combination of the acoustic riff, string section, bells, lyrics and majestic chorus and makes its' way pretty high on the list of my 10 favorite 'alternative' hit singles ever. But even that song may be eclipsed by "Soma", which starts off with very quiet guitar and piano before it becomes the best example of layers upon layers of guitar throughout the song in the quiet buildup to an astonishing bridge and a stunning guitar solo that perfectly fits the mood of the epic track - it has to be heard to be believed.
"Geek U.S.A.", meanwhile, is the band's best out of control 'Generation X' rocker, with unstoppable energy and fury (helped by an awesome riff and an awesome Jimmy Chamberlin performance) before it turns into an unexpectedly ambient bridge and back to the song's original 'furious rocker' form and the ending. Then comes my all time favorite Pumpkins song (and one of my favorite songs by anyone) in "Mayonnaise", which is all breathtaking beauty with uplifting guitar and melody and absolute otherworldly atmosphere that generates tremendous emotion - plus I dig that guitar effect in the chorus, whatever that may be, and the fade out rules!
"Spaceboy" is another really beautiful song with acoustic guitar and strings in the chorus with a lot of lyrical power, and "Silverfuck" is a liberating blast of absolute out of control anger in the riff and screaming vocals at first, then it all of a sudden stops, slows down and turns into a soft almost spoken word section that comes to a climax in the words, 'bang bang you're dead, hole in your head', then it turns back to its' furious ways and ends in loud, chaotic noise - a perfect way to end the nearly 9 minute track. "Sweet, Sweet" and "Luna" are perfectly beautiful and credit rolling shorter tracks to end the album, where everything about both songs is highly passionate, from the music, lyrics and overall atmosphere. As much as many people despise this band and album, I'm not ashamed to admit it's a personal favorite of mine.
The Smashing Pumpkins get knocked on more than they deserve from a lot of the music critics out there. I don't see how people can slam them one minute, and the next minute go and call Nevermind one of the greatest albums ever. Siamese Dream is the only Pumpkins album I've heard all the way through, and it strikes me as ten times as melodic, creative, and enjoyable than any Nrivana song I've heard. Plus I like Billy Corgan's voice a whole lot more than Cobain's. Siamese Dream itself begins with "Cherub Rock," which has the awesome chorus of "Whoo waaaaants, hoooooooney?" The next track, "Quiet," is anything but what its title might suggest since it is one of the more intense rockers on the album, and has some nice guitar work in the background toward the end. Then it's the quieter "Today" before the long "Hummer," which doesn't seem like too much at all. It passes so quickly and enjoyably that I wish there was even more to the song.
"Disarm" (which many people know as "The Killer In Me") is the best known song from the album, and deserves to be too. It has an incredible melody and lots of strong emotion, and is one of the absolute best songs on the album. Then it's "Soma," a song which effortlessly changes from a gentle lullaby to a slow and heavy rocker and back again to the lullaby without losing one bit of the mood of the whole song. "Geek U.S.A." is another all out rocker, until the short slow section in the middle gives a quick break from the drum-driven head banging music. "Mayonnaise" moves at an excellent slow pace with wonderful melodies, especially with the vocals, all coming together to make it another of the best on the album. After that one is the pretty little "Spaceboy" song, followed by the epic "Silverfuck" (a brilliant intro in this one), and "Sweet, Sweet" is much shorter, built around excellent guitar strumming. "Luna" closes off the album, and on first listen it bored me a bit, but now it strikes me as a truly beautiful ending.
Now, it is true that Siamese Dream has its flaws, but not too many. The long middle section of "Silverfuck" gets old after a while, although the song almost completely makes up for it with the awesome ending. The other major flaw is that "Rocket" is pretty dull, and doesn't do a thing for me. Overall though, while not perfect, this is a solid release, one ofthe finer releases from the 90s.
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COMMENTS
thank you for the good review! you two critics are better than that asshole prindle i will avoid his reviews about the band but belive me you are much better than him well let's hear my review for siamese dream:
1.CHERUB ROCK: RRRRRATATATATATABOOM! RRRRRATATATATATBOOM! that is the drum roll then BLAST OFF! i know why this song is a radio hit and check out the weird but cool synth guitar solo!
2.QUIET: VROOOM VROOOM! was that a vacum cleaner or a motorbike revin' up for some gas? it was DISTORTION blasting with the guitar attack and snarling vocals
3.TODAY: my best track! a cute pop song with loud guitars and a silly but arty video i loved that video since i was 10 (yes 10) and i like the way james iha dressed up like a girl and i loved d'arcy and her pigtails i thought they were two women but only one and billy corgan palys an ice cream man he sees people making love and painting wild colors i dreamed about it back then i loved paint!
4.HUMMER: radio static leads this next track and boom! here we go from a rock song with the solos and stuff to a calmer jazz section we get lovely delicate guitar strums mmmmm! so delicious think about it! if those sounds were food and drinks i think i will have milkshake and big mac and fries
5.ROCKET: AAAAAAAA YEAH! KAPOW! BLASTING ( YOU KNOW I LOVE THAT WORD) IN TO HYPERSPACE THE PUMPKINS BOOST THE RETRO ROCKETS INTO THIS TUNE I LOVED THE VIDEO ALSO! THE BAKYARD BARBACUE! THIS SPACECRAFT MODEL! OLD SPACE GEEZERS!
6.DISARM: then we go for a darker song with wintery kind strings and bells this reminds me of those bad winters i use to have
7.SOMA: oh my god i love this tune so much i have strange dream about this one about a pretty girl lost in the futrue only to find people being electrocuted but she is not scared she gets her buddies and kick some ass anyhow this sweet delicate ballad ranges from a beautiful otherworldly sound with those ghostly guitars a to loud crushing rock anthem! then it calms down some more a sweet seven minute journey
8.GEEK U.S.A.: KAPOW! YEAH! THIS SUPERNOVA OF A ROCKER SPEEDS LIKE A SPACE CAR ZOOMING 89 MILES THEN IT CALMS DOWN LIKE SOMA BUT THEN SHATTERS IT ALL THEN RAGES ONCE MORE BY JIMMY CHAMBELIN'S DRUMMING! THEN SPEEDS ONCE MORE THEN SHIFTS INTO FEEDBACK YEEHAA! BOOM! FINAL SECONDS INTO THIS AND KABLAM!
IT'S DONE! WHOOOOOOO! NICE HUH?
9.MAYONAISE: oh my! oh what a pretty tune i am in love with it! my love for this song never dies how did they do that? i am relly gonna cry for joy! and love! and i also dediecate this to cameron diaz i love you kiss me now and forever we will be as one we will rule the universe as you and me make love and soar into the milky twilight hey man! it's not some cheesy bullshit! this is tender sweet beautiful lovely music hey i'm a romancer!
10.SPACEBOY: now this is like a ballad about corgan's brother who is autistic this song is so lovely and never boring! not to sound rude but spaceboy is like a ode to the comic book astro boy with pointy ed grimley-like hair and black underwear hey i'm not a fucking pervert! at least that makes him in japan a sex symbol to teenage girls
11.SILVERFUCK: CRASH! SWEET MOTHER OF MARY LET'S ROOOOOOOOOOOOCK! THE MIGHTY SILVERFUCK RAGES LIKE A MOTOR CHUGGING FOR POWER OR A VOLCANO BLOWING UP FIRE THIS IS POWERFUL STUFF THOSE AWSOME DEMONIC GUITARS BURNING WITH FIRE AND THUNDER! THEN IT calms down for a dreamy mystical journey into the unknown then came after 4 minutes of silence we go back into the VIOLENT FINALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THEN THE LOUD CRASHES OF GUITAR SLAMS YOU INTO DEADLY SUBMISSION CAME THE CRUSHING FEEDBACK EXPLOSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SCREAMING WAILS OF FEEDBACK AND STRANGE SOUND EFFECTS THAT SOUND LIKE LASER BLASTS POUND YOU LIKE LIGHTNING AFTER IT'S OVER it calms you down again
12.SWEET SWEET: a sweet little ditty and a short one too
13.LUNA: the final track sweetly let's you sleep and turn off the lights and dream of your girlfriend. the end
i hope i don't bore you with everything i say let's just say i gave this album a 10 thank you and don't trust prindle! thanks
I was intrigued by the Smashing Pumpkins. Starostin & Prindle said they sucked, Karn and Grazer said they ruled; and even if I rarely agree with Grazer (with a few exceptions, In My Life & For No One, most notably, and DT, of course), I knew I had to give them a shot.
So I borrowed all the records from my cousin. The only one I've heard many times is Siamese Dream. So?
Well, the ppl were right, Billy Corgan sounds like he's being fucked by both holes. Do I care? A little.
I'd be the first to admit that the Pixies didn't had great singers; but they didn't detract from the music, which was superb. Corgan does detract a bit, but if the music is good, it will still be good. If you happen to like Corgan's voice, then I guess you'll enjoy this more than me. If you happen to love Corgan's voice, then I guess you're deaf. Just kidding, you know, a friend of mine actually loves his voice (?).
But, are the songs good? Yes and no. The song that sticks in my head a while is the opener, I don't know why, but it does.
Mayonaise is cool, Silverfuck is pretty boring, disarm isn't that great (but it isn't that bad, and it's kinda catchy), Quiet is groovy (Quiet!?), Luna is pleasant, but not brilliant, too repetitive for me (it may sound hypocrital, given I love Kid A); same as Hummer . Spaceboy is nice! Ditto Soma (although a bit overlong, not too much).
Rocket isn't catchy, and the ending sounds like A Day In The Life but done with guitars. You may argue it's cool, I can argue I've heard it before.
My rating I guess it some like a 7/10 (which changes with my mood, and may grow a little), but I think everybody should give it a try. But if you *hate* corgan's voice, forget it.
And let me tell you one more thing. Music is a subjective thing. Unless you give Amnesiac a 7 and a Destiny's Child record a 9, most part of the time people isn't unfair
Mark "asshole" Prindle or Starostin can think what they want. When Prindle says Disarm is awfully bad, he means that he think that is awfully bad, regardless of what you think. When I say Silverfuck is boring, it means that it bores me, regardless if it amuses you. When Karn says that Machina is a dissapointment, he really means it, he was dissapointed by it. He wasn't being a "dickhead".
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
Like such bands as Nirvana and The Beatles, the Smashing Pumpkins' non-album unreleased tracks are sometimes just as great as their album cuts, and Pisces Iscariot is one such collection that proves this. Many die hards already know much of these tracks from singles (which the Pumpkins have a huge amount of) and EPs (most notably Lull), but for the more casual fans or those who don't really care for purchasing them, it's a nice buy, and a surprisingly listenable and coherent collection of songs that flow just about as well as any other album I own.
"Soothe" is one of the band's best attempts at an acoustic song, and it's something of a beautiful hunger anthem, and "Frail And Bedazzled" is an explosive tune that's reminiscent of the material on Gish (as a number of these songs are). "Plume" is a pretty cool slower number, and the soft ballad "Whir" is probably the best constructed song on the disc - an airy Siamese Dream-esque acoustic ballad that would have fit well on that album. Then comes a rare James Iha vocal appearance in the similarly pleasant "Blew Away", and the apocalyptic "Pissant" follows in startling contrast, with a whole lot of attitude and heavy riffing. "Hello Kitty Kat" is another nice riff-rocker that's very dominated by the use of distortion, closing the first half.
"Obscured" is another atmospheric acoustic ballad-like song, and it's a good lead in into another acoustic number, their notable cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide", which became a minor hit single - it's a nice rendition. The following "Starla" is, to my knowledge, the only Pumpkins song to exceed 10 minutes (at just over 11), as it starts off like a dramatic ballad in the Siamese Dream tradition before going off into a great buildup and a really long, memorable jam section. "Blue", a more notable Gish era track, is a very good bass-driven tune that probably should have gone on to that album. "Girl Named Sandoz" is another cover (this one originally done by the Animals), and it's decent, as is the slow "La Dolly Vita". Meanwhile, the album ends with the weird, experimental, spoken word echoey "Spaced". A surprisingly great collection of unreleased material to hold fans over until the band's most ambitious project.
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yo! i'm back! the clock is ticking the earth is shifting! that's kid rock. corgan is in da house! if you don't like my ghetto lingo fuck off! mira no epiesse' conmigo porque yo no juego okay?! mickey mania cobarde! mongo! you yellow belly coward! ha ha ha! now for pisces iscariot: named after judas iscariot
1.SOOTHE: starts the album in a pretty way then shifts into...
2.FRAIL AND BEDAZZLED:YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEAH! POW! THE GRUNGE SOUND IS IN FULL SWING!
3.PLUME: IT BELONGS IN THE MOVIE SINGLES!
4.WHIR: this ballad soothes you just like soothe
5.BLEW AWAY:HEY IS THAT BILLY OR DO I HEAR A VOICE? ANYHOW JAMES IHA SINGS.
6.PISSANT:EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYAHBOOOM! A SPEEDY 2 MINUTE PUNK ROCKER WITH ALL THE SHORT ZIPINESS THAT ZOOMS LIKE SPEEDY GONZALEZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7.HELLO KITTY KAT!: KA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU THINK CORGAN IS WHINEY SHUT THE FUCK UP BITCH! IF YOU DON'T LIKE MOVIES THEN FUCK YOU COCKSUCKER!
8.OBSCURED: beautiful track mr.corgan! a tribal beat with some ohterworldly guitar strums. like soma with an african beat.
9.LANDSLIDE: sweet cover of stevie nicks' ode to love. dixie sluts killed it now they are banned all over the world! go suck dick dixie cunt! anyhow corgan cover.1 fleetwood cover.1 dixie cunts cover . fuck off!
10.STARLA:BEGIN. THE TRACK STARTS PRETTY AS A WOMAN'S EYES. PSYCHADELIC AND SWEET. AS MUCH AS I LOVE SCI FI, MOVIES WITH GUNS', BABES, SPECIAL FX, ROCK N ROLL: I LOVE THIS TRACK! ANYHOW BACK TO STARLA. IT THEN SHIFTS INTO A WARM UP NUMBER! THEN IT SHIFTS INTO A CALM INTRO BUT THEN CAME THE FINALE!!! THE BATTLE BEGINS. GUITARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE SOUNDS ARE SLUDGY, GRUNGY BEAUTIFUL, PSYCHADELIC, CRAZY,SEXY, COOOL, ADDITCTING, NOISY,DISTORTED, SPACED OUT FUN! THEN IT CALMS DOWN. KINDA LIKE SILVERFUCK BUT IT IS GOOD.
11.BLUE: STARTS AS A ROCKER BUT THEN GETTING INTO SOFTNESS. SWEET PROGGRESSION.
12.GIRL NAMED SANDOZ: WILD COVER. THE GUITARS ARE AWSOME THEY SHOULD PLAY THIS SONG FOR A BAD TEEN FLICK.
13.LA DOLLY VITA: STARTS SLOW THEN GETS CRANKY AND BLOWS UP!
14.SPACED: THE JOURNEY ENDS WITH STRANGE VOICES AND A SPACED OUT TONE
I LOVE THE PUMPKINS DEARLY. FUCK PRINDLE AND HIS DICK JOKES! FUCK GEORGE AND HIS BLA BLA BLA BULLSHIT! I LOVE YOU GUYS ANYHOW RECUERDA QUE LA ACCION EATAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! EN LA LUCHA LIBRE BAAAM!
(Nick Karn's review)
The band went into the studio following the Siamese Dream tour with so much new material that they decided their next album would be a double set (even the unreleased stuff and singles from this album was also released in a separate expansive box set, called The Aeroplane Flies High) this one a sort of conceptual release loosely based on Billy Corgan's own interpretation of the moods experienced during the entire day - the songs aren't always tied to the entire concept, though, so it more often than not seems like a two disc collection of 28 diverse songs, with the quality varying somewhat throughout. It's an ambitious project that isn't exactly London Calling, Physical Graffiti or The White Album, but for the mid 90s alternative generation that was beginning to grow stale and too derivative by this time it's a breath of fresh air.
Of the two discs (which to my ears sound like two completely different albums), the first one is probably the one with the least amount of filler and more consistent material. It also has most of the singles - the very nicely orchestrated and melodic "Tonight, Tonight", which is a great way to begin the album after the ambient piano-led instrumental title track, the futurstic space metal-ish "Zero", a short, entertaining, and thought-provoking number ('God is empty, just like me'), and lead single "Bullet With Butterfly Wings", a typically catchy heavy hitter with interesting lyrics and a great Pumpkins-esque riff.
Other highlights on disc one include "Fuck You (An Ode To No One)", which has a great chug and a lot of total attitude and intent as you can expect from its' title, "Muzzle" has some of the most meaningful, personal and least cryptic lyrics Billy Corgan ever penned and the whole song really works because of that (it's probably the best song on the album), and "Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans" quietly builds up before giving way to a heavy riff in its' lengthy intro and has really atmospheric, moody, synthesized verses durig its' 9 minute length. "Here Is No Why" has a great '...and in your sad machines' teen angst chorus, "Galapogos" is a gorgeous ballad, "Jellybelly" is another in your face short rocker, and "To Forgive" is has an eerie feel to it. On the downside, "Cupid De Locke" is about the most ridiculously sappy love song I've ever heard, and I can't stand it, "Love" is a tad bit annoying, and "Take Me Down" is an average James Iha sung mellow tune that closes out the disc.
The second disc isn't quite as worthy, but it does start off with two fantastic rockers, the live sounding force of "Where Boys Fear To Trend" and "Bodies", and another ballad, the very pretty hit single "Thirty Three". "In The Arms Of Sleep" is a calm, dreamy acoustic number that precedes the phenomenal singalong "1979", which has not only great instrumental work but an outstanding melody and an incredibly uplifting feel. Then we get the totally nihlistic, out of control "Tales Of A Scorched Earth" that's LOUD and UNINTELLIGIBLE, but great fun, with the first half of the disc closing on the challenging epic "Thru The Eyes Of Ruby", which manages to combine every element of this album into one great 7-1/2 minute epic track.
"Stumbleine" is another emotional, short acoustic song, which gives way to the violent, punishing "X.Y.U.", which is as "violent and punishing" musically as it is lyrically - it absolutely explodes with anger and emotion, and must have been loud as hell to record in the studio. It does go on a couple minutes too long, however. Unfortunately, Corgan decided to foreshadow the next album's sound near the end of this one - putting 5 straight quiet tracks with hardly any edge or emotion whatsoever in them. "We Only Come Out At Night" is an unspectacular kiddy song that does admittedly have bounce, "Beautiful" is a piano tune that's nothing special, and "Lily" (apparently about Corgan's cat) is too corny and sappy. "By Starlight" is a good romantic ballad, though but "Farewell And Goodnight" is as disappointingly unremarkable as you'd expect, ending a demanding an uneven set of songs - predictably, this album should have been trimmed just a little, but it's still worth owning for its' awesome highlights.
An interesting departure from the normal albums released by popular bands around this time. As a matter of fact, I'd go as far to say that it is a concept album, except Mr. Bill Corgan is always experimenting with new stuff. In effect, I like to call this album the Vitalogy of the Pumpkins, for like the Pearl Jam album of the same name, its different from everything else they did before of after. In that sense, sometimes I might be tempted to give this a higher rating, but today I think I am being objective with a 7.
Overall, we have a really consistent album. But the thing that hits me is that if Billy Boy had been content to do a single album, it might have been darn near perfect. However, since he and the band decided to double up the amount of tracks, there are the inevitable weak spots. It's not even like the tarcks are BAD, they just don't do anything for me. Mostly, these tracks appear at the end of the second disc. Such as "XYU", "Tales of Scorched Earth" and "Thru the Eyes of Ruby".
I will also admit to listening to the first disc FAR more than the second, cause this is where the band really shines. Tracks like "Here is No Why", "An Ode to No One", "Galapogos" and "Tonight Tonight" all have catchy riffs to keep things interesting. Off disc two, the best tracks are "Thirty-Three" (my favorite on either disc), the overplayed "1979", "Bodies" and "By Starlight". If only Corgan and Crew had packaged those songs together on a single disc, Mellon Collie would get an 8 easy. As it is, a fairly good listen, but I'd be hesitant to put down $28 for this double disc set. If you can find Mellon Collie for $25 or under, pick it up.
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[email protected] (Andrew McQuillan)
Hey Nick, I agreed with you up until the part about the last five songs on the album. Lily, By Starlight, and Farewell and Goodnight are totally 'Beautiful' songs (aw, what a bad and unintentional pun). But hey, at least your review isn't shit like what Prindle gave it. Next to Angel Dust, this is my favourite album of the 90's.
Where are you, [email protected]??? We desperately need your song-by-song input here.
This whole album rules. This is also my favorite album of the '90's, next to Angel Dust. Actually, I haven't heard Angel Dust yet, so I'm just assuming I'll like that one.
It's also the best double album of all time, in my opinion, second only to The Beegees' Odessa. Moreover, it cements Smashing Pumpkins' reputation as the best band of the decade, and, along with Metallica, the best American band ever.
Sorry, dudes. Aerosmith and the Eagles just can't compete.
mellon collie and the infinite sadness
DISC ONE: DAWN TO DUSK!
1.MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS: we begin the adventure with a sweet piano tune kinda like the who's i am the sea or elp's canario. i do know i loved this but the best is yet to come!
2.TONIGHT TONIGHT: BOOM! CLASSICAL MUSIC KICKS ASS! CORGAN IS KINDA LIKE PETE TOWNSEND! I MAKE THIS LIKE THE WHITE ALBUM! BETTER THAN SANDINISTA! TOO MUCH! ANYHOW HEAR THE LYRICS OF POWER BEAUTY AND LOVE!
3.JELLYBELLY: WARMING UP IS THIS ROCKER! YEA! KINDA LIKE PISSANT AND THE OTHER SHORT ROCKERS!
4.ZERO: SPACE METAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY REFLECTION DIRTY MIRROR THERE IS NO CONNECTION TO MYSELF! I'M YO' LOVER I'M YO' ZERO! I'M YO' FACE IN THE YO' DREAMS OF GLASS! SPACED OUT DISTORTION!!!!!!!
5.HERE IS NO NO WHY: DON'T LIKE THAT ONE HUH?
6.BULLET WITH BUTTERFLY WINGS: THE WORLD IS A VAMPIRE! THE SONG IS AN ANTHEM OF YOUTH! DESPITE ALL MY RAGE I'M STILL JUST A RAT IN A CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE!
7.TO FORGIVE: TO KNOW HER IS TO LOVE HER!
8.FUCK YOU! AN ODE TO NO ONE: GODAMN! NOW THIS IS LIKE AN ANGRY HORNET! AT LEAST HE IS LIKE A PISSED OFF CYBORG SPITING! SCREAMING OUT WORDS LIKE COIL MY TOUNGE AROUND A BUMBLEBEE MOUTH! HUH?????!
9.LOVE: I USED TO HAVE AN AEON FLUX FANTASY! A CYBER SONG WITH A TWISTY ELECTRO SYNTH SOLO! A SEXY SKELETAL BABE LIKE AEON FLUX WILL KICK SOME ASS! YUUUUUMMMMM! WHEN IS IT GONNA AIR??? I GOTTA TAPE IT!
10.CUPID DE LOCKE: HOW THE FUCK DOES THAT IRRITATE YOU !!??!?!!??!?!?!?!?! IS SOOO PRETTY!
11.GALAPOGOS: MORE PRETTY STUFF FROM BILLY CORGAN!
12.MUZZLE: HUH????????
13.PORCELINA OF THE VAST OCEANS: WOW! KINDA LIKE RUSH! IT STARTS LIKE A MYSTICAL TRIP! THEN BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM! HURTLES YOU LIKE A BOMB! I TAPED THIS SONG FOR THE HOME MOVIE ELECTRIC LOVE! A COSMIC 9 MINUTE RIDE!
14.TAKE ME DOWN: WHAT?????! IS IT JAMES IHA ON VOCALS??????? WELL... YEAH I LOVE HIS VOICE! WHY CAN'T HE GET VOCAL POWERS LIKE THIS ????????
DISC TWO: TWILIGHT TO STARLIGHT
1.BOYS FEAR TO TREAD: ROCKER 1
2.BODIES: ROCKER 2 IF IT'S HARD THEN GO TO
3.33. AH SWEET! BILLY IS LIKE A JOHN LENNON ON THIS ONE COOL LAY BACK !
4.ARMS OF SLEEP:LOVELY SONG
5.1979:OOOOOOOO GIDDY NEW WAVE POP! I LOVED THE VIDEO !
6.TALES OF A SCORECHED EARTH!: AAAAAGHR! HATED IT WHAT THE FUCK!?????????!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!
7.THRU THE EYES OF RUBY: OH SHIT! WOAH! IS THIS AN EPIC! MAN! COSMIC WAVES OF SOUNDS COLLIDE ! IT IS LIKE A ROCK OPERA!
8.STUBELINE: CUTE I LOVE THIS TUNE! BILL IS LIKE JOHN LENNON !
9.X.Y.U.: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA LET ME REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS A 3'RD TAKE ON SILVERFUCK!!!!!!!! GOD CORGAN SCRRRRRRRRREEEEEEAAAAMED!
10.WE ONLY COME OUT AT NITE: CUTE KIDDY SONG! IT IS LIKE MARY POPPINS! OR SHERRY BOPPINS FROM THE SIMPSONS!
11BEAUTIFUL: LIKE A SAMPLE DRUM LOOP! THIS IS NOT THE BACKSHIT BOYS!
12. LILY: A JAZZ TUNE??? THAT'S ODD!
13.BY STARLIGHT: OH YES IT ALMOST OVER! YET I LOVED THIS TUNE!
14.FAREWELL AND GOODNIGHT: THANK YOU FOR THE ADVENTURE OF MANKIND THANK YOU DO NOT DESPAIR I WILL BE HERE MY LOVE
ANYHOW THE REAL RESON I LOVED THIS IS TO DEFEND IT FROM BULLSHIT BUT I MUST BID ADIEU! my love........
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
Right away I was expecting a letdown when the band announced their next album Adore (which is a stupid title to boot) would be a more stripped down acoustic affair which incorporates (gasp) electronic influences with the occasional live drummer on account of Jimmy Chamberlin's departure, who is a much bigger part of the Pumpkins' sound than a lot of people realize. It's not a bad album at all, however - it's in fact rather worthwhile, but there are a few key things missing. First off, the edge of some of the heavier tracks in the past is completely gone. However, I wouldn't mind so much if the lighter stuff had the emotion of previous balladish efforts, which it also lacks in that department. And finally, along with Nirvana, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, the Pumpkins were one band whose riffs you could play along on an acoustic and they'd sound somewhat distinctive that way - this release lacks in the memorable riff department perhaps because of this approach.
It's not even like the songs are horrible and soulless - in fact, the most electronically influenced song on here, "Appels + Oranjes" (don't ask), is a completely infectious and totally worthwhile, danceable singalong track with awesome lyrics. It's just that the quality of most of the tracks are just decent and somewhat lower than what I've come to expect from the band. Songs like the acoustic "Once Upon A Time", the dark "Crestfallen", "Tear", the "In The Arms Of Sleep" rewrite "Daphne Descends", and the nighttime feel of opener "To Sheila" aren't anything spectacular, and even the singles "Ava Adore" and "Perfect" (which weren't as successful as before) aren't as catchy or memorable and lack the elements which made the Pumpkins great in the first place.
The second half does manage to improve itself somewhat, though, despite a lackluster side opener in "Pug". "The Ballad Of Dusty And Pistol Pete" is a really, really entertaining and quite cute novelty tune and is one of the major highlights here, "Annie Dog" is a nice piano song, "Shame" and "Behold! The Nightmare" are really successful at emulating some of the atmospheric guitar ballad tendencies of Mellon Collie - the former is a 6-1/2 minute track with a mesmerizing guitar line and chorus, while the latter song has breathtaking sections. "For Martha" is the most ambitious of the set, clocking in at over 8 minutes and starting as a simple piano ballad before going to majestic heights with a perfectly executed solo, and "Blank Page" is another decent ballad track with good lyrics that precedes the throwaway 16 second closer "17". This half saves Adore from being a mediocre and somewhat forgettable project and ends up turning it into a pretty good album.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
The Pumpkins' follow up to the commercial disappointment Adore saw the return of drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, and as a result of his presence Machina/The Machines Of God marks the return to a harder-rocking sound - in fact, it includes a greater ratio of rockers to softer songs than any of the band's other albums, and Billy Corgan's lyrics have actually gotten less obscure and more thoughtful, and his voice less whiny, which isn't a bad thing. So because of these strengths, this release is a return to greatness, right? Well, simply put, the answer is 'no' - in attempting to come back to their roots, the band have fallen flat on their face here with, in my opinion, the first serious letdown of their career, and there are several reasons for that, which I'll go into here.
First off, this feels like a Smashing Pumpkins album only in name - although Jimmy Chamberlin does make his presence felt on a few songs, most notably the hard-hitting singles "The Everlasting Gaze" (which, despite a really dumb spoken section in the middle, is a great pounding, concise song with a nice riff and chorus to open the album) and "Stand Inside Your Love" (which has some of Billy Corgan's best lyrics ever, and a similarly powerful hook), Corgan has an absolutely firm death grip in the proceedings, and the other members are barely noticeable, which was not the case in the past, despite Corgan writing almost all of that material. The production job this time around is horrible, and it hurts the album greatly, as Mellon Collie producer Flood ineptly renders much of this material lost riffless in a sea of annoying distortion and feedback (the droning and pulseless "The Crying Tree Of Mercury", "Blue Skies Bring Tears", and even the two singles, as strong as they are).
The songwriting here is also at its' most uninspired - "With Every Light" is a banal throwaway track, "The Imploding Voice" has an awkward, noisy chord progression and is subpar, the plea to radio "I Of The Mourning" passes by without much notice, "The Sacred And Profane" comes off as a weak "Ava Adore" rewrite, and the closing "Age Of Innocence" boringly rehashes "Tonight, Tonight". "Try, Try, Try" and "This Time" are nice, if somewhat insubstantial, pop, and then there's "Heavy Metal Machine", which is arguably the most worthless song the band ever recorded, with astonishingly cheezy lyrics, a lame as hell riff, and it's very faceless, overlong, repetitive and annoying overall.
The rest of Machina's songs include "Raindrops + Sunshowers", which has somewhat of an Adore vibe to it with a nice melody but it suffers from bad production and its' techno vibe, while "Glass And The Ghost Children" (the album's epic piece at nearly 10 minutes) is very dark and unsettling for its' first half, with an appropriately moody bassline, eerie and provocative middle section, and nice chorus, but afterwards it goes into a slower mopey section that drags for the rest of the song. That leaves "Wound", which is probably Machina's most well-written song, combining a compelling, majestic riff and melody - it's one of the few shining moments of an album marred by disappointment over its' 73 minutes that are almost impossible to take in one listen through. Maybe Adore was the beginning of the end.
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COMMENTS
[email protected] (Andrew McQuillan)
Adore was the beginning of the end but it's albums like this that make you long for the days of Adore (which is actually underrated). This isn't a very good swan song. They didn't go out on top like Jane's Addiction or Faith No More or Soundgarden. This album has no songwriting, just overambitiousness and a concept for concept's sake which I cannot figure out at all. It also didn't help that their finally visit to Vancouver was shit (and I have all their albums and listen to them religiously).
Hell, I'm surprised you gave it a 5 after your review. Still, I think the singles are quite great. SIYL is vintage. Too bad there's not much else.
your review of machina is the most worthless bit of reading i have ever layed my eyes on.
heavy metal machine is one of the strongest tracks on the album which you describe as " which is arguably the most worthless song the band ever recorded, with astonishingly cheezy lyrics, a lame as hell riff, and it's very faceless, overlong, repetitive and annoying overall. "
how many times did you listen to the album?
i respect your opinion .. but have some sense.. this album is FAR from a failure and its one of the greatest final albums a band has ever created.
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