Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

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

I love the mix of alternative styles on this album. It keeps it very fresh across its 2-hour runtime so that it doesn't get boring. Favorite Track: Bullet With Butterfly Wings

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

While it's a brilliant album, it's much much much too long.

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).

Random thoughts: * If Nirvana’s Nevermind was the grunge shot heard round the world, is Mellon Collie grunge’s magnum opus? * I’m not sure we really needed a double album but you do what the muse tells you to. * would Billy Corgan be revered like Kurt Cobain if he died when he was 27? Maybe. * this album has one of the best 90s rock songs in Zero”. * I listened to this twice passively * lots of solid rocking throughout. The hits stand out: Tonight Tonight, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, 1979, and Zero * someday I’ll revisit and give this a proper listen with headphones and read the lyrics too. I’ll then find out if this album is just about depression or has something deeper to say.

Musically and sonically this album is close to a masterpiece, a demonstration of mastery of various styles that is might impressive. Lyrically however it sometimes soars but too often falls short of the poetry that would make it totally indispensable. Would’ve liked 4.5 option ;-)

Really enjoyed the album, good mix of songs. Have heard it before but just a classic.

Always wanted to give the Smashing Pumpkins a try, you hear their name around and their music places. I wasn’t wowed, but it was good! there was a mix of softer and harder songs, interesting album

A long and ambitious album but full of rockers and ballads. An icon of alternative music.

I mean I already knew I liked Smashing Pumpkins, this is a good album.

I love the slower songs by TSP, Tonight Tonight, 1979, In The Arms Of Sleep. Then, in the same album, they also have songs that sound like a teenagers rebellious phase.

Classic

1979 and XYU are stand outs. We only come out at night is a fun piece.

4.5/5

It's good - I worry the songs in the middle get lost but I can't see a way to repackage it three normal sized albums, I respect the artist's choice to make a big statement. The grunge/ alt rock labels from the time obscures it, I think the harder songs are more like Prog Metal. It's cool!

Banger af, mais Siamese Dream est meilleur pis un album de 2h+ c’est un peu too much

This is way better than I remember it. I LOVED Siamese Dream but could never get into this album. Kind of dug it now. But still think it would have been better as a single album rather than a double.

It’s a masterpiece, but it’s also too long. Not necessarily in terms of the number of songs, but in terms of their length. The average tune is like 4:30 something, which seems to me like Billy wasn’t having it with any editing advice. Several of these tunes didn’t need to be so long, but dammit if a vast majority aren’t still really god damn good…

Generally great, but didn’t need to be 2 hours. Main issue was only knowing 1979 was that every song sounded like 1979. That’s said I will come back to it.

Great weekend listen, would go back. Also cracking album cover

Good listen.

Ein episches Doppelalbum voller Emotion und Vielfalt. Von zarten Balladen bis zu aggressivem Grunge – die Smashing Pumpkins zeigen hier ihre ganze Bandbreite. Einige Songs wirken überflüssig, aber das Gesamtwerk bleibt ein Meilenstein der 90er.

this is quintessential 90s album with some amazing singles. I love tonight tonight, 1979, bullet with butterfly wings and many others. That said, I didnt need a double album, I think this could have been a 5 but was too long

fire

Good

Hard to rate this one. It's too long, even though much of it is pretty good. It's weird to say "too much good stuff," but intrinsically that's how it hit me. There are some all time great songs on here, a few that I actively disliked, and a bunch of decent stuff. Maybe the average for the entire 2 hours should pull this down to a 3...but ultimately the good outweighs the bad. I bet the first disc got played about twice as much as the second disc in reality. You know, back when CDs were a thing. 3.7

Fantastic album, just wish Billy Corgan could sing

I really like Galapogos, guitar tones used, and of course: 1979 The voice and some lyrics I do find annoying

Look, they're a great band. There are so many hits on here. It feels unnecessarily long, though. Did this really need to be a double album? I feel it would have been a stronger offering overall if they'd cut half of the REM-esque filler tracks. I prefer The Smashing Pumpkins when they go hard and experimental with their guitar work, it offsets Corgan's vocals better. Here, they're often kind of annoying.

Lots of hits but some lower quality stuff as well

Very good, and certainly 5-star pedigree, but it’s just too long, particularly first time round. My attention waned and it became increasingly hard to remember what had happened previously and how much I liked it.

2nd best pumpkins album. Could've still been 5 without the double album gayness

Definitely a 5 star album in here. Put 1979 on disc one and you're not far off

Grew up with this album. I know many hate Billy Corrigan’s voice but I’m not one of those people. It’s probably 15 minutes too long. Disc 1 has the majority of the great songs. But overall I’m here for the ride and loving it. 4.5/5

4/5

X.Y.U gives grungy QOTSA vibes, and great rhythm on a handful of tracks from disc 1. The remaining are forgettable, and even the singles don't deserve the acclaim they receive. Would listen again only if forced.

One of the biggest highlights of this album is the crazy amount of variety present within it. Every song has a distinct “sound” to it, with some close to others. Some songs had my jaw dropping like that one family guy bird listening to free bird, others were soft and tender and made you really think. It’s an album that anyone can listen to and point at a song and say “I really like this one.” This huge amount of variety does come at the cost of bloat. I personally prefer shorter more focused records, and with this LP spanning almost 2 hours, it’s a real commitment for a listener to sit down and go through and digest the whole thing. At least with shorter albums, you can spare to listen a few times to try and understand. Nevertheless, there’s a reason this album is regarded as a classic. Everyone’s heard 1979 at some point in their lives, but other songs have the same or even more emotional impact to them. It’s a real work of art. But art cannot exist without an audience, and this one really demands a lot from its audience with its two hour length. TLDR: Great album with lots of great different sounding songs, but wish it was shorter so i could listen through more often. 4/5

Musically, this felt a little bit too much like a wall of sound. Although, when I played it on a proper speaker rather than my phone, I did get a better sense of the musicality of it all. But I can really imagine in the right place and time this music would just hit. 'We'll crucify the insincere tonight' is one of many banger lines on the album. 4 stars for making me feel something.

More like Melo Drammatik amirite? Lots of good stuff on here but it does feel bloated to me. I think I’ll take Siamese Dream in a battle

actually did enjoy this

Eka kosketus Smashing pumpkinsiin oli Adore-levy, ja ääni jäi mieleen. Jotenki tämmöstä indie-menoa ennen kuin indie tuli muotiin. Tykkäsin.

Tykkäsin kovasti. Mun analyysit on puhtaasti tunnepohjaisia ja tästä minä nautin :D

Hyvä levy. Vaikka onkin pitkä kuin nälkävuosi, niin ei tunnu siltä. Hyvässä tasapainossa keskenään räyhemmät biisit ja rauhallisemmat. Hienoja koukkuja ja hyviä melodioita. Erityisen paljon tykkään noista rauhallisemmista biiseistä. Corganin ääni on ollut vähän semmoinen että se on aina pitänyt itseni vähän sillain etäällä Pumpkinsista, esimerkiksi tätäkään levyä en ollut koskaan ennen kuunnellut kokonaan. Mutta jännästi mitä enemmän sitä kuuntelee, sitä vähemmän se ärsyttää.

Splendid. Orchestral, Metal, soft, dynamic, and packed with fantastic songs. The album keeps you on your toes, but your toes do happen to get a bit tired. I like Billy’s voice but I can see how it grows a bit stale over the course of this album.

voice on its own may appear grating, but it works well w/ the songs.

An epic 2-hour mix of unbridled angst and unrestrained sentimentality. A bit long, yes, but always interesting, since most of these songs are really good.

adesso si

Solid stuff. A little long for my liking.

1995, quelle putain d'année, Kurt Cobain nous avait laissé un an plus tôt, laissant le monde du rock alternatif comme un orphelin groggy, avec une gueule de bois carabinée et un trou béant à la place du coeur. Le grunge commençait à sentir le sapin, ou du moins la naphtaline. D'un côté, la Britpop anglaise nous arrosait de ses hymnes gouailleurs et de ses références aux Kinks. De l'autre, l'Amérique cherchait son nouveau messie. Et qui s'est pointé, le crâne rasé et l'ego gros comme un camion-citerne ? Billy Corgan. Et Corgan n'est pas venu avec un petit single modeste ou un album bien ficelé de quarante minutes. Non, le mec a débarqué avec un monstre, une créature de Frankenstein musicale, un projet d'une ambition si démesurée qu'elle frisait l'arrogance la plus pure : un double album. Deux CD, vingt-huit titres, plus de deux heures de musique. En 1995, sortir ça, c'était soit un acte de génie pur, soit une connerie monumentale. Avec le recul, c'était un peu des deux. Je me souviens encore quand j'ai vu ce double boîtier cristal, épais, lourd. Je me suis dit : "Merde, mais qui va avoir le temps d'écouter ça ?". Car pour écouter "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" d'une traite, dans de bonnes conditions, il faut minimum poser un RTT. Ce n'est pas un disque qu'on met en fond sonore pour faire la vaisselle, c'est une cérémonie, un investissement, une putain d'épreuve d'endurance pour l'auditeur. Et c'est précisément pour ça qu'il perd un point. Un 4/5, une note excellente, mais pas le panthéon du 5/5. Pourquoi ? Parce que Corgan, dans son délire de grandeur, a oublié l'art de l'ellipse. Il a tout foutu dedans : le génial, le bon, le moyen et, soyons honnêtes, le franchement dispensable. Ce disque est un monument à la démesure de son créateur. Un pharaon du rock alternatif construisant sa pyramide sonore. On sent le contrôle total, la vision d'un seul homme qui, selon la légende tenace, aurait enregistré lui-même une bonne partie des pistes de guitare et de basse, reléguant ses propres musiciens au rang de spectateurs frustrés. C'est à la fois la force et la faiblesse de l'oeuvre. La force, car une vision aussi cohérente et jusqu'au-boutiste est rare. La faiblesse, parce qu'un producteur extérieur ou un groupe plus démocratique lui aurait probablement dit : "Billy, mon pote, le morceau sur la tarte aux myrtilles, on le garde peut-être pour une face B, non ?". Mais alors, pourquoi 4 sur 5 ? Pourquoi ce quasi-chef-d'oeuvre ? Parce que, bordel de merde, quand ce disque est bon, il n'est pas juste bon. Il est stratosphérique. Pour chaque titre un peu longuet ou chaque interlude qui sent le remplissage, il y a un hymne qui a défini la seconde moitié des années 90. C'est un album qui contient une demi-douzaine de singles qui auraient pu faire la carrière de n'importe quel autre groupe. Il y a "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", bien sûr. Ce riff lourd, cette batterie qui cogne, et cette phrase, hurlée à s'en déchirer les cordes vocales, qui a résonné dans toutes les chambres d'ados et tous les talk-shows : "The world is a vampire". Putain, mais quelle entrée en matière. C'était ça, le rock de 95, une rage froide, un nihilisme poétique, une violence sourde prête à exploser. Et puis, il y avait l'autre face des Pumpkins, la grandiloquence, la beauté presque baroque. "Tonight, Tonight" et ses violons qui s'envolent, cette batterie qui roule comme un orage d'été... C'était une claque monumentale à la gueule du minimalisme grunge. Billy Corgan nous disait : "Le rock peut être épique, orchestral, magnifique, et rester viscéral". Et il avait foutrement raison. Et "Zero" ? Un concentré de fiel, un riff aussi simple que venimeux, la bande-son parfaite pour se sentir invincible et mépriser le monde entier pendant trois minutes. Ces trois titres à eux seuls justifient l'achat, l'écoute, et le respect éternel de "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness". Le reste de l'album navigue entre ces deux extrêmes. La délicatesse acoustique de "1979", la furie métallique de "Jellybelly", les ballades éthérées ("Cupid de Locke", "To Forgive") et les longues plages progressives ("Porcelina of the Vast Oceans"). C'est un voyage, un putain de grand huit émotionnel. On passe de la rage la plus pure à la tristesse la plus infinie, comme le promet le titre. "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" est l'apogée et le chant du cygne d'une certaine idée du rock alternatif. L'idée qu'un groupe "indé" pouvait viser la lune, créer des oeuvres totales, complexes, et quand même vendre des millions de disques. C'est un album boursouflé, prétentieux, parfois épuisant, un album qui exige de son auditeur une patience et une abnégation rares. Mais c'est aussi un album d'une richesse, d'une générosité et d'une puissance qui forcent l'admiration. C'est le son d'un homme qui voulait tout : la crédibilité underground et les stades pleins à craquer, la poésie la plus fragile et le rock le plus brutal. Il a presque réussi. Et ce "presque" est ce qui rend ce disque si attachant et si humain, malgré son ambition divine. Un monstre, je vous dis. Mais un de ceux qu'on est content d'avoir croisé sur notre route. Il faut juste prévoir la journée pour en faire le tour.

Features some classic SP songs and interesting album overall

This used to be in my top 20 albums back when I had something as firm as that. It took me a bit to settle into it this time, at one point I was not sure I even still liked this album aside from the singles. As things continued on though something about Billies famous whiny voice won me back. There is something tgis album captures of the feelings of late teen angst and early twenties confidence that makes it still a very intresting art object for me. I think overall I prefer the less heavier dreamy altrock version of the Pumkins but I still appreciated the heavier angry songs on this record. It is overlong as a record and there are songs I think could have been cut but so few double LPs truly earn their length so I do not hold it against him too much. Standout tracks are the obvious ones this time: Tonight Tonight, Bullet with Butterfly Wings and 1979.

Heard it before. Fantastic album, makes me forget William "Billy" Corgan is kinda annoying as a person. Part of this album's charm is that it's a double album but I feel like I'd give it a perfect score if it was shorter because the big hits here are really big and good. In general I prefer the rockier songs here than the more mellow acoustic ones 4/5

So many good songs but so long

I don’t know what it is about Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, but for a double album that runs over two hours, it never feels like it drags. I get why some people—especially those who aren’t big Smashing Pumpkins fans—might find that runtime overwhelming, but for me, it just works. This was the band at their absolute peak, showing off everything they could do, even if they were kind of looking in a funhouse mirror while doing it. The mix of heavy, fuzzed-out rock songs and softer, more melodic ballads keeps the whole thing feeling fresh from start to finish. A lot of people can’t stand Billy Corgan’s voice, but I’ve never had a problem with it. In fact, I think it fits perfectly with James Iha’s gritty, buzzing guitar tone and really pulls the whole sound together. While this album isn't for everyone, it's still a solid 4/5 for me.

Welp this is the type of album that makes me love this project. Smashing Pumpkins to me was always super lame (based only on like 2-3 singles I’ve heard in my life) but WOW this album HITS! Their singles are their worst songs on the album!!! Why were they singles!!!!?! Yeah the lead singers voice is pretty nasally and the attempts at slow ballads can be laughable at times but when they’re ROCKIN’ it’s the only voice I’d expect. And holy cow their guitarist(s) and drummer are SO talented! I literally googled who they were. Not a perfect album but I now have respect for Smashing Pumpkins

I love this album. Yes, it's way too long and has some filler, but I just enjoy heavy alternative rock and this loud, dense production style way too much. The first half is filled with so many bangers, and the second, despite being worse than the first one, in my opinion, still doesn't lack its variety and fun songwriting. Billy Corgan is not the best person in the world, and he's definitely not as talented as he seems to think he is. Don't get me wrong, there certainly have been musicians that were able to use their eccentricity to fuel their creative endeavors; Billy Corgan is just not one of them. Siamese Dreams and Mellon Collie feel like a fluke in the grand scheme of his discography, but it doesn't make them any less great. I find his voice a little annoying, but his melodic vocals generally helped more than they hurt on this album. This record is not perfect at all, but it's still and incredibly entertaining listen.

Would be a 5 star single album

Insanely consistent for a double album and consistently good at that

surprisingly consistent for a double album. the songs are either really pretty or really ugly but the ugly songs are still good.

Probably a masterpiece hidden underneath the filler. "1979" +2

4/5

Pretty good, some solid rock. Billie Corgan mildly annoying at times. A few gems that I'd overlooked until now.

Not my thing but good LP in an objective sense.

I've found out I'm a decent fan of this band, but good lord this album was long. Once his weird voice clicks, it's a solid ride. They blend raw and floating real well

Look, I get it, but to me, it's an album for the head and not for the heart.

There are some great songs here. The biggest problem is the length. Two-hour albums are enough entertainment for a whole week, not just one day. The experience gets tiring and painful from the middle to the end. But this album holds together by the strength of its songs. 4 stars is fair.

Nostalgia batidão se eu fosse leiga eu diria pré-shoegaze mas não sou leiga

What a phenomenal album. Beautiful and layered and rich and expansive. In my mind I always think of Gish and Siamese Dream as the great Pumpkins albums, but maybe because I hadn’t spent as much time with this one. Glad I relistened. The Smashing Pumpkins are a helluva band.

August 17, 2025 Album #717: Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins Genre: Alternative Rock, Grunge, Alternative Metal, Art Rock, Heavy Metal To be truthful, I find it hard to talk about albums like *Mellon Collie*. It’s a very ambitious record that I was intimidated by, haha. It’s two hours long and has twenty-eight tracks. However, I was fairly impressed by how consistent and diverse it was, paired with great performances. There wasn’t really a song that I’d consider ‘bad’. Songs range from angsty rampaging metal (*X.Y.U.*), ballads (*By Starlight*), rock epics (*Porcelina of The Vast Oceans*), alternative rock (*Bullet With Butterfly Wings*), and more. I find it impressive that this album didn’t feel like it dragged at all. Despite that, I do feel that the lyrics can feel a bit melodramatic and over-the-top at times (*Tales of a Scorched Earth*). There are also some weaker tracks among them all, like the closer *Farewell and Goodnight*. You could say this album is longer than it should be, and I get it, but this thing really was an experience and a journey to go on. I feel like it used up its runtime well for the most part and I like its diversity. If you have the time to listen to this thing, I really recommend it. It’s an alternative classic that I thoroughly enjoyed. I can say I get why it’s held in a high regard. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, Light to Decent 8 Favorite Tracks: Tonight, Tonight , Zero, Here Is No Why, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, To Forgive, An Ode To No One, Cupid De Locke, Galapagos, Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans, Take Me Down, Bodies, Thirty-Three, In The Arms of Sleep, 1979, Thru The Eyes Of Ruby, Stumbleine, X.Y.U., We Only Come Out At Night, Beautiful, By Starlight

super tight rock n’roll

Good

I enjoyed listening to this from beginning to end. He has a beautiful distinct voice. Admittedly, growing up I only listened to the hits on this album so it was fun to hear some new songs too

I hadn’t listened to it in 20 years and enjoyed the experience pretty well. They are not all great songs, but there are enough good and great ones to make that album better than I remembered.

A bunch of great songs, but also a bunch of filler. Too much Run2Me, not enough Zero for my taste.

4/5 - I needed to hear half of this album. There’s a solid 12-15 songs here, but like the production, and everything else, it’s all just so much. As a whole, it doesn’t hold up to repeat listens 30 years later, but the high points here are among my all-time favorites. Muzzle, Porcelina, 1979, BWBW.

Are double albums really necessary?

Awesome!

A solid listen, but fuck me 2 hours is a long damn record.

Love the hits and the MTV-era nostalgia.

I like Smashing Pumpkins, but two hours is too long for me. I had to take a break between Disc 1 and 2. They have some good songs here, so I will give them a 4.

*** Too much Soul to me. Anyway, it‘s ok

Some epic 90s tunes but not quite 5 star status

I forgot how great this 90s masterpiece was. It’s not just the hits… the deep cuts are equally as great. Maybe a touch long but these cats were in the pocket of greatest…

Really like the opening. Zero is my favorite song so far. But holy moly this album was long asf, and it really didn’t need to be. The first half of it was amazing but by the second half I was pretty much done with it. Pretty good album, liked it a lot.

A little too long, some fat to trim would make it a 5

I have to start by saying that when this album came out I was already a massive Smashing Pumpkins fan. They were my favorite band at the time. Gish and Siamese Dream were in my top albums of all time, and Pisces Iscariot was right there with them. There is a 5-star masterpiece here. I love that there are elements of the previous albums, but also some real evolution into new styles. Unfortunately its encumbered by some 2 & 3-star baggage. Even more so it just needed to be curated better. If Billy was open to listening to anyone at the time they might have been able to tell him that. This could have been a concise 5-star legendary album with a killer outtakes album released later. Instead every listener ends up skipping around to only play what they like. Mellon Collie. Okay interesting opener. Different is good. I'm here for it. Tonight tonight. This is good. Sounds like the pumpkins, even if it's a little more chilled out and heavy on the strings. But progression is good. Jellybelly. Now we're really talking! This could have been on Gish. Love that they're going back to this mix where guitars and vocals intertwine so much. And drums are relentless Game on! Zero. Ok, fuck yeah! Not what I was expecting. Bring it! Here is no. Why. Straight pumpkins. No complaints Bullet with butterfly wings. There is no question that the sun rocks! Honestly though, it just doesn't sound like smashing pumpkins to me. To forgive. Don't get me wrong. I like it. But this is the first clue about why this album is so long. In the past this would have been an outtake. An ode to no one. Okay, third song so far with this new growl. It's not what I loved about them to start with, but evolution is good and so is this. Love. I dig it, but again this probably should have been an outtake. Cupid. Nope. Come on. What are you doing? Galapagos. Come on man, that's two skippers in a row Muzzle. Redemption! And worth the wait! Sounds like a continuation of Siamese dream. Even on a first listen, it's obvious that this is going in the pantheon of the pumpkin's greatest. Porcelina. I mean it's fucking epic for sure. But it's also the height of Billy's self-indulgence. When I set that aside, I can get lost in it. Take me down. 2 minutes and 50 seconds of my life that I wish I could head back. Where boys fear to tread. More of the new heavy guitar and growl. like with the other ones, its not really what I'm here for with the Pumpkins. But at the same time I like it. Bodies. Phenomenal! Thirty-three. meh. In the arms of sleep. Meh. 1979. Yeah I know everybody loves it. I'm just going to say it.... It's boring as fuck Tales of a scorched Earth. I could do a whole album this. Not sure how well it really fits in here, but I'll take it. Through The eyes of Ruby. Doing what the pumpkins do best. Loud, soft, loud. Driving base, relentless drums, exploding guitars! Stumbleine. Nope. Leave this stuff to Jack White. X.Y.U. Yup. No holding back We only come out at night. Look, I don't mind silly. But if you going to do silly keep it short. Another one that's better left to Jack White. Beautiful. Meh. Lilly. Meh By starlight. It never really takes off like it could, but it's decent. Farewell and good night. Laughably bad.

A long album with a gigantic variety of styles: pop, rock, grunge, cyberpunk, metal… we can recognize that every song is well written (no filler) but unfortunately some work better than other… For me, it was the pop songs that were a bit ruined by the poor voice of Billy Corgan. I think everyone can find a suitable song for them, but few will actually enjoy the entire album. Favorites : - Zero (very modern cyberpunk) - Bullet with butterfly wings (Nirvana-like teenage rage) - Galapogos (beautiful pop song with rich harmonies) - Thru the eyes of Ruby (starts slow right after the most metal song of the album, but then builds up into an epic pop rock song)

Going in I thought this was an immediate 5 star but the length of the double album was a bit much at times and I didn't love everything as much as I remembered. The highlights are very high though.

I have loved this album since it was released. I was 17 when it came out so I literally have grown up with this album. As much as I love it, I can only give it four stars. It’s common knowledge the album could have used some editing. There are some throwaway tracks and, had they been removed, and the album reduced to one disc, it could have been the greatest album ever!

Dad- 3 Mom- 7.5 Mike- 8 Lori- 8 Michael- 9 Miles- 8 Cole- 8.5 Avg-7.43

So many huge songs on this sprawling album. This is my first listen all the way through (wasn’t a huge pumpkins fan) and it’s epic James Iha is underrated 1979 is one of the top songs of 90s 4/5

Favorites: Tonight Tonight, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Cupid De Locke Fantastic album, was really great to revisit it and listen to some songs I haven't in a while. My favorite parts are the orchestral sections, especially with songs like Tonight, Tonight [4 Stars]

++: Tonight, Tonight, Jellybelly, Zero, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, To Forgive, An Ode to No One, Love, Cupid de Locke, Galapogos, Muzzle, Porcelina of the Vast Oceans, Take Me Down, Where Boys Fear to Tread, Thirty-Three, In the Arms of Sleep, 1979, Tales of a Scorched Earth, Thru the Eyes of Ruby, Stumbleine, X.Y.U., Lily (My One and Only), Farewell and Goodnight +: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Here Is No Why, Bodies, Beautiful, By Starlight +-: We Only Come Out at Night 9,0/10

uno de mi epoca, a veces pesado a veces pop, todo bueno

Mellon collie malina

Soundtrack of college

4.5

Some heights, but a lot of filler

I'm caught btw 4 and 5 for this SP album - my brother and I both pounced on this when it came out, looooved it and it still sounds fantastic

Pretty incredible accomplishment to put out so many quality songs. As a whole the album traverses many genres but not seamlessly. The transitions feel clunky so it feels more like an anthology than a cohesive work. Some of the songs are so dark and angry that I can say I heard them but would be glad to never hear them again. Some tracks are keepers and I come back to over again. Billy is a sensitive soul who pours out a lot of hurt and sadness. Super vulnerable and the angst is palpable in his vocals and guitar. Jimmy Chamberlin is up there with Bonham. He drives the band and is a force to be reckoned with.

I'm a fan. I recall listening to the album on the porch of a friend's place near my school one evening. At the time, it was the "mellon collie" and "infinite sadness" of the vibe that drew me in as a young adult finding my way. It holds up. The vocals, mixed with screeching guitars and full orchestra, well, it works for me.

I cry "uncle" on this one. Indulgent. Check. Emotionally juvenile. Totally. Preposterous. Absolutely. But you can't deny that it succeeds at almost every turn. To be a suburban teenager in the mid 90s is to love this album. I have heard those -slightly younger than me - extoll it's virtues in terms that seemed hyperbolic. Never having sat down and slogged my way through the 28 tracks offered up here I didn't have full context. While that voice does get old taken in one sitting - you can't deny the quality of any 5 song run. 1979 is still an absolute classic for anyone who has been a teenager. And the drumming. Epic.

nostalgia might be influencing me here, but I really enjoyed listening to this. so many hits I remember from the 90s. they were a monster then even though I've never listened to this full album before now. it's great though

The second disc was regularly played in 1995. Chicago style grunge.

Not a big double album guy but listening over two sessions this thing slaps.

Love the smashing pumpkins

Je l’oublie tout le temps, mais j’ai cet album sur mon ordinne. Depuis avant la naissance de Justine. Et je ne l’ai jamais écouté !! Incroyable. Donc, c’est la première fois que je me tape ce disque qui est, avouons le, plutôt long : deux heures de musique. Et, selon la page wikipédia, il y avait du matériel qui ne s’est pas retrouvé sur le disque ! En gros, c’est pas mal bon. Je ne suis pas un fan des Smashing Pumpkins, mais j’ai apprécié cet album. J’ai aussi trouvé d’autres pièces à écouter au delà des singles que je connaissais déjà assez bien.

An alt rock classic, grew up listening to a majority of this album. I forgot how long it was lol but still good!

Great album but not an easy one to get through

4.5 stars. Musically it's a phenomenal album. Lyrically it's much cornier than I remembered when I was younger. Ding it a bit because 2 hours of angsty Billy Corgan is excessive. Still the hits hold up ("Tonight, Tonight" "Bullet With Butterfly Wings", "Muzzle" and"1979") and the tracks are diverse even if there's bound to be a handful of duds because it's 28 tracks long.

Escuche la mitad. Muy bueno

Awesome album, a little bit of everything done so well

8/10

I really like this album, and the smashing pumpkins in general. Billy corgan’s shrieking “woe is me” voice is not for everyone, but it just clicks for me, probably because I grew up listening to it. Lots of good hard rock and even better sentimental moments like on cupid de locke. My main gripe is that there’s too much filler, which is tolerable in disc 1 but ends up really dragging in disc 2. I usually don’t feel inclined to listen to the full 2 hours, so it ends up being a grab bag of songs, some of which end up being my favorites ever. Throw 1979 on the first disc and just release that and it’s a perfect album for me. The best parts shine bright, but if I’m meeting this album where it’s at, it starts to lose me after tales of a scorched earth

This was definitely an album I had on heavy rotation in the late ’90s. Total time capsule. I’m pretty sure our friend Sam had THE car in our group - his beloved Honda Accord - and he was obsessed with Smashing Pumpkins, so naturally it was always playing on every drive we took. It’s wild to think back on that era. I remember feeling so restless, so unsatisfied—convinced that adulthood would somehow make everything click into place. But looking back now, even with all that teen angst and dramatic gloom, life was… kind of perfectly imperfect. We all worked at pizza joints, lived with our best friends, had lazy river days, scraped together money for party weekends, and let music soundtrack it all…especially the kind that spoke directly to the chaotic, yearning pulse of it all. I think if there was a door to go back and do it again, I would maybe just walk through.

I have a funny history with running into Billy Corgan. First I was at a Lycia show somewhere in SF in like 1996 where he was standing next to me, I overheard him jerkily slagging off the band as "a Cocteau Twins rip-off". A couple years later, staying the dorms at UCLA over the summer for a tutoring job I had, he brushed by me in the lobby of Hedrick Hall while they were there filming the video for "Perfect." Then, almost two decades later, when my starfucker girlfriend at the time called him over to our table at Swingers on Beverly to talk to him about their mutual friend and muse Mosh and a brief conversation ensued. Our paths have intersected more often than any other stranger I am aware of; and we've still never ourselves had a conversation. And that is probably for the best because any person who describes himself as a "free-market libertarian capitalist" seems utterly insufferable.  But, if I couldn't separate the art from the artist I wouldn't like anything. That said, I was really never a huge fan of Smashing Pumpkins in their heyday. It largely had to do with Billy Corgan's nasal, whiny vocals. The man cannot sing. He sounds like Eric Cartman 90% of the time. It's still a baffling aesthetic choice to me even now. I think I heard the breathy "Today" and thought it was alright. I did like the sadboy ballad "Disarm" when it came out, (probably coz of that girl at school I had a secret crush on - you know how it goes). Sometime soon after in the mid 90s, however, I saw them play "Cherub Rock" one night on SNL and despite my annoyance at his high-pitched squeak-singing, my interest was nevertheless piqued based on the energy of the music on its own. I started paying attention. I've since come to tolerate the Corgan Caterwaul because most of the band's music and songwriting is solid enough to compensate. (I also feel this way about Placebo). I worked at the flagship Tower Records store when this album dropped, like so many others on this list,  and I remember it feeling like an event. I bought the singles box set The Aeroplane Flies High for this release because it was a such a cool package and concept. There were a fuckton of decent b-sides, outtakes, and cover versions on that release as well that made it quite worthwhile. That said, I don't think I've ever done a proper sitdown with this whole record.  I must say, the sheer volume of songs on this record (and the singles b-sides, my god) represent a totally overwhelming and impressive amount of creative output. I would expect in that situation to discover a lot of filler and throwaway stuff, but I can't really. Of course the singles are the bangers here—and there are a lot on this record. "Tonight, Tonight" feels like the walkup cue when you're winning some major award or getting married, with the ascending strings and propulsive drum crescendos. "Zero," in all of its godless depression fuck-you energy is arguably The Gen X/Millennial Theme Song for the 90s. "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" as a hopeless sibling to "Zero" and continues on in this same vein. "Thirty-Three" sings of hope through a diaphanous haze of swirling psychedelia. The melting popsicle sweetness of "1979" evokes a compelling near-anemoia for the carefree feral summers of a youth some of us remember and others have only dreamed of.  Aside from the singles, there is a lot of sameness in the sound and structure of many of the tracks on this record, which I guess is fine since those tracks either rock or are sweet ballads. Flood's and Alan Moulder's production on this really comes front and center. It feels cohesive and chunky, bassy, and big. It brings together the more disparate sounding tracks to feel a part of the whole. Other standout tracks include: "Muzzle", "Bodies", "We Only Come Out At Night". As a total concept and presentation, the flow of song to song is really impressively considered and shines as an example of a time when an album is released that is clearly intended to be experienced start to finish and not chopped up into bits on shuffle. Mellon Collie feels so much like the time in which it was made. It is incredibly ambitious, and succeeds pretty admirably. It's a rare thing to not have something this big fall short of its promise but even the filler doesn't really sound like filler. I have to admit this is quite a special record, if not primarily due to nostalgic associations at this point in the game. But fuck it, I'll take it.

this is like a worse version of the bealtes white album. this is probably some of the pumpkins best work thrown together some some decent filler to make for an incredibly bloated album. i actually really enjoyed the majority of this and i think if it was two separate albums they would both 5 stars even with corgan singing. that said listening to him for two hours is just too much.

I feel like I’d appreciate this album more if I’d listened to Siamese dreams first, but as it stands I need to warm up to the smashing pumpkins sound a bit more to properly appreciate this 2 hour beast. I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and rate it a 4 but I felt as though I didn’t click with it exactly and that’s quite important when the album is as long as it was.

8/10 - Mostly great, just too long.

There are some great songs on this album and a lot of really cool riffs, emotionally poignant lyrics and it's a great album, but dang is it long.

The runtime can be a bit intimidating. But there is enough variety that it ends up working quite well. You could split this into one very good art pop album and one very good grunge album. But I think, when added together, the contrast between them makes for an excellent mega album.

This album does not deserve to be 2 hours long. It’s a monumental task to listen to this album. There’s definitely some bloat. But at the same time, it has some of the best alternative rock of the 90’s.

Favorites: Tonight, Tonight; Zero; X.Y.U. Maybe its length is a bit too much for me to really take all at once, but Mellon Collie is truly a triumph for alternative rock and the evolution of the genre. I genuinely don't see the indie revolution of rock in the 2000s existing without this record.

Beter album dan verwacht! Ik kende het wel, maar heb het nog nooit echt helemaal beluisterd. 4.2

Good not as good as the purple album tho

I didn't quite finish listening to this album, but I thoroughly enjoyed everything I heard. The rock elements with the dream pop flair and moments of metal scratched an itch in my brain. Tonight, Tonight was one of my favorite tracks! This album was very long yet, it felt cohesive. I would listen to this again!

The World Is A Vampire 1001 Albums Generator 66 (07/03/2025) This is the first really long (>2 hours) album that I have had on the list. I think that albums like this are so hard to do right. However, some albums that I love (Soundtracks For The Blind, Daughter Of Darkness, and The Epic come to mind) are extremely long, so I am not by nature opposed to them. With that said, in the context of a challenge like this, they can be really difficult to judge fairly, since I don't have much time to really sit and digest what they want to say. However, I was somewhat familiar with this album, so I feel confident that I was able to give it a fair shake. The album opens with an intro track, Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, which is a nice, calm piano intro, although it is a bit long. Tonight, Tonight is a classic, dreamy, symphonic piece of rock. Really this album opens beautifully. From here, Jellybelly is surprisingly heavy, the guitar tone really stands out here. Zero is another classic. The whole “emptiness is loneliness” part is great and both of the short burst of guitar solo noise are awesome. Bullet With Butterfly Wings is one of my favorite Pumpkins songs. From the opening "The world is a vampire", this song just grabs you and doesn’t let go. The dynamic juxtaposition between the verses and choruses is done really well here too. This is one of the first Smashing Pumpkins songs that I remember loving. The chorus is so iconic and I love how the piano comes in during the second verse. An Ode To No One has the coolest drums on the album. Jimmy Chamberlin is doing things on the cymbals that I didn't even know was allowed. I can't believe this song wasn't a bigger hit. Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans is a true builder. The clean guitar arpeggios that open the song are beautiful and the way the drums build throughout the first part of the song before the distorted guitar kicks in is inspired. The second disk is certainly more spotty, but it has some great moments. Where Boys Fear To Tread is another heavy song, feeling sludgy at points. This is a bag I didn't know the Pumpkins had. 1979 is the Pumpkins' biggest hit and it deserves it. Somehow, it manages to sound both ahead of its time and of its time. The guitar chords are great and I love the fact that the band was playing with electronic elements in their music. X.Y.U. is another favorite of mine on the second side. It is absolutely crushing in both its guitar tones and lyrics/vocals. However, there are some songs that I don’t really enjoy. Love is a forgettable song that doesn't quite feel like the right tempo. Like it is almost in an uncanny valley between a slow song and a high-energy song. Take Me Down is a relatively flaccid way to end the first disk. I am not a fan of James Iha's falsetto vocals. Thirty-Three is a boring change of pace, especially being followed by the marginally better In The Arms Of Sleep. Having two slow songs next to each other on an album this long does not work, and Thirty-Three in particular is not interesting. I don't know how to feel about the extremely aggressive, noisy Tales Of A Scorched Earth. It's interesting, but I don't love how they distorted Corgan's vocals. Mellon Collie in general ends on a bit of a whimper with We Only Come Out At Night, Beautiful, and Lily (My One And Only) all being slow, unmemorable songs. Then, By Starlight and Farewell And Goodnight, while being much better than the three previous songs, are also relatively slow. With such a strong opening, I was hoping Mellon Collie would end with more of an oomph. Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness was the Smashing Pumpkins’ Homeric epic. I don’t think that it reaches the level of genius of Siamese Dream, but it is quite the artistic statement. The last quarter or so is just a bit soft for my tastes, and it makes the album feel even longer. Overall, 4/5. Favs: Tonight, Tonight Bullet With Butterfly Wings 1979 Least Fav: Take Me Down

Album full of different twists and turns. 4/5

(deep breath) OH YEAH! it's "im 16 and this is deep" time! but you know what? it somehow failed my expectation quite a bit and the best songs are those released as a single. "Bullets with Butterfly Wings" is a really good one when it comes to being the backing soundtrack of your action game run. 4/5

Great album. I am shocked how many songs there was and I loved many of them.

I love the Smashing Pumpkins but this should not have been a double album. Some absolute gems for sure, just a lot of unnecessary songs.