Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

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.

Beautiful is one of the greatest songs ever made

Ouff! Un album marathon! Je l'ai écouté en plusieurs sitting comme j'aurais fait avec un film de plus de 3h. Pas plate par contre, il se passe tout le temps quelque chose. Dans le mix la façon que c'est panné, les tones de guit, des fois des arrangements plus fancy genre de la harpe les ambiances... les bangers punk sont aussi bons que les ballades (Porcelina of the vast oceans)

Great album, great songs, good music.

Great album.

La verdad que nunca me gustó la voz de Billy Corgan, por lo que no tenía esperanza alguna más que de escuchar 1979. La verdad que las composiciones son excelentes y tienen canciones que son bárbaras. Cuando uno empieza a acostumbrarse a la voz tan icónica se vuelve todo mucho mejor. El punto bajo es que son muchas canciones y no se siente que estén bien ordenadas, siendo que coinciden canciones muy relajantes y tranquilas y acto seguido continua una canción pesada sin un mínimo pase que las una. Aún así me voy contento.

A genre and generational defining album. Still holds up.

Another double album. Can a double album be 5 stars? It’s almost impossible. But this has so many songs. It’s peak and really the end of the original Smashing Pumpkins. I love it. I want to go 5 but i can’t

What would Nigel Thornberry think about this......

Everytime I revisit an album by these guys there's a part of me that thinks I will outgrow them or be less excited about them but that never happens. I just gotta embrace them because they rock.

i def had mateen's CD of this but im not sure i ever listened all the way through until now... i was never a big smashing pumpkins fan but loveee 1979 and have really come around to them thru this list! i really liked it .. big fan!

I kinda like Siamese Dream more... but this album is still aspirational and fantastic. Disarm might be my favorite...

Very different for the time of its release

Schönes alternative Rock Album, tolle Stimmung und Melodien. Angenehme Stimme. 4/5

2 часа, офигеть. ну это такая альтернатива, ни одну песню в общем-то оттуда не узнала.

an album with some perfect songs on it but it ultimately suffers from Being Too Fucking Long. but those great songs on here make it good enough for a 4/5

Amazing mix of songs - not 100% great but overall a very enjoyable listen

4.5/5. It’s long but it’s good, unfortunately they peaked with this record.

Just a good 90’s rock album. Yeah it’s 2 hours long but at this point I listen to so much music it’s like a regular album length to me

1994. alt rock / grunge. 9/10 Tonight, Tonight / To Forgive

Smashing Pumpkins was never the same after they kicked Jimmy Chamberlin out. They lost the driving beat and high energy he provided. This album has strong songs and lavish production, the 90's alternative rock version of Tom Scholtz' studio perfectionism. Listening to the whole thing is, quite frankly, exhausting - needs to be sipped, not chugged. Worth a listen, but I'd still prefer to stream Siamese Dream.

I've heard this before and I'll happily listen again. Always a triumphant, emotional experience. It can rock out hard and rock you to sleep at times; soothing in its nostalgic melancholia. Which makes sense for a double album, you get two sides of the coin.

4 Stars (11/15)

Um ótimo álbum, com canções fantásticas, mas ao todo, é um álbum bem laborioso de se ouvir. Esse álbum possui filler sim, não adianta negar. Especialmente na segunda parte! Mesmo assim, tenho muita nostalgia e carinho por esse álbum, e suas canções boas são realmente muito boas, algumas das melhores dos anos 90 e do rock alternativo no geral. Gostaria de dar uma nota mais alta, mas esse álbum sofre com sua própria grandeza e ambição. Não consigo entender porque eles não simplesmente lançaram a primeira e a segunda parte desse álbum como discos separados. Faria muito mais sentido, ainda mais porque Mellon Collie está longe de ser um álbum conceitual. Não consigo enxergar um tema que cobre todas as canções aqui. Novamente, ele possui faixas fantásticas, mas possui também fillers esquecíveis que afundam bastante sua qualidade. Por conta disso, é um álbum especialmente difícil de só pegar e ouvir, diferente dos outros melhores lançamentos da banda, como Siamese Dream, Machina e Gish. Uma coisa que me pega, é que esse disco é extremamente adolescente. E não digo isso só porque eu era adolescente quando fiquei viciado nele e no Pumpkins como um todo. Mas tanto sonoramente quanto liricamente esse disco tem uma vibe forte de adolescência, por bem e por mal. Por bem porque te faz sentir aquelas sensações amargas e agridoces da juventude, e por mal porque algumas letras aqui são vergonhosas demais, assim como as coisas que dizíamos durante nossa adolescência. Só é bizarro que o álbum mais adolescente que já ouvi na vida foi feito por um cara que já tinha 28 anos na época que o gravou. Vai entender... E que sorte que gerei esse álbum em um domingo! Imagina ter que ouvir 2 horas seguidas do Billy Corgan gemendo no teu ouvido no meio da semana. Sem condição. 4/5

Pretty killer

Great listen, the singles are the best but the whole thing is great

Man, they sure smashed that pumpkin huh.

Det er jo ikkje nett tight, og det er for mange sluttar, men alt i alt står denne seg.

Surprisingly diverse. Only complaint is Billy's sometimes nasal grinding voice

No two ways about it, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is looooong. However, to list the good songs on this incredibly ambitious double LP would be...well, I'd list most of them. Mellon Collie is stacked with hits and none of the songs truly feel like filler; an impressive feat for a double album. Billy Corgan was definitely firing on all cylinders, creatively speaking. Not to mention, songs like "1979" and "Thirty-Three" give a glimpse of the ground the Pumpkins would tread for Adore, years later. Still, this is a LONG album, and listening to the whole thing in one sitting can be a daunting time commitment. Especially when considering most of the songs trend toward heavier angsty rockers in the vein of "Jellybelly", "Zero", "Bullet With Butterfly Wings", "Bodies", and "Muzzle"; all songs I enjoy, and not to say there isn't variety, but too much of a good thing can feel like an endurance test. Also, more of a personal gripe, but this isn't that sad or depressing of an album. More like Angus Tee and the Never-ending Tantrum.

I really should probably rate this 5 stars, the musicality and sound and rhythms are next level but the vocals just don’t do it justice and kind distract me. And it’s way too long

3.5

Unsurprisingly, Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins strove to be even more ambitious here. I mean, how do you (potentially) top the success of "Siamese Dream"? Replace Butch Vig with Alan Mulder and Flood on production, make a double album, give it a little more art in a sonic (and literal) sense. Both sides of the album represent "day" and "night", respectively, with the central message being based on "the human condition of mortal sorrow" to quote Corgan. Sure, I guess. Corgan was never one to shy away from that kinda stuff and you hear it all throughout this album. Pair that with the signature guitar overdubs and a meticulous, yet more efficient recording process (For example, "Thru the Eyes of Ruby" apparently contains 70 separate guitar tracks, which is insane) Believe it or not, there was initially more content planned for this album. Double albums are tough, as they're prone to "filler" and sometimes don't justify the long runtime. I felt that the second side of this album didn't nearly stack up to the first despite housing the timeless "1979". There is a lot to appreciate here artistically though, as the group alternates from heavier elements to softer ballads and even features a live orchestra ("Tonight, Tonight"). Some legendary singles mixed within a lengthy listen.

The first disc is a 4.2 or 4.3 for me. Very solid tunes, though i think a bit front-loaded. I like aspects of Porcelina Of the Vast Oceans, but it is a bit of a microcosm of the whole album - some really exciting moments, but a bit too long and gratuitous. The second disc is more of a 3.5 - even though it has one of my top 5 favourite songs of all time, 1979. For me the second disc is much stronger in the second half, the last 4 tracks which are all quieter more downtempo cuts are way more enjoyable for me. The loud grungy moments across both albums feel out of place to me. The best tracks here are quiet and beautiful and sensitive. Tracks like Zero and to some extent Bullet With Butterfly Wings just do not feel like they belong. I think if they cut the album down to one disc mainly focusing on the lighter tracks this might've been a 5 star classic. I would do it something like: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness Tonight, Tonight Here is No Why Galapogos Muzzle Porcelina of the Vast Oceans Take Me Down 1979 Beautiful Lilly (My One and Only) By Starlight Farewell And Goodnight Fave Tracks: Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, Tonight Tonight, Here Is No Why, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, 1979, By Starlight, Farewell and Goodnight 3.8/5

Virkelig godt album, havde fået en 5'er hvis der ikke var så mange 'aggressive' sange lol

359/1001

4 out of 5. Finally heard more from this album besides the singles. A little long but solid effort.

A really, really good album. However, I think it's longer than it needs to be and could have been cut down to a double LP and been much better.

It's a good album with great riffs and songwriting (although some lyrics seem to be a miss) but it's unfortunate how Billy's voice ruins this music experience. He sounds better in faster and louder parts (covered by a wall of noise), slow or more melodic songs stand no chance. Despite that, I gave it 4 stars cause it's good grunge piece of history.

While not my favorite SP album, Mellon Collie has a lot to love. Maybe too much, though. There's beauty in excess, but this gets more into the territory of unnecessary bloat. I love the variety of sounds on this album, it's certainly its biggest strength. From the lush strings of "Tonight, Tonight", to the straight up metal of tracks like "X.Y.U." and "Bodies". The singles are timeless, of course. "1979" and "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" speak for themselves. With a relative lack of low points (apart from "We Only Come Out at Night"), this is a very consistent, if not excessive, record.

This album would be great if I loved The Smashing Pumpkins. As it stands, I only mildly like them. Great instrumentals, but with vocal work that I just can't get around to liking save for a few songs. '1979' is peak for me though.

This should easily be a 5 star record. Its loaded with great songs. I particularly like their grittier stuff but the softer ballady songs are also very good. The problem for me is, I have never been able to sit through this album in its entirety. I just lose interest and feel it's too much Smashing Pumpkins. Drop at least 8 or 10 songs off this and I would regard it as one of the best ever. 8/10

Good memories. I really love this album but I feel like it has enough filler to dock it a star. And I would not put it on quite the same level as Siamese Dream and Gish. So it's a victim of the band's own greatness - I think Billy would appreciate that, lol.

Lots of hits on this one: “zero”, “tonight tonight”, “1979”, “bullet with butterfly wings”. Kind of forgot how heavy it was! Loses a star due to sheer length (2+hours)

Billy Corgan's angst filled epic, a favourite of teenagers for good reason. The lyrics do push it at times for me but the song writing is strong enough that I get over them pretty easily. I do find it slightly front-loaded though preferring the first disc overall, but the second disc still does have the all timer 1979 on it.

Very diverse (and long) album. Lots of chill songs, but also some screeching ones. Overall I liked it, especially the softer songs.

Another album that is perhaps not really great across its whole double album length but it’s high moments are very good.

1. Billy Corgan seems like a dickhead 2. Billy Corgan has a very annoying vocal style 3. I cannot deny there were some bangers on here 4. It was way too long

4/5

An old favorite

Pretty good, but you could have cut half the songs and had an album that was better

So my cousin was OBSESSED with Smashing Pumpkins when they came out so I feel like I was intimately aware that this album existed and of the hits, but not necessarily the rest of it. Being into alternative music and not living far from Chicago helped build upon my knowledge of this album (because you can't be familiar with Chicago music and not know Billy Corrigan). So he is pretentious and full of himself, but this album helped to back it up. Is it perfect, no? But it was something different at the time and really filled a void for alt rockers that were more emo and not so grungy and tough. It was someone being really vulnerable about tough things and mental health struggles. Sometimes he is yelling, sometimes he is sad, and a few times he is almost happy.

Back-to-back excellent albums. A bit long and eclectic but overall very good. High 4*

Love love love. Made me want to get ready for my 90’s American high school prom after party.

Wavering between raw drum & guitar driven rock and dreamy ballads, there's more than enough variety and nostalgia to keep my little alt heart aflutter.

Something like 14 of the 28 tracks here are absolute heaters, which is an unreal hit rate for a double album, especially one from the mid-90s. Another 6-8 are good but not great. That the album mostly justifies its 2 hour run time is a miracle the likes of which we will probably never see again. I think, in my heart, this is probably a 4.5/5. I don't think it's quite good enough to give it the benefit of the doubt 5/5 here, though the presence of a handful of all-time bangers tempts me.

A little too long but so so good

Pour un genre que je trip pas super gros dessus, c’est pas mal un album grunge de qualité, malgré sa longueur démesurée (2 heures! C’est plus long que Clic! avec Adam Sandlers!). Pour ça, léger 4, genre à un poil d’être un 3

I really enjoyed it but it's very long, I might revisit and update rating.

Lots of unnecessary tracks with amazing highlights. Could have been a 5 and a full hour shorter

By their third studio album release the Pumpkins had already mastered the 4 piece rock sounds as shown on Siamese Dream, Billy Corgan began to write and boy he wrote more songs than necessary for a single CD, and while using the foundations already laid on previous material he grew more confident on the band habilities to record their instruments(previous endeavours were mostly recorded by Billy and the drummer Jimmy Chamberlain), or just by need, the band had to record their parts for this album, Jellybelly is a live cut made by the band performing in the studio. Tonight, Tonight brought back the stripped down acoustic vibes from Disarm, but instead of looking inwards while lamenting of broken childhood issues, was looking head on to the here and now with an full fledged orchestra. This isnt a flawless album, there are some misses like the ending of Dawn to Dusk(the first disk CD), Take Me Down the song written by James Iha. Love, Cupid de Love, 1979 and Beautiful are a bridge to what the band did on the following album(Adore). Dawn to Dusk 4.5/5 The second disc starts rocking with Where Boys Fear To Thread into Bodies Man, what a song 1979 is and why the fuck is Tales Of A Scorched Earth next to it XYU damn Billy you're going to blow your voice with that scream, by the end of Twilight to Starlight the band runs out of rockers and it feels like they shove the ballads together to end the album. Farewell and Goodbye is a nice closer that brings the project together with the callback to the intrumental intro of the title track Twilight to Starlight 3.5/5, so in total its an 8/10, most likely Ill just listen to the first CD, but if I do that then I miss the great start of the second CD and XYU Funny bit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX5zXdDr6Hg

It is very long but it has a lot of variety and it's moody and immature. I had a good time despite not remembering much.

I have never once intentionally listened to this album but I know most of the songs.

Pretty good album. I've heard songs from it, but not the whole thing

an absolute classic, wild I had never listened to this full album.

Surprisingly good! I avoided this album for years thinking I didn't like it for whatever reason, but on this listen I really appreciated it. Only slightly too long. Really kept my attention.

Great but drags on

Long but exceptional at every turn

4 estrelas pela diversidade de estilos , pela produtividade da banda, 3 ou 4 hits ...uma música bem bonita ("Tonight, tonight")...tirei uma estrela por causa do timbre de "pedaleira" das guitarras, característico das bandas dos anos 90 :-(

I’ve enjoyed some of the hits since my younger years — metal rage Butterfly — and while much of the double album is merely fine, its status as a defining moment (with some good tunes) carries it.

So many hits

This is a great album. But I don't think we needed a double. There is 1 classic album's worth of stuff here. This revisit revealed that I had not paid enough attention to Muzzle in years past.

Not bad, nostalgia of a wannabe punk preteen !

LOVE

Very dramatic sometimes with sweeping arraignments, sometimes straight up rock gems. corgans vocals are not great, but certainly unique? If you want a 90’s rock album, it’s a great one even if it seems to have leaned heavily into its own importance.

Love this one.

This one caught me off guard. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I have, and I listened to it three times to be sure. The sonic variety, the song arrangements, the range of lyrical themes are all great. But what took it another level is how it stirs up a sense of nostalgia even when I didn’t grow up with this.

Just a solid album tbf

Awesome album. It's too long, that's true, but it's still ace.

A mix of bangers and slow stuff.

zeitgeist of the 1990s (yet timeless) - questioning norms, skepticism toward mainstream society and longing for meaning range - melodic ballads to heavy rock

4/5

Loved the sound, not all were hits but there was enough in there that I really enjoyed. The kind of nasally singing voice was a vibe and the songs were varied enough to provide good variety. Though with an album this long, you'd hope so lol. 3.5/5 stars.

Great album, insane range, from melodic to heavy metal. Long listen (over 2 hours) but an experience to enjoy.

Really unexpected - felt like it switched genres 10 times during the album. Enjoyed overall

Great album, awesome range of songs felt and really complete. I did feel some of the songs were in styles that have been done better now and because of that I wasn't particularly a fan of them, specifically some of the more punk songs in the beginning of the album. Overall a really great, cohesive album and being as long as it was didn't hurt it too much for me. My favorite song was 1979.

Good songs but the singers voice bothers me haha

First of all the album title is hilarious. I enjoyed this one. I liked the more hard rock songs even if some of them were quite similar. I enjoyed disc 1 more than two. Would have liked it better if it was more compact. 6.5/10

great album 1979 favorite song

One of the heaviest hitters of the 90s grunge rock era. I get the feeling that a lot of bands were just trying to rip off nirvana but the pumpkins had a lot more flair for the dramatic and really making some over the top songs. I don’t think they’re better than Nirvana but they put some distance between them in their style and form a bit of their own lane while a lot of other bands were just blending in.

Would have been a 5 if it weren’t so damn long

I think it still holds up, maybe I appreciate it even a little more now. I still think he writes mostly bad lyrics though.

Great for a teenager. I’ve moved on from the pumpkins, but still some good stuff

Classic at double the fun.

was prettyyy good :D

i think a step backwards from siamese dream. great guitar work but the songs aren't as good

I remember when this album was all the rage. It absolutely has an ethereal quality but unfortunately I didn’t get through all of it

Although I like some songs more than others, I always listen to Mellon Collie from the very beginning to the very end. Its sneaky, spooky sparkle hinges on the interdependency of its parts. The albumiest album, as such.

I’ve never been too into Smashing Pumpkins but I do enjoy a few of their songs a lot. This album definitely feels the length by the end but it’s solid for so much of the duration that I’m ultimately feeling a solid 8. Favorite Songs: Tonight, Tonight / 1979

8/10 First foray into these cats and they were cooking on this one. A bit long but really great stuff here and I’ll definitely be coming back. Favorite song: bullet with butterfly wings

Great album but there's too much filler. If some of the weaker songs were cut it would be a 5 star album.

The quintessential example of Billy Corgan’s smugness and brilliance, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is like The White Album. It’s too long for its own good, and for every good song, there’s 2-4 meh-songs. Of course, those “good” songs are actually GREAT songs which helps make up some of the shortcomings.

This would have been such a slam dunk 5 with the right mix of half the tracks on a single album IMO. The length really hurts this one. Hard to pull off needle drop double albums. Heavy hitting hits and lots of other great stuff on here. I too, totally forgot about “Thirty-Three”.

This was such an ambitious undertaking for the band at the time. And although there are many songs to like, even outside of the ubiquitous hits…it’s just too long to earn the highest marks. Listening to it 30 years later, Corgan does seem extra whiney and self-indulgent but not enough to bring it down. Now I’m gonna go dust off their debut “Gish.”

Great album and very listenable, especially for how long it is (28 songs and 2 hours!). Love the massive hits (even if they were over played to the point of being ruined) and some excellent songs in between (nice to be reminded of thirty-three). Only thing that hurts my heart is that this came out 30 years ago. Ouch.

The intro song followed by Tonight, Tonight still gets me to this day. Love it. And the following six or so tracks slap hard. But the sad truth is this album is overstuffed and too long. Trimmed down to 14-15 tracks and this is an easy 5* for me. 4.25/5

one of the best double albums of all-time, obviously the best double album of the 90s. amazing all the way through, sometimes i skip through the 7+ minute songs when i'm listening to this album but they're still quality songs, even the non-album b-sides for the singles are great. beautiful is one of my favorite songs ever. incredible guitar and drums, great lyrics, wonderful production.

This one was long and a bit arduous... but there was so much good stuff in there that it was worth it at the end. The first disc was my fav, personally.

Some of these songs were beautiful and ethereal, others were harsh and scary. Overall, an interesting album with lots of variation.

Liked this WAY better than I would have guessed. Lot of stylistic variation. Voice is a little annoying a whole album at a time though.

first half is really really good, second half is kind of lame

Great album, gets a little lost in the middle though. Was good to hear it again.

Too Long. Took me days to finish.

Listened recently enough, and to be honest I don't really want to re-listen. Such a range of stuff on here, you can probably find loads of songs which fit into a completely different niche which the band are know for (take me down). But there are also lots of 'typical' songs on here. Quite a lot I feel could be cut down though, as throughout the second disc it just feels like you are waiting. There are also some terrible metal-type screaming songs which become even more annoying considering his voice. Favourite songs: Jellybelly, zero, bullet with butterfly wings, an ode to no one, porcelina of the vast oceans, take me down, where boys fear to tread, 1979. Overall around 8/10

2 timer! Det har bare at være godt! Tror aldrig at jeg har hørt hele albummet fra start til slut før. Tonight gav kuldegysninger, som altid.. Disk 1 er en 5er. Disk 2 har jeg ikke hørt nok... Venter med at rate til den er hørt isoleret. 4er fordi disk 2 er mindre god end 1. Fordi udgivelsen burde være 2 separate, og fordi jeg skippede sange i 2. gennemlytning.

There's something about the Smashing Pumpkins that I love. I normally don't enjoy the genre but for some reason I really like Billy Corgan's vocals. Did the album need be two hours long? Definitely not. But it's great and as soon as I thought it was getting too noisy/grating there would be a slow song. 7.25/10 (3.625/5)

Love the eclecticness of this album and how Billy and team were peaking with creativity at the time. So many great songs across both albums, but there are a few stinkers mixed in. Gorgeous piano filled mellow intro title track, then you get right into classic 90's alt rock with "Tonight, Tonight", the rockin' "Zero", the mid tempo "Here Is No Why", mega hit "Bullet With Butterfly Wings", the crushing "Love", & "Muzzle" - all that and we're not even to Disc Two yet!! On the flip side, songs like "Cupid De Locke" & "Take Me Down" were unnecessary. Disc Two is equally good and very eclectic with the angry twosome of "Where Boys Fear To Tread & "Bodies", the hit song "Thirty-Three", radio staple "1979", the lovely "Beautiful" and the unique pair of "We Only Come Out At Night" & "Lily (My One And Only)" . But again, there are some throwaway tracks on side two like "Tales Of A Scorched Earth" & the boring "Stumbleine". It's a really good album with hard hard songs, mellow tracks, mid-tempo rockers & lovely piano heavy songs. You get it all. I'd give this a 4+ star rating and it deserves to be on the Top 1001, no one has really done anything like it since.

It was long. But a couple good songs in there. Plus one star because I’ve listened to it before

I like The Smashing Pumpkins but this is a bit too much. I also weirdly find I have to pay attention when listening ot it does nothing for me. Definitely demands attention. The aesthetic, artwork, videos etc are fantastic

So good

Did not listen to lyrics but musically good

“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (the movie) came out at a pretty formative time for me. It was 2010, and I was 17. That movie had such character, such style, and a plot and character arc that really felt relatable to me. I’ve been enamored with it ever since, through my 20’s and into my 30’s. I mention this because I then moved on and read the graphic novels, the first of which is called “Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness.” I didn’t know then what it was a play on, but obviously it’s on this album’s title. I thought the “SP” on his shirt was meant only to be his initials. Had no idea it was anything else at the time. So, this being adjacent Scott Pilgrim content, I came into curious and somewhat expecting to like it. Keep that in mind. Double albums have been a pet peeve of mine in this project. For one, their length makes it hard to fit in a full listen in one day. But more than that, if it’s a double album you don’t like, well, too bad for you. You’re stuck with it for 90+ minutes. That’s not even accounting for the fact that it feels like so many double albums are strewn with filler and half baked ideas just to fill in the run time. So I came into this with that prejudice. Keep that in mind. But ok, three paragraphs is enough of a preamble. Did I like this album? Yes, actually. More than I thought. It does get a little samey after a while. But the variety of genres present does really help to keep things fresh enough throughout this album’s two hour run time. There’s grunge, some glam type stuff, art rock, even some stuff bordering on (if not fully) metal. This is definitely a magnum opus type of album though. Every single track is incredibly well-produced and thought out; no filler here. Not even a little. I think at times some tracks are perhaps a little too well thought out (they could’ve been shorter), but I’d take that over filler any day. Do I have any idea what this album is about? Not in the slightest. It’s clear Billy Corgan has something to say, and it’s clear that he’s an excellent songwriter. I just couldn’t tell you what these songs are about. Sometimes they’re full of obtuse imagery, sometimes sobering descriptions of emotions, sometimes just straightforward storytelling. But what’s the theme throughout? Is there one? Is it a concept album? The title suggests as much. But I don’t know. In the end, though, I’m here for it. Despite the length. Despite not know what it’s about, I thought this was great. Four stars. There’s something here for most. Standout Tracks: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Tonight, Tonight, Here is No Why, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, An Ode to No One, 1979, Stumbleine, Lily (My One and Only), Farewell and Goodnight

2 hours is way to much. Shorten the album and lose the not so good songs and it would be 5 stars.

This is a great album. (So that's how you spell Mellon Collie!!

It's really long, but honestly, I enjoyed all of it. Some of it was just good memories from my teenage years, but I do think it holds up in general.

Beautiful album. It's just Billy Corgan's voice that gets a little exhausting when you listen to the whole thing in a row, that's why I gave it a 4.

This was huge but I was perfectly happy to let it play out. Good background rock. Stand-out: Cupid De Locke

Imagine you're an overly ambitious band that's just released a collection of refined, well-crafted and surprisingly popular songs - in this case Siamese Dream. What's the next step from there? Why of course, a regular two-discer wouldn't cut it; the occasion called for a two-hour monolith, baby. But is it a monolith, though? Looking at the first six tracks, the album sets itself up to be non-stop punches, catchier than ever but without sacrificing that alternative core. Looking at the final five tracks, however, you see a completely different record: a White Album-esque sprawling hodgepodge of genre-hopping tracks. Now both types of double albums have the potential to be great, the non-stop hitters and the kaleidoscopic collections of eclecticism. Where on that scale does this album lie? Honestly... I'm not sure. Somewhere right in the middle of the album, it seems to take an unexpected turn from one end of the spectrum to the other, making sure that it's both and neither at the same time. It's a strange album. Its extensive runtime is both a core part of its identity and a major flaw. The songs are both varied and a bit too safe, really. But hey, it gave the world some of the best rock tracks of all time - even just for containing 1979, this thing deserves three stars.

3.75

ok this was so good. right up my alley.

Album 676 of 1001 The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995) Rating : 4 / 5 I wasn't feeling good about a 2 hour album but this flew by. Good stuff. Quite diverse and ambitious. From alternative rock and grunge to orchestral ballads and metal, this brings a bit of all. Will come back to this one.

I like the band, but I prefer the less "grungy" songs on this album.

Great thing about doing this daily album listening is recognizing popular songs from these bands that you've listened to, but never bothered to look more into the band as a whole. I had no idea that these guys sang the whale wars theme song. Entertaining album, previously, based on the band name, I thought this was some screamo band, pleasant surprise of a rock album to listen to with good variety of tracks.

I get the complaints on length, but I think they had enough material to back it up, and enough dynamic playing to make it not necessarily boring too early. The lyrics are good enough to enable this sort of length, I think. Not my absolute favorite, but definitely scratches an itch.

Smashing pumpkins were never my favorite band regardless of that, their music found its way on to the soundtrack of my life. I had never listened to this entire album and didn't even realize it was a double album, but it is something that you can definitely listen to in its entirety.

Strong 4

This album has deep rooted nostalgia for me. I remember one summer in the late 90's I stayed at my aunt and uncle's place in the city for a few days in the summer and my cousin was a few years older than me. He introduced me to this album, which was so different from the hillbilly backwoods shit I had been privvy to my whole childhood, coming from a little rural town. This would have been my first introduction to music that wasn't country or like commercial classic rock or radio hits. Smashing Pumpkins were kind of an underground, unknown genre of music at the time for me. I remember hearing how overdriven and fuzzy their guitars were and thinking "holy balls, wtf is this"... That led me to explore heavier shit, and the rest is history. But this album is largely responsible for me getting into alt rock/metal in the 00's. I also remember in the song Zero when Billy sings "Emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness, and cleanliness is godliness, and God is empty just like me"... That was the darkest shit I had ever heard up to that point coming from a strong Christian family. Just hearing that I felt like I was gonna be struck down by lightning or some shit. Thinking back now, that isn't even that hard of a lyric, but at the time it was crazy. Now I'm not saying that this is the most amazing album ever... It does have its drawbacks. Mainly, it kind of overstays its welcome, with the 2hr runtime, but this album is so deep rooted in nostalgia for me that it is impossible for me not to give this high marks. I'll always be greatful to my cousin for opening my mind to new types of music, and really starting me down the road to exploring new and different sounds. Favourite songs: Zero, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Jellybelly, 1979, X.Y.U., Here Is No Why, An Ode to No Ode, Tales of a Scorched Earth, "Tonight, Tonight", Bodies, Thirty-Three Least favourite songs: Porcelina of the Vast Oceans, Take Me Down 4/5

Good

Bullet With Butterfly Wings speaks to my soul.

I’m torn on where to rate this album. On the one hand, I know the singles well, and I was excited to hear them. On the other hand, this album is very long and not every song feels as memorable or necessary. Still, I think I would considering listening to it again, even if broken up over several listening sessions.

Some really great music in the first half, but the second half starts to overstay it's welcome a bit after 1979. There are some lyrics that can look a little cringe in hindsight, but the instrumentals really sell you on them in the moment.

Long, but I enjoyed it. Hard to listen to in one sitting

Classic rock epic, The American Vegetable Destroyers manage to keep me entertained for a solid 2 hours, the 28 tracks all bring something new to the table, and even though the first half has more bangers, the album as a whole is still just really solid.

The thing about records like this that have been so beloved and popular for such a long time is that even if you've never intentionally listened to the whole thing, most of the good songs have trickled their way down to you already. Which is to say, of the two-hour runtime for this album, the songs I enjoyed most were the ones I already knew. I suppose they are the most popular for a reason. However, there is still a lot else to like on this album and I didn't mind the length of it. There is a good amount of variation within the songs without losing a generally cohesive feeling. There were a handful of songs that were new to me that I did especially like, but I wasn't paying attention to the titles for two full hours. It's an admirable piece of work with lots of very pretty songs. Billy Corgan's lyrics are the weak point for me. 8/10 overall I think.

8/10 fairly long album favorites

Really good, not perfect, but really good.

1979 has been a favourite one for me since i was a teen. I think the guitar riff alone in this song inspired many 00’s post-punk/garage bands. This has been my first full listen as the album is longer than 2 hours but i’ve enjoyed it. I’ve been leaning mostly on the softer songs on the album as the songs Jellybelly and Tales of a Scorched Earth felt a bit harder to enjoy but Muzzle is a great one too. The intro and outro of the album are quite nice too, i listen to Farewell And Goodnight occasionally these past few months. Might have to come back to this one.

8/10 Favorite Tracks: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Cupid De Locke, Beautiful, We Only Come Out at Night, By Starlight Least Favorite Tracks: Tales of a Scorched Earth, Jellybelly, X.Y.U

Can easily spot who Corgan got influenced by throughout the album. Consists of bangers that were already on my personal rotation and some new ones has surely been added. Great mix of dirtier sounds and mellow tunes, they also did a good job with keeping the quality of the songs consistent.

Damn, this is long. I sat with this one for a while. There's some good stuff on here, but dude's voice grates on me a bit. Nevertheless, I feel it would be remiss of me to give this anything less than four stars. It's a seminal record. Favourite tracks: Tonight, Tonight, Bullet With Butterly Wings.

Despite the 2 hour run time, the record flows beautifully with barely any filled tracks (actual rating:4.5)

sounds like something i should be nostalgic for. I would have adored this in high school. As for now I’m more appreciative that I now hear it and can see it as a landmark in its time, that I understand the intended or unintended referential modern music that is linked back to this moment.

A classic for a reason!! She's beautiful <3

Ein richtiges Album

I waited at the record shop to buy this the day it came out. Me and my friend Pete listened to it on repeat in his basement before getting bored and turning on scrambled porn. Not as good as non-scrambled porn, but definitely better than squinting for boobs. Should've been a single disc (but isn't that always the case?).

No private session used for Spotify. I have this CD somewhere, or maybe an ex has it. It's got some beautiful songs on it. It's been a while since I have listened to a lot of Smashing Pumpkins and I forgot how accustomed I had become to Billy's nasal whine, which this time through took away from a lot of the songs. Sometimes I listen to a double album and think "this would have been better as a single album" meaning about half the songs could have been eliminated, but not this album.

Good. But feels a bit old

Great

wild journey

Very long album. Quite good tho

I had no idea the "despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage" song was Smashing Pumpkins. My husband laughed at me. I've never listened to this album due to being surrounded by Pumpkin-loving boys in the 90s and not wanting to encourage them. It's pretty good.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG but varried

it is a little wild how the songs i (and most other people who were born after the time of the Pumpkins) got to know this band from were from a two hour long album. i hesitate to call it "epic" because i don't really think it has that quality to it, but Mellon Collie doesn't really seem like a file dump. really, it feels most like -- and this is an odd analogy, i know -- those Made-for-TV cartoon movies (Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension or Kim Possible: So the Drama) that feel like long episodes of the show they're based off of. of course, this doesn't mean nothing has changed; paradoxically, their big ambitious feature album is also a huge pop swing with crossover appeal. oddly enough, the strongest moments of the album are when it sounds completely divorced from the Yankee shoegaze of Siamese Dream. the softness of songs like "Tonight, Tonight", "1979", and "Thirty-Three" feel like an actual progression of the band's art, something alluded to by "Disarm" on the last LP. they're at their weakest at Big Layered Guitars with Whining like on "An Ode to No One" or "Tales of a Scorched Earth". those songs aren't necessarily bad, but they feel like songs by a band that wanted to make a sequel to Siamese Dream instead of something ambitious and daring. as a result, it can end up blurring together by the end of the first disc. there's also the issue of all the weird tracks being sort of crammed in the back quarter of the album, as when you've been worn down, you're blindsided by softer, goofier tracks that would have been better sequenced in between the seas of creamy fuzz that can fade into the background. i'm not even sure how the track play into the structure of one disc being the day and the other being the night -- "Lily (My One and Only)" and "Stumbeline" sure seem sunny compared to "Bullet with Butterfly Wings". i can see why people slowly start to get fatigued by this record and hone in on the excellence of the singles. i can't hate Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, in fact, i love a lot of it. it's just harder to love as a whole. i couldn't see it being anything but expansive, and i also couldn't see myself coming back now that i've heard the whole thing.

This album is a fucking classic for me... XD Angry, noisy, juvenile...

I graduated high school the year this album came out, it was a huge hit. My friends and I loved it and listened to it a lot. I remember thinking that it was cool to have a double CD because it was one of the first for me. The videos were also really cool for several of the songs. I really have great memories of this and will listen to it many more times. One of my biggest regrets is not seeing them play live.

Nostalgia bumped this one up for me. I remember my older siblings listening to Smashing Pumpkins; this album in particular. Vocals are there, drums are great, and it's just a well rounded 90's sound in my opinion. Solid 4!

This massive album is solid. It is so diverse the bigness isn't a detriment.

4.25 That's a solid 2h album!

Homer Simpson, smiling politely. I like the Pumpkins well enough, but Billy’s vocals and affinity for the occasional ear-piercing guitar feedback require this album to be taken in smaller, bite-sized pieces. I think I would have liked it less had I done it all in one sitting.

Yes, it's too long but there's enough good and great stuff here to make it a 4. Kind of crazy to me that 1979 doesn't come up until almost halfway through the second album.

He is heard to deal with for 2 hours. Had to break it up. Its a 4 all day, just for the hits and there are some hidden gems but again, trim the fat. Didn’t need to be this long. Could only be released when it was. Wouldn’t have made it in any other time in history

na

7/10 because again, it’s just too much

Great album, but boy is it long. Feel like there's a fair amount of fat that could be trimmed to make it an easy 5 for me. I've listened to other Smashing Pumpkins albums, but never got around to this one with the exception of the singles. Lots of hidden gems on here, but you've got to work for them.