Reviews (page 5 of 14)
Great album
It's too long and there's some content that could've been left behind. The highs are high but the lows are pretty bland. It's 3.5 stars rounded up
Rounding up to a 4. The singles are great and I do like the vibe, however, a double album in the cd era is simply too much. I didn't engage with this record as a teenager and I don't really have the bandwidth to do it as an adult but I can see how a teen with no responsibilities could immerse themselves.
6.3/10
Enjoyable album but there’s some duds on there
Mellon Collie is like a sonic Rorschach test: it'll confirm your ink-blot impressions of Corgan as a whiner, a wanker, a wizard, or late-stage wunderkind. He is, of course, all of those things. But if this record is one thing and one thing only, it's an expression of peak Billy Corgan confidence — and he always had an abundance of confidence. Millions of teenagers can be wrong, but they can also be right. I imagine that a pared-down version of this album would be more my style but I know it would no longer be the infinite sadness that it is. It's also wild to know what we know now, that this *is* the pared-down version as this was also peak productivity for the Pumpkins. This is a record you can leave for stretches and come back to find it's still doing its thing. And while it's not the Smashing Pumpkins record I choose to put on to listen to (I prefer more succinct and raucous indulgences), I'm glad it exists in the way that it does. It got plenty of people I know through some dark times.
Hyggelig og nostalgisk gjenhør, men to timer med Corgans stemme er heftig.
This album came so close to winning me over. I was very skeptical going into it, given the massive runtime, the child-like aesthetic of the cover, and my general dislike of Billy Corgan as a public figure. I ended up enjoying most of it, but there were some definite stumbling points. In particular, the parts where the band strays away from their grunge roots were very hit or miss, and it felt like Corgan's nasally vocals didn't match with the softer moments. Plus, while there weren't any songs that I felt were particularly bad, the two-hour runtime didn't feel justified. That being said, it was hard to deny the sheer ambition of the album and Corgan's complete sincerity with how he handles every aspect of the album. His lyrics can come across as overly melodramatic or pretentious at times, but he delivers it with such conviction and without any irony that it didn't bother me. The heavier moments on this album were when the band really shined, especially the guitar parts and how Corgan's vocals meshed with the instrumentals. This is an album I can certainly see growing on me in the future with repeated listens, especially since my primary issues are fairly surface level, but right now those issues still bother me.
I forgot how great this album was. Memories of grade 11.
I give this album a strong four stars.
A testament to the songs here that this double album never really feels bloated. Corgan's voice is certainly not for everyone, but I think he's always used it effectively - leaning towards something softer in the slower tracks for example.
too much stuff inside
apparently i can't be normal about this band. i got this album and then two days later i got Siamese Dream, and i gave them both 3 stars and now here i am several days later having activated the edit feature just so i can go back and change both to 4s because, as i said, apparently i can't be normal about this band. the thing about the Smashing Pumpkins... is that their entire discography for me seems to be divided into two categories: 1. grunge i don't care about and couldn't hum to you even though i've heard it a million times 2. some of the most gut-wrenching music i've ever heard in my life that makes me stop dead in the street and want to bawl my eyes out. that's it. there is literally no in-between. and so i gave this (and Siamese Dream) 3 stars because at first because they're just NOT albums i can listen to all the way through and large parts of them are not my thing and yet. AND YET. Tonight, Tonight - one of the defining songs of my life (i'm not exagerrating). Cupid De Locke, Galapogos, Thirty-Three, 1979. i got to Today in Siamese Dream and just lost it. i don't know what it is. i don't know what they've laced their songs with. they make me FEEL SO MUCH. it feels weird to give 4s to these two albums but i have to do it.
Certains morceaux bénéficieraient d'un album plus court
So many bangers but its too long.
The favourite album of ex of mine that cruelly dumped me when I was convinced that we'd be together forever. Can howl "Tonight, Tonight" with a passion and fire unlike any other as a result. Also, other songs are available on this album
haha i already listened to this album, actually their entire discog 🤭
I need to listen to this again, even though it’s 2 hours long. At first I was super excited to listen to this because I knew about the band and I love the song “1979". The first side had me feeling disappointed even though I was saving some songs. It was a little too harsh for me. As the album continued I started liking it more and more, with side 2 being vastly superior to side 1 for me. Their sound is really beautiful and the variety of styles on this bumps it from a 3.5 to 4.
Mellon Collie is a wonderful album, and my entry point for this band. I used to be more turned off for what I considered filler on this double-album, and while I still have a playlist to condense this into a solid hour of rock, I enjoy the fill listen more over time.
Honestly could be half the length
Why did they have to release two hoies of music at once? Disc 1 is one of the best collections of alternative rock ever, but after 1979 tones out, there’s not much more to get excited about. X.Y.U. being an extremely honorable exception. Too bad, because the songwriting merit for the first hour is great.
A marathon!
It’s definitely too long, but there are so many beautiful tracks here. A really great mixture of heavy grunge and delicate ballads.
Really long 3.5/5
Monday, Monday: 8/10. this whole album already sounds awesome and it's only the opener! which is why I'm also not giving it a huge grade. Straight Shooter: 7/10. underwhelming compared to the previous one tbh... great potential but not so awesome execution, could've been more explosive Got a Feeling: 7/10. not very relevant I call your name: 8/10. quite a vibe Do you wanna dance: 7/10. not bad, slow but not bad Go where you wanna go: 8/10. catchy again ayeee California dreaming: 9/10. FOR THE MEME VALUE. I HAD NO IDEA IT HAD THIS SONG Spanish Harlem: 7/10. a vibe but it reminds me of church choirs Somebody groovy: Hey girl: 9/10. very nice I also liked the lyrics You baby: 8/10. not bad but not extraordinary to me The in crowd: 7/10. I don't know what I'm listening to anymore all these songs sound a little too similar. It's not bad completely tho
Damn good music. When they get rolling, they ROLL Best Song: Tonight, Tonight Rating: 8/10 Stars: 4
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - 4/5 Tonight, Tonight - 5/5 Jellybelly - 4/5 Zero - 4.5/5 Here is No Why - 4/5 Bullet With Butterfly Wings - 5/5 To Forgive - 4/5 An Ode to No One - 4/5 Love - 4/5 Cupid de Locke - 4/5 Galapogos - 4.5/5 Muzzle - 4.5/5 Porcelina of the Vast Oceans - 4/5 Take Me Down - 4/5 Where Boys Fear to Tread - 4/5 Bodies - 4.5/5 Thirty-Three - 4.5/5 In the Arms of Sleep - 4/5 1979 - 5/5 Tales of a Scorched Earth - 3/5 Thru the Eyes of Ruby - 3.5/5 Stumbleine - 3.5/5 X.Y.U. - 4/5 We Only Come Out at Night - 3.5/5 Beautiful - 3.5/5 Lily (My One and Only) - 3.5/5 By Starlight - 3.5/5 Farewell and Goodnight - 4/5 I understand this they wanted to do a double album with the amount of leftover material they had on their prior album, but they left a lot of filler on the second disk that really should not be on here. A 2 hour double album is a lot and drags on when the first disk is pretty good and then most of the songs after 1979 were middling at best. The jumps between alternative/grunge to metal-inspired to dream pop songs were a bit jarring at first, but the songs are mostly all good enough to not be immediately put off. OK maybe the jump between 1979 and Tales of a Scorched Earth was extremely jarring but that's besides the point. Maybe a bit too long of an album but the highs are high enough to prop up the filler that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Tonight, Tonight, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, 1979
Cuando alguien dice Esmashin, este álbum es el que me viene a la mente. VOy a decir lo mismo que los demas pero porque es cierto: se hace largo y la voz de Bilardo se vuelve tediosa. El resto está bien.
Good album. 2 hours is quite a while for an album though had to listen to it in 2 sittings.
Achei a primeira parte muito boa, não imaginei q esse álbum ia me prender tanto, vou continuar no segundo disco mais tarde.
This album is doubtlessly their high water mark. I was really surprised by the breadth of musical styles that I found while listening. I’m familiar with the singles but hadn’t gone front to back on the album before. The length is a big hurdle to get over and I can see that putting people off from it. Even if I don’t revisit it entirely I don’t want to otherwise discolor a very good 90s rock album. It has at least inspired me to see what else I’ve missed from The Smashing Pumpkins.
I liked this a lot more than I expected. Certainly there’s a few hits here that I knew I’d enjoy, but the album as a whole was pretty well put together. I can only really knock it for the length. I’m not completely against double albums but it’s really gotta be good to bring me back. If 4.5 rounds up to 5, then this was a 4.49. Solid.
I knew all of the singles, of course, but I had never listened to this full album before. I liked it a lot more than I was expecting to, but i'll admit i had to break it up over 2 days.
Surprisingly consistent for a two hour double album. From crunching guitars to hypnotic grooves, Mellon Collie mixes textures and dynamics expertly. Knocking a star off for the crap name
Sure, as many have pointed out, Billy Corgan's voice is not particularly pleasant, nor his lyrics particularly smart. And the guy used to take himself way too seriously. Howver, I have always liked this album and I am not even a big fan of anything grunge-y: the sound is just powerful and some tunes are memorable.
There are some fantastic songs on these albums, but there are also A LOT of mid album filler. The good songs still pull this out of mediocrity to a solid 4.
A departure from their earlier stuff but there’s some good songs. Definitely could’ve been made a really great of single album instead of the double album that it was
Ich rank das jetzt.. irgendwann komm ich zurück denke ich aber ist eigentlich sehr taff nur manchmal verliert mich das ehrlich gesagt. Ich fand Siamese Dream etwas besser aber gut
Well, this certainly was era-defining.
Penetrates the roots of emotion, ethereal, rocking double album that holds together with strong lyrics, music, and stories.
Thoroughly enjoyed. Gave me great teenage nostalgia. Track wise there were some skips, but all in all a solid effort.
This album is all over the place but the big hits all have a certain sound. Funny how I forgot about all of the deep cuts. Some really doomy, trashy stuff on here. Pleasant surprises for a album I have owned for 30 years and never really listened to.
Good, maybe even 5 stars, but I need to listen to it more to confirm.
It seems redundant to comment on how melodramatic this album is throughout given its name. For the most part Corgan manages to successfully walk the line between earnestness and over the top self-pity. The result is an album with some absolutely brilliant highs with the occasional cringe-inducing line mixed in. The album sounds incredible. Siamese Dream is one of my favourite albums of all time and this one carries on right where SD left off. The contrast between soft and heavy, light and dark, beautiful arpeggios and brutal riffs feels like a tide shifting back and forth. However listening to this again only reinforces my view that no matter how many great songs you have, a double album is never, ever a good idea (unless you’re the Beatles). This is a solid four that would easily be a five if the track list was trimmed down. I tried coming up with what that might look like: Tonight Tonight Jelly Belly Zero Bullet With Butterfly Wings To Forgive Galapagos Porcelina of the Vast Oceans Take Me Down Where Boys Fear to Tread Bodies Thirty-three In the Arms of Sleep 1979 Tales of a Scorched Earth Stumbeline
alternative squared actually bcs it is alternative rock alternately! and i love it but i realise i love the more alternative ones lesser the very rocky type even though it did allow me to do work
fucking love the smashing pumpkins and i love the creative direction of the album art
In glad I took the time to listen to this all the way through. I have played many of thes tracks on frequent rotation over years but it never held up for me as well as their previous Siamese Dream. A number of tracks emerged I really connected with, such as Galapagos and To Forgive but I find some of the fairytale stuff a bit meh. 28 tracks is a lot (apparently nearly as many again were cut) but could have lost a few on disc 2 and not diminished the experience. For me it is a classic but not a masterpiece. I was going it give it 3 but a full end tend listen elevated it to 4. You should listen to this before you die
I’ve loved this one a long time. It used to be the album I listen to to unwind and fall asleep.
This is a very long album and I didn’t enjoy all the songs but I’m giving it a four stars for “Tonight, Tonight,” “Bullets with Butterflies Wings,” “1979,” and for the title and cover. A friend of mine from college was obsessed with this album and the lead singer!
TLDL; really like a few songs on this album
It's better than I thought. I had never really liked the band, but they grew on me a bit here. My complaint would be that the album is too long. But there are enough good tunes to make at least one full albums worth. We didn't really need two.
These guys go pretty hard. I didn't know that. Got a little screechy sometimes though.
2 hours was kinda a lot, that said, I liked pretty much every dang song, so still 4 stars!
2 uur is wel te lang
Amazing. I was really surprised by this album. Lately I've been skipping songs from this band. But now I won't.
Meloncholie and the infinite sadness - 4 Tonight, tonight - 5 Jellybelly - 4 Zero - 5 Here is no why - 4 Bullet with butterfly wings - 5 To forgive - 4 An ode to no one - 4 Love - 4 Cupid de locke - 3 Galapogos - 3 Muzzle - 5 Porcelina of the vast oceans - 3 Take me down - 3 Where boys fear to tread - 5 Bodies - 4 Thirty-three - 4 In the arms of sleep - 3 1979 - 5 Tales of a scorched earth - 4 Thru the eyes of ruby - 4 Stumbleine - 3 X.y.u. - 4 We only come out at night - 3 Beautiful - 3 Lily (my one and only) - 3 By starlight - 3 Farewell and goodnight - 3
Interesting and varied for the whole two hours. I added “Beautiful” to my playlist. 4.5/5
Dense. Difficult. Beautiful. Overstuffed. Too much. Undeniable. Tiring. Hard to take in as a single album, but consistently amazing
4/8 Have heard of this album a lot. Now that I've listened to it, I find it just okay. Similar to OK Computer by Radiohead in that they are both extremely critically acclaimed but nothing really stands out to me. I'll have to give it a few more listens
it was okay...
Double albums are obviously controversial because if you don’t like it then you’ve got a lot to sit through, but Mellon Collie hits for me the whole way through.
great album, unfortunely, after XYU, it has some boring fillers, but still a true classic.
Enjoyed this one much more than expected.
nice album, never listen to a full Smashing pumpkins album before but i like it, very 90's grunge vibe
His flat, nasal voice is sometimes a little too much, but overall good. Bullet with Butterfly Wings is one of those tragically overplayed songs that begins to lose a bit of appeal due to that overplaying.
This album is very long, but it manages to keep you enthralled for it's whole duration by providing a surprisingly diverse and versatile array of tunes that range from Heavy Alt Metal to Dreamy Alt Pop. It's a vast record with tons of great songs. Sadly, CD 2 loses me just a bit cause I never was a fan of Smashing Pumpkins ballads, at least not ones like these. It does get a bit too dreamy at the end for my tastes, still this album is absolutely worth a listen even if I do prefer Siamese Dream over this.
Emo daddies
Very much teenage radio music for me. It's fine, but I have never interacted with it on any real level. It's fine, if somewhat generic that late 90s-early 00s rock way? But considering when this album is from, I guess in this case they are the originators. Bullet with butterfly wings is iconic, the rest of the album is enjoyble enough.
this album was too damn long but it slapped lowkey
Every double album is a failure in editing I'm glad I listened through this once but I think Smashing Pumpkins are going to stay a singles band for me. There are a lot of good singles, both from this album and their others, but they're sort of an abrasive flavor of rock. Needs to be spaced out a bit more. This would be a really solid 4 if it were the 5 singles + 5 other tracks. Instead, consider this a low 4.
its good and i like it
all the songs sound pretty similar but its still good fav song: Tales Of A Scorched Earth
A really tough one to grade. So much here is exceptional. Also, by the back end of disc 2 I’m just exhausted. This is the Corgan experience in a nutshell, incredible, urgent, unique, touching rock; but also can’t self-edit. There’s a 13-track 5-star album somewhere within these 28 tracks. Disc one would probably be a 5 on its own. Disc 2 a 3.75, with “1979” and “Thirty-Three” as perfect tracks. It’s an experience for sure, and I’m deciding to be impressed with Corgan’s ambition, rather than worn down by it. A true classic.
Masse bangers men litt for mye weird shit
I was fortunate to be able to see The Smashing Pumpkins live with some friends Dan and Claire in Vancouver. Dan claimed they had an extra ticket to convince me to join them. Turns out once I confirmed I could make it. They just bought an additional ticket at the pub while we had supper. So the extra ticket was a lie but I was happy to join them either way. The extra ticket they bought me was in a seat near by and thankfully the seat neighbour was fine swapping with me. So I could sit with my friends. Turns out Claire is a die hard fan. So it’s always cool to get more details about an artist from a fan like Claire. I don’t think I would have ever called myself a large smashing pumpkins fan. But I did enjoy the show and this album.
Some of the songs were bangers. Some I found myself wanting to be over. But overall the vibe was really cool
Really enjoyed this, however, it is really long... but most of the songs are really good, I wouldn't say there was no filler... but still some top notch stuff. Big fan of the album art as well. 8.5/10
Good music, but some songs are a little too hectic for my ears
Really like this. I have to push past the synthesized orchestral sounds of track 1 - never a fan, but some great tracks on this double album. My tendency (as often is the case) is for the heavier tracks than the ballads. And maybe the second side of disk 1 is a bit wallowy for me. But peppered with great pick-me-ups. Could this be a shorter album? Maybe, but maybe would be too intense. 4 Number tracks 28 Fave track: Not really picked one yet. First to get a spotify tick was 4: Zero. But would need to listen a few times round to fix on this. Others: Lots, but on my feet and can't make a note of them.
Wonderful mix of punchy rock songs and soft songs. The distortion is a bit much on Tales Of A Scorched Earth. X.Y.U. is the only other song I didn't really like. Very solid album!
Why'd it take me so long to listen to this album in full?
great just too long
Quite nice
It's a really well made album. I remember at the time feeling like, by comparison, it was so much "bigger" feeling than previous releases by them? I didn't care for it. While other albums were disparate and intimate moments this was some grand attempt at an experience and that wasn't what I was looking for. On its own merit it's just a really solid album.
The magnitude of this work alone is crazy. It's not the most cohesive album but it certainly has some stunning tracks.
By the end of the first album the rage felt forced, loved the disparity between the first song and the last, so many of these are my teenager “voice” songs.
A solid classic from the 90's...Billy Corgan is an amazing and creative musical force....
> the Beatles I have listened to a fair amount of Smashing Pumpkins over the year and always liked them, especially Corgan's vocals and the guitars, but never counted myself a fan, necessarily, in that I never owned an album of theirs. Also, I always get nervous about albums over 45 min and this is one of the longest on the list at just over 2 hours. That said, great album. Doesn't totally justify the length but I have no real complaints. Now for one of my favorite Simpsons jokes ever: Billy Corgan: "Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins" Homer: "Homer Simpson, smiling politely"
Yep!
Surprisingly enjoyable but too long
Low 4? Musically I enjoy most of it, Billy is kind of a dweeb and his vocals are grating more often than not. It doesn't feel like as long of a record as it is until the last couple tracks
this shits too long and the dude cant sing but somehow i find myself keep coming back to it
Great album, just runs a bit long
Sprødeste intro til et album med "Tonight, tonight" ngl Kæft jeg synes der er smæk for skillingen! Riff på "Zero" er så magisk! "An Ode To No One" rammer noget magisk! Ren horn på "Tales Of A Scorched Earth" og "X.Y.Y" >:-I Første gang jeg sådan rigtigt stifter bekendtskab med dette vidunderlige band og jeg må bare sige, at jeg er tæt på de 5 stjerner, men for nu må det blive til 4 gigantiske stjerner!
Always much more diverse and compelling than I remember it being. 4/5
A study in contradictions - submit for your approval, a very talented and ambitious yet conflicted and controversial young man. Skilled at concocting pop/rock riffs and music, yet relying on others to help bring his increasingly complex compositions to life while striving for his idea of perfection. For the first couple albums the Pumpkins made psychedelic-tinged arena rock, stuff that wouldn't be unheard of on AOR radio in the late 70s, updated for stoners and alternative kids in the 90s. The success of those albums emboldened young Corgan and he dreamed of a pseudo-concept album with two discs worth of songs. 28 songs! And just as many b-sides that were released on a whole other separate box set. A very prolific period for Mr. Corgan to be sure, but with quantity tends to come the possibility of loss of quality. A few of those lower quality tunes, highly polished or not, make it into this collection, like An Ode to No One, XYU, and Love - heavy, yes; angsty, you betcha; boring and cringy, oh yeah. But there are some pretty songs here if you can get past Corgan's deliberately punkish, nasally singing voice - Tonight Tonight, Thirty-Three, Cupid de Locke, 1979, Galapogos, and some of the second disc. Alongside the pretty songs are the belters - Here Is No Why, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Jellybelly, Zero, Bodies. Musically, the drums, guitars, instrumentation, and performances are all dazzling. Chamberlin's drum skill and style is unique and is important to the Pumpkins sound along with Corgan's guitar work. An album with emo-ish rock songs balanced with prettier pop songs. An arrogant yet talented band-leader with a dubious singing voice, balanced with seasoned and skilled producers. An epic that mostly works with a few clunkers that don't.
As someone who's enjoyed Siamese Dream since he was a teenager, it's high time that I check out the other big Smashing Pumpkins record. After touring for Siamese Dream, Billy Corgan immediately began writing songs for the next record. There was an intent to go for broke, writing a double album's worth of material, employing a wider variety of styles, working with different producers, and changing their recording process to simultaneously challenge themselves and eliminate the tensions of the last album cycle's sessions. The resulting record, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, is certainly bold and a lot to take in. This is an emotionally volatile record, as Billy sought to explore what he called "the human condition of mortal sorrow". Apathy, fear, rage, spite, nihilism, isolation, temptation, anguish, disillusion, obsession - there is no sparing in the darker broodings. Between the heavier lyrics and tuned-down guitars, there is very little respite to be found outside of the fleeting hope on the title track and "Tonight, Tonight", the distancing from one's past transgressions on "To Forgive", the longing nostalgia of "1979", and the two tracks penned by James Iha, "Take Me Down" and "Farewell and Goodnight", that close out each disc with calm reflection. I don't think there's a bad or weak track across both halves, certainly with how good the singles are, plus other highlights to be found like the synthetic harp arpeggios of "Cupid de Locke" and the unbridled stomp of "X.Y.U.". Yet it can make for an overwhelming two hours, as themes and sonic palettes run together, particularly with how many songs on the second disc ruminate on love and Billy's past relationships. I'm sure it must have been cathartic for him to lay it all bare, and the rest of the band were able to compensate for what could be considered an ambitious work. Even if I prefer the tighter package of Siamese Dream, I can recognize how important Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is in shaping the larger pantheon of alternative rock.
Disc 2 might be really selling me. I like the wistful even tempered songs like 1979. I hate when they go loud screamo. Need to re listen but 2 hours of songs god
Pre listening: love me some Smashing Pumpkins so Im excited to see what this album is like 1: consider me gagged at how gentle this first song is. Staying with the Piano so long is giving me melancholy which really sets the stage 2: soft still but more familiar rock 3: the ramp up expected of smashing pumpkins
This is a classic from the 90s. There's a lot of filler if you take the songs individually, but in the context of the album they somehow work.
Amazing!!
Good Album
*77 Hvis man kan klare det nasale, så er smashing pumpkins jo herre drenge. Man får lyst til at blive republikaner, drikke dårlige lager-øl i garagen og dødløfte ritti tungt.
Intet album er så godt, at det skal være over 2 timer langt. Jeg synes faktisk at det var ret fedt og nød store dele af det (med mest begejstring for del 2). Dog blev det lidt en orker at det skulle tage SÅ lang tid. det bliver 3 STORE stjerner
Det er fed! Der havde været plus-points hvis der kun var en disc 1
Got through most of the double album. I hadn’t listened to their range. Not bad
Billy Corgan you bald headed asshole, its so hard to convince people to listen to this music if you make the album two hours long
Would be perfect if it was an hour and 5 minutes max
The music is spectacular. I absolutely love when they rock out hard, which they do a lot, like on Zero. A minus is Billy Corgan’s voice with its distinct whine. I imagine the lyrics are pretty good—if this challenge has proven me anything, it’s that I really can’t decipher a lyric without having them in front of me, which I don’t do, which I’m sure diminishes a good 1/3 of the intended experience for me (well, depending on the artist.) Still, Smashing Pumpkins just brings an incredible ‘90s collage of sound. It’s ace. Took two days to get through the double album, but I’m going to give that a pass.
I've always thought this album was a bit too long, but it's overall really quite good. The last four/five tracks are like a fall of a cliff though, absolutely should've been cut.
bangeris pec bangera
still not a huge fan of Corgan's voice (or some of the lyrics) but goddamn, the guitar? too good.
What to make of this? Fair to say I came to it prepared to hate. I don’t like this genre of grungy whining 90s American alt rock at all. And when I found it on iTunes my first reaction to a 2:02 album was that I had to find the original rather than the bloated “anniversary deluxe” expanded edition released for super fans. But no. This was, in fact the original. I confess I wasn’t happy. What did Corgan need 2 hours to say when Lennon/McCartney/Harrison and Starr had had to contend with a 40 minute limit? But…. It’s good. It’s not all for me but overall it’s good. I don’t like corgan’s voice much but it works for these songs and he knows how to use it. Even the length- the quality doesn’t really drop for all of the two hours and you have to respect that. I also respect the vision even if I’m not totally on board with it. He’s taken a mighty swing at something special and even if he doesn’t quite nail it, there is honour in the attempt. It’s certainly true that he could have made an all time great album if he’d edited it down to 50 minutes and been more conventional but that feels like nitpicking; he was after something more than conventional brilliance. 4*
Better than Coldplay
A lot of grandiose strings and swelling pieces.
Off to a good start met het eerste nummer. (Voelt aan als) classic: bullet with butterfly wings Ik zag er in het begin een beetje tegenop om als eerste album direct een album van 2u te luisteren. Maar het heeft zeker niet teleurgesteld. Al ben ik heel wat fases doorgegaan, maar dat lag niet echt aan het album maar eerder aan de setting waarin ik het album geluisterd heb. --------- (Heb op het werk geluisterd - Ik denk dat mensen mij nog nooit zoveel nodig hebben gehad als vandaag (: ) --------- Dat gezegd zijnde zaten er wel heel wat goede nummers tussen. Ik ben persoonlijk meer fan van de eerste cd dan van de tweede. Voelde als heel classic en goede diepe rock aan. Allee, anno 2026 voelt dit toch als classic aan ;) Dat gezegd zijnde kan ik wel inzien waarom dit als een klassieker/ een belangrijk werk beschouwd wordt. Verder dacht ik de naam van de artiest wel te herkennen. Maar daar bleef het dan voor de rest ook bij. Wil wel nog even vermelden dat ik de titel + artwork wel geniaal vind. Off to a good start, again ;)
Imperial Age excess and indulgence - with the tunes to back it up. It's easy to talk about the high points, as this has more belters than an average band's whole discography. The record also has obvious flaws - it's bloated, incoherent, poorly organised; another band with another producer would have concluded they had material for 2 solid albums, and a handful of b-sides to boot. But if you sit with it, it quietly turns those flaws into part of its strength: this is not one record, it's an overly ambitious, maximalist expression of a creative voice. Billy Corgan wants to show the world all he can do, and he'll leave no stone unturned in the process. Turns out, he can do a fair bit. Lush, emotional strings, fire breathing guitars, hazy layers of melancholy and urgency, beatle-esque winks and adolescent sneering rage. The sprawling incoherence of all this mashed together over two, long CDs could just be careless and boring, but it turns into an extended stay inside a pretty singular mind, in all its pretty and ugly facets; like reading through a year's of a messy, intense teenger's diary. But damn, this messy teenager can write a song.
Toll, schöne Mischung aus fetzig und etwas entspannter. Interessante Stimme
When I think 90s album, this album art is one of those albums that pops up. Which is why I think it's a must listen but is it that good of an album? The album is actually pretty good but after 1979 the album becomes a real pain to go through. really don't like Spotify having allot of extra stuff in. I heard the hits and this album has the most of them in it but some tracks were really cool that i hadn't heard before.
Could've done without some of the screaming songs like Tales Of A Scorched Earth, but Jellybelly was a surprise hit for me. I do think these double albums are a bit much to sit through but the music was good.
I love this album. It’s very rare I listen to the whole thing. It’s funny how well I know the first disc and how little I know the second. All around great album.
Good.
ja
I had steered clear of this one for a while because of a number of bad reviews, especially about the length of the album and about the tone. So I was surprised to find that I quite enjoyed it. Perhaps my expectations were dulled. I knew several of the tracks already, which helps, and I found a few others that were new to me and have entered my permanent collection. That said: the album is still way too long. I'm not sure I've ever truly loved a double album - I don't get why bands don't just save up the spare material, and if they still believe in it six months later then bang, another album is ready to go.
An unfortunately short review today as I was an idiot and didn’t start listening to this two hour album before 10pm. Overall was quite a good listen aside from the usual Pumpkins whinyness. Will give it a 4/5 ⭐️ and may come back to it later and give it the listen it deserves. 60/1089
I wouldn’t really call myself a fan of The Smashing Pumpkins. I’ve heard some of their stuff before, thought it was alright, then moved on. Still, I went into this with an open mind, listening to each disc over two sessions (which definitely helped me at least somewhat forgive the long runtime). There’s a lot I like here. The intimate, stripped-back moments contrast nicely with the heavier alt-rock tracks, and at its best, it really delivers. That said, even after spitting it into two listening sessions, I still thought it overstayed its welcome a fair bit. Overall, I think 4 stars is pretty generous.
Pretty pretty pretty good
Truly a classic of the era. I didn't realize this had all my favorite Smashing Pumpkins songs. I didn't really listen to this a ton when it came out (my loss!) - just the hits - so I don't quite have the nostalgia factor that would push it to 5 stars.
Pac smashing pumpkins
Lovely but it does go on. Occasionally repeats
Amazing. Took me back to my salad days - the 90s
very nice! liked most of the songs. 4.
I hadn’t listened to this since high school but all of the reasons I liked it then apply to why I like it now lol
Some of my favorite songs ever came from this album.
A really solid album, but it could stand to be cut down a bit. If they cut down some of the filler felling tracks, it could be a five star, lcloser to the length of Siamese dream.
This is a classic!
Great album
The 90s really were a great time to be a bald frontman (Stipe, Maynard James Keenan, Moby, the guy from Live) and Billy Corgan certainly sits in that pantheon. It could do with a bit of trimming given the two hour runtime but most of the music here is great.
Too long, but also a lot of good riffs and heavy songs. A little too dark for me though for repeat listening.
The album is long but there’s so many good songs
The 2nd half kinda tapers out but it’s still a great experience
Lowk pretty wiggagagahaha
8/10
Billy Corgan is talented
This album is undoubtedly one of the most insane things I’ve ever heard. It’s a fair bit bloated, but a good majority of these songs are really solid. There’s still over an hour of this album that’s 9/10 or 10/10, even if there are some stinkers in there (Stumbleine, Cupid De Locke, Take Me Down, pretty much every song after XYU). The Pumpkins explore a vast array of different styles and sounds: everything from fast and furious metal to soft and luscious psych rock. The highlights for me are mostly the aggressive shredders like Jellybelly, Zero, Ode to No One, Bodies, Scorched Earth, and XYU. Other highlights include Here Is No Why, Eyes of Ruby, Where Boys Fear to Tread, and To Forgive, which all bring something unique to the table that’s pretty awesome. There are also some kind of like baroque pop songs that really don’t land very well, but thankfully there aren’t too many. At these points, the album feels a bit disjointed, but honestly I feel that this is minimized as much as possible over the rest of the tracklist. If you’re not a big Pumpkins fan, then this album is almost certainly torture for you. But if you are, there’s a lot of gold hiding this incredibly impressive tracklist.
下载中的碎碎念： 这专辑也太长了，两个小时！ 不知道文件要多大，24-96的。 2.6G！！！ ------------------ 现在是第四首，zero 感觉渐入佳境，合成器/失真效果用的不错。吉他等乐器给人的感觉是平铺开的，比较营造背景氛围。 上半张听完，印象是，这张专辑比较精致，雅，不像我印象中的摇滚一样粗糙。 ------- 下半张听睡着了，感觉没有上半张精致 ------ 第二天早上听过之后：下半张确实没有上半张精致！
Great angsty fun
The frontman is a from a suburb near me and the drummer is from my hometown Joliet ! Which I found out last fall but I love this album it’s just a autumn/fall album
Great fucking album, loved every second of it, but, i think it was way too long, otherwise it would be a 10/10 but nevertheless i'd say this is a solid project
Wouldn’t been a 5 if it wasn’t 2 hours
One of the best of the 90s no doubt
some great songs but man way too long for me
RYM 3.5
Needs a bit of editing but some bangers on this
Amazing record; would be a 5 if it were trimmed down.
Has some great hits
Grew up with this special edition set in the car!
This one is a really goed alternative album. It is a long sit, the album being 2 hours and 1 minute long. But it never felt like 2 hours. It's not a perfect album by all means, but it has a lot of good songs on it. The instrumental opening of the album is beautiful. And while I enjoy some of the louder songs, the strenght of this album lies within the softer, more emotional songs.
- yes billy we GET IT ur a music genius - i cant even hate this album is just really good - i really like "jellybelly" - jellybelly was supposed to be released as the single instead of bullet with butterfly wings but didnt bc bwbw was more radio friendly - maybe the self glaze is accurate - definitely think there are better smashing pumpkins albums tho
There's so much diversity in this record. It can be melancholic in a couple of tracks, and then go upbeat, with breakdowns in the next. Favourite Track(s): An Ode To No One, Cupid De Locke, Thirty-Three, By Starlight, X.Y.U Least Favourite Track(s): Porcelina Of The Vast Ocean
I was a big fan of this back in the day. Haven't really listened to it in 20 years so it's nice revisiting an old friend. It's pretty good, but why is this a double album? I feel like it could have either been a a great album with a tighter selection or two seperate albums? Maybe I'm too dumb to pick up on the underlying concept unifying the album, but the verbosity made it a chore to get through the whole thing.
Great album. Shit ton of songs but stays interesting with no dips. Every song on here is good. Even songs I don't care about as singles show up here really well. I haven't gone through all of Smashing Pumpkins catalogue to say this difinitively, but really seems like this is the band at their peak. Big album from the 90s and deservedly so. Excellent choice for a long car trip.
I own this album. It's the only Smashing Pumpkins album I ever bought. I may have listened to this album all the way through one time. It is just too long. It's about 2 hours long and while there are some great songs on this album.. there aren't enough for 2 hours worth of music. If it was one album with all of the singles and a few other tracks it would have been in high rotation. Instead it's a chore and you have to be dedicated to want to listen to a 2 hour album. "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans" caught my attention this time... and it's over 9 minutes long. This album you have to listen to before you die but there might not be enough time in your life to make it all the way through enough times to appreciate it.
Pretty good
For a two hour album this flies by. There's absolutely some fat to trim, but so much of the album is pure quality
Riffs and feelings - the album! Everything about this album is huge, from the riffs to the choruses to the production to the track list. Could be too long for its own good, but just about manages to stay a gorgeous experience, really feels like you've been through something by the time the last few songs wash over you! Favourite tracks: Tonight Tonight, Cherub Rock, Bullet With The Butterfly Wings, Porcelina, Bodies, 1979 (amazing), By Starlight
Undoubtedly this is a genre defining album. It uses so many different themes and musical approaches all in the same style. With big instrumental arrangements in Tonight, Tonight. Grungy guitars in Bullet with Butterfly Wings. Light harp in Cupid de Locke. Heavy over driven guitars and screaming in Bodies. It is clearly a magnum opus for the Smashing Pumpkins. But it is a long musical journey to go on from start to end. And the slightly buzzing quality of Billy Corgan with guitar accompaniment can get a little much towards the end of Disc 1 (Dusk till Dawn) and the start of Disc 2 (Twilight to Starlight). But overall I enjoyed this album. Even if it was a mission to finish in 24 hours. (3.650)
Actually much better than I remember it.
I feel like Smashing Pumpkins was bringing something more original to the early-to-mid 90s to grunge/alternative scene. They were the favorite band of the artsy kid at my high school. Meanwhile, Linkin Park was the favorite band of the kid that didn't read. That's kinda the difference. I never loved them myself, but I respected them. And some of these songs are pretty great. (FYI, I had a small high school. That's why it's kid-singular... Coincidentally, the artsy kid also loved Tori Amos and Little Earthquakes is the next album up for me. Neat!)
Zero y 1979 buenasss, las otras también me gustaron y fue muy interesante ver las letras
Artists wanting to make an interesting longer album, take notes. This album is on the longer side, but keeps the listener interested by varying lots throughout the entire album. However I am just not a fan of the singer’s voice, costing this album the perfect rating. 4/5
This is a generally solid album with a lot of great songs on it, however it ultimately overstays its welcome and could have really used some trimming down. The highs are on par with Siamese Dream, but I feel that album is much more cohesive and complete. Still an enjoyable listen overall though.
Great album, musically superb, Billy Corgan’s vocals get on my nerves though
First side is 5 stars but the second half brings it down to 4 for me. Maybe it’s just fatigue and I should split it up. It’s no doubt an album that reaches the peak of their abilities as a band but it’s not an album I reach for very often, and if I want a dose of Smashing Pumpkins, I usually reach for Siamese Dream. Nonetheless, this is a great listen full of great songs and some absolute bangers.
Usually don’t like double albums as much because there is often a lot of filler. I didn’t feel this with this one, brilliant
Me mola mas el Siamese Dream
I'm gonna be so real, I didn't pay attention to the lyrics at all. That is very unlike me to do, but this being a 2 hour album by a band I was hearing for the first time there would be no other way for me to get through it without just kinda going by vibes. The vibes were nice, I have to say. I liked most of how this sounded, not the biggest fan of the singers voice but it was fine enough. Really like the instrumentation. I maybe probably shouldn't give this a 4, since I didn't exactly fully pay attention, but I will. I've known *of* this album for a while, always been intrigued by the name and cover. I knew It would never live up to what I wanted it to be, but for what it is, it is pretty good
back to back sp was a lot.. still good tho
Kind of bloated in spots but the overall product is solid.
Good songs on there, though I think they could’ve focused a bit more on quality > quantity. It’s quite heavy on songs.
I've never been a big fan of the Pumpkins, but this album is undeniably great. My last album was a Cure album which, at over 1:10, I was calling bloated. And here I am praising an effort which is over 2:00. The big difference is that while the Cure set a mood and stayed in it the entire time, that made the album feel more like a slog than it should have. Meanwhile, the Pumpkins come right out and give you energy and manage to carry it in many songs throughout the record, while at the same time providing more than enough diversity in the songs to keep your interest. The beginning of this record is tight with the first 5 songs after the title track (which is just an intro anyway). Tonight Tonight, Zero, and Bullet With Butterfly Wings are an especially tremendous way to kick things off. After that, it's not as great, though there's still a lot to like about this record. Giving this 4-stars. I get that it's an epic effort, but it's not unbelievable from beginning to end.
First time ever listening to this classic Smashing Pumpkins album all the way through.
OH. Perfection. This album really was a journey. A tour de force that really made the world pay attention to The Smashing Pumpkins, and regrettably: the album that Billy Corgan couldn’t really beat. It goes down in history as one of the greatest works of the 2000’s.
Sadly too long, but some great tracks in here. Epic scope and lots of variety, and they know how to blend catchy riffs with melody without becoming cheesy.
There’s a lot of good songs on here. There’s also a lot of songs.
Essa álbum duplo é realmente épico (pode ser chamado de "pretensioso" também, mas no bom sentido). Consegue transitar muito bem entre tristeza, contemplação, fúria e revolta existencial. O fuzz continua lá dando o mesmo peso que já era característico da banda nos álbuns anteriores. Billy está cantando muito bem, alternando as nuances da performance entre calmo e raivoso, dependendo do que a canção pede. Em termos de repertório acho que o albúm não tem gordura. Tudo está onde deveria estar. A capa é linda e merece mesmo virar tatuagem nos braços de muitos fãs. Destaques: os hits absolutos: "Tonight, Tonight", "Zero", "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", "1979" (talvez minha preferida do albúm). Outros destaques: "Jellybelly", "Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans", "Bodies" (ótima!), "Thirty-Three", e no trecho final, as delicadas: "Beautiful", "By Starlight" e "Farewell And Goodnight".
la copertina di questo album mi piace TROPPO, l’album anche molto e penso che la dicotomia tra ballate romantiche / lente e pezzi più metal sia molto poetica. anche i testi sono belli. chiaramente tutti i pezzi più metal sono lontani da me e non apprezzo troppo però l’album resta un fatto
more like mellon collie and the infinite playlist
Not a big fan of TSP, but I can appreciate this. Some top tracks. Disc 2 seems a bit pointless though.
I really liked the symphonic opening and it was good to branch out a little and listen to some metal (which I don't usually do). On a relisten, I'm liking it even more and bumped it from a 3 to a 4 star record. I should learn to play the guitar/bass
This is a bit too hard for my personal taste but I actually think it’s a really great album so I’m giving it 4 stars. If 14 year old me was given this she would have loved it. Metal, grunge and hard rock into one. It’s super cool. Anyway, these are the faves: Bullet with Butterfly Wings, Love, Muzzle, Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans, Thru The Eyes of Ruby, Stumbleine
Tempting to give it a five for nostalgia reasons, but I was struck by how good the non-single tracks are. Just bangers top to bottom. Galapagos and Thirty Three were fun finds
I listened to the first part of this album as I ran out of time over a busy weekend, but wow it was great. Will put this on my list of things to listen too again and get on their back catalogue.
There's no reason this needs to be two full hours, but there less filler on this than I expected. Unsurprisingly disc one is better, and disc two gets pretty sleepy toward the end. Billy Corgan may be an insufferable jagoff, but the dude knows how to write a riff. I still think Siamese Dream is the Pumpkins' best, though I get why people love this album so much.
I love The Smashing Pumpkins but I do not think I have listened to this album in full yet, so I am excited. It is 2 hours long, which I did not finish the last album that was this long, but since I am familiar and I took a 3 hour nap earlier, I might finish it. Here we go. Track 1 is honestly so beautiful. I think it is interesting because you wouldn't expect such a beautiful composition to be track 1 on an album made by an alternative band. Also, considering I have heard a lot of this band's songs, it is very different from their usual sound. Track 2 is one of my favorite TSP songs The Smashing Pumpkins really know how to write the most heavenly guitar riffs that fit the contrasting sounds of twangy pop and metal. Track 3 has such a different sound from track 2 that it is nothing short of just impressive. I have heard this song before and it is another one of my favorites. Track 4 is yet another favorite. Honestly, I don't think I have ever heard a song of theirs that I did not like. If anything, their songs are usually the kind that I play over and over again until I get sick of it, and the time away from these songs reminds me once again how good they are. Track 5 is a song I have not heard before, but I like it a lot. Track 6 is a classic song, has always been and will always be good. Track 7 is another one I have not heard before, but I do like it. I have never heard track 8 before and honestly it is not my favorite, but it is still good. Track 8 is good, I like it. Track 9 is amazing. This seems so far like it might be a 5 star album. There have been no skips yet. Track 10 is another classic. Track 11 is another one I have not heard before, but it is very good. The same goes for track 12. Track 13 was absolutely transcendental. I have just a couple songs left on the album now. Overall, this album is really, really good. I think in the middle it gets a little less interesting so I think I will give this one 4 stars. I think if it was shorter, it would definitely be 5 stars.
Nok et gammelt bekjentskap. Alt-rock, tidvis med grunge/metal-preg. Jeg er fullstendig forelsket i dette albumcoveret. Det er noe magisk og drømmeaktig ved det som virkelig taler til meg. Musikken holder nesten stand, men det er nok litt for langt for sitt eget beste. Albumet kicker off med en fantastisk streak med en håndfull vilt gode rockesanger, så er det litt berg-og-dalbane deretter. Plate 1 (Dawn to Dusk) er derfor en soleklar femmer. Jeg sliter litt mer med plate 2 (Twilight to Starlight), som i sin helhet er mer downtempo og drømmeaktig. Dette er midt på treet bra. Top 3 Dawn to Dusk: Here Is No Why, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Galapogos Twilight to Starlight: Bodies, 1979, By Starlight
Heard some before; 3.5; There's so many different elements and styles tucked into this album. Some parts have me thinking of indie/emo, others sound are a little bit Nu Metal. Lots of more straightforward rock songs, as well as ones that lean more towards ballads. The album manages to blend these together without being too jarring. The alternative tunings and thick guitar give a certain smoothness to the songs while still coming through like a buzzsaw. The singles are also still very catchy. Especially because of the length of the album, I think multiple listens will be good to really appreciate it. With that said, I think that they really pull off this ambitious project Favorite Track: Bullet With Butterfly Wings
I was a Britpop obsessed teenager in 1995. Then I heard “Tonight, Tonight” and it blew my mind. I searched everywhere for this cd (I grew up in a town that had no record shops!) and ended up paying more than I ever had before for a cd just for that 1 track. It was a bonus, then, that the rest of the album was so good. That said, I haven’t listened to the full 2 hours in one sitting too many times. A bit pretentious but there are some of 90s alternative musics best tracks on this album. Scorched earth and XYU can get in the bin though. Oh and Billy Corgan is just wrong about Pearl Jam.
I remember getting this album when it was released and really enjoyed it at the time. Now I’m returning to it in a long long time and find it pretty divided. Some outstanding tracks and some merely fillers. I think it’s far too long I need to do it in two sittings
Preciso ouvir novamente pra absorver melhor, mas a primeira impressao foi otima
Never heard this all the way through and it's definitely a roller coaster. I don't think I've ever heard a double album apart from The White Album that did not have a theme or so many different genres (apart from sad angst). The hits are the best of Pumpkins and some of the other tracks also pop. The album sonically is amazing and I've seen gripes about lyrics, but honestly these are pop lyrics. My only gripe is that I often don't understand them and Billy's vocal range as another instrument makes up for that. Probably a 4.5 for me.
4.5
Class, but probably could have been streamlined to take out some filler
Didn’t know I needed to release so much teenage angst - excellent experience
Super great songs here, but also too many just ok songs.
This is really good, but i think its stretched out too much. I didn't need both the mellon collie and the infinite sadness, we could've just had one of the other and a single album take its place.
Such a sick album. Goes hard, 90s style. Finds the perfect balance between some heavy guitar riffs and moody vocals while still being catchy and listenable. Light grunge/rock/pop rock vibes on point. Definitely inspired by the Pixies, who I also love. 8/10
I enjoyed that blast from my past. Oh Billy Corgan ❤️
Very iconic and full of remarkable songs
Some emotionally complex work here, hard to pick out a bad song. 3.7
Sounds like alt rock; features incredible guitar moments, particularly in "Jellybelly." "Tonight, Tonight" is also a familiar song. Great album!!!!!
Undeniably artful, but it overstays its welcome a bit
Overall a good rock-ish album i like the beats and i think it’s a great album overall some favs include-take me down, Lily, in the arms of sleep, tonight, tonight, 1979 I would rate it a 6.95/10
There’s a five star album hidden in here, but surrounded by too much filler. Some great individual tracks though, the first half of the first disc is a particularly strong run.
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness really shows the breadth of Billy Corgan’s songwriting, while also making his roots in metal unmistakably clear. Disc 2, in particular, leans into a darker, grungier mood. The album hasn’t lost its power over time, though that might partly be nostalgia for me as a kid in the 90s. And Billy Corgan’s guitar work is seriously underrated.
Besides the fact that some of the Pumpkins’ best work is on this one, the stylistic range between the tracks is just staggering. There are a good number of tracks that I could do without, (the album’s final stretch is borderline terrible), but you have to respect the creativity.
Too long to feature majority bangers
1st one! Was pretty good, would come back
A defining album of my teenage years, there are few albums I’ve listened to more. It says a lot about the angsty teenage world the songs created that you could live them for hours at a time in your room. The heavy songs rock hard, the quiet songs allow time for introspection. For some reason I never considered myself a Pumpkins fan, and Billy Corgan’s lyrics are pretty embarrassingly angsty, so I don’t consider this a perfect album, but it’s probably a 4.5 for me.
Really good all the way through, bit long but that's kind of its thing.
Zo te horen een definiërend album voor de '90's. Ik kende van deze band met name de radio hits. Maar nu kom ik erachter dat deze band zich daar niet perse op focust. Er staat een hoop kwalitatieve muziek op dit album. Maar: het is wel lang zeg. Te lang eigenlijk. De band lijkt dat ook gedacht te hebben en brengt af en toe wat variatie. En hoewel ik normaal variatie waardeer, merk ik dat dit in dit geval juist afbreuk doet. Wat moet ik met het zeurende eind van cd 1? Dat kan nog smaak zijn. Maar wat moet ik met die punkachtige geluiden (bv Tales of a scorched earth of, helemaal belachelijk, de ontwikkeling van X.Y.U.)? Dit soort dingen halen me helemaal uit het album. Pumpkins, blijf gewoon bij je leest en lever één uur '90's-rock. 3,5 ster.
A 4 of its own making. Right around Cupid de Locke my brain just can’t take it anymore. I’ve tried listening to this album in full 4 times and every time my interest dies there and stays dead until Bodies? I guess? Which is a shame because everything surrounding that pit of despair rocks. Tonight Tonight is close to perfect, XYU is a great song to destroy yourself to. 1979 and Bullet? Iconic. But it’s TOO LONG
I have a soft spot for this album. Yes it's massively overlong and Billy Corgan's voice could most generously be described as an acquired taste, but it's a big nostalgia hit. Really it should probably be a three. There's too much guff in it to justify giving it a four. When it's good, it's good though so I'm giving it a low four.
Think it could have better if it was a single album
Enjoy this one!
Many more songs than I remembered but still only liked the same ones
Smashing pumpkins are back!
I always enjoy listening to The Smashing Pumpkins much more than I think I will. Wasn't looking forward to two hours of this but actually had a v nice time Don't know if I'll listen to the whole album back to front again, but not mad that I heard it. I was reorganising my kitchen at the same time, so the songs added to my playlist weren't really done with much thought. Would have added more, I liked more than those four songs, but my hands were full ! Kitchen looks great now btw, my recipe books are finally out on display instead of hidden in a cupboard Songs added to playlist: - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness - Tonight, Tonight - 1979 - Beautiful
I like this a lot, though rather long
Its immense
too long to be perfect.
muito bom mas muito longo. tive que parcelar em 3 vezes
I very much enjoyed this album listen from The Smashing Pumpkins! I felt like this was a very solid alt rock album with a couple of very obvious standout tracks that are quintessential Smashing Pumpkins. They are definitely one of the best alt rock bands of the 90s. I’ve always liked this band and I’ve had the extreme pleasure of seeing them live too. Overall, this was a great album and I will be listening to this album again in the future!
This album has aged well. When it first came out I gravitated to the big "hits" like "Bullet with Butterfly Wings," "Tonight, Tonight," and "1979," all great songs. Hearing it again, I'm struck by the quieter songs and diversity of the album. It's multi-faceted and most of it works. It's hard to believe a 2 hour double album doesn't have any throwaway songs but there aren't many here. Yes, Billy Corgan's voice wears thin over that span but at least he modulates his howl somewhat later in the album. Even James Iha gets a turn singing on the very un-Pumpkins sounding song "Take Me Down." I especially love Jimmy Chamberlain's drumming on this album. This is a good, eclectic, grunge-era album reaching heights that they never attained again.
Pretty crazy to me how much more I prefer this to Siamese Dream. I guess theres a lot more here, and the range of styles they explore allows for a more interesting listen. And I don't find Corgan's voice as annoying. 1979 is a perfect song, such an atmospheric track with so much emotion, and I like the metal-ish freakouts. Have to appreciate the ambition and scope on display here
21/1089 This could have been cut down to one album and the 9-10 best songs would have made an All-Time-Great-Album list. There were too many 3rd tier songs that didn't have the melodies to sustain 2 hours. This is a 5* single-album but, as a double-album, it's a weak 4*...and only because of the strength of the 9-10 absolute killers. Out of all the mess there is a ton of emotion and when BC hits, he hits hard! Hits....muzzzle, 33, 1979, 2nite, 2nite, bullet, love, bodies, 33, 1979
Not my typical kind of music but had to give it a 4 for the sheer range of this album
It took me 2 weeks to start writing this review. This album is 2 hours long, and because I really liked the first time I listened to it, I decided to dedicate more time to it so I can develop a proper opinion. But being so lengthy, it is very hard to find time to properly digest it, specially when doing this project. For a record that is composed of 28 songs, it is incredibly consistent. There is not a bad song in here, and while I think that there may be a couple of them that feel a bit weak, the rest is incredibly solid. This album is divided in two parts, but in general, it could be described as a combination of very hard hitting alternative rock/ grunge tunes with some really wonderful shoegaze/ dream pop songs and ballads. This allows the project to show a wide range of emotions: On one hand, cuts like 'Zero', 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' or 'Bodies' are very aggressive and powerful thanks to their fast drums and guitar riffs, the screams from BIlly Corgan and the noisy and distorted production. On the other hand, songs such as the opening, 'Cupid De Locke', 'Galapogos' or '1979' are astonishingly beautiful thanks to different aspects, like clean production, smooth voices and melodies or featuring other instruments like piano or acoustic guitars. In addition, There are also some tracks that mix both aspects. 'Tonight, Tonight', 'Here Is No Why' and 'Thru The Eyes of Ruby' are great examples of the mixing of a more aggressive sound with some very beautiful melodies. In conclusion, this album is fantastic showcase of what the alternative scene of the 90's was capable of, and the fact that it works so well when it is so long, it makes it even more impressive.
Great, classic songs on this album but it is a bit long with the double disc/28 track playlist. Discovered a few new bangers on here, but the songs started to sound the same after a while.
7.5/10 Difficult one. You need to have a lot to say to justify an album this long and while Smashing Pumpkins do have plenty to say, is it really enough? I don't know. I'm not entirely convinced. It did enjoy most of it though. Each half as a separate album would have gotten 4 stars and the first side would even lean towards 5. It's edgy but there are loads of beautiful melodies and the orchestration is top notch for a rock album. The voice I don't particularly mind. So a hesitant 4 stars from me, but I don't want to hear any more Smashing Pumpkins for at least a couple months. Highlights: Tonight, Tonight Bullet with Butterfly Wings Thru the Eyes of Ruby Galapogos Zero To Forgive Stumbleine Here is No Why Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness 1979 Bodies
This is such a gorgeous album, it was already one of my favorites. It's a huge one though, massive. I'm not used to 2 hour albums and the fact that this was the first album rec in this site was so funny, it feels like a nice warmup
So much I didn’t know about their music. Very good album overall and huge breadth of work.
Really liked this album, will need to listen to it a bit kore to really appreciate it i think. But definitely will listen to this more and add it to my playlists
This brings me back to high school. I used to listen to this album on repeat. It is as surreal and magical and bizarre and lovely as I remember it.
An excellent album overall. So many memorable songs. A few real clunkers, experimental type tracks, but on a double album that is to be expected.
Fantastic variation - 2 hours length stops this being a high 4. Great album though
Really good album. Just too long for me.
28 songs, Bullet with butterfly wings 1979 Tonight tonight
This was a big undertaking to get through. 2 hours for any project, even a double-album, is a lot in one go. Some solid sounds overall. My preference is the second album - a lot more songs in there caught my ears.
Ok, it was 2 hours long but I really enjoyed it. I wasn't bored with the mix of genres.
perfect encapsulation of the mid '90's
No lo tengo claro
Wow that was surprising. I've always thought The Smashing Pumpkings were boring, but this album is great. The introduction leading to "Tonight Tonight" sets the album perfectly and it's great that they can rock and still keep the light and "melancholic" atmosphere. Also, the vocals do make a difference. Otbis quite refreshing to listen to a really good album like that- the only problem I have is that the album is too long, but it kinda pays of when "1979" comes up. 4/5
I expected to rate this higher, but there are a lot of songs on here that miss the mark for me. Still, an iconic album.
bomb
Banger. Still hate double albums
i like it enough. 1979 and Tonight, Tonight are oviously popular and the only ones i really knew before. I didnt realize "bullet with butterfly wings" was the song but I knew it and it was nostalgic. 4/5 or 3/5
Bueno. mejor que el anterior de los pumpkins que había tocado
already loved several songs in this album, such a staple childhood classic
4.5
4.5/5
It was really wonderful revisiting this album!!it took me back to my high schools years!! This album will always have a special place in my heart!
Smashing Pumpkins and Billy Corgan's voice is best when it gets scary, dark, and goes hard/heavy like a creepy outsider punk. So about half of this album is works (Zero, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, Where Boys Fear to Tread, XYU - and not in this album but I love their Batman and Robin music) but I don't care for the lighter songs, though the instrumentals can be nice and they have been so influential. 3.5 rounded up.
Great album.
I listened to this album quite a bit in that transitional period between middle school and high school. That was (reading notes) around 15 years ago, when I was definitely not listening to this album with good quality headphones/speakers. It's a very good audiophile album in that regard, plenty of detail to hear better than some shitty 2000s monitor that came with speakers (skull emoji). It's a great album with a notable thing going against it: it's two fucking hours long. I shouldn't bitch when I like jam band music and stuff like Swans always released albums that are already lengthy. Other than that, Mellon Collie is a cornucopia of the 90s music sound in America (probably the western world too but I'm avoiding getting ahead of myself). Lot of genres represented under the 'alternative rock' banner (not sure why this site calls it grunge, its in a similar scene but I wouldn't lump the Smashing Pumpkins sound with something like Mudhoney or Alice in Chains). There's something in this album for any music lover, just be patient. Also that one star review guy at the top of the reviews is too British, you can ignore his opinion.
It's another Smashing Pumpkins album. This is the one I always hear people raving about. Will I join them? Probably not. Will I remind people that Manic Street Preachers should have been bigger in the US? Yes - Manic Street Preachers should have been bigger in the US. Far more interesting than these boys. On the plus side, this is much more musically interesting than the other SP album on the list. It has the bangers that I remember from the 90s, but it also has that Tonight song with the terrible video where Billy looks like he's doing an impression of The Laughing Cow. I never liked that song, but this time around I didn't mind it. They sound less like a generic Nirvana rip off here. On the down side, it's too long. We all know this, but I admire the attempt. The middle section takes the brunt of this, with too many songs lacking the impact of the early hits and the interest of some in the back half. Then again, if I had fawned over this at the time like many of the glowing five star, woe is me/I was a sad boy in the 90s reviewers here, I'd likely have more love for those songs too. Nothing bad about them - I've only heard them once and there's too damn many of them. As to be expected, Corgan's voice is not the most pleasing, but it's less cringe-inducing here than elsewhere, partly because it's more buried or complemented by the cacophony of noise surrounding it.
Показался менее интересным, чем попавшийся прежде в списке - более причесанный и гладкий, хоть эклектичный. Но буду еще слушать, наверное.
A fantastic album. It’s hard to give it a 5 because I know Siamese Dream exists and there are a few clunkers that distract. Would give it. 4.5 if possible
What a great album! I remember when it came out, listening to it continuously, burning a whole in disc one then moving on to disc two. So many great deep cuts that never made the radio. 4.5 stars!
I can hear the talent and sincerity. Not a huge fan personally
Quite a long album at 2 hours, but a good listen! Funny how it goes from jangly guitars to screamo; love songs to existential rage. I already knew 1979. But this was a new standout: Bullet with Butterfly Wings - "Despite all my rage, I'm still just a rat in a cage!"
90s Grunge. Their most successful album. Pretty hard, Tonight is an outlier. Mixed bag, but some very beautiful songs.
It took a long time to get through all 28 songs on this double album, but it was worth it and it was to the bands credit that there were shifts in genre throughout. So some of the rockier, grungier songs didn't float my boat, but there was plenty for me to enjoy in the quieter moments of Galapogos, By Starlight and Farewell and Goodnight. And it's a pretty impressive feat to put together so many different tracks, and be consistently good. A first listen to the Smashing Pumpkins for me, and I doubt it will be the last.
Such an iconic album. So many great and timeless songs. Perhaps a little bloated, but damn what a classic.
It was pleasure to travel through Billy Corgan’s Universe. I don’t think it was necessary to include that many songs into album. However, those “low grade” songs create special vibe within the album. They perfectly fill silence between good songs. By the way, there are many good songs. I’d say 1h15m of good stuff out of 2+hrs.
A few truly great songs on here. probably ten too many tunes on the album but that could be said of most double albums.
As someone who encountered Smashing Pumpkins upon the release of Gish, when they were quick to become indie darlings, I along with everyone else were amazed at the growth from that LP to Siamese Dream. Imagine the surprise when Melon Collie is released and the step up from Siamese Dream to Melon Collie is another massive leap in sound. The problem? Billy didn’t get lyrically and smarter. There is some effort to get the lyrics to have the same impact as the music, but at this point Billy had enough on his plate and friendly editing would have transformed several of these songs into something that may have a more cogent and coherent impact. However, the music is so good that you can largely ignore some of the lyrical miscues. See Exhibit 1: Tonight Tonight (We’re not the same we’re different) or Zero (God is Empty…Just Like Me). The other issue with the record is bloat - The record clocks in at 2 hrs and 1 minute. That’s a long time to focus without the record turning into background noise. Making it through Disc 1 was good until the 9:21 Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans. For Me, Muzzle is the quintessential SP tune. It encapsulates in a single song all of the SP musical elements and it’s under 4:00 minutes (3:43) so you can actually enjoy it as a song. Porcelina is the same only dragged out over 9:21. Is it 2x better? No. Does the 2:14 second soft intro fully work? I think of it as a pre-open as there is another 40 seconds before Billy’s vocal comes in. It is the excess that detracts from the tracks effectiveness. It is undeniably beautiful and would have been a terrific closer to the record. Except it is not. There is still an hour to go. Side 2 also has some terrific tracks. Even the most casual fan will recognize 1979 and perhaps Thirty-Three. But there are a couple of gems with Thru The Eyes of Ruby being the noticeable standout. Still lengthy at 7:38 but in my mind a better track than Porcelina. I would bet that initial reviewers would have been exhausted by Disc 1 and not fully appreciated Disc 2. And perhaps I fall in that category. Other excellent moments are We Only Come Out At Night, Where Boys Fear to Tread and Bodies. Overall, if you are a SP superfan, this is a 5 and arguably their second best record (Adore). If you are a rock fan and enjoy the SP excess this is a 4. Where does it stand on the list of 1001 albums you should hear before you die with 5 being abso-fucking-lutely and 1 being I’d rather spend time listening to myself take a shit than listen to this record? Then this is a 3.
Great album cover art. I love The Smashing Pumpkins, but two hours is a stretch. Almost no band can fill that much time without slipping into repetition. “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” and “Tonight, Tonight” are perfect openers that flow beautifully together. The guitars carry the album hard, while the lyrics sit in the background and don’t do much. His vocals start to wear thin after about an hour. If this thing was trimmed down to an hour with tracks like “Tonight, Tonight” and “1979,” it could’ve been a 9 out of 10 or higher. As it stands, solid 8 out of 10.
Glad to listen to all of this
So long.
I like the first couple of songs a lot, this is a band i’ve wanted to listen to for ages and they’re not disappointing me. Fav track - Galapagos Very good album overall
Great guitar tone and production. A few too many filler tunes but some great songs as well.
Some good, some meh.
I had heard of these guys but I had never listened to anything they recorded. I'm a 60s and 70s guy so I don't know much about the 90s. All I know is this album was a banger. I didn't look forward to listening to an album this long but every song was engaging. A lot of straight-out rockers on this album, even though they do a few other genres. I still like the sixties and seventies better but I've been finding out that they were still making good music in the 90s.
Disk 1 can go away, everyone's already heard most of those tracks either on the radio or movies. Risk 2 is phenomenal, no filler tracks just straight grunge with beautiful musicianship. Just wish 1979 was on Disk 1 and sub it out for Jellybelly, Cupid de Locke, Galapagos or Muzzle. Doesn't matter. Best tracks on Disk 2 are Bodies, Stumbleine and my personal favorite X.Y.U Also don't understand why Beautiful and Lily haven't been sampled yet on a hip hop track. Could totally are J.Dilla(R.I.P) or Alchemist pull it off. 4/5 stars
While I am not really a Smashing Pumpkins fan, even I have to admit this album is epic. The double album is too self indulgent. 30 to 45 minutes could and should have been cut, but it is an album that I have grown to appreciate more and more as I have aged from the young man I was when this album came out to the middle aged man I am now. Billy Corgan's cheese shredder grunts still irk, but the rest of the band's instrumental performances and song arrangements have grown on me over the years. The album is perfectly paced through the first 6-7 tracks on side one of this double album. The back half of the first side is a bit more spotty with in my opinion bright spots of "Love", "Cupid De Locke", and "Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans" where the band breaks up their typical grunge with instrumental and songwriting choices that are a bit more exploratory. I enjoyed the fresh change of the Jame Iha sang, "Take Me Down". While, objectively James Iha is a weak vocal performer that occasionally drops in and out of key, he manages to convey a different kind of vulnerability than the kind that Corgan typically evokes.
Is it a little long? Sure, but I quite enjoyed it. I gravitated more towards the calmer moments, but found myself liking each heavier track more than the last. Iconic album for sure.
‘Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness’ has a great range to it: there are rockers and some beautifl lush melodies. The only downside is the length and disc two drags a bit. However, this is a very good album that starts out hot and with some radio staples of the 1990s. Top tracks: “1979,” “Cupid De Locke,” “Galapogos,” “Zero,” “Thirty-Three”
DISC 1 --Title track...it's melancholy! --Tonight, Tonight...not as good as Silverchair's Emotion Sickness, amirite? I'm kidding (or am I?) --Jellybean...nice 'n' heavy --Zero...same as above. really digging the production. Lame angsty lyrics --Here is No Why...like the guitars --Bullet with Butterfly Wings...lyrics are lame but it rocks --To Forgive...we pull back a bit. Not a great song but a nice change of pace --An Ode to No One...drums and guitar are great at the start. odd middle section. we finish strong --Love...things are starting to blend together and we ain't close to done. I guess this one has a more industrial feel, which is different --Cupid de Locke...we drop the distortion for something more dreamlike. it's nice --Galapogos...Mello Dramma and the Infinite Album --Muzzle...generic rocker --Porcelina of the Vast Oceans...it's over 9 minutes long and the title is stupid. so how is it? not great --Take Me Down...Iha takes a stab at vocals. it starts pleasant then goes a little above his range DISC 2 --Where the Boys Fear To Tread...like the production but not special --Bodies...no thank you --Thirty-Three...song might be a little too sweet for Billy's acidic vocals --In the Arms of Sleep...interesting. sort of a country feel --1979...sounds like a song from a different band, or at least off a different album. whatever, it's a great pop song --Tales of a Scorched Earth...the bass finally arrives! --Thru the Eyes of Ruby...a lesser remix of earlier tracks. and it's almost 8 minutes long --Stumbleine...no thanks --XYU...I like the energy but a pretty boilerplate punk song --We Only Come Out at Night...is Billy a vampire or a cenobite? many are asking --Beautiful...it's interesting but both discs of this album are bloated and whimsical experiments like this don't help --Lily (My One and Only)...it's an attempt but it's a genre of song I don't need or want from Billy --By Starlight...another track Billy doesn't have the voice for --Farewell and Goodnight...yup
It's too long but there is a like a 10 song straight run that is unbelievable. Love it.
I bought this when it came out, but it's been a long time since I have listened to the whole double album. It is pretty great. Tonight, Tonight, Zero, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, 1979 are obviously the standout songs. I forgot how much I liked Zero. Even though it's a little over 2 hours long, I found it pretty easy to listen to the whole thing. However, it seems like they definitely could have cut this down and had an even better album. Excellent music by an interesting group.
Great album. One of Scott's very favorites. It feels a little long winded but otherwise is lovely.
26/10/2025 I was surprisingly alright with this album. Spotify listeners: 14.2 million
The only time I saw the Pumpkins live was on the Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness tour, that was almost 30 years ago, and I still talk about it as one of my favorite shows I ever attended. When they came out to do one of their three encores with XYU, it was pretty amazing. When they played Silverfuck in the third encore as a 30 minute jam session until the arena turned the floor lights on, it was epic! So yes, I have vivid memories of that show, but when hitting play on the album itself after 30 year of not hearing it, would I enjoy it again. I have followed the Pumpkins over the years, but their albums always seem to be hits and misses with me. I think today, I am more of a fan of Billy Corgan, and his podcast, than of any new Smashing Pumpkins music. Mellon Collie is pretty epic in scope, but is it too long. That always becomes my question when listening to a double album or in this case a triple LP, more recently a four LP set. I just dont want it to feel like you are listening to a long album, where you are checking running times or how many tracks left. Luckily just when this album is starting to drag, it pulls you back in with a gem of a song. So its still a really good album in my book. But today, in the age of collecting vinyl, would I go out and buy the $99 box set of this, or would I even pull this album up on YT Music to listen to it again, not likely. It was fun to revisit, and recall the memories of the one time I saw the full band in their heyday. But I will go back to watching Billy Corgan interview interesting people, and wait for another Pumpkins album to pop up on the list before revisiting their music again.
Two hours is a bit long for a feature length film, but with time I enjoyed this beyond the obvious two incredible tracks.
Loud!
Lager av gitarrer; what’s not to like
awesome but never ending
This album has some great songs. I wish it wasn’t so long.
Good album! Lots of classic tracks. And only a bit pretentious (2 hours is a long run time, LOL).