Reviews (page 7 of 16)
Certainly consistent, but I just don't want to listen to two hours of the same thing
Fuck this website for giving me a 2 hour album with his nasally ass voice.If i get behing his vocals,i would really,love this record.Will relisten in a while.Good mix of genres but goddamn billy open your nose 6.7
Have been listening to this album since my teens. It captured me like nothing else, and still does. Not all songs are hits in solitude, but the emotional bow over these two CDs is unbroken. An all time epic album for me.
Bald fuck Billy Corgan
So you're telling me that you take 2+ hours out of your days to listen to this regularly, and call it great? I dunno man.
Great album all around, just a little bloated. The hits on the album are classics for a reason. Some great deep cuts too. Had it been edited down to 18 tracks and it could be near perfect. 7/10
Corgan’s voice has always been a huge hindrance for me as I’ve attempted to enjoy this band. Despite this, 1979 has always been one of my favorite 90’s songs so I at least wanted to listen that far. It was rough. I give this one 2 out of 5 stars, and that’s solely because of 1979.
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
Reminds me of dad
actually did enjoy this
Àgæt plata en lögin samt full niðurdrepandi
Áhugaverð plata. Af svona mörgum lögum hljóta einhver að vera góð. Seinni hlutinn aðeins þéttari og betri. Kann að meta hvað var gert þarna, þó að ég tengi ekki fullkomlega.
I've listened to this album from start to finish possibly hundreds of times, but it must close to 10 years since I last did so so I'm interested to find out how it hits is 2025... Conclusion: still slaps hard
Moro moro :D Nyt oli hyvä albumi vaikka vähän pidempi oli. Ois saanu olla enemmän bullet with butterfly wings tyylisiä biisejä. Liian paljon heikompia biisejä että pakko antaa kolmonen vaikka olisin halunnu antaa nelosen. Ei siinä lisää rokkia kiitos.
Albumi oli pitkä ku nälkävuosi ja paljonhan tuolla tuntui olevan fillereitä. Kuitenkin ihan kelpo platta ja ansaitsee kyllä paikkansa listalla. Isoa heittelyä fillereiden ja hittien välillä, mutta kaipa se on niin että ku tarpeeks sohii ni joku osuu
Ihan kuunneltava albumi, kestoltaan kyllä aivan liian pitkä, varsinkin kun ei normaalisti ole ihan omaa genreä tämä vaikka laajasti kuunteleekin erilaista musiikkia. Menevät ja rauhallisemmat biisit hyvin tasapainossa. Ei herättänyt suurempia tunteita suuntaan tai toiseen, joten aika 3/5.
Jos levy on pidempi ku T-junalla matka Helsingistä Riihimäelle, niin se on liian pitkä. The Smashing Pumpkins kuuluu itellä niihin bändeihin keiltä tulee kuunneltua paljon tiettyjä yksittäisiä kappaleita. Esim. Bulle With Butterfly Wings kuuluu yhtiin omiin suosikki kappaleisiin. Se nostaa jo pakosti vähän pisteitä. Tykkään miten levyllä on tosi paljo grunge soundia, mutta sitten toisaalta myös häiritsee miten tyyli on monessa biisissä niin eri. Vähän sekava soppa ja edelleen liian pitkä soppa. Paljon hyviä kipaleita, mutta näin isoon albumiin mahtuu paljon niitä heikompiakin, mitkä tuntuu entistä puuduttavimmilta. Kokonaisuutena 2,5 mutta tahdon sen pyöristää kolkkiin.
Joskus julkaisun aikaan "Jyrkistä" tms tuli Bullet with butterfly wings-kipale ja silloin se kolahti ala-asteikäiseen Zaiffaan. Onneksi ei kuitenkaan tullut ostettua levyä, sillä suurin osa biiseistähän on aivan standardi-rokkia. Tuli levy kuunneltua läpi useassa osassa joten selkeää tarinan kulkua ei jäänyt mieleen, mutta vähän sekava rakenne, vuoroin todella pliisua maalailua ja välillä vähän jotain yritystä ja särönappikin löytynyt kitarasta. Loppua kohden Billy "Dorkan" Corganin äänikin alkoi ärsyttää liikaa. 8-10 biisin levynä olisi ollut ehkä ihan kelpo paketti. Tuplalevynä Irakin sodan kuulustelutyökalu. Ehkä jos kuuntelisi ajatuksella koko läjän niin pisteet voisi kääntyä kolmeen.. tai yhteen. Tuu points
Pari hyvää biisiä 28:sta niin ei sillä kuuhun vielä mennä.
Eka kosketus Smashing pumpkinsiin oli Adore-levy, ja ääni jäi mieleen. Jotenki tämmöstä indie-menoa ennen kuin indie tuli muotiin. Tykkäsin.
Tässä on ainakin kokonaisuus, joka on kuin mittatilaustyö 90-luvun teinin ahdistuskausiin. Nyt kun levyä kuuntelee kyynisenä hieman teini-iän ylittäneenä henkilönä, niin täsmälääke osoittaa lumemaisia piirteitä. Ei siinä, kyllä levyllä on iso määrä kovia hittejä ja Billy Corganin omalaatuinen naukuminen on toimivaa. Levyn parhaita biisejä ovat omasta mielestä tunnelmapalat ja fiilistelyt. Kuitenkin ns. täytetavaraa on liikaa. Voikin olla, että kun levy on julkaistu ns. fyysisen median aikakaudella, niin tarkoitus ei olekaan ollut, että molemmat "cd:t" rallattelisi läpi kerralla, vaan fiiliksen mukaan jompikumpi levyistä uitettaisiin ministerkkojen pesään. Kokonaisuudessaan todella maittavia hetkiä, mutta koko kaksituntinen ei jaksa kantaa.
Ei varsinaisesti negatiivista sanottavaa, ihan jees. Pientä miinusta tuplalevyn pitkästä pituudesta tällaisessa "levy päivässä" projektissa
Tämä killui 3/4 rajalla, mutta nyt tuli kolmonen ihan vain koska ei vain osu omaan musasieluun. Ehkä jos kuuntelisi enemmän, niin voisi innostua jossain määrin.
Kyllähän tämä yhä iskee lujaa.
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.
So much better than I thought it would be. I knew some of the songs but I appreciated the music so much more.
This was a throwback to my middle and high school years. It remains as fantastic as it was then.
Such an overrated band. The voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Not a fan, despite them having a few OK songs. Those will raise it to a 2.
A few good tracks but mostly too long and a bit repetitive.
Smashing Pumpkins can write some really good grunge/hard rock/alternative tracks and it shows here (Jellybelly, Bullet with Butterfly Wings) but there's also a lot of songs on here I consider filler or uninteresting. Billy Corgan's vocals for ballads/slower tracks don't do it for me. This album is much too long imo.
Not as bad as I expected but still not great
Bit of a bloated mess (2 hours?!). Signifies the beginning of the end for the Pumpkins, as Billy’s creative endeavours only miss the mark further from here. A few highs starkly outshone by absolute mediocrity.
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.
5/10 - typical mid 90s american indie rock, ok but 15 tracks too long, issue with bands realising CDs can be rammed with music
It's too long and overrated. There are great songs, absolutely, but there are also many 'meh' songs. No studio album should ever be two hours long. Overall, a listenable, but overblown and self-indulgent album with a few really incredible bangers. 3/5
adesso si
Nostalgia definitely influenced my rating, but to me this is one of the greatest alternative rock albums of the 90s. It is quite a feat to have an album this long that somehow doesn't feel bloated. 5⭐️
Goddamn. I was too young to really appreciate this album when it released, although its singles have followed me my whole life. It really is a masterpiece of moody, mid-90's pseudo-gothic alternative. The guitar work, the rawness of the vocals? Perfect.
louder then expected
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.
Deep apologies to everyone I ignored when they said I’d like The Smashing Pumpkins. I was tempted to give this 4 for the ridiculous length, but it felt too much like a homecoming to get anything but a 5. Something that’s firmly in my rotation now.
Not the most cohesive but I liked some tracks
If you're going to make a two-hour album, consider making some of the music good.
The only positive about this is the (long and very witty) review on here comparing Billy Corgan's voice to Cartman's. The album is every bit as dire as described in that review. Made it as far as Here Is No Why (what language is that? certainly isn't english) which sounded just like the preceeding two tracks. 1 star is really far too generous. Anyway off to listen to Boudewijn de Groot's Het Land Van Maas En Waal. The lyrics to that also make absolutely no sense but they are at least fun.
10/10 GOATED SHIT EASILY THE BEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME.
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
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is a sprawling album whose length can feel overwhelming, but its mix of fury, melancholy, and drama makes it a striking piece of work.
Billy Corgan may be high on his own farts these days, but it's sometimes worth remembering that the Smashing Pumpkins did put out one of the best albums of the 90s and one of the best double albums of all time.
The first CD I ever bought. This album was kind of intimidating to me as an 11 year old, there was so much music to absorb, so much harsh dissonance and abrasive distortion, so many densely packed hyper compressed layers to every song, so many explosive riffs, such a singular and often repellent voice. But I must've listened to it a few hundred times, unpacking, exploring, getting more and more familiar with the songs between the radio hits letting it sink in and rework my circuitry. I haven't listened to it all the way through for decades, so I'm surprised how much I've retained and how well it all still works on me, swerving from sonic and emotional extreme to extreme, screaming catharsis and hushed intimacy, fuzz and fury, noise and melody, building pressure and easing off for a relentless 2 hours. The best songs on their earlier albums are better than the these, but this is insanely consistent for being so ranging (it touches on metal, prog, grunge, shoegaze, punk, indie pop, even alt country) - there are some gems buried in the sprawl and the guitars all sound so damn good. Favorites: Tonight, Zero, Bullet, Love, Muzzle, Take Me Down, thirty three, 1979, Eyes of Ruby, Beautiful, Lily
So many good songs but so long
An unparalleled experience. It’s hard to put into words what makes this so special, but this album is a triumph of modern music. I can understand Corgan’s voice is not for everyone, but I think what he does here is incredibly impressive and intentional. Really looking forward to coming back to this one again.
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.
"I've never been in love with Smashing Pumpkins' sound and I really don't enjoy Billy Corgan's voice as it often alienates me when listening. Overall I find the music enjoyable. The heavier songs are the highlights here since the music is more in the forefront and his vocals seem to take a backseat. The album sound is cohesive throughout and though I am not sure this needed to be a double album, it doesn't overstay its welcome."
I remember being so excited when this album came out only to be wildly disappointed because it wasn’t nearly as good as the first two. It has aged ok, but still a distant third.
Thought that would never end... Not one I'd recommend using headphones for, could've broken that up into 2 albums pretty easily I'd say as well.
Way. Too. Long. Would've been worth it if Corgan could actually sing.
Ugh, so long. SO LONG. like 2 good songs.
This might have been a 3 but for the length. Definitely some good bits of pumpkin goodness but this was smashed by stretches of unpleasant noise during 8 minute songs.
Some were too good most too meh
Sometimes too much is exactly right. Too many songs, too many long songs, too many guitar solos....but just like Physical Graffiti here more is more. Is it better than Siamese Dream? It's certainly bigger. The killer singles are actually more killer than on SD so maybe yes. Any reason not to give it five stars? Can't think of one.
My father has always hated the smashing pumpkins, but before now I had never listened to them. One positive thing I can say about this album is that it has made me understand my father more. 1/10 because why would you ever do this to yourself 26/08/25
Year I was born, let’s go! — This gave me whiplash. There were songs that I loved (To Forgive, Take Me Down, Farewell and Goodnight) and songs that drove me mental but overall … it was decent. I can now say that I know more than one Smashing Pumpkins song so 👍🏼
I find his voice annoying I'm sorry lol
really great first disc
Some fav non singles: Here is no Why, Porcelina, Bodies, Starlight. Certainly a little pompous in its ambition, but fuck man, what a machine of ideas. All the scrapped material, plus pistachio medley? Fahgeddaboddit
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.
28 songs on this double album. Two things that have held true (until now) involve my distaste for the same band to drone on for several hours straight (in a non-live sort of way). And my distaste for distinct styles to go song after song with little variety. This makes the idea of a double album daunting for any sort of casual and enjoyable listen. But the Smashing Pumpkins has been a second tier go to band of mine for over 30 years and after I finally saw them live, and was overwhelmed and blown away, they stepped up to my head table. Then, I was faced with a non-live double album... 28 songs... and I could have played it over again! That is when I realized why The Smashing Pumpkins has always been among my go to favorites, they are varied and never boring even with the strong distinct lead singers voice. (normally a distraction for me after a while). They have a sort of art gallery way of ordering everything to flow from soft and mellow to metal level hard and back again... and lyrically! Yeah. this is honestly great. What a great band!
ok
a great album, pity about the rest of their work.
Some songs are decent here but I can't stand how affected billy corgans voice is. Gets old over an album this length 2.5*
Incredible double album with crunchy, proggy guitar riffs, cheesy/melodramatic vox from Billy Corgan (that hit oh so perfectly) and blistering drum performances from Jimmy Chamberlin. What set me over the edge, however, was the concluding track "Farewell and Goodnight"... after losing a beloved family pet of 16 years last weekend, this one hit me like a tidal wave. Fuck you, SP, for making me feel things.
felt elderly listening to anything that had screaming in it, i can't lie. i can't hang like i used to, it reminded me far too much of high school: which seems to be a general consensus on a lot of smashing pumpkins' work. it's a very well put together album, though. a bit lengthy at points, with songs that drag on — but i did, at least, feel like it provided a full album experience to me upon my listen. not in a storyteller way, but it was very intentional in the track listing and order. smashing pumpkins is my 10-years younger cousin's favorite band, and i think that if i was ten years younger i would've loved this quite a bit more? it feels very dated in my mind, but that is probably because i hit my "male manipulator" music phase at a very specific time in my life, and this goes hand in hand with those types of bands, in my opinion. had quite a few bangers, but standouts to me: X.Y.U., Jellybelly, Lily (My One and Only), Tonight, Tonight and 1979. i am always going to like siamese dream better, though. i don't know if that's an unpopular opinion, but it was the album i listened to when i was seventeen, so obviously i'm going to latch onto it more.
Despite all my rage… (In the arms of sleep was my highlight)
I liked it a lot
You know, I hated the Pumpkins as a teen, but I didn't mind revisiting this. I mean, I still petered out after hour 1, but I was more mildly bored than horribly annoyed.
*to the tune of No More Parties In LA* "No more 90s alt rock, please god no more 90s alt rock"
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.
Not a bad album with some interesting songs but it seemed to last forever.
some good songs but a really long album, my god
Probably a masterpiece hidden underneath the filler. "1979" +2
2.5 Terrible vocals. Otherwise ok sounding
Some great riffs, and some great tracks, but a lot to get through
one had moments but generally too long for me to get into
haven't heard of the artist, haven't heard of the album. 2 hrs of quality rock music. This is what the list is for. :-) Favorite track: bullet with butterfly wings other picks: tonight tonight, zero, love, thirty three, 1979
Not for me
Best Song: Muzzle For full transparency, I bought this in 1995 and have listened to some songs off of this ever since. It very well may be nostalgia talking, but I love this album. A 5/5!
4/5
Mwehh, not my fav
This album looms large in family memories. Great re-listen.
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
An enormous effort by Corgan and the band. There are some terrific songs on this LP particularly in the first LP. That's probably where it should of ended. Concept albums of this length get boring and tedious.
Yet another case of mediocre music ruined by an annoying male singer, Only song worth listening to is 1979, in an otherwise unbearably long album.
loved it back then - still love it now
This album is really good. Some songs were not much of my like, but, overall, the album is really enjoyable, and it's two hours long, which is something difficult to keep the interest of it during that time, so it's really worth listening to. I also loved the different textures on it. It's beautiful at many times.
Look, I get it, but to me, it's an album for the head and not for the heart.
Disc 1 is incredible, maybe the best album I’ve listened to so far. Disc 2 gets a bit tedious though.
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.
cupid de locke the only song i like. idgi this is too boy for me
Assez mitigée… Certaines chansons m’ont beaucoup plu, mais je suis restée hermétique à la plupart d’entre elles.
Nostalgia batidão se eu fosse leiga eu diria pré-shoegaze mas não sou leiga
Absolutely LOVE this album, and I mean pretty much every single song. Bought it when it came out, as I was already a big Pumpkins fan. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
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.
I wanted to enjoy this so much more than I actually did! I owned this double CD as a teenager, and was hoping it was stand the test of time...but nope. Truly a bloated, 'we-need-an-editor' album. Just look at the listens for each track on streaming platforms. The singles on this one have over 25, 50, and 70 (!) times as many listens as the most of the deep cuts. Yikes. Long live Siamese Dream...
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
No. Too long.
Too long
Sounds of a analog world. Radio hits, and deep composures and wheezing Billy Corgan vocals
Die Anfänge der Pumpkins fand ich überzeugender, aber die Hinwendung zum Pop brachte dann doch eine ganze Reihe guter Singles zutage. Alleine schon, was den Umfang angeht ist das hier natürlich völlig maßlos und übertrieben, theatralisch und überambitioniert, aber sich das zu trauen, bringt auch wieder Sympathiepunkte. 3/5
This is like a grunge buffet that just keeps going. Seriously, it’s way too long!
I grew up in the 90s so I thought I liked the smashing pumpkins, guess I just like the hits. A lot heavier than I was expecting. Still had enough hits to keep it at a 3. Also 2 hours? C’mon.
wtf i listened to this for the first time yesterday? are you fucing watching me get away fuck you stop it now. 2 hours of solid alt rock with a couple real generational songs (1979 is so good). Billy Corgan sounds like a goblin and looks like lex luthor. 96/100
Irgendwie kann ich nichts positives oder negatives sagen, es hört sich ganz cool an, aber mehr auch nicht. Zumindest disc 1, zu disc 2 bin ich nicht gekommen
super tight rock n’roll
Good
I was really excited for this as I don't think I have ever listened to this whole album...and now I think I know why. A few really great jams, but a lot of... oof.
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.
Ultimate 90s sound
Et velprodusert og langt album. Sikkert en viktig introduksjon til SM. Men, dette er ikke noe for meg. Jeg likte noen av låtene på slutten av andreplata. Litt for hardt, syntes mye var ganske likt.
Masterpiece
This is my first time listening to a full Smashing Pumpkins album. The hits on this album are classic at this point. I think this album is just too long. If you trimmed it down to one album of all the bangers its an easy 4 or 5 star album
Favorites (listened to Disc A only): Tonight, Tonight Here Is No Why - Sounds a lot like Greta Van Fleet Bullet With Butterfly Wings To Forgive Cupid De Locke Galapogos Porcelina of the Vast Oceans Very contrasting tracks. Mostly not my style, but some Kishi Bashi-ness in some slower tracks.
It was sooooo long and I did the 2 hr version not the 5 (!!!!)
Eh. Wouldn’t listen again
Incredible album
This is a nice album to revisit. It's been years, probably 10+, since I've listened to this as a complete album. The album doesn't hold up as much as memory would like it to, but it's still pretty good. One thing I wasn't ready for was the memories of close friends I had back when I was listening to this a lot, who have passed away. I guess they'll always live on as I remember them, thanks to the music we enjoyed together.
Nothing about The Smashing Pumpkins has ever been for me. The garishness, the whiny nonsense and self importance of it all leaves me feeling nauseous at the best of times. Minus the vocals, I can get with a few tracks here in an instrumental sense, but two hours of this was an experience that never bears repeating.
Phenomenal, the Smashing Pumpkins greatest achievement. Not many bands can pull off over two hours of music and keep it high quality and interesting the entire time, but Billy and the gang sure did. Impressive how they don't really rehash their ideas and deliver a very ecletic set of songs ranging from angry metallic bangers, to dreamy excursions, to long prog epics, to whatever twee thing "We Only Come Out at Night" is. And all of it is at the very least pretty good, and at most some of the best songs ever written. Key tracks: Tonight, Tonight Jellybelly Zero Bullet With Butterfly Wings To Forgive Muzzle Bodies Thirty-Three 1979 Beautiful
I really dislike the voice of Billy Corgan
This album and band suck ass. Absolutely -10/10 for album 1.
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.
Absolutely love this album as a teen. The first disc was just great song after great song, the second disc I don't know as well. But generally it's just a masterpiece. Siamese dream was just a notch above this though
Kind of wild they produced this double album with 28 total songs on it and literally every song is better than good. Like BANGER, BANGER, BANGER, just very good, BANGER, phenomenally good song, BANGER, BANGER, etc. This was a staple of my younger years and is still in my rotation today.
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 songs, such as "zero" are dear to me, but times are over when i would pretend that i'd love that thing as a whole.
Would have made an okay single album, not as good as what came before.
Best Pumpkins Record
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…
Like a lot of double albums Mellon Collie is full of good songs, decent songs and a fair number of forgettable songs. These kinds of albums are often ambitious by nature and, as such, are usually overstuffed with material that could have been edited out. I enjoyed the tonal shifts in the album from the quiet songs to the hard driving relentless pieces. There’s a fascinating diversity of genres in this album as well (ranging from alt rock to metal to grunge). I have to admit that I’m a bit iffy on Corgan’s vocals which can sound pretty whiny at times. Consequently I wonder if I’ll ever listen to this album in its entirety again.
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
An almost overwhelmingly good album. Even for a double album this feels particularly cram-jam with good music. The singles are all great and stand the test of time. I think it has a strong case for best album of the 90s. There's a good number of songs on this that I'm not crazy about, but this is overall an incredible achievement.
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.
Normally I would complain about an album that made me sit through two hours of music. Anything more than 50 minutes is usually pushing it for me, with 60 minutes being an absolute maximum. However, not so for Mellon Collie. This album has absolutely no filler, which is insane for an album of this length. The only other double/triple LPs I can name off the top of my head that come close or equal to the quality of this one are George Harrison's All Things Must Pass (Gave it a 4/5) and The Who's Quadrophenia (Would give it a 5/5 if it were on the list). All this to say, I'm VERY skeptical of any album that thinks it can sustain quality over 50 minutes. And yet Mellon Collie could probably have a THIRD LP on it and still be great. Anyways, Mellon Collie. Absolutely a vibes album, and one of the best to ever do it. You basically have two types of songs. You have the Tonight, Tonights which exemplify the accompanying art of the record (Whether it's the album art or Tonight, Tonight's music video in all its A Trip to the Moon early 1900's glory), and you have the metal/noise rock songs. And all of it is perfect. The two LPs are pretty front loaded with the best tracks on the record (Tonight, Tonight, Jellybelly, Zero, Here is No Why, Bullet With Butterfly Wings; Bodies, In the Arms of Sleep, and 1979), but don't let that fool you, the rest are still insane. The Smashing Pumpkins knew when to add little flourishes and sounds to elevate everything on this. You could cut this double LP up in just about any way to make a single LP, and still have a banger of an album. Went into this knowing it'd get a 4 at least. Only thing is, was the length justified to get it to 5? And the answer is more than yes. If anything, like I said, they could have added more and I wouldn't have gotten bored.
The album itself wasn't for me. It felt like background music and not actual music that I'd jam to. I'll give it 5/10 because it wasn't bad but it just wasn't what I wished for.
A two plus hour double album was fucking torture
loved some songs but too hard rock for me in some songs
no skips
This is an amazing album with many great hits and a bunch of good songs I had never heard before as well
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)
Some really good songs on here, but I have a rough time handling his voice for an entire album.
Interesting. Never listened to this because I didn't like the title. I think that with a different vocalist I'd be giving this a higher score. Not keen on the way he strains his voice for emphasis; it's better on the slower tracks.
I tried but it's just not for me
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.
Hugely enjoyable and exactly my cup of tea. As a record, it feels a bit less intentional and curated than Siamese Dream at times, but there is so much great material. Hard to put into words exactly why I like this sound so much.
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!
Achei uma bosta a voz dele Mas a open track é mto boa
This album is beautifully produced. The drums, guitars, keys, strings...all incredibly done. It would be a 5/5 if it was an instrumental. Unfortunately it's not. One of the worst singers I've ever heard sings over the gorgeous music and ruins almost every song. There is a track called "Muzzle" which got me excited as I thought maybe the lead singers band mates realize they would sound better if they put a muzzle on the lead singer...but no...he is singing on that song too. To make matters worse, this album is 2 hours long!!!
an album u clearly need to spend a long time building up a big involved relationship with and cut your own path through, which i have not done because ive spent all the smashing pumpkins listening time in my life with only siamese dream. inevitably i get lost in here but not in a bad way...it would be one thing if i just got more and more exhausted over time but the record's world is so expansive and so attention-grabbing that its more like i wandered aimlessly and was only occasionally able to take full note of my surroundings. but the surroundings are always There, yaknow. on the whole, its hard not to be taken by the totemic aesthetic power of this thing...at 70 or 80 minutes it might have been bloated, but at 120 the sheer length of time u spend in it adds a whole new dimension to every individual track. even without a dense personal history, seeing oft-dismissed emotions treated with such seriousness and grandiosity is the kind of thing that makes art feel like its reaching out to help Me, Specifically. intensely moving, really.
There's a five star album hiding in here, but it's overwhelmed by the amount of throwaway on this double album.
Yes. Superb.
This was an interesting one as I loved some of the songs but also hard rock is the only genre I just cannot enjoy so some of this was really difficult to get through. Even when I didn't like the music I appreciated the lyrics, but when the music was "softer", I loved both! My favourite song was 'Lily' as I enjoyed the story telling! I also liked 'Tonight, Tonight', 'Galapogos', 'Farewell and Goodnight' and '1979'.
Somewhat familiar band. I might have heard some of their songs back then but wasn't impressed. I am not a fan of the vocal. An OK album.
Some great songs, but the album as a whole is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long and a lot of songs become filler this way. Siamese dream is way better because of this reason I think. I do love the song 1979!
Dad- 3 Mom- 7.5 Mike- 8 Lori- 8 Michael- 9 Miles- 8 Cole- 8.5 Avg-7.43
Ok so when this came out I was a big Pumpkins fan. I didn’t like what I heard.. the few songs on the radio.. Bullet, 1979. It sounded weak. Not what I expected from this band after Gish and Siamese Dream, one of my favorite albums. So I dismissed this offhand and never listened to it. Boy did I miss out! This is SO GOOD. The playing, the songwriting, the wall of guitars. And then there’s more experimental stuff too. They could have whittled this down to a “Siamese Dream part 2” but it’s really great that they didnt and kept it all. Really bummed i missed out for so long but so happy I found it
No tengo tanto tiempo
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
Me Childhood …. Lol….. Aight
Liker de rolige partiene best. 3.5!
It's a long album, being a double. Perhaps too long. A real epic. I don't find it drags though as it's quite experimental and there is quite a lot of variety - from heavy songs with distorted vocals to ballad-style pieces with piano and strings. This is the album that got me into the Smashing Pumpkins. I prefer their earlier offering (Siamese Dream) but I think it gets five star for vision alone. I think the second side (Twilight to Starlight) is better, but there's not much in it. It's also one of those albums where I think many of the album tracks are as good if not better than the singles that came out of it.
i'd like to like it, but no
There are no doubt some great tracks on this album … but it is way too long and by the time I got to the end I’d forgotten them 🤷♀️
Long album. Best Songs Tonight, Tonight Bullet With Butterfly Wings Take Me Down 1979
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]
I didn’t listen to the hole album as it has two discs and is two hours long, which is too much to listen for a band and music that doesn’t speak to me. The song that I had listened to sounded okey but, except for one that had no lyrics, I wouldn’t listen to any of them again probably. So I think that 3/5 is a fair score, but also I might give it a 2, no okey 2 is too low. I kinda wish the system was 1-10
++: 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
The music is good but billy corgan is a terrible frontman with an awful voice (and by all accounts is a massive twat)
After listening to this I feel like Billy Corgan is still being punished for being the only Alternative artist in the 90s to admit to caring and daring to try his hardest. This is one of the greatest albums ever. It's scope is audacious, it jumps from genre to genre, and yet it feels like a cohesive work. Mammoth, personal and also a little overwrought, but it's not embarrassed
Soundtrack of college
I do not like this album and especially the “hit” songs
4.5
I didn't realize this was a double CD before popping it on, and then after listening to it felt it carried on for twice as long as it needed to. The concept was lost on me. The songs didn't seem to tell any story, and as others have said, Billy Corgan rhythmically shouts and moans into the mic rather than singing. The hits are hits because they're catchy, but they're far too seldom for a release of this length. I'm glad I didn't buy this one when it was released, because I had disposable income back then. Nope, sorry. 1/5
classic
Some heights, but a lot of filler
Gotta respect a band who is inspired by every single genre of music they’ve ever heard
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 first album I was ever obsessed with. I still love it-sad machines and secret spires be damned.
Phew. I've now had both Pumpkins albums, and can be done with Creepy Corgan. I was always baffled as to why this needed to be a double album. Honestly, I'm a sucker for just about anything with orchestral backing, so I like the title song. That guitar line in Tonight really throws me back. The singles are worth it, the rest is a bit meh. I don't know if it's intentional, but the generator seems to dole out the double+ albums on Fridays. I really appreciate that.
The second disc was regularly played in 1995. Chicago style grunge.
Better than I expected, 10/10 album.
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.
I used to dislike this band because of Billy Corgan's voice, but it eventually grew on me. This album takes you on a full journey, an amazing listen. I would say this is a masterpiece! It tackles many genres and all of them are done extremely well. And even though it's very long, it didn't bore me at all. It was great from start to finish.
Many acts fall flat when following up such a hit album as SP had with Siamese Dream. Not so much with Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. This album is one of the best of the 90s for certain.
An alt rock classic, grew up listening to a majority of this album. I forgot how long it was lol but still good!
This album came out just after my 12th birthday and was ten or so cd's I ever bought. My thought back then was this album had a handful of really great songs but was waaaaaaay too long and Billy Crogan's voice quickly wears out its welcome. My thought almost 30 years later is pretty much the exact same. I listened to this album in full the first time around and have never again done so until today and it was rough to get through this 121 minutes. This music is pretty solid throughout and Billy is a good lyricist, but I can only handle his whininess in small batches - a song or two at a time. I am not a Pumpkins expert or even close to a big fan, but this was a great undertaking of an album and they deserve credit, but it probably isn't their best work. This album could be a really strong 4+ if they cut it down to the 50 minute mark, but just too much unneeded stuff along the way that really makes it drag. 5.8/10 114/1001
Billy Corgan can’t sing… plus I hear he’s a free market libertarian
Great album but not an easy one to get through
A lot of good songs, but also so long that I probably won't come back to it very often
Masterpiece.
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.
3*
Instant 5 stars, cannot judge unbiasedly, have loved for decades.
Billy Corgan and the Infinite Album.
Some great songs. He had it going on for a while but no one needs a two hour album from anyone. The Wall is 80 minutes long. This one is 40 minutes longer. That's gonna cost you a star Billy Boy
Escuche la mitad. Muy bueno
Awesome album, a little bit of everything done so well
8/10
Amazing. Love this album
I hate the smashing pumpkins
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
Alltime favourite. Fav: Too many to mention
Love this album
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.
Unpopular opinion, but the heavier songs are much, much, much better than the mellow songs on this record. They allow the drummer to really display his talent, and the crunchy guitars kind of drown out Billy's whine (most of the time). In contrast, everything (lyrics, music, enjoyment) is drowned out by Billy's whine on the mellow/emotional songs, all of which are supremely skippable. In fact, it seems at this point in the band's career, Billy Corgan has decided that the focal point of every song should be his quite frankly subpar vocals. Overall, while the record is ambitious and has a lot of great moments, the enormous run-time and the vocal slop don't just prevent this record from achieving greatness - they make it a genuine disappointment. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing
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.
Excellent album!
Just fine
Not a great batting average on this one... The hits hit, but oh boy do those misses miss.
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.
Main vocals are too torchuring to comprehend anything else about this.
One of my top 5 of all time. Incredible album.
The perfect album to gaslight your friend into thinking it's their favorite album. It's a double album... but YOU KNOW THAT! It's got bullet with butterfly wings, 1979, bullet with butterfly wings... zero. They're all from your favorite album by the smashing pumpkins melloncollieandtheinfinitesadness. You've definitely listened to it 19 times, you love it! How many times have you been like "I gotta go man, I gotta listen to mellon collie and the infinite sadness". BECAUSE ITS YOUR FAVORITE!
the world is a vampire
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.
I was so happy that I got this one for today ^^ Blissful melancholy: 5/5 (+)
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.
More like Mellon Collie and the Infinite Screeching Started off alright. The guys voice soon pissed me off so bad - was like nails on a chalkboard. I knew 2 of these songs beforehand, can't say I particulary liked them There was no need at all for this album to be 2 hours long. Absolutely no need 2 ⭐️
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.
A 2 hour long double album which feels very bloated. I honestly cant see why this album is so highly rated. If it was shorter and more concise i could see why. Of course "1979", "Tonight, Tonight" and "Zero" are great but theyre pretty much the only songs worth coming back to here. 6/10 Favourite: Zero Least Favourite: We Only Come Out at Night
Just amazing. So meany genius tracks. A double album that just never bores.
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
A sprawling, ambitious double album that showcases great band chemistry and moments of brilliance, 𝘔𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 is both impressive and frustrating. Billy Corgan’s voice works beautifully on some tracks, adding vulnerability and emotion, but on others it veers into the outright annoying. The genre mix — ranging from piano ballads to grunge, metal, and dreamy alt-rock — feels bold but also uneven. And yes, Corgan’s ego is on full display here, resulting in a 122-minute marathon that could have easily been trimmed to something sharper and more focused. A flawed epic, but not without its charm.
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
some good songs but two hours was too long, definitely could have been cut down. billy’s voice can be really hard to listen to
Favorites: Melon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, Tonight, Tonight, Jellybelly, Zero, Take Me Down, 1979, Beautiful, By Starlight
It turns out that one Smashing Pumpkins song in a row is a good time, three in a row is a less good time, and twenty-eight in a row is a war crime.
I never really got that in to this band. The singers voice felt to nasally when I heard them in the early 90s. Today I can appreciate the music better with more mature ears/attitude. There are several good songs on this album and it is definitely something I would listen to again.
I liked some of this album, and under other circumstances this could have been a 3, but a city break with family during a heat wave requiring an electric fan whenever in the hotel room is not a good time to try to listen to a double album which lurches about rather. 3.5
Nice work
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
usually not my style, but there were some nice songs! Would've put 3.5 if i could :)
What a ride. Went from "I don't like it" to "oh wow that's cool" to "mehh" to "I get the hang of it"
Great album. I am shocked how many songs there was and I loved many of them.
What an aptly titled album because melancholy is how this album made me feel. The album switches between Alternative/Art-Rock, Grunge, and Heavy-Metal - I just wish they could make up their mind. Ultimately, I found the album boring.
Absoluut een vibe. Maar 2 uur? Dat had niet gehoeven.
Has some great songs. Would be amazing live. Don’t love the screaming songs. Some great guitar sounds. Would prefer if it was a single disc album.
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.
Trim off about 75% of this and I might have been able to get through it in less than ten sittings. Absolute pants.
Beautiful is one of the greatest songs ever made
Hit and miss album for me. I don't mind the length, and really enjoyed all of the acoustic, stripped back songs. 1979 is a song my parents played constantly growing up so that was a nice surprise too, I never knew the name of the song. Grunge rock isn't my favorite genre, but I can appreciate a lot of the artistry of this album as a whole.
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)
I liked most of what I had time to listen to. After about an hour I felt I’d heard all I needed to.
It had '1979'. It has 'Tonight Tonight'. It has 'Bullet with Butterfly Wings'. I literally couldn't ask for more! And it has two hours more!!!
Great album, great songs, good music.
sin mas
Beautiful album, it is very long but I can’t name a track I would cut. It feels like a hauntingly beautiful journey
Listened only halfway.
Great album.
High school drama club over here.
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.
Smashing Pumpkins at its peak as a band. A lot of wonderful songs that last forever.
This was a really long album, and I owe it another listen all in one go to really absorb it. The gist of it this go-around was that there were some good ones, and some I had heard before, but I had a hard time getting through it and I don't super care for these folks.
I have listened to a fair bit of The Smashing Pumpkins, but never a full album like this. I am not sure the songs I enjoy outweigh the ones I would prefer to skip.
Love the ambition and production, though I would prefer fewer of the harder/punkier songs in lieu of more quiet gems.
way too long, not their best album
Interesting in some ways but I’m not listening to this whole thing