Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Love this album. Bought it on a VT summer vacation and listened to it on repeat constantly for weeks.

Too much filler

Excellent album with some very iconic songs. However, it can get very intense at times. I tried listening to it first thing in the morning and in an afternoon lull, and it really didn't hit the mood of calm contemplation. But when I was feeling punchy, it was pretty great. Still probably a little to head-bangy at times for my taste.

Yass, The Pumpkins at their finest. If an album ever summed up Billy Corgan as an artist it’s this. It’s overblown, it’s self indulgent, it’s a bit wanky at times but when it goes, it fucking goes. Tonight, Tonight - Jellybelly - Zero - Here is no why - Bullet with Butterfly wings is up there with any 5 song run on any guitar driven album ever. It’s ridiculous the musicianship and playing on those 5 songs. Disc 2 isn’t as good as Disc 1. Some people aren’t keen on Flood’s production on this one but I love it. Easily 5 stars.

Forgot how much I liked The Smashing Pumpkins

appreciate the orchestration then it becomes rock overall doesnt really stick to my brain

Very 90's sounding album. Very much enjoyed it

Just ok

Best

Tiene track muy buenos, pero también otros muy malos. No puedo dar calificación mas alta.

The first 3 songs will already give you the full overview what this double album is going to bring for the next 2 hours: Slow intermissions, Songs that perfectly balance the line between kitsch and art (a line they will unfortunately cross many times later in their career) mixed with full on guitar and drums driven 'Siamese Dreams'-style rockers. Not all songs are of the same quality unfortunately and the album suffers a bit from the 'more is less' syndrome. It could have done with culling about 30 minutes of material, make it 2x 45 minute sides and have a perfect album. 4.5*

Lungo è lungo, ma bello. Non proprio nelle mie corde, ma 4.5 tutto...

Saying this as someone who loves Siamese Dream and could pick a few songs off of this album as some of his favorites of all time: Jesus Fucking Christ Billy, I can’t listen to walls of guitars and your screeching voice for two goddamned hours with multiple 7+ minute tracks in the runtime. You’re lucky none of the actual songs here are bad, because I should probably be hitting you with a 2/5. But goddamnit, “1979” is really so goddamn beautiful.

SOs -- Tonight, Tonight - 1979 - Bullet With Butterfly Wings

Probably not a bad album in itself, but this was a turning point in the Smashing Pumpkins sound to go from an amazing alternative and independant rock style to a very commercial one that even radio stations would play. Far less original, definitely not as great as they used to sound.

It’s pretty good but way too long

Not that smashing. Best track is the opener before any vocals. A generous 2.

This album is way too long. Clocking in at just above 2 hours and it doesn’t keep your attention the entire time. All the songs start to bleed into one another, but it’s also all over the place at the same time. The slower piano-led songs are definitely better than the rock oriented songs and there’s way more rock than piano. I’d definitely never listen to this again.

Great 90s rock album, although maybe not enough meat on the bone for a double-disc. Tracks I like: Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness Tonight Zero Here is No Why Bullet With Butterfly Wings An Ode to No One Muzzle Bodies Thirty-Three 1979

good 90s altrock

Decent.

A few years ago I came to realization about Billy Corgan…excuse me, William Corgan. I had heard the “Rat in a Cage” song at shop somewhere, probably a record store, and it clicked in my mind: he’s emulating Thurston Moore’s vocal style. The delivery, the cadence, it’s totally Thurston Moore, even if it was only for a line or two. He doesn’t do it all the time, or in every song, but when he does, it’s as clear as day. Since then, I haven’t been able to shake that. I notice it often in his songs. It’s not the only parallel you can draw to Sonic Youth, either: the gender make up of the original line up - three guys and a blonde female bass player, their guitar noise freak outs, especially on the first few tracks of this record, bear a striking similarity to those of Sonic Youth. Then I started noticing other bands that he was cribbing, like how the clean guitar intro to “Cherub Rock”, before the fuzz riff kicks in is exactly the same as the riff that plays throughout Neu’s “Hallgallo”. Literally identical. Or how the verse of “1979” sounds an awful lot like something fellow Chicagoans The Sea and Cake might do. If you don’t think that last one tracks, it’s worth pointing out The Sea and Cake had put out 3 records by the end of 1995 and shared a city with Corgan. The Sonic Youth thing cracks me up especially, because at least one member of Sonic Youth has made it clear they’re not a Corgan fan: “Courtney (Love) asked us for advice about her ‘secret affair’ with Billy Corgan. I thought, Ewwww, at even the mention of Billy Corgan, whom nobody liked because he was such a crybaby, and Smashing Pumpkins took themselves way too seriously and were in no way punk rock.” -Kim Gordon Ouch…if I’m right about Corgan’s admiration of Sonic Youth, that’s gotta hurt. You know what, though, Billy Corgan will be alright. Anyway, about Mellon Collie’s Infinite Sadness: This record is way too long. It’s two hours long. One hundred and twenty two minutes. There are classic films that are shorter than this thing. You could watch all of Dr. Strangelove and go pick up a pizza in the time it takes to listen to this entire record. I’m not saying you *should* do that, but it’s a viable alternative. Also, Kim Gordon’s not wrong about the Pumpkins taking themselves too seriously. In closing, I’ll leave you with some thoughts from Pavement, whom Billy Corgan hates because of this line from their song “Range Life”: “Out on tour with the Smashing Pumpkins Nature kids, they don't have no function I don't understand what they mean and I could really give a fuck”.

This thing is all over the place, from soft piano to rock to hard rock to heavy metal. Mostly great, though. I need to give it a closer listen.

Oh man! 5 stars. I've probably listened to this album one million two hundred and thirty three thousand two hundred and five times. It's a masterpiece of an album and a landmark of an era, not only in the history of music but in my own history as well. This album came out during my junior year of high school and marked a time in my life of clear division from before and after. I'd just moved back to Utah, living with grandma, trying to find myself in a big city. I felt alone a lot of the time, and this album would most definitely be playing on my walkman on my way to school most mornings. I identified with so many of the songs. His lyrical talent in this album is unparalleled to any of his of his albums. The words are just so beautiful and pefectly poetic. 10 stars if I could for this one. I'm so happy I finally got to see them live this year. It was an amazing show, and it was good being able to share that with my son.

this one took me back. I was never a big fan of this album, and I forgot how grating his voice was, but all in all, I enjoyed it -there are some really good songs on this, even if it is a bit over long.

Awesome

Long album with a mixture of genres I enjoyed their poppy stuff more than their rocky stuff

Beautiful opening arrangement. Tonight, Tonight is so hard not to at least hum along to. I know lots of people don't care for Billy Corgan's voice, but I like it. Even softer hitting tracks like Here Is No Why are great. The first 6 tracks on this album are fantastic. Vocals and bassline on Tales of a Scorched Earth are fantastic. The breakdown in XYU is a lot of fun. For such a long record, it does a good job with moving in and out of tempo and tone.

Better than I expected. But aleo too long. I went from liking to dislikong to liking the experience. 3.5 rounded up. Dont think i will ever sitt through the whole album again.

Smashing Pumpkins was one of the mainstays of my formative years along with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, etc. I've always preferred Gish and Siamese Dream to Melon Collie but the first half of the first disc is pure fire. It overstays it's welcome and if Corgan could have edited this down to a 60 minute album it would rank right along the best of the Pumpkins. Highlights: Tonight, Tonight Jellybelly Zero Galapogos Muzzle

I don't have children but if I did, this is one of the records I'd want to share with them, sitting on the floor in my living room, encouraging them to listen to it with headphones for authenticity and stealthily basking in their reaction, whatever it may be. And while I watched, I'd secretly hope they felt even a little of the same things I did the first time I listened to it, just so I could play some small role in giving them that gift.

Goes all over the place, but not in a bad way. Gives me the feeling that the band poured their everything into this double album, showing off their versatility. Typical 90's edge, a real product of its time. Couldn't get away with lyrics like this without being satirical. Panic! At the Disco and other emo groups clearly took inspiration from this band, which I was not aware of before listening to this album.

Eh .........

bad

I mostly liked it but two hours is too long

Some great songs, but just too dang long with a lot of meh

Peak grunge.

This isn't my favorite, and the album taking about 7 years to finish didn't help. Definitely thought I'd enjoy it more.

2Hrs is a really long album. There are definitely songs I enjoyed but as a whole it felt like it really dragged on.

I haven’t listened to this album straight through in 25+ years. And I think I’m going to need to change that. It’s really good, and carries its weight most of the way through the 2 hours. It tails off at the end a bit because it goes into a block of less hard-driving rock songs, but that’s about the only knock I have against it. I thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to revisit this album.

Can’t deny that the hits are hits

Album had glimmers of pleasantry amidst fields of cacophony

Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness: 6/10 - nice intro Tonight, Tonight: 10/10 - absolute classic masterpiece, believe in me as I believe in you Jellybelly: 7/10 - cool introduction to the rawer parts of the album Zero: 7.5/10 - classic Here Is No Why: 6.5/10 - good song, but a little forgettable to me Bullet With Butterfly Wings: 9.5/10 - Despite all my rageeee I am still just a rat in a cageeeeeeeeee To Forgive: 8/10 - hidden gem An Ode To No One: 6/10 - Grey Love: 6/10 - Forgettable Cupid De Locke: 6.5/10 - Cute and fun song Galapogos: 7.5/10 - Very glad to discover Muzzle: 8/10 - Great song!! I knew the silence of the worldddd Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans: 7/10 - Good song, but not memorable Take Me Down; 6/10 - Forgettable Where Boys Fear To Tread: 7/10 - Intense fun Bodies: 8/10 - Instant punch Thirty-Three:: 7.5/10 - Clever song-writing In The Arms Of Sleep: 6/10 1979: 9.5/10 Tales Of A Scorched Earth; 6.5/10 Thru The Eyes Of Ruby: 8/10 Stumbleine: 8.5/10 X.Y.U.: 6.5/10 We Only Come Out At Night: 5/10 Beautiful : 6/10 Lily (My One And Only): 7/10 By Starlight: 9/10 Farewell And Goodnight: 6.5/10 Overall: 7.2/10!! Awesome start

4 pour toutes les tounes entendues à la radio sur lesquelles je peux enfin mettre un titre. Très bon et beau mélange.

Several songs are very impressive musically but Billy Corgan’s voice grates my against my soul

Langt album Ass, ble litt lei av så heavy musikk men slutten på plate to var chill

Oh how this gets be going: I am definitely a Smashing Pumpkins fan after listening to this, it was smth special. Yeah I accept that majority of this album sounded the same but there is just smth addictive about the voice, guitar, drums, the whole shbang, I loved it. Will it be an easy 5? YEAH until you clock it's two hours long, just make a second album guys.

Much like Puddle of Mudd, the only good songs on this album were the ones that received airplay. Dismal, whiny, and self-absorbed pablum.

I love Bullet with Butterfly Wings. 1979 Take me down To forgive

Fine, like all albums of this length I think that there is a lack of focus that my personal favourites have

Very glad I had 2 hours available today to listen to this. It's a really good double album that I know I'll have to go back and listen to again, probably more than once, to fully digest the scope of this magnum opus.

„Despite of my age, I’m still just a cat in a rage“ … oder so ähnlich. Billy Corgan, der alte Gitarren-Wohlklang-Lick-Sucher, wenn er bloß singen könnte… Es fiel mir anfänglich schwer, mich auf die Platte einzulassen, letztendlich haben mich die bekannten Knüller bei der Stange gehalten. Ich kann nicht mit Sicherheit sagen, ob ich das Album seinerzeit in seiner Gänze durchgehört habe, es ist nämlich einfach mal viel zu lang. Dass die Platte nach dem 23. Song immer noch nicht zu Ende ist, ist eine reine Zumutung. Trotzdem noch drei Sterne vong Nostalgie her.

This is My Chemical Romance for dudes that are like 40. I don't really like Bill Corgan's singing voice at all which is probably why I like "1979" so much, because of how much his croaks get drowned out by all the surrounding instruments. Cool album with cool album art. Favorite tracks: "Here Is No Why", "1979", "We Only Come Out At Night", "Beautiful", and "Farewell And Goodnight".

4/5 Billy Corgans vocals are so unique and distinct. I dove into the song “bullet with butterfly wings” and realized the songs motto was him being used by friends and families. He said how “despite over rage I am still in a rat in a cage”. Portraying himself (Billy corgan) a rat being in a cage and the outsiders just fueling from his income. Silly song My favorite tracks are here is no why due to the sick ass guitar riff in the beginning Cupid de Locke And take me down.

Fabulous

Rather embarrassingly, I used to confuse Smashing Pumpkins with Helloween - both were pumpkin themed I guess? Then I went through a phase of trying to listen to the odd Smashing Pumpkins track, but it never quite clicked with me and I gave them up as some US band that didn't have the same crossover appeal as Nirvana, et al. I had never listened to this album before, or even heard a single track from it (or at least that I had remembered). It wasn't big in the UK as far as I remember, or if it was then it wasn't on my radar, even though it fit right into the sort of music I liked back then. Billy's voice took a bit of getting used to, but I didn't hate it once I got past the mental image of Eric Cartman singing. Yes, some of the lyrics are true cringe, but I can forgive that I guess. In the end I decided that it was best to consider the vocal effort as being just another instrument and to tune out from the words being sung. Then I got along a lot better with this album. I honestly didn't mind the 2+ hour running time, as there was quite a bit of variety here, with the "day/ night" thing going on I guess as well. The first CD (two sides?) were superior in my opinion, but the second CD ("night"?) wasn't bad, just not as musically interesting to me. I could see some of the tracks must have been big hits somewhere, e.g. "1979", based on the listen count. None of these really stood out to me, which is where I think I went wrong with this band in the past. For me, they don't make songs that stand out, it's more a case of an interesting musical tapestry with interesting bits here and there. As a whole, the album seemed a lot stronger than a sum of its parts. I wouldn't call this progressive rock by any means, but it had some good keyboards and I enjoyed the mixture of genres greatly. I'm not giving this a 5-star rating, as I feel the quality tapered off towards the end (and the lyrics really sucked in places), but it's a strong 4-stars.

This is a long album... a very long album. Some incredible music on here by my word it drags

wou

I love the Smashing Pumpkins but damn is this a long album. There wasn’t really any part of it that I disliked but the length makes it an unlikely record for me to come back to again and again. Added to playlist: Bullet With Butterfly Wings

I was just listening to this album this morning and wondering when it might show up on the list! Not a huge coincidence as I listen to this one a lot. If everyone was told they could only have one album, this would be my pick. It's not the best-written album in the world ("in the eyes of the jackal I say kaboom"?) but it is my favourite. I first heard it when I was in my early 20s, reading through the early Anne Rice vampire novels - an excellent pairing, by the way - so it'll always take me back to those days. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so I decided to go to Morganville which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So, I tied an onion to my belt which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel. And in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em...

wow u know what make this fantastic era-defining album better? dotting a bunch of garbage inbetween all the amazing tracks and padding out the runtime to 2 hours for no reason

nice

I believe there is a good 1 hour 15 minute or less album here, but it is being held back as an album by the bulk that drags this out to 2 hours. Best tracks were Bullet with Butterfly Wings and 1979.

I've been on the record several times during this project about my disdain for double albums. They are almost always overlong monuments to hubris and excess with too much filler padding the run time. Many, many decent double albums would have been instant classics by trimming the fat and making them single discs. Many more are just ill-conceived in their entirety. Billy Corgan is uniquely predisposed to believe he could pull it off, though, and relatively early in the Pumpkins career. It came out in the era of CDs, which means that two stuffed CDs translated to more like four LPs. Everything about it seems like a recipe for disaster. And then that crazy son of a bitch pulled it off. Mellon Collie would be on a short list for greatest double (quadruple?) albums of all time. It is rock solid until well into disc two, and even then only lets the foot off the pedal slightly. Sonically diverse with interesting arrangements and compelling melodies and hooks throughout. AND he put out a BOX SET of B-sides from the same era that is ALSO packed with tracks that could have made the cut here. This could have easily been four CDs/eight LPs and been nearly equally as good. This whole project is a remarkable feat.

This is a great album deserves to be on the list and i like smashing pumpkins, but Jesus it’s just too long for me, hence I prefer Siamese Dream.

Not sure about the genre of this album- heavy metal?? punk rock?? in between?? Anyway, not up my alley. Even the most popular songs

ya du banger mais album bcp trop long

One of my favorite double albums of all time.

It was pretty good

Magnum opus, se nota que estaban inspirados

Tonight Tonight might be a good song if someone else was singing, but I really dislike Billy Corgan's voice. 28 songs of this I am supposed to listen to! Does it really need to be over 2 hours long? I'll cut you a deal, Billy; half the songs. First 13 + 1979 seeing as that was a hit. This is a 3 musically. Taking a half point off for the unnecessary length, and half off for Corgan's god-awful voice.

far too long, but generally good.

Love this album, it's iconic. Smashing Pumpkins really have this unique sound to them which is appealing. Tonight Tonight is an absolute classic and one of my favourite songs.

Clearly a 5, nice to listen to this album again. Still sounds fresh and also i notice now that it´s very well produced; "crisp and clear" i would say.

My vote in 1995: 5 stars (10/10) My vote in 2023: 4 stars (7/10) for historical reasons and as most of the songs still hit the 4-star level.. However, the songs make less impact now and are nowhere as strong as I remembered. In fact, I could not identify any single 5-star song, and it became very obvious that Gish and Siamese Dream are the better albums. The song lyrics are pretty horrible too - back in 1995 I was aware of this as well but could not care...

Siamese Dream still edges it for me, but this was a very strong follow-up album.

Completely satisfying, covering an enormous dynamic range and emotional spectrum. In two hours not a weak moment: a true masterpiece.

There are some genius musical ideas on this album. "1979" and "Tonight, Tonight" are really beautiful tracks. But overall, as a record, it's pretty mixed and too long for me to fully revisit.

Not a fan

On my review of Siamese Dream I said it was mad that the Pumpkins got lumped in as 'grunge', and how I thought they were way more interesting than a lot of other bands at the time. Mellon Collie only further exemplifies that point, because this album totally blows those guys out of the water. How many other bands of the time had this range and breadth of songs? This level of mad ambition? This insanely prolific level of creativity? Even their (many) B-sides from this era were so good and could have easily appeared on this album, or walked onto any other album of the time. Am I biased? ....Yes. I came to this project with Mellon Collie as my favourite album of all time. I have the t-shirt, the record mat, the original pressing vinyl that I spent an absurdly large amount of money on. This album, to me, is perfect. I love it deeply on a very personal level. It means an awful lot to me, and I think it always will. So with that said, I'll try and leave some notes with fresh ears... I think what's funny, re-listening to this critically through the 1001 lens, I totally get why people might find it a bit bloated. If I listened to it for the first time I would undoubtedly be blown away by a lot of these songs, but I think I would likely dismiss a number of them too. Overall though, I do love the way this album ebbs and flows, and has various moods working through it. I like how some of the weirder songs punctuate that too. I love how grandiose the whole thing is. And that extends to the cover and the whole package. It's beautiful. Sonically it's so good. The drums really struck me this time around, as they explode into life in Tonight, Tonight. There's so many sounds, instruments and vocals layered brilliantly throughout the whole thing. The work that Flood and Alan Moulder did can't be underestimated in that respect. This album does things to me that I struggle to explain. Listening to something like 1979 - I love it SO much. It's transcendental. It evokes something in me that makes me so happy. As a nearly 40 year old man, I find myself losing more and more individual fandoms, but it's so satisfying to know that I can put this on and still be so moved by it. I came here with the plan of hopefully beating this album and finding my new favourite. I haven't yet, and likely won't. After all, how do you top something that has so much nostalgic and sentimental value? Something that was there for me in some of my most formative years, and has stayed a constant in my life since? I will hold out hope though, because if Mellon Collie can be toppled, it'll need to be by an album that's very special indeed.

So many good songs but also so many duds. If Billy just took the best 12 songs from this whole double album it would be an easy 5. Also, classic Billy Corgan releasing a 6-hour long deluxe edition with 3 full disks of demos and remixes. One of the most self-righteous musicians out there. Great musician though. Last thought: one of the best shirts I own is themed off this album. Look up the Mellon collie Huf collab button down tee it's gas ⛽

it has good songs, but i share the same sentiment as ben that the album is too long (don’t even get me started on the 6 hour deluxe album)?

Music by and for poison type pokemon

Like drowning in a nasal cloying mist for 2 hours with 3 or 4 gulps of good clean air.

Un buen disco que por más que empiece lento y se haga pesado termina de una manera casi perfecta. No es una escucha para cuaqueira y definitvamente no voy a sentarme a escucharlo completo nuevamente, estoy casi seguro. 7/10

A double album that has songs that will fill a double album. Not 100% bangers, but nothing that’s really filler. I think this holds up well. I was a fan in the days. I’m still a fan now.

Back to back bangers. Ranges the whole spectrum of genres without ever feeling conceited. Had a genuinely lovely experience listening to it that way thru.

3/5. A solid rock opera but hard to get past some of the songs. The whining singing is definitely a vibe but two hours of it is hard to get through. The music was absolutely gorgeous which is why it definitely isn't bad and a wild ride throughout. I think upon more listens it might go up, when I can differentiate between the songs but two listens gives me a good rundown.

So, yeah. A bit indulgent. Not sure if I'd consider a 28 track record with four hits to be a great accomplishment. Imagine if it had been trimmed down to a dozen tracks... including some of the more interesting transitions and musical parts, plus the four hits. Now that would be a record! I must also admit that I don't like the politics of the front man at all either. Art is difficult to separate from the artist. Some of the tunes blend together, which is to be expected with 28 tracks. My overall impression is indulgent, too many tracks that are filler...

live changing album that everyone should hear in their life time. art

Long but solid.

BANGER!!

a dark masterpiece. while i admit there is ample filler here (the album is over two hours long, so it was bound to happen), the parts that hit really hit. many consider this their magnum opus, and it’s hard to argue with that. hard driving rock, bordering on metal at times, with billy corgan’s signature angst (both lyrically and vocally). it took me a while to get on the smashing pumpkins train, as corgan’s vocals are an admittedly acquired taste. however, the songs just wouldn’t sound quite right with a different vocal delivery. highlights: “tonight, tonight”, “zero”, “love”, “where boys fear to tread”, “thirty-three”, “1979”.

If anyone but Billy Corgan was singing this is about as 5 stars as it gets... but he is. Either way, this is an incredible album of music.

I just can’t take that voice.

I have heard of the Pumpkins, but never really heard their music. A couple of great tracks to start this album, but then it deteriorated into i a bit of a mess. The nasly vocals didnt help, bur i found it a hard listen

mid

Está bueno el disco. Es una onda Green Day, tiene lindos temas y otros muy malos. Es eterno, tiene mil canciones, lo que aburre.

Yuck. No.

Wanted to like this but not for me

Loved this band before they did this - miserable droney shite

Hieman ehkä liian pitkä levy. Muuten kyllä tosi hyvän kuuloista rockia. Oli paljon enemmän ja siistimpiä riffejä mitä ehkä odotin. Vähän tulee kanssa Radiohead fiilistä joistakin kappaleista

First time I heard this album, I thought it was too long. Now, after getting to know the album better...it's still long, but there are a lot of really great songs. I think this could become something really great for me. Still getting to know it. Standouts: 1979, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, Thirty-Three, Zero, Tonight Tonight, Muzzle. Others: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Jellybelly, Here is No Why, Fuck You, Galapogos, Take Me Down, Through the Eyes of Ruby, Stumbleine, We Only Come out at Night, By Starlight Rating: 4/5

Whilst the music on this is by far not the worst I've had generated in the 777 albums so far, it is inexcusably long, and the singers voice is inexcusably shit. Instruments 3* Length -1* Vocals -1*

Classic from my child hood and one of my favorite bands.

This album is really good, songs like Tonight, Tonight really caught my attention and many of the heavy songs has tasteful tones reminiscent of Ty Segall. There are many songs I would probably listen to again and again, but I think devoting time to listening to the whole album would be tough and not worth it. Probably should have cut this into two albums with one having the heavier tracks and the other having the indie style songs. Although maybe including all of the track is the reason this album belongs on this list so it's just personal preference of how I like to listen to music

Shoulda been two albums

Decent 4, didn’t finish it though haha Angsty, afflicted, classic riffs and pretty orchestral elements

Reason Season Lifetime That old adage about friends translates to albums just as well. Music we listened to half a lifetime ago can simultaneously feel like an old friend, but whose influence and thrall have since worn thin. In spite of Billy Corgan’s propensity for being a nut job, I did listen to some of the songs with a wistful nostalgic sigh. 1979 and Tonight, Tonight and Bullet with Butterfly Wings all took me back and I glossed over the fact that he just can’t sing. This album was also so long it outstayed its welcome by a long shot. The best thing was on YouTube someone had made a video of some very cute rescue dogs along to Muzzle. So if you were wondering where the fruity dog with endless tristesse was, your melon collie was there. :)

Man, I forgot how good this album is!

Yes, this is a prohibitively long album. And in just about every other instance, that would be an automatic mark against it. I can't help but marvel, though, at the scope, cohesiveness, and brilliance of this record. I've owned it from the time it was released, and it stands as the only Smashing Pumpkins album I really listen to. And as much of an "album head" as I am, I may have listened to this from track one to track 101 in one sitting once since buying it (before today, that is). In that sense it's like owning three albums. But thematically, sonically, lyrically, it's of a piece. For me, this is the album where the grating guitar tones, grating vocals, band performances, and fulsome production coalesce into the definitive SP sound. Every song is great, and the standouts step it up a notch. "Zero," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "Where Boys Fear To Tread," "Thirty-Three," "1979," all the ones you know as well as some sleepers... I mean, god damn, Corgan was on a tear.

hoo boy this is a lot. A lot of sadness. Infinite, you might say, so plus one for truth in advertising, i guess. but damn, 2 hours is a lot of Billy Corgan. There are good songs on here: 1979, the one about Cupid, that James Iha tune, the last one, a few others, but overall, it was just too much. too much to cover in one day, certainly. maybe if i had more time with this i'd dig it more. also, i didn't love the production. they're clearly rocking the shit out of some of these songs but it doesn't sound nearly as massive as Siamese Dream. So, this is a 3 but I could see it maybe creeping up to a 4 with more time.

So long. I couldn't do this in one or even two sittings b/c of my day so it feels like I can't make an accurate rating. The hits are worth having a listen and songs I didn't know were also enjoyable.

This Album is 2 hours long and that's insane. I was really impressed with the Album Siamesse dream and so I was happy to see another Smashing Pumpkins album had been randomly generated. Overall this is a very good album but I do prefer Siamesse Dream for one reason, the album is too long. It probably has as many banger but this thing has 28 songs and so the chances of you making 28 great songs is unrealistic, but when the Album is good it's really good. I think opening on the titular Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness being an instrumental piece and a great one at the speaks volumes of thr confidence on display. Tonight Tonight continued the high quality and I had no idea THIS was the album Bullet with Butterfly Wings comes from because that's a classic and definitely elevates the album. Cupid De Locke is very nice on the ears I like when they do more softer pieces. The variety of display here is insane showing they can go hard rock as well as songs that are slow. Take me down was great, the run of songs from Thirty Three to 1979 are all fantastic and I love Farewell and Goodnight quite a bit. I do think there's a run of songs in a row that don't do it for me from X.Y.U through to Lily and Tales of a Scorched Earth is out right bad but that's the problem with doing a 2 hour album you're kind of stretched thin a bit. Still a great album one of the most unique so far that's for sure.

What an absolutely awesome experience. I was captivated for the full two hours a definite favourite for sure. Although I think disc one was definitely stronger, it's nice to have a genuinely great heavy rock experience as seen on the second disc. This is as much of an album as it is a journey, meaning that songs work in their own right as well as a part of the larger story of the album itself. Absolutely stand out stuff and worth a listen, even with it's 2 hour runtime (near 6 hours if you decide to go for that deluxe edition!) Stand out songs (there's a lot, 2 discs AND they're both great): - Here is no why - Bullet with Butterfly Wings: This one was in my childhood a lot, don't ask how - Porcelina of the Vast Oceans: I have a real soft spot for long songs that shift style as they go along, certified banger - Take Me Down - Farewell and Goodnight

longest album everrrrr swans get to do this not the stinky pumpkins! it sounds pretty good tho im Ngl

Excellent.

fantastical album

I know this one polarized people it doesn't me. Love the scope, love the guitar sound. Some ace tracks. However. His voice, that Cartman whine is difficult. Its also 2 HOURS. It would make a really good single album.

I liked the drumming, quite a distinctive style. I liked some of the songs: Tonight Tonight, Jellybelly, Zero, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Love, Galapogos, Take Me Down, Bodies, XYU, By Starlight.

to stjerner

Ok so I haven't given this album a good listen in 25 years or more. It's definitely better than I remember. That said, it's still a little flabby. There is some filler on this, and I feel like it's a white album situation. If they had cut it down to the vet best it would be remembered as an all time great album. As it is it's a solid 8/10

Too long

Nope. Don't like the music, too hardrock with unoriginal guitar noise . Mostly i Hate the singers voice

Long album is long. If it were an actress, it'd be Eva Longoria. If it were a cow, a longhorn. If it were a group of work-shy union car manufacturers, it'd be Longbridge. In this album's favour - it's actually impossible to listen to Tonight, Tonight and not be transported back in time to the 1990s - in a good way. 1979 might be one of the most outstanding songs of the 1990s as a whole. That said - this album genuinely is over-long. The absolute genius of some of the best tracks really does have an unpleasant patina from some of the less worthwhile.

Would have been 3 stars but this was absolutely unacceptably long

I don’t think I’ve heard that much Smashing Pumpkins. I’ve definitely heard some songs which I’ve enjoyed, but I’ve never gone on to seek out an album. The runtime of this one is a little daunting at over two hours, so let’s hope it’s good! Songs I already knew: Tonight Tonight, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, 1979 Favourites: Tonight Tonight, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, 1979 Don’t be misled by the fact that my favourite songs on this album are the ones I knew anyway. I would certainly not want to suggest that the hits are the only songs worth knowing, as there are a lot of fantastic tracks here. I didn’t expect such heavy guitar riffs at times, and I equally didn’t expect the gentler piano-led songs. This was a lot more diverse from track to track than I expected. Overall, a very good album. It’s a long one, but it’s worth a listen.

Superb from start to finish. Brilliant.

this was good. might have been more of it than I would prefer

Lost interest about halfway through; how is a two hour runtime justified when there's no clear throughline?

Tvöfaldar plötur eru undantekningalaust rúnk. Söngvarinn er fáviti en lögin eru góð. Fær ekki fjarka af því ég hata tvöfaldar plötur. 3,5

Never really got this band

I guess it's fine, but it's quite long. I don't think this type of music really deserves a 2 hour long album, to be honest. 45 minutes would have been good.

First album generated that I have actually listened to before. I'm not a massive SP fan but this album is rather special, imo. My favourite of theirs by quite some margin. I'd forgotten how noisy this album can get, but listening again after some time I'm appreciating the softer tracks. To Forgive is simply beautiful. Heavier the better usually for me but Pumpkins are a band that can get the ballads right too. Nothing better than a heavy band dropping the heaviness, to my ears at least. I can see how this might become a bit much being 2hrs long but I truly can't get enough of this.

:)

One of the bands defining a generation (a big contender at least). Not a big fan of Corgan and his ego though, but I have to admit his achievements.

Not as great as a whole. Some real bangers here though.

Just reminds me of my older cousin in the 90s

This thing was 2hrs but it felt like way longer, just a completely bloated album. Some interesting instrumentals throughout. Didn't enjoy this at all.

honestly for 6 hours...

Personal Enjoyability (out of 40): 13 Consistency of Quality (out of 25): 11 Keeps Interest (out of 25): 6 Album Flow (out of 10): 8 Overall 38/100 ★★ Quick Review: Disappointed with this album. Loved Siamese Dream growing up but never gave this album a chance up until now. Unfortunately this album majorly suffers from the double album curse of the quality being spread too thinly. Far too much filler and is only saved by the singles.

The highs are stratospheric but waaaaaaay too long

Well I thought I knew what to expect with this album, having heard "Tonight Tonight" and "1979", but this was totally different. I would have really liked an album that was only the more chill songs on here. The other songs weren't bad, but Billy Corgan's voice didn't do any of them any favors

fuck yeah pumpkins

Great instrumentals. I love 90's rock and this is one of the best examples of it. Great guitar tones and rifs, literally addicting. I have not paid much attention to the lyrics because Billy's vocals make me wanna plunge a knife deep into my ears and I didn't want to dedicate any more attention to them. Enough style variation to not make the 2h feel like an eternity. It was a good experience even though I don't think I will revisit this album anytime soon.

If there ever was an album hindered by its length, this is possibilty it. My feelings would not be near as scathing if it was half the length, even if that half contained only my least favourite songs. What I got was okay, but oh it was so much mediocrity. So prevalent. So droning. The songs became a mesh that just collided into a slurry and the only thing that my brain can process is that one "meme lyric" about being a rat in a cage. I sat on this finished album for a good hour, digesting it, wondering if the mere behemoth of its length alone would warrant such a low rating. I do not know if I'm being too kind or too grumpy with my appraisal.

Muy lento para mi estilo

I’m not a fan of BCs vocals

I really enjoyed the first piece of music on this - the piano instrumental. After that, it's OK, but the sheer length of this one makes it really difficult to listen to as a whole piece. Something tighter might have been better here - and I've never objected to long albums on principle. It's just hard when you don't know the band's music perhaps. So, 3 it is then

BL: one of my favourite albums of all time. Was the soundtrack to my first year of sixth form and some of the songs hold really special memories to me. I remember learning the intro on piano to impress a girl, listening to Tonight, Tonight with my friend Joe and nearly crying - and then we tried to record a cover of 1979. Porcelina of the Vast oceans was one of the first long tracks I ever listened to which widened my perception of what music could be. Thirty Three and Farewell & Goodnight are still in rotation and are such beautiful orchestrations. Cannot wait to give this a relisten. AL: just as brilliant as I remember. Very fun. Does drag a little bit in the second half but by raw amount of amazing content this is still an amazing album FT: “Jellybelly”, “porcelina of the vast oceans”, “take me down”, “love”, “thirty three”, “beautiful”, “farewell and goodnight” 5/5

Great album, never listened to it before. So many different styles (dreamy, heavy, electronic, feedbacky, strings) and it’s all good. The songs I knew (the hits) are probably the best. Tonight tonight, 1979, bullet with butterfly wings- all great. Other favorites: Porcelina of the vast oceans Beautiful- cool groove Starlight- 1979 into take of scorched earth is pretty cool. The vocals are so abrasive and crazy sounding on that one! Least favorite : we only come out at night Super long though it took me four listening sessions to get through….

Really cool, I never dug into their music too much but cool band. The heavy songs really rip and the ballads are pretty. probably didn’t need to be a double album, I think they could’ve cut half the songs and I still would’ve liked it the same. They get some really cool guitar tones. I love the range of their sound too, so different from song to song.

I really liked this. An Ode to No One and XYU, Porcelina of Vast Oceans were my favorite. Parts of Thru the Eyes of Ruby were cool too. I wish I could hear his vocals more at some points. Minus one star because two hours is too long.

I always thought of 'Smashing Pumpkins' as a verb. i.e. describing the act of taking some pumpkins and bashing them to bits. However, noting the 'The' in the band name, it seems that 'smashing' is actually an adjective, referring to the pumpkins being really rather good, i.e. "have you seen the smashing pumpkins over there, Giles, they look like they'd make a hearty and nourishing soup as well as a ghoulish Halloween lantern". It's a shame, as the first, more aggressive, interpretation matches the energy of this record better than a gentle trip to a village fete does. It's a two hour long, 28 track, double CD, triple vinyl album, and although it ebbs and flows, it is always bold and confident and never boring. Except for the first track, it is also never relaxing, and won't let you settle into it. Although I can't fully get on board with Billy Corgan's voice when at it's most forceful, I enjoyed every song and like how the record is eclectic but still reads as a piece. It is brilliantly sequenced to bring the energy up or down at exactly the right time. This is my first time hearing this album through and it's instantly clear that people are right to consider it a classic. I wish I'd taken notice of Just Joe and listened when I was younger. Rating: 4.5/5 Playlist track: Bullet with Butterfly Wings Date listened: 13/06/23

Took me a while to finish, but man I loved this album. It takes you on quite a journey with lots of different sounds beyond the 70% solid alt rock. It feels like they took orchestration and composition more serious. Especially with the length of the album. The soft and hard fighting against each other is lovely. Corgan's voice is of course unique, and I can see how it could get old, but I dig it throughout. Will listen again on a roady.

A couple of songs I liked

Ömsom svin, ömsom svatten.

Not my sound for leaning too heavily into Metal, but of the 28 tracks, Standouts are Tonight, Tonight, Zero, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, 1979, Thru The Eyes of Ruby, and Stumbleine.

This is a staple of 90s alternative. There are so many good songs on this album and given how long it is, it’s be impossible not to have some good ones. There are several that have been thoroughly listened to by me for years. The only downside of this album is its length. But other than that it’s an album that just sounds reminiscent at times. It sounds angry it has so many emotional pulls in it and it’s splendid. 8.0/10

Could have been half the length but the high points are high (especially stumbeline).

The Wall for nihilists - beautiful and angsty.

It's a classic

Got no right to be 2 hrs long. That crushing length alone knocks a star off the rating.

Didn't like too much of it. There are some good songs, but I mean some shit is gonna stick from 28 fucking songs. Fuck off with this 2 hours bullshit

its a bit long. i can hear the influence of future alt rock. billie corgan is kinda pretentious isn’t he?

I don't even know how to rate this. That Tonight, Tonight's voice is totally unlistenable, heavier tracks are pretty average, and then calmer songs are somewhat pleasant, but it may be because I've heard them hundreds of times in toks. I was not keeping track of how many songs are in each category, so I'll just assume most of them weren't good

DESPITE ALL HIS RAGE I STILL KEEP MY GIMP IN A CAGE

A staple of my youth, or at least I thought it was - I forgot how loud and heavy they were at times, although it must be about 20 years since I last heard this. Reminds me so much of an old band practice place of my youth where everybody at one point tried to either cover or replicate this sound. I don’t think you can talk about 90s US alt bands without mentioning Smashing Pumpkins, and this record in particular. It’s long, but it’s class. Will probably remain in that period for me, but it’s a great record nonetheless. Shame Billy Corgan went a bit weird. In fact the only thing I knock it down for is the slightly suspect lyrics at times - he certainly leaves himself open for some pisstaking. Solid 4.5.

I was a complete Smashing Pumpkins fanboy for a good few years, long sleeve zero shirt, probably one step away from shaving my head. That being said, this is still the best double album ever made. I got into SP through Cherub Rock from Siamese Dream which is classic SP but Mellon Collie is much more in every direction. There are really heavy tracks, grand uplifting tracks, super light tracks and it's all cohesive as an album. Jimmy Chamberlain is my favourite drummer and takes songs like Jellybelly to another level. Can understand if people can't get away with the singing and I think it would have been even more successful with a Chris Cornell or something on vocals but I think it does grow on you! In short, easy 5 stars. It's a real shame how much the SP quality has dropped off but there are still decent tracks here and there.

I mean it isn't bad, but it kind of merges into one. Loads of angst, I can see why Jack is keen. Zero was good. +1 for Jack.

It was a decent album but I do not like the voice of the lead singer. His "singing" sounds quite whiny and annoying. However, there are some good tracks and the music is pretty good. The main problem I had was listening to his voice for far too long because this album goes on for forever. I had to take a break half way through the 28 tracks to try and finish it. The second half definitely has some heavier songs and I enjoyed the change of pace. Highlights: Jellybelly Zero Bullet With Butterfly Wings X.Y.U.

I'd been waiting for this, was one of the few albums I loved as a teenager that I was pretty certain would be on this list.... I was obsessed with this album for a while. I actually remember buying the CD from HMV in Carlisle and listening to it on my diskman on the bus home. it's perfect for an angsty teenager. Such a mix in styles too, from really quite pretty piano, to slower emotional, to dream like, to love, all the way to quite heavy angry songs. Lyrically, he can get a bit "look how deep I am" in parts. An ode to no one in particular, which incidentally used to be my favourite track..... Loads of hits on the album though. The first half, which would've been the first CD, is way better than the second imo, but there are still lots of great tracks on the second too. Highlights: Mellon collie and the infinite sadness Tonight tonight Jelly Belly Zero Bullet with butterfly wings To forgive An ode to no one Galapagos Muzzle Porcelina of the vast oceans Bodies Thirty three 1979 By starlight Phew! I think only tales of a scorched earth and cupid de locke I can leave

Gave it a 3. Had it been narrowed down in length and gone for the real quality the album has, instead of nearly 2 hours it'd likely be a 4

I'm pretty sure I got overwhelmed. They got so many styles in this album. Moment by moment I was getting surprised. Soft rock,metal, folk, back to metal. Though I have to respect the variety.

Not bad but nothing stood out over the songs I already knew (Tonight Tonight, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, 1979). Granted, songs that stand out usually do so on the second or later listens and I only listened once because this was two whole hours

It's outstanding overall, very high quality in pretty great quantify, even if one finds the loudest, ragin-est cuts a bit tiresome and feels a bit yo-yoed between those and the rather excellent sweeter and more melodious cuts. On certain days, under specific conditions, this is nearly a 5.

Hvað á maður að gera hér? Margt óþolandi við rödd Corgans og pólitík; þetta var ekki minn tebolli í gamla daga; mikið af lögunum renna saman í eitt; og þetta er alltof langt. En, inn á milli eru fín lög og dæmigerð fyrir sinn tíma. - Kannski ef ég hlustaði oftar...

damn, I had no idea that was a 2 hour double album. I used to hate the smashing pumpkins or at least I loved to make fun of Billy and his whiney voice. But as I've gotten older they've grown on me. IDK if it's just a nostalgia thing or my tastes have changed. But I do enjoy them. This album was WAY overly long and started to feel like a real chore but there are some great songs on here and it was a good listen

pretty good for illinoisans :)

I've heard a lot about this album through different media sources, and is rightly lauded as a defining moment in Alternative Rock. Though not listed as a concept album by Billy Corgan, this "Loose Collection of Songs" has distinctly captured the feelings of teenage angst and confusion. Over 28 songs, there is naturally some brilliant moments and some to be less enjoyed, but a good listen none the less.

very long album. Ok.

28 tracks; some big radio hits; some heavy hard rock, but a surprising number of quiet, thoughtful songs.

Way too much. Way too much moaning.

So whiny, but the voice of a generation.

Musically, I like it a lot. But I just really can’t stand Billy Corgan’s voice… it’s like nails on a chalkboard to me.

An all time great album!

Too many bangers to mention on this one, but I will anyway - 1979, Galapagos, Tonight, Take Me Down, By Starlight...the list goes on and on. Billy Corgan's masterpiece, IMO - a consistent artistic vision, executed perfectly from start to finish. It's 1995 again and I've got long hair 😂

Fantastic

hate his voice i'm sorry to everybody out there, sounds like what a parmesan grater looks like. none of the songs are memorable to me. not my thing.

Has some pretty good songs, don’t like the vibe and lyrics too much

How do I say this? It’s one of rock n rolls greatest releases…ever. 28 songs sprawled across two full albums. Nay a skippable track and classics at every turn. It’s a two hour epic worthy of praise. Seated for me at the throne of ‘90s alternative.

It was interesting and did not expect something like this it is somewhat one of my top 10 albums since i am not that knowledged in it.

Amazing blend of genres, great concept, great songwriting, overall an amazing album.

Overall I really liked it. Thought it dragged on a little long and had a few stinkers near the end. But otherwise was very close to a 5 star.

It's too long, but there are too many good tracks to give it a lesser rating.

ziemlicher standard alt rock, nicht schlecht für ein paar songs, nichts was ich dauerhaft bräuchte

Troszkę przy długie, tkaie 90s prog-emo-rock Highlights: - Tonight, tonight - Zero

Outcome - Really like, needs more listens Melon Collie - Part 1 - Standouts Tonight Tonight Bullet Butterfly An Ode to noone Cupid De Locke Galapogos Muzzle Part 2 - Standouts Thirty-Three 1979 Eyes of Ruby X.Y.U Beautiful Farewell and Goodnight Notes: Sometimes feels disjointed, like going from 1979 to Scorched Earth, sometimes feels like there’s a grunge album mixed with indie rock album Wouldn’t mind splitting and seeing how they sound Feel like I need more than a day to unpack with it being 2 hours long. Needs more listens 2nd Listen Standouts Tonight Tonight* Bullet with Butterfly Wings* Ode to No one* Cupid De Locke* Muzzle Thirty-Three 1979* Scorched Earth Thru the Eyes of Ruby* Stumbline Starlight* Appreciated the album a lot more one 2nd listen (continuous), particularly Porclina, Arms of Sleep, Scorched Earth, and Stumbeline, Starlight Bar a few throwaway I really like the album as a hole. Ultimately I think they could have condensed it, but like the way it goes from aggressive tone to lighter tone. I think I needs a few more listens to settle in fully, will be difficult to get another full listen due to being such a long album. Throwaways: Where’s Boys Fear to Tread Bodies

Listening to this record again straight through for the first time in years reaffirms 3 beliefs: 1. I love The Smashing Pumpkins (and particularly this record) 2. The Smashing Pumpkins had a brief window (both in time and geographically) in between two other defining forces in 90's rock- Nirvana and Oasis 3. I understand why this was both a crowning achievement and the beginning of the end of their well known work. This record is brilliant. But it's also too damn long. Upon listening to it the underlying tones of nostalgia, dissatisfaction, and identify crisis really struck a chord while at a current cross roads of getting older and going through some bad break ups. Take Me Down, Galapogos, and To Forgive stood out- I love that softer range of The Smashing Pumpkins. The heavier songs like Bullet With Butterfly Wings and An Ode to No One simply shred- and a banger is always welcomed in rock. But to me, that highlights why listening to this album straight through and actively listening rather than turning it into background sounds is such a challenge- the length paired with the juxtapositions. It doesn't flow as well as I so desperately wish it could. Which in the end shows why the best songs from this album are the ones we already all know and love, and why they ARE the defining tunes of The Smashing Pumpkins. Tonight, Tonight and 1979 in the less than 9 minutes in totality of both songs do what the rest of the album doesn't- blends the soaring highs, the headbanging, the soft tones, the nostalgia, the miss your best friends from middle school and the band you no longer play with and the freedom and recklessness and awkward growing pains of youth into two ballads that both tonally and lyrically capture everything this album is, but without having to sit around for the full 2 hours to get there. 1979 has been on my "On Repeat" Spotify Playlist for 6 straight years, and I doubt it will go away anytime soon. I think that says it all.

GOOD GOD this one was rough. no one should be making a 2 hour album. this whole thing was pretty forgettable most of the songs sounded the same to me. I did notice some of the songs seemed to transition into each other nicely. i’m sure my opinion of this album would change on a second listen but at 2hours 1 min we know that ain’t happening again.

Believe it or not I listened to this bitch twice in a day 😂 was originally gonna give it a 2, but upon my second listen I realized there really isn’t anything wrong with most of these songs sonically, but most of he songs just don’t interest me and leave me bored.I don’t mind some of the noisier songs like jellybelly, but some like love are a complete miss. Might be a hot take, but I also don’t care for the softer songs such as tonight tonight, I just don’t prefer the pumpkins in this style. Instead the songs I enjoyed the most were the ones that had a good balance of soft and noise such as 1979 and muzzle. This album has only like 4 songs in my rotation, and I never intend to revisit the whole thing after this. My rating would be a 2.5, but I’ll be nice and round it to a 3. Also Siamese Dream >>>>

This album was built on fuzz pedals and lyrics that were written by a 15 year old edgelord. I liked some songs on this album esepcially their softer hits such as 1979 and Tonight,Tonight, but mostly every other song sounded the same. By the time disc 1 was over, I was a exhausted listening to that weasel Billy Corgan scream over and over into the mic as if he was a thirteen year old throwing an angsty tantrum. I much rather prefer when Smashing Pumpkins mellows the listeners down and gives them really nice experiances like 1979 and tonight, tonight. I really like the feel of those two songs and no matter how many times I listen to them, they will always hit the same everytime. The starting two tracks really killed it with setting up a really cool vibe I just wish the next 4-5 tracks weren't fuzzathons. Overall decent album

I don’t think this one suffered from being too long as much as some of the other double/triple albums did. I liked just about every track on it and there are plenty of different genres being mixed in this album to keep you intrigued. Personal favorites are Here is No why and 1979. Here is no why’s riff is fucking sick, really moody, and like the rest of the album it has a great guitar tone. 1979 is just a perfect song and for me it encapsulates the nostalgic feeling of this album really well. Toss up 4/5 for me but the only thing that might hold it back is that the back half didn’t have as many standouts as the first. Even though I liked the whole second half it didn’t hit as hard as the first. Gonna go 4 cuz I think I’ve been handing out too many 5’s and I wanna reel my ratings in a little bit. (Bad, Kilimanjaro, and dirty probably should’ve been 4’s) 👍:1979, here is no why

I let out an sigh as soon as I saw this album, my condition did not improve much

Excited for this one. Surprised I haven’t listened to this all the way through AND that I didn’t know it was so damn long. Man the intro was beautiful, and played well into track 2. SHEEEEES THE OOOOOONE FOR MEEEEE SHES ALL I REALLY NEED OH YEA I love the spacey sounding synth towards the end of ‘To Forgive’

There’s a lot of good songs here. There’s also some bad ones. It had a pretty wide range stylistically. Some loud stuff, some grunge stuff, prog rock stuff, some lighter acoustic stuff. Billy Corgan is not the best singer and his songwriting can be pretty weak at times. But the album is riddled with great instrumentals and melodies. The more I listen to it the more I’m enjoying it. I feel like I need more time with this album to truly sort it out. Quick little shoutout to tracks that I HATED: tales of scorched earth, xyu, love. There’s probably around 7 more that I disliked/ thought we’re just okay. But that’s still 18 songs that I liked. Yeah this album is too long, but at least it has enough quality to, at least somewhat, justify the long run time. Hard to decide on rating/favorite songs when there’s 28 songs, some of which I’ve only listened to once. Originally was thinking 3 but it’s grown on me a lot in just a day and I’m gonna bank on it continuing to grow. With that considered, im gonna, cautiously, go with a 4. Best: 1979, Galapagos, thirty three MMM: 😆WEEEEEEE DONT EVEEEN CARE

It’s an epic length effort. A dark and brooding piece at times, but it rocks with a lot of good tracks.

Equal parts gentile and aggressive. Muzzle has become my go to track from this album over the years.

Fucking love that guitar tone

I now feel a tiny bit closer to all the pre-Goth kids from middle school.

Classic/10

The first time I listened to this album I listened to it 3 times through - back to back Not entirely by design. One wrong turn on a pre-satnav journey through mid Wales turned a 2 hour journey into a 6 hour one But then there aren’t many double albums that can reward such a listen, let alone ones that still stand up 30 years later Is it bloated? Of course. But it’s very much the equivalent of overdoing at the most fantastic feast imaginable. You may have had too much but you’ve had too much of the very best

3. The music's alright, but its just way too fucking long. (Especially that 6 hour version that's the only one availible on spotify.)

I never liked this. This listen did not change my mind. My current standard for ratings is that if it is better than Bongo Rock it gets three stars. I concede here in the notes that this album is, but I’m rating it two stars anyway. They’re lucky they aren’t getting one star for not really being better than my only one star rating, Afghan Wigs.

First and last impressions: whiny. Really, really whiny. The vocals are tough to get through, and though the instrumentals are good, it's not enough to save the droning that goes on.

Tonight, tonight... I'll rate this album tonight. Yes, tonight... Huge respect to the band for recording a 2-hour album that is not boring. I think their recording session might have been one of the most productive sessions ever made. Billy Corgan's voice is interesting. It fits those instruments perfectly. I'd give the album 5 out of 5 if it was shorter.

Maybe I picked a wrong strategy with this one. I have several double albums in my physical collection and I rarely listen to both cds at once. So why should I do that to Mellon Collie? Just because it was generated as my daily album on 1001 albums? While I genuinely enjoyed the music, at the beginning of the second part I already had quite enough. The division is there for a reason. Also I love the cover. I've only ever seen it in miniature before and now I can see that it really looks great.

Belter of an album. Genuinely a classic.

the vast majority of double albums should be single albums.

Oh man I love this album and I forgot it existed until today

Good in parts, but overlong

sounds blend together well. cant really tell what instrument is what besides strings and drums guitars sound cool, not sure how they did that Stand outs: Jellybelly; Tonight, Tonight; Here is No Why;...? didnt listen to all of it but what i heard was pretty good

Definitely up there as one of the longest albums I've had on the list so far. Despite all that I thought it was an excellent album that was overall varied enough to never get old. This was a real journey from soft to hard to soft again and it slapped the whole time, but it maybe messed with the pace a little too much - sometimes it left me with some whiplash. I hadn't been sure about my opinion on Billy Corgan's vocals going into this but I got used to them and it stopped being so jarring after some time. Still a really good album though, and I think I'll come back to this. Favourite: Bullet With Butterfly Wings

This is my first time listening to this album in full and it's a lot better than I expected. I expected it to be good but there's such a good mix of extremely loud heavy hitters and songs that take their time. The production is great and yes, on a bad day I don't really want to listen to Billy sing but most of the time I like it. It's grand in scope and length but if you take the time to listen to it I think it is worth it. A little demanding especially if you've never heard this band before. There wasn't any songs that I disliked. Score: 90 Art: 80

Love 90's alternative, love this album. It's 2 hours, it absolutely doesn't need to be that long, but there is no denying the amount of bangers here. There are great songs on both discs with some beautiful melodies. One second it's heavy and harsh then turns soft and sweet right after. Billy Corgan is a douche, his voice might sound like a drill to the brain to some, but I like it and find there is more challenging vocals elsewhere on this list. Also, Siamese Dream might be better.

This was another album that I was looking forward to getting at some point. It's pretty long but didn't noticeably drag at any point and I definitely enjoyed it more than soma. Bullet with butterfly wings and 1979 are still the best but I really liked how eclectic the tracks were overall. Like the song after 1979 is full on metal.

Bo-ring

Was going to go 4 on the strength of the singles, but fuck me is there a lot of bloat. Guitars sound amazing and Chamberlain is an incredible drummer.

Some absolute bangers but a lot of "filler", I did listen to the delux version which might have been the wrong call.

Isn't this shit like 6 hours? (That's the deluxe version). ITS 2 HOURS ANYWAY!!! Had a novel wank listening to this album, was fun, came right as they reached the revelation that they were a rat in a cage. They're playing near me in the next month and it's really unfortunate that I couldn't get tickets, because these guys are mental (a good thing).

I fuck with this.

Very high highs and very low lows Also just too long

No matter how many times I’ve tried, I just can’t get through this album. I said this when we listened to Siamese Dream, but I don’t care for this record. I think all the success of that previous record—which is so much more immediate, raw, and urgent than anything here—went straight to Mr. Corgan’s noggin. Sure, there are some great pop songs. But I find the string arrangements cheesy, Billy’s sneering croon far too sharp and bare, and the thematic content annoyingly twee. Maybe I’ve just heard these songs on KROQ too much in my 30 years. But still, having liked what the Pumpkins turned in with Siamese Dream, I find the mainstream, grunge-pop, alt-important sound of Mellon Collie to be a major misdirection. And I also find no reason why this should be a triple album. It’s far too long. Many songs here that should have been B-sides. The 6-hour reissue is just ridiculous. It makes me like the album even less. As does the fact that the vinyl version of the album has an entirely different track order. I really only like the straight up pop numbers. The rest is just not good. I’m borderline 1/5 but will bump one point basically just for “1979,” which I think this an important cut in the history of indie/alt rock and is not only listenable, but enjoyable too, no matter how many times I’ve heard it.

Impossible album. Really difficult to get my head around. It's long, so -1 star for its absurdity. It's monotonous. It feels like one long dream sequence, almost trancelike. I LOVED some of the songs, they were so precious, and for a few minutes there I felt like I really got what they were going for. But it's just way too gratuitous for me to want to return that much, 2/5

Excellent piece of work. Influential and beautiful

17th April 2023 Listened during the day while working from home after Sav’s stag. Seb staying an extra night after the weekend. Sequence and the Wheel. Not a great listen when you’re riddled with post stag and work anxiety. 2.5 if I could.

magically

This album is very interesting. If you want diverse song type content this is it. It’s 90s rock but with some soft and some hard songs. Personally I think 2 hours is way too long for a album. I liked some songs but couldn’t stand others. I think I would have liked it a lot more if it wasn’t a bit of heavy metal. 90s rock has never sounded great on my ears. I read that they wanted to make their own version of the wall. It definitely does not match the wall but I can see how they tried with all the diversity. I heard this is considered one of the best albums of the 90s and I think that’s proof that the 90s music fell short to other decades. The lyrics in this album are teenage angst not something I cared for. And the album lacks a strong story that the wall had.

Didn't really know what to expect having heard only the hits. I think they should have selected a handful of the best songs rather than overload the album. I found their quieter songs to be the better ones, while the "heavy" ones didn't work for me from this band .

Tea Deus and the Finite Patience

Ah yes, the double CD I filched from my older sister's room. Remember when you'd buy a double CD and it would come in a very clunky awkward case that didn't fit into the CD racks we bought to show off our impressive music collections? This was a crown jewel of that collection for sure, after I stole it from hers. She didn't have really cool taste, she just had this one to impress a boy she liked. I, on the other hand, listened to this album a lot. I really got into it in my college years. Billy is a difficult personality and his opinions are polarizing at best, but he's a tortured soul who writes beautiful music. I'm not a fan of overly long albums, but this just flows so perfectly throughout. It taps into something very melancholic and sad inside of me indeed. It's a cathartic listen but it also brings the alt rock intensity I crave too. Stellar work, an all-time great.

I would usually hate to have to listen to this much emo-rock, but I think this hit me on a good day. 5

Such a great album.

I don't know... certainly not bad by any means, but it does not really work for me.

Absolute titan of 90s alt rock. This album has so many bangers, it would be almost any other band's greatest hits album.

This album is really good. Like seriously it would be a dream to listen to it front to back at least once a week. There are so many songs in here that I wish people can talk about more. For me my favorite song on this is Lily (My One And Only).

It was good and some of the songs I remember from the 90’s but I felt like something was missing.

I had no idea that I would like this, let alone love it. I’m going to explore more of their music.

Mukavaa rallattelua

2h levyks aika pirun kova. Aika meni siivillä eikä voi sanoo, et ois yhtään huonoo biisii ollu. Kuitenkin se yks tietty x-factor jäi vielä uupumaan, että nousis kirkkaimpien joukkoon. Todella vahva nelonen

A classic

The current track listing on Spotify is 92 songs. Almost infinite! Billy can dial in some of my favourite guitar sounds. I love the big muff overdrive so much. This album just doesn't use that enough though.

Serious nostalgia with this one, it felt like Year 11 all over again. Watching Rage with mates on a Sunday morning, sharing the back stories of Darcy and Iha and Billy in a pre-internet world where information was currency. Some cracking tunes and some beautiful ones and a few too many. This would have been a sublime single album.

I’m cataloguing this under “great music tarnished by annoying vocals” I will return to this one someday to give it another chance. I thought the music was great, good performance by the band, plenty of well written stuff, but the vocals bugged me often

their style is pretty neat but this mans voice is super annoying and the album has no reason to last for two whole hours

Look, is my rating based heavily on nostalgia? Absolutely. Is Billy Corgan a raging douche? Indubitably. But I still fucking love this album. I feel like the ratio of bangers to filler is EXTREMELY high, way more than Siamese Dream, which is like half filler IMHO. This one has a handful, sure, but honestly the ebb and flow from the harder grunge songs to the melodic ballads makes the 2 hours go by like a breeze for me (although I recommend taking a quick break after Take Me Down to switch CDs 😉). Anyway, I usually listen to this album once a year around the end of October when it came out originally, and it's got perfect vibes for that time of year. Getting the annual listen out of the way in March felt a little weird, but it's still great. Probably listen to again in 7 months tbh! It's a subjective opinion and people are allowed to feel differently of course, but for me this will always be THE Smashing Pumpkins album, and one of the best albums of the 90s. I'll say top 25, it was a pretty good decade. 😆

I've heard a lot of complaints that this album is bloated, but honestly I don't know that I could pick out a single track that I actively dislike. Billy Corgan is a genuinely great songwriter, managing to keep the album authentically grungy and alternative whilst having some excellent pop instincts that make it no wonder this was a big hit. Obviously there are some overwrought lyrics on this thing but they come across to me as less cringeworthy and more charming, very authentic feeling without any of the artifice that is poison to the tone the band is trying to achieve. I also appreciated the wide variety of tones and sounds the band was willing to explore, opening with an instrumental piano ballad and going on to demonstrate harder grungier tracks as well as some light pseudo-dream pop cuts. Overall the best criteria I can judge a double album on is if I ever wanted it to hurry up and end, and to be honest I cannot say that thought ever crossed my mind. In fact I honestly wanted to jump straight back in and listen over again, which is a rare feat even for many shorter albums! Highly recommended. Highlights: Tonight, Tonight, Zero, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Cupid De Locke, Porcelina of the Vast Oceans Bodies, 1979, Thru The Eyes of Ruby, X.Y.U, By Starlight

This was my first concert this tour. For sure 6/5

First song is just gorgeous, beautiful instrumental and way to start the album. Feels very vibes like these are songs you would find in a coming of age movie from the 90’s/2000’s. Not traditionally my sound but I really like it. Perfect change of pace from what I usually listen to. 28 tracks is crazy and 95 on the deluxe HUH??? They have clearly lost their minds.

Föööör långt, massa filler sånger kändes de som , som int sku ha behövt vara med, flera vangers ändå

Ignore the haters, this is a banger album. The album starts with an incredible run spanning something like the first 8 songs. After that it takes a small dip for a few songs before returning to excellence with the epic “Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans” and capping off the first disc with the quaint “Take Me Down”. The second disk is overall not as strong, though it still has great songs like the iconic “1979”. For some reason they decided to make the last 5 songs all slow songs, which really kills the momentum of the album. That being said, “Farewell and Goodnight” is a very pretty closer. This album gets a strong 4. I almody didn’t notice it was 2 hours long :^)

Det här albumet skulle ha sina sidor om man inte behövde höra på BC:s genuint vidriga sångröst och mediokra lyrics två timmar i sträck, men även utan honom skulle det vara för långt och Sakna Funktion... 1979 är en helt bra pop låt dokk

Tonight, Tonight was a great song, the album is huge tho so I didn’t listen to all of it

Not sure there is a band who can go from love song to rage any better than the Pumpkins. I am so happy this album made the list because the list has given me the patience to really dig into these artist on a level I have never given the appropriate attention they deserve. Well, some of them. Anyway, I have always been a fan of the Pumpkins, but this album has made my appreciation grow to a level that only a few bands have been able to accomplish. The sound and many of the the songs are outstanding. The lyrics are even better. I write stuff out and have quoted so many lyrics, my review would take hours to write, so I'll keep to a few I loved the most because we all listened and heard. Songs I will forever love: Tonight Tonight - love the orchestra. Favorite lines "Believe in me as I believe in you". "The more you change, the less you feel." This line because it makes me think, not true. The more you change, if it a good change, the more you love. The more you feel. The more you appreciate those you love. The more we need to feel and love those in our lives. Zero - "intoxicated with my madness. I'm in love with my sadness". "God is empty, just like me." 1979, Thirty Three. All time classics. Bullet with Butterfly Wings - One of my go to garage and rage out due to the stresses of the world and life. Mindy going through the difficulties of cancer and treatments. I would go to the garage, toke up and scream this song until I was hoarse and crying. Somehow made me feel everything was going to be OK. Sometimes I still cry when I hear this song. Shit, gotta tear in my eye right now. Songs that somehow feel off the radar, that shouldn't have: Here is no Why, An Ode to no One, Muzzle and X.Y.U X.Y.U - change Mary to Mindy - is this about us? "She didn't wanna be. She didn't wanna know. She couldn't run away cause she is crazy." :0 Love songs/Deep meaning/Beautiful lyrics" Take me Down, Beautiful, In the arms of Tonight - "And I'll always need her more than she could ever need me." Holy shit, that line hit me hard. The truth always does. Galapagos - "and tell me I'm the man I'm suppose to be. I won't deny the pain." gogdamn............ The lyrical content is some of the best I have ever heard off one album. I call myself a Pumpkins fan and I need to go back to revisit all of their albums. BTW, great live show in Detroit a few years back. Pretty confident I see this year. So happy I spent the time to take this very long album in and let in soak into the soul. Can't say all the songs were great, but damnit, I'm doing it because this album really hit hard in a great way. If you think this is long, I felt like I cut off a lot. haha. 5

In my opinion almost all double albums really only have one album's worth of decent songs on them. Mellon Collie is my primary example of this. There are SO MANY incredible tunes on here that will be in my personal playlist forever. So many songs that I have deep personal and nostalgic connections to. However for every one of those songs there's at least one boring forgettable filler fucking nonsense. Mellon Collie is nothing if not ambitious. 4 because the songs that hit, hit HORD

4.5 Alright, Smashing Pumpkins - one of my favorite bands. While their best album in my eyes will always be Siamese Dream, I can see why some consider this their magnum opus. The double-album was a huge step forward in the evolution of the band and is full of creative, diverse, and, at times, theatrical songwriting, BUT it raises the age old question… is it too long? Look, this album starts off 10/10. The titular piano ballad is absolutely beautiful and sets the tone for the album immediately without outstaying its welcome - and then we kick into the absolute banger that is Tonight, Tonight. It’s one of my favorite songs by the band, and I’ve also always thought the music video captures the vibe of both the song and album perfectly (it also features the future voice actor for Spongebob in the main male role!) Then we get into some heavier, electric guitar-driven stuff that serves as a nice reminder that these guys can really rock out. Of course Zero and Bullet with Butterfly Wings are classics, but I’ve always thought Jellybelly and Here Is No Why are absolutely great tunes by their own merit and hold their own despite being cramped between a series of mega hits. From there, I feel like we hit a little bit of a slump in the album as things slow down with To Forgive. While things start picking up again with Galapagos, Porcelina of Vast Oceans is the last epic moment of this side before things end with a bit of a weak closer in Take Me Down (sorry James - Blew Away is a great tune though!). Part 2 starts incredibly strong with two of the band's most underrated tunes in Where Boys Fear to Tread and Bodies (the latter I always thought was a good skateboarding song). After that, I feel like you get a bit of a mixed bag, generally alternating between a really solid tune and a more forgettable one. Among those solid tunes is 1979, which, yes, is the band’s most popular song, but honestly has every right to be. Despite the name, the song feels timeless, and even as someone born 18 years after, I think of my high school friends and shenanigans whenever I listen. Finally, after 26 tracks, the band sticks the landing with By Starlight (probably the best slow song on the album) leading into Farewell and Goodnight, which, although a tad cheesy, feels like an appropriate conclusion. So is it too long? Is a double-album justified? I definitely think the argument could be made that it is and that there are songs that could be cut, but I also feel like that would take away from the grandiose, theatrical nature of the album in some ways, and honestly, even the weakest points of this album aren’t bad. That being said, I do feel like the two-hour runtime does dissuade me from re-listening to this one too often, so do with that what you will. As stated, not my favorite of theirs, but very, very, very good… and appropriately, I think this is now my longest review as well. Final thoughts - if you’re in the camp this album is too long, as a test of Billy’s musical drive/insanity, there were at least 30 more fully finished songs prepared for this album that didn’t make the final cut. Let that soak in.

Was a fan of the Pumpkins back in the day, and played the first two albums a lot, and saw them live a couple of times (including touring this album, where they didn't play anything from Gish). Wasn't so much into this one at the time, perhaps I was a bit worn out by sad angry Billy. His voice never bothered me but I know it does for others. 2 hours long, it's going to be a challenge for some but I found this worth going through again. There really is a lot of great stuff here, the singles are rightly famous but there is a wide range of music on show, they can do soft and mellow as well as hard and cranky. Drumming is top notch. And oh yes, the 90's angst here is out and proud. I'm no longer a rat in cage but still got a nostalgia kick from this.

I'm not 100% sure it needed to be two hours long, but I'm glad it is. A classic of the "post-grunge" era, with loads of light and shade and musical variety. I played in a Pumpkins cover band when I was a teenager, and love the songs as much now as I did then.

The album that guided me into alternative rock world. Love it dearly.

great for work

Some bangers, but also a bit too long and bloated. Cello tinged crescendos are rather majestic though. 🎃🎃🎃

Took me a while to get into it back in the day but it eventually got me. Very good but not great album. Wouldn't have hurt it to trim the fat and make it a long single album, rather than a double.

10/10 okay, I’ve been putting off Mellon Collie for a looooonng time because I just couldn’t really see myself getting into The Smashing Pumpkins but actually sitting down and listening to this beautiful behemoth of an album, it all just works together so perfectly I don’t only understand the hype, I’m completely experiencing it, and it’s beautiful

Huge fan when it came out and still think it's great. Plenty of excellent tracks and a few weird/interesting ones.

Probably dont need 2 hours of this, but a great album nonetheless. I had listened to this once before and it didn't stick, but a second time through proved to the sweet spot 4/5

Song I already knew: 1969 Favorite song: 1979 By starlight We only come out at night 3/5

Ég fíla þetta í smáskömmtum. Heil, tvöföld plata er helst til mikið í einu rennsli fyrir mig.

favorites: Bullets with Butterfly Wings, 1979

Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness: 2/5. It's a lullaby at best. Tonight, Tonight: 1/5. Sorry, can't stand the voice. Jellybelly: 1/5. It's an artistic dissonance, I'll give them that. Zero: 3/5. Somehow I like this more than its predecessors. Here Is No Why: 1/5. Unintelligible. Bullet With Butterfly Wings: 3/5. Actually good, this one has structure. To Forgive: 2/5. An attempt for clerical redemption after the hard rock. An Ode To No One: 4/5. An odyssey in and of itself. Love: 1/5. Not what I had in mind. Cupid De Locke: 1/5. Okay then. Galapogos: 1/5. Sleepy. Muzzle: 1/5. Right, more lullabies... Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans: 1/5. So, from intense music to bedtime? Take Me Down: 1/5. I was asleep here. Where Boys Fear To Tread: 1/5. None of these stand out! Bodies: 1/5. Aaaand we're back with the whiny rock. (Love is not suicide!) Thirty-Three: 1/5. So monotonous, I'm skipping. In The Arms Of Sleep: 1/5. Just ugly-sounding. Skipped. 1979: 1/5. Okay this album is clearly not for me. Skipped. Tales Of A Scorched Earth: 1/5. Torture but musical. Skipped. Thru The Eyes Of Ruby: 1/5. Oh my god, skipped. Stumbleine: 1/5. This album has more mood (genre?) swings than bipolars. X.Y.U.: 1/5. Can't catch a breath with this album's nonsense. We Only Come Out At Night: 1/5. Ugh, this is tiresome. Skipped. Beautiful: 2/5. A nice change of pace and style, even if very minor. Lily (My One And Only): 1/5. Meh, whiny again, skipped. By Starlight: 1/5. This is bad, deadass. Skipped. Farewell And Goodnight: 1/5. And goodbye, I'm not wasting my time.

Kinda scared to listen to this... i know it's REALLY long! Sounds great so far though. I'm not gonna listen to the whole thing at once though.

Such a great album. Often feel it has some of Corgan's deepest compositions. As I have gotten older I have started to appreciate Siamese Dream maybe more, but this is probably the most influential double album in my life. Top Songs: Stumbleine, 1979, Muzzle, Galapagos, For No One 5/5

first disc is amazing - second falls off. but the first disc alone gets it a 5

M exposure to the pumpkins has mostly been through their hits. I’ve been meaning to check this album out but have felt daunted by the length. It is quite good. They switch it up the pace and style a decent amount which is imperative for such a big record, but as a whole it has a cohesive sound. Corgan is a weirdo but his lyrics, when discernible, are powerful. I didn’t love the heavy metal aspects but appreciate the texture they added. Other than the singles, my faves were Love and Bodies.

Interesting

It's a really long album. When the music is good, I usually don't mind a long album...but this was really long. Did I mention how long it was? One good song, 1979. The rest are relatively forgettable after a few listens... It isn't bad...just too long. :) 3/5

It’s always great to see albums already in your collection show up on here. Classic 90s prog rock

A lot of people think this is their best album. I just direct them to Siamese Dream. There’s a lot of songs on here. Some hits, some not. The ones that aren’t hits can be really meandering. Either way, this is some good 90s alt rock.

nope

Great, still great, always great

There’s most likely a 5 star album in here somewhere but 2 hours is a long time. I don’t mind that he sounds like a frog with a sinus infection or that the true moshers claim they are inauthentic rich kids. I like the blend of tender ballads and dirty grunge, I’ve just not really got the time to listen to 1h20mins of it right now.

3.6 kinda fell off after 1979

One of the best albums ever made, those who were teenagers in the 90s remember turning on the TV and watching the Smashing Pumpkins videos and singing all the songs on this CD. It was always a dream of mine, but I could only realize it as an adult... to this day I remember admiring the booklet, reading the lyrics, and listening to the songs!

Two whole hours of emo dirge

1st song was great way to start an lp There are several amazing songs on this album

Corgan and crew delivered an astonishing output during the sessions for this album. Incredible songs, amazing arrangements, the way this went beyond alternative to breakthrough to the mainstream. Listen to the deluxe version with all the extra stuff. So good.

Way too long, with moments of brilliance. I think this would still be four stars if it were a single album as, while I love lots of it, it's not mind blowing.

It’s just as bloated as I remember the record.

A touch bloated but wonderful nonetheless

There wasn't much that I liked about this. One-dimensional sub-metal college rock with no dynamics, and I really didn't like Corgan's voice enough to try to work out what the songs were about. I got six tracks in and bailed - the thought of two hours of this was anything but smashing.

TWO chuffing hours? No thanks Billy, mate. I only knew the tracks 1979 and Tonight before listening to the album in full. Both are pleasant and plod along in a nice sensitive pop kinda way. The rest of the album was a racket. I bailed after track 9. What US alt artists lack in humour they certainly make up for in stodge.