Reviews (page 8 of 15)
The hits are bangers but the album has a shit ton of filler tracks. They also don’t do thrash metal too well.
Tonight, tonight Ok Jelly belly Bra Zero Bra Bullet with butterfly wings Mycket bra An ode to no one Mycket bra Love Bra Galapagos Bra Muzzle Bra
Beautiful full Orchestra. 4/5
Two whole hours of Billy Corgan's rather annoying voice and yet i don't hate it entirely, interesting...
4. It's a 3, but gets an extra star for nostalgia
Long album, some absolute classics on here, but never actually listened to the whole thing. 1979, Zero, Bullet, Tonight hold the album up, but there's a little bit too much filler to be a 5.
Like the music and the compositions but the voice is starting to grate on me...maybe a double album is a bit too much.
Really good album. Very creative band.
Another album that I've listened to previously but didn't really stick in my mind, thought I wouldn't care for it and it's too damn long. Actually listening I don't recall a song I didn't like, which is quite impressive for a double album.
Really enjoyed this, didn't expect to! Some good riffs, Jellybelly being a track that stood out to me! As well as Zero (I think it was called?)
I would have given this a five if it weren't so damn long!
Lots of stuff I like and lots of others.
The intro instrumental track, also the title track, is peaceful and sets the tone light. Stretched, almost anguished vocals join heavy riffs as the production is powered by guitar with accompanying drums. Tracks tie “teen angst” to “teen hope” as the Pumpkins paint a picture of what is now and what is to come. 28 tracks spanning over 2 hours in length portray the passion of the craft that embellish the Pumpkins critically acclaimed rapport.
I bought this CD when it came out and I’m not sure i ever listened to every song. There are so many classic but in listening to it through all these years later i really enjoyed the creative variety. Even the songs i didn’t love, i appreciate. A gem.
duhhhhhhh
#137. Most people: the world is round Weirdos: the world is flat Billy Corgan: the world is a vampire 4/5: excellent
This is an awful lot of music. Which isn’t to say it’s awful. Lots of it is really cool, and genre-bending. But it’s just like… a lot.
Better listened to in segments as it's LONG. Billy's voice is annoying but there's a lot of great songs on this album and they're spaced nicely throughout the tracklist so if you do listen to all in one go, it's never boring.
Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness holds up incredibly well nearly 30(!) years later. It has a massive sound when it wants to be massive, it has a softer and more considered ballad side, it has a momentum about it in the first half, the drumming is excellent, it's very listenable and memorable overall. Negatives are that it's far far too long and that momentum from the first half is clearly lacking in the back half, and I've never really liked Corgan's vocals much, they grate quite considerably as we go along given the length of the album. I'll probably forgive that a bit, it's a high 3 or a low 4. Tonight, Tonight is such a fucking good track though I might just let it sit at a 4 because of that.
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, well it certainly feels like it'll last forever. Double albums are usually a big ask, a couple of hours is hard to give to something you weren't planning on listening to and the link through on this went to the 92 song dep deluxe edition that runs for nearly 6 hours. FUCK. THAT. I hadn't really heard much outside of the monster singles this thing produced and I was somewhat pleasantly surprised at times, but it was mostly that nostalgic trip back to the mid-90s of my youth, and all I really came away with was that Billy Corgan is a madman when he's inspired, but that mad Billy Corgan could really use an editor.
Standouts- "Zero," "Tonight, Tonight," "Bullet with Butterfly Wings," "An Ode to No One," "Love," "Bodies," "In The Arms of Sleep," "1979," "Thru the Eyes of Ruby," "X.Y.U.," "We Only Come Out At Night," "Beautiful," "Farewell and Goodnight" Vocals/Lyrics- 5/5 Instrumentals- 5/5 Vibes- 4/5 Overall- 4/5 This album is a weird one to rate. The slower songs are the ones that appeal to me the most, but on the other hand the harder songs are so full of rage and anger that I feel like it's really jarring, going from the soft "1979" to the angsty, rage-filled "Tales of a Scorched Earth" for example really messes with the flow. However, despite that I would consider this album to be a masterpiece. It's a long album, at 2hrs and 5 minutes. It's a great listen all in all. Definitely one of those albums where it may not be for everyone though, but if you're really into that grungey sound or that just rage-filled piss and vinegar type sound then this is for you.
4/5 double album, no bad songs Has some great iconic grunge songs, but gets a little boring at times. Bullet with butterfly wings, 1979, and X.Y.U are maybe some of the best grunge songs i've heard great album
Better than I remember. I have more appreciation for the band past the hits.
2hrs. Tons of bangers, like the other stuff too. Textbook 4
High school flashback album
Wow, I liked it, before Ive only heard Siamese Dream. Double album, lots of things, I will listen again.
It had a very epic scale to it and I quite enjoyed it. Quite long though.
4?
High - low - high energy Sick guitar Sounds fun to perform
I liked the album. It was rather long not going to lie
It blows my mind how a band can produce a 2 hour long album, and it be so versatile and dynamic throughout. A brilliant listen.
Onbekend met de smashing pumpkins, ik ga ze wat vaker opzetten
I enjoyed the album. Wasn't blown away, but very good.
1,001 albums is turning into "do I think The Smashing Pumpkins are a real band?". They clearly have some interesting things to do and their instrumental stuff is a bit wild. I kind of dig it but man do they need a new audio engineer at least on the Spotify version. The drums are muted to a fault and it doesn't sound crisp. This album is wildly too long and all over the place but I liked chunks of it for sure and they sound unique. Toss this into the bucket of "is this good singing or not". I'm not sure but I do think at least on some songs it fits really well. Despite feeling like this is too long I did like the audacity of what it is and how broad it goes in style. I don't think it all lands but one of these stars is purely on the artistic push of what this is and how bold a move it was for them at the time.
Oof this is a very long one. Great musically, great composition. Big bucks production here. A really good double album. I don't care much for Billy as a person. As a vocalist sometimes what he does works but often I'm tired of his choices.
The usual and beautiful
Thought they were just another grunge band…didn’t realize the scope of their stylistic competence…reminds me of one of my favorite breweries; if you don’t like the beer you’re drinking it’s because you don’t like that style, it’s not because they made a bad version of it..
This was a defining album growing up for me. Over the years, I feel like I’ve looked back on it with rose colored glasses. A lot of it still holds up, but listening to it with fresh critical ears, there’s some bloat to it. The first part (disc 1 from the original CD release) sets the bar high, but the second part (disc 2) doesn’t quite stick the landing as well as it could. Still, a great album, and still hold it very near and dear to my heart, but not quite perfection.
Despite seeing the Pumpkins in concert a few times, I'd never listened to this album all the way through. As a kid, "Tonight, Tonight" was one of my favourite songs. If this album was cut down to just the hits and a couple others, it would be basically perfect. As it is, it's overly long with too much filler.
this album surprised me! i was expecting a pure grunge and alternative album, but the smashing pumpkins didn't allow themselves to be defined. there was some beautiful piano work that took my breath away! they allowed themselves to explore metal and the more artsy side of rock. as a result, songs within mellon collie and the infinite sadness were interesting and different. to be fair, while i enjoyed this album and there was no wasted space, i do not know why it had to be a double album at two full hours. the music was great, creative, and intriguing, yet i feel like they could've gotten their point across in under an hour.
This album is chock full of such great Smashing Pumpkins songs, some of which are hits, others not. There's still plenty of grunge here to love, but this album has given way a lot more to the art rock side of the band. The two genres seem as if they would clash in almost every situation, but it somehow works here. It's not incredibly surprising that they make it work here; from their inception, they had a knack for blending grunge with more "melodic" music. That said, this was probably their last grunge album, before they transitioned away from that sound for more electronic rock sounds. I know a lot of people complain that Billy Corgan can't sing. I don't argue that, but I just feel like it doesn't end up mattering. Again, it is something else that simply works for these guys. I absolutely dug this album, don't get me wrong. But it was too long, felt a bit self-indulgent, and some of the art rock tracks just dragged a little too much. And sure, it's a double album so the length is "justified", but I rarely have the listening patience for a double album of any kind. I was definitely ready to be done by the time it was finished.
Little long for my liking but still a great album. The harder faster paced songs were more up my alley but the ballads and slower songs still make the album worth listening to.
I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. I already knew a few Smashing Pumpkins songs that I had assumed were singles from across their discography - Turns out they were all from this album (Tonight, Zero, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, 1979). My heart sank when I opened the album and saw it was 28 songs and over 2 hours long. As far as I’m concerned the perfect album length is 45 minutes. Any longer and you’re almost guaranteed a lot of filler. I was surprised to not find any on this album, although I did enjoy the first half more than the second, probably due to musical fatigue. There were a few moments that even made me “Oh, hell yeah!” out loud (e.g. when the drums kick in on An Ode to No One). Highlights: Bullet with Butterfly Wings, An Ode to No One, 1979.
4.5 stars! It's not close to Siamese dream but I still listen to that album.
I used to be obsessed with this album. Still great, not elite. Tonight, Zero, Bullet, and Muzzle still pump me up
A moment in time and such a unique style.
holy shit, this album is LONG. and it suffers from it, in my opinion. it has some truly great songs, iconic bangers and songs that i can’t even remember. also the songwriting is kinda all over the place. this album has some hard hitting lines, but also some unbearably cringy ones. and wtf was “tales of a scorched earth”? overall though i can say i enjoyed it.
Ambitious in scope yet lacking focus, this feels like the output of a band suffering through a profound identity crisis. It simply doesn’t come together as a cohesive piece of art. They are truly at their best in post-grunge goth mode of “JellyBelly”, “Zero”, “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”, etc. The ballads seem out of place, mostly because the harder edged tracked are so perfectly executed in comparison. While every song on the album is done well, some of the softer ones seem included solely for the sake of making a double album - they feel like outtakes rather than thoughtfully curated elements. While some of their best known work is here (“1979”, “Tonight Tonight”) it feels like they would be better suited for another album. It’s just too much thrown together. Again, any 10 songs on here put together would be a 4+ star record. This suffered from being too packed. 3.5
Great album that is let down by how self indulgently long it is. With a good prune it is an easy 5, but the padding let's it down.
Didn't listen in full, but I want to! It goes all over the place from loud and heavy rock to ballads which was a little surprising, and has a crazy amount of tracks. But good stuff.
Didn’t finish this album but was a solid listen !!
great songs, lots of filler
I've always been daunted by the 2 hour runtime so I've never listened to this album all the way through despite loving the singles and Siamese Dream. I'm glad that this project finally motivated me to do so. Even though it's 2 hours long, I enjoyed every minute of it. There isn't as much bloat on here as I expected, although the second half is just good while the first half is mind-blowing. If this was the first half only--with 1979 promoted to the first half--it would be a 5 but I have to acknowledge the inconsistency and give it a 4.5. Highlights: Jellybelly, Here Is No Why, Galapogos, Muzzle
Started with Siamese Dreams and though the SP were phenomenal. This sounds more of a Mish mash. Some great songs but still something missing for me.
4.1/5 so many bangers on this album but Love, Tales of a scorched Earth and X.Y.U. exist and it's 2 hours long
A really great album that goes on for a bit too long. There are some great tracks like "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" and "Tonight, Tonight". 4/5.
not a fan of Corgan's voice. but the music is nice. More of a prog feel than I was expecting. 4/5
I think the reason the Pumpkins haven't ever clicked with me is Billy Corgan's voice. And if there ever was an album to test this theory, this would be the one. At just over two hours this is a trial by fire. My theory may be correct? It's hard to say, because at times I'm annoyed with the vocals, other times I feel they fit perfectly, and then there's times where both are true. Either way this is a mondo album filled with an intense variety of sounds and genres. It's hard not to admire the sheer scope, and I came out on the other end rather liking it in spite of my mixed feelings on Billy's vocals.
Felt a bit too long, and some songs blended together, but overa;; a very good album.
Sounded like skater but but long
Every song on this double album is great, but it's so long that I end up forgetting what happened an hour ago. Even though all of the songs are good, because of the sheer number of them, a lot of the tracks blend together and few actually stand out on their own. The ending is peak though
This album needs to be blasted on a cross country drive. Moments I was in tune, others I was waiting to get thru more hard core rock moments…undeniably good, though
Good album enjoyed more than anticipated
War sehr gut, vielseitig. Manches etwas schräg.
First time listening all the way through in over 10 years. It’s rawer than I remember, maybe not as intentional as I remember, full of grunge.
The album is almost transcendental techno disguised as teen angst fueled rock. The music is beautifully composed but the immature lyrics and Billy Corgan’s voice are dealbreakers. Props to the Instrumental trax but his vocal ruins the album for me.
Nice. Emo
7/10
Beautiful albulm. Less heavy than I'd anticipated, great melodies.
Smaching pumpkins 2nd best album
Sprawling, epic monster of an album that comes damn close to justifying its massive runtime. I was never exactly sure what to expect from the next track and I was rarely disappointed, it was a lot of fun to just put this on and enjoy the ride.
Long. Some great tunes. Plus, who puts out a double album in 1995?
Interesting vocal vibe, should dig further.
Ótimo álbum! Sonoridade de primeira mesmo.
I am goof and I loved this album it's my favourite and I decided this rating on my own. 4/4 extreme gooDness. Tonight tonight is my favourite as well.
This is a fantastic album. Most songs are ones that I am not tempted to hit the next button on. That means I like what I'm listening to. This is something certainly worth owning and listening to so it deserves it's place on this list as "an album to hear before you die". This is an easy 4 out of 5 compared to the crap I have heard before it.
Great album. Loved it as a kid and still love it now. Melodic and heavy at the same time
The world is a vampire
This could have been a 4.5 to 5 for me had they made this just one hour of the best parts. Way too long and some songs clearly could have been scraped. Still the best parts are really good. Soft 4
good stuff
My wife hates this album. She says its the big sell out album for Corgan, but I cant help but really like it. The theme, the tracks, its just got some great production and ends up being a pretty good (if way too long) album. 4/5
So good
Ambitious, trendsetting. It's always great to hear an artist or group fire on all cylinders and that's what The Smashing Pumpkins did here. Just raw output of emotion, musicality, and cohesion. Only four stars because I don't think I will come back to this very often, but a very good project.
The closest I’ve been to giving an album a 5, but the run time is holding me back. A two disc, two hour album is just a bit much, even if I really like the songs. Favorite song: Bullet with Butterfly Wings Least favorite: Don’t really have one
Liked disc 2 more than disc 1 (with the major exception of Tales of a Scorched Earth), though the sound felt very similar the whole way through. Really what that means is that I preferred the last run of songs that chilled all the way out and became significantly less ~rock. Overall good though? Just not really my style.
Pretty good.
Good
Not sure that I've listened to this start to finish in more than 20 years. Lots of high marks.
Pretty sure they could have pared this down to one disc, but any album with "Tonight, Tonight," "Zero," "Bullet with Butterfly Wings," and "1979" gets no fewer than four stars.
1. gorgeous album cover! not to be annoying but so far (nearing the end of side 1) this is SUCH a great album. i shall continue to listen. 2. i'm getting a bit drained, this is a long fucking album. 1979 just came on though (yey!!!!) 3. on the whole i think the first half is better than the second half, i am still enjoying it but it's more same-y than the first half. or maybe i'm just smashing pumpkins-ed out 4. the last song is lovely 5. on the whole i really enjoyed this album i like the variations on the genre and the different things it tries out. i'd like to know its influences. and what it influenced. a nice thing to listen to from start to finish i wouldn't do it again but now i know what songs i like from it !!! yey!
Waves of Nostalgia are hard to ignore. I was expecting a lot of filler revisiting this double album, but it’s that’s not the case. Really enjoyed getting back to this after a long break
A bit long.
Wow. 2 hours. I would wager if i discovered this back in the day, i would have been able to give each track significant time to get under my skin. So both the easy to approach and more challenging/noisy tracks would have the same positive reaction. I do respect the energy and angst that drives many of the tracks and come away with a positive experience. Outside of the obvious bangers, it seems a repeating set of flavors but all good alternative.
In a nutshell: one of the last great concept albums of the century. If you’re already familiar with the album, try listening in “original vinyl version” track list order (see the Wikipedia page for details) so you can get a different listening experience. Overall: 8/10
I remember buying this album on double CD when it came out. Haven't listened to the whole thing in quite a while but was pleasantly surprised that my old favorites still resonate.
there’s one and a half GREAT albums here. “adore” forever
Love this album
This alvum would easily be a 5 if there were less songs on it. I think Siamese dream is the better album
This album did not need to as long as it is. Over half of the songs could have been cut and this would have basically been a greatest hits. I put off listening to this album because I rarely have 2 hours together to dedicate to one album. I chose the day I drove two hours to the airport. It was early morning, dark, and very foggy. Most of the songs made my drive worse. Usually I like driving music that keeps me on the road, not songs that make me want to drive off of it. I'm conflicted about what my rating should be. I'm going to round up from a 3.5. It's mostly good. I did get sick of a few tracks before they were over, and a lot of them sound very similar. And Billy Corgan's voice... But the hits are the hits. They're good.
It’s hard to believe that this album is 28 yrs old. I would say it’s one of the defining albums of the early Indie-Emo rock genre, as it was listened to obsessively by many angsty teens. The 2 hr length is weighty, and this album is almost schizophrenic melding gentle ballads with some very aggressive hard rock songs. However it’s hard to dispute that this album spawned a ton of great singles that have aged very nicely over the decades, and that itself defines an iconic album for me.
Excellent album
I THOUGHT I MISSED THE REVIEW DEADLINE I really enjoyed listening to this album. I would have to agree with Mike that the first half was better than the second. It was a long album but I never felt bored or ready to listen to something else. 4/5
Long but quite good
Dik dik dik dik, tonight tonight, bullet sws en to forgive, smashing pumpkins underrated
8.5/10
I liked this a lot, I wasn’t aware of the quality of the Smashing pumpkins. Would definitely listen to a few songs again, like “Zero”.
I’m ashamed I never listened to this all the way through. Great album!
Yeah it's good, but man it's long.
This album was not what I expected. Going in I was only familiar with the songs Tonight, Tonight and 1979. Those songs are kind of outliers. This album goes much harder and delves into more genres than I expected.
A classic album but a double album that honestly could have been a masterpiece single album.
Banger
Much better than I thought. Great, hard-rockin album.
was a bit busy while listening to the start but ended up downloading quite a few songs. 2,4,5,9,10, 12,13,14. take me down 14, the numbersa re screwed up on apple music.
Didn't finish but I thought it was pretty good. Album is comprised of sounds I've heard before but it was done very well here. They deserve their populairty
I really liked some songs in this, and they have a unique sound of course. Some good lyrics. I'm not crazy about this album I guess but it's nice to have it.
Fun listening, a few good hits
Beautiful and long album i liked it!
Wanted it to be a 4…but there was some songs that couldn’t take it there for me
Fucking great album even though Billy Corgan is an idiot conspiritard
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - 8/10 Tonight, Tonight - 8.5/10 Jellybelly - 8/10 Zero - 8/10 Here is No Why - 8.5/10 Bullet with Butterfly Wings - 10/10 To Forgive - 8/10 An Ode to No One - 8/10 Love - 8.5/10 Cupid De Locke - 7/10 Galapagos - 7.5/10 Muzzle - 7.5/10 Porcelina of the Vast Oceans - 7.5/10 Take Me Down - 7/10 Where Boys fear to Tread - 8/10 Bodies - 8/10 Thirty Three - 8/10 In The Arms of Sleep - 8/10 1979 - 9/10 Tales of a Scorched Earth - 8/10 Thru The Eyes of Ruby - 9/10 Stumbeline - 8/10 X.Y.U - 8/10 We Only Come Out at Night - 8.5/10 Beautiful - 7/10 Lily - 8.5/10 By Starlight - 7/10 Farewell and Goodnight - 8/10 TOTAL - 225/280
Pretty good
Solid
Strap the fuck in, it’s a long one. Practically the Smashing Pumpkins greatest hits, but also consistently good throughout.
The first song, which is also the title song of this album, seems decent but the rest of the songs are not my type.
Love the pumpkins
Remembered this album fondly. Stood up to the test of time.
I'm really not a fan of this band. Mostly cause I can't stand Corgan's whiney voice. That said, this is actually a good album. I dig most of the songs and the music is good.
Never listened to TSP before this, I have to say they definitely blend a lot of different genres masterfully on this record. Surprised how they could make a 2-hour album seem original and well-thought out from start to back. The lyrics are great as well. Not a huge fan of the vocals but they have their moments at times throughout the album.
Can not stand Billy Corgan's vocals, but other than that great instumentation and a great alt rock albums overall. 7/10 Favorites: *Tonight, Tonight *Zero *Bullet With Butterfly Wings *1979
yes
excellent album. jolie perle trouvée dans cette list 8.5/10
Roller coaster but loved it
Drags a little bit in the second part, but overall majority of the songs are good. 8/10
Excellent album with some very iconic songs. However, it can get very intense at times. I tried listening to it first thing in the morning and in an afternoon lull, and it really didn't hit the mood of calm contemplation. But when I was feeling punchy, it was pretty great. Still probably a little to head-bangy at times for my taste.
Forgot how much I liked The Smashing Pumpkins
good 90s altrock
This thing is all over the place, from soft piano to rock to hard rock to heavy metal. Mostly great, though. I need to give it a closer listen.
this one took me back. I was never a big fan of this album, and I forgot how grating his voice was, but all in all, I enjoyed it -there are some really good songs on this, even if it is a bit over long.
Better than I expected. But aleo too long. I went from liking to dislikong to liking the experience. 3.5 rounded up. Dont think i will ever sitt through the whole album again.
Smashing Pumpkins was one of the mainstays of my formative years along with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, etc. I've always preferred Gish and Siamese Dream to Melon Collie but the first half of the first disc is pure fire. It overstays it's welcome and if Corgan could have edited this down to a 60 minute album it would rank right along the best of the Pumpkins. Highlights: Tonight, Tonight Jellybelly Zero Galapogos Muzzle
I don't have children but if I did, this is one of the records I'd want to share with them, sitting on the floor in my living room, encouraging them to listen to it with headphones for authenticity and stealthily basking in their reaction, whatever it may be. And while I watched, I'd secretly hope they felt even a little of the same things I did the first time I listened to it, just so I could play some small role in giving them that gift.
Can’t deny that the hits are hits
Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness: 6/10 - nice intro Tonight, Tonight: 10/10 - absolute classic masterpiece, believe in me as I believe in you Jellybelly: 7/10 - cool introduction to the rawer parts of the album Zero: 7.5/10 - classic Here Is No Why: 6.5/10 - good song, but a little forgettable to me Bullet With Butterfly Wings: 9.5/10 - Despite all my rageeee I am still just a rat in a cageeeeeeeeee To Forgive: 8/10 - hidden gem An Ode To No One: 6/10 - Grey Love: 6/10 - Forgettable Cupid De Locke: 6.5/10 - Cute and fun song Galapogos: 7.5/10 - Very glad to discover Muzzle: 8/10 - Great song!! I knew the silence of the worldddd Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans: 7/10 - Good song, but not memorable Take Me Down; 6/10 - Forgettable Where Boys Fear To Tread: 7/10 - Intense fun Bodies: 8/10 - Instant punch Thirty-Three:: 7.5/10 - Clever song-writing In The Arms Of Sleep: 6/10 1979: 9.5/10 Tales Of A Scorched Earth; 6.5/10 Thru The Eyes Of Ruby: 8/10 Stumbleine: 8.5/10 X.Y.U.: 6.5/10 We Only Come Out At Night: 5/10 Beautiful : 6/10 Lily (My One And Only): 7/10 By Starlight: 9/10 Farewell And Goodnight: 6.5/10 Overall: 7.2/10!! Awesome start
4 pour toutes les tounes entendues à la radio sur lesquelles je peux enfin mettre un titre. Très bon et beau mélange.
Oh how this gets be going: I am definitely a Smashing Pumpkins fan after listening to this, it was smth special. Yeah I accept that majority of this album sounded the same but there is just smth addictive about the voice, guitar, drums, the whole shbang, I loved it. Will it be an easy 5? YEAH until you clock it's two hours long, just make a second album guys.
Very glad I had 2 hours available today to listen to this. It's a really good double album that I know I'll have to go back and listen to again, probably more than once, to fully digest the scope of this magnum opus.
4/5 Billy Corgans vocals are so unique and distinct. I dove into the song “bullet with butterfly wings” and realized the songs motto was him being used by friends and families. He said how “despite over rage I am still in a rat in a cage”. Portraying himself (Billy corgan) a rat being in a cage and the outsiders just fueling from his income. Silly song My favorite tracks are here is no why due to the sick ass guitar riff in the beginning Cupid de Locke And take me down.
Rather embarrassingly, I used to confuse Smashing Pumpkins with Helloween - both were pumpkin themed I guess? Then I went through a phase of trying to listen to the odd Smashing Pumpkins track, but it never quite clicked with me and I gave them up as some US band that didn't have the same crossover appeal as Nirvana, et al. I had never listened to this album before, or even heard a single track from it (or at least that I had remembered). It wasn't big in the UK as far as I remember, or if it was then it wasn't on my radar, even though it fit right into the sort of music I liked back then. Billy's voice took a bit of getting used to, but I didn't hate it once I got past the mental image of Eric Cartman singing. Yes, some of the lyrics are true cringe, but I can forgive that I guess. In the end I decided that it was best to consider the vocal effort as being just another instrument and to tune out from the words being sung. Then I got along a lot better with this album. I honestly didn't mind the 2+ hour running time, as there was quite a bit of variety here, with the "day/ night" thing going on I guess as well. The first CD (two sides?) were superior in my opinion, but the second CD ("night"?) wasn't bad, just not as musically interesting to me. I could see some of the tracks must have been big hits somewhere, e.g. "1979", based on the listen count. None of these really stood out to me, which is where I think I went wrong with this band in the past. For me, they don't make songs that stand out, it's more a case of an interesting musical tapestry with interesting bits here and there. As a whole, the album seemed a lot stronger than a sum of its parts. I wouldn't call this progressive rock by any means, but it had some good keyboards and I enjoyed the mixture of genres greatly. I'm not giving this a 5-star rating, as I feel the quality tapered off towards the end (and the lyrics really sucked in places), but it's a strong 4-stars.
I love the Smashing Pumpkins but damn is this a long album. There wasn’t really any part of it that I disliked but the length makes it an unlikely record for me to come back to again and again. Added to playlist: Bullet With Butterfly Wings
nice
This is a great album deserves to be on the list and i like smashing pumpkins, but Jesus it’s just too long for me, hence I prefer Siamese Dream.
far too long, but generally good.
Love this album, it's iconic. Smashing Pumpkins really have this unique sound to them which is appealing. Tonight Tonight is an absolute classic and one of my favourite songs.
My vote in 1995: 5 stars (10/10) My vote in 2023: 4 stars (7/10) for historical reasons and as most of the songs still hit the 4-star level.. However, the songs make less impact now and are nowhere as strong as I remembered. In fact, I could not identify any single 5-star song, and it became very obvious that Gish and Siamese Dream are the better albums. The song lyrics are pretty horrible too - back in 1995 I was aware of this as well but could not care...
So many good songs but also so many duds. If Billy just took the best 12 songs from this whole double album it would be an easy 5. Also, classic Billy Corgan releasing a 6-hour long deluxe edition with 3 full disks of demos and remixes. One of the most self-righteous musicians out there. Great musician though. Last thought: one of the best shirts I own is themed off this album. Look up the Mellon collie Huf collab button down tee it's gas ⛽
Music by and for poison type pokemon
Un buen disco que por más que empiece lento y se haga pesado termina de una manera casi perfecta. No es una escucha para cuaqueira y definitvamente no voy a sentarme a escucharlo completo nuevamente, estoy casi seguro. 7/10
Back to back bangers. Ranges the whole spectrum of genres without ever feeling conceited. Had a genuinely lovely experience listening to it that way thru.
Long but solid.
a dark masterpiece. while i admit there is ample filler here (the album is over two hours long, so it was bound to happen), the parts that hit really hit. many consider this their magnum opus, and it’s hard to argue with that. hard driving rock, bordering on metal at times, with billy corgan’s signature angst (both lyrically and vocally). it took me a while to get on the smashing pumpkins train, as corgan’s vocals are an admittedly acquired taste. however, the songs just wouldn’t sound quite right with a different vocal delivery. highlights: “tonight, tonight”, “zero”, “love”, “where boys fear to tread”, “thirty-three”, “1979”.
If anyone but Billy Corgan was singing this is about as 5 stars as it gets... but he is. Either way, this is an incredible album of music.
Hieman ehkä liian pitkä levy. Muuten kyllä tosi hyvän kuuloista rockia. Oli paljon enemmän ja siistimpiä riffejä mitä ehkä odotin. Vähän tulee kanssa Radiohead fiilistä joistakin kappaleista
First time I heard this album, I thought it was too long. Now, after getting to know the album better...it's still long, but there are a lot of really great songs. I think this could become something really great for me. Still getting to know it. Standouts: 1979, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, Thirty-Three, Zero, Tonight Tonight, Muzzle. Others: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Jellybelly, Here is No Why, Fuck You, Galapogos, Take Me Down, Through the Eyes of Ruby, Stumbleine, We Only Come out at Night, By Starlight Rating: 4/5
Decent 4, didn’t finish it though haha Angsty, afflicted, classic riffs and pretty orchestral elements
Man, I forgot how good this album is!
This Album is 2 hours long and that's insane. I was really impressed with the Album Siamesse dream and so I was happy to see another Smashing Pumpkins album had been randomly generated. Overall this is a very good album but I do prefer Siamesse Dream for one reason, the album is too long. It probably has as many banger but this thing has 28 songs and so the chances of you making 28 great songs is unrealistic, but when the Album is good it's really good. I think opening on the titular Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness being an instrumental piece and a great one at the speaks volumes of thr confidence on display. Tonight Tonight continued the high quality and I had no idea THIS was the album Bullet with Butterfly Wings comes from because that's a classic and definitely elevates the album. Cupid De Locke is very nice on the ears I like when they do more softer pieces. The variety of display here is insane showing they can go hard rock as well as songs that are slow. Take me down was great, the run of songs from Thirty Three to 1979 are all fantastic and I love Farewell and Goodnight quite a bit. I do think there's a run of songs in a row that don't do it for me from X.Y.U through to Lily and Tales of a Scorched Earth is out right bad but that's the problem with doing a 2 hour album you're kind of stretched thin a bit. Still a great album one of the most unique so far that's for sure.
longest album everrrrr swans get to do this not the stinky pumpkins! it sounds pretty good tho im Ngl
Excellent.
Ok so I haven't given this album a good listen in 25 years or more. It's definitely better than I remember. That said, it's still a little flabby. There is some filler on this, and I feel like it's a white album situation. If they had cut it down to the vet best it would be remembered as an all time great album. As it is it's a solid 8/10
Long album is long. If it were an actress, it'd be Eva Longoria. If it were a cow, a longhorn. If it were a group of work-shy union car manufacturers, it'd be Longbridge. In this album's favour - it's actually impossible to listen to Tonight, Tonight and not be transported back in time to the 1990s - in a good way. 1979 might be one of the most outstanding songs of the 1990s as a whole. That said - this album genuinely is over-long. The absolute genius of some of the best tracks really does have an unpleasant patina from some of the less worthwhile.
I don’t think I’ve heard that much Smashing Pumpkins. I’ve definitely heard some songs which I’ve enjoyed, but I’ve never gone on to seek out an album. The runtime of this one is a little daunting at over two hours, so let’s hope it’s good! Songs I already knew: Tonight Tonight, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, 1979 Favourites: Tonight Tonight, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, 1979 Don’t be misled by the fact that my favourite songs on this album are the ones I knew anyway. I would certainly not want to suggest that the hits are the only songs worth knowing, as there are a lot of fantastic tracks here. I didn’t expect such heavy guitar riffs at times, and I equally didn’t expect the gentler piano-led songs. This was a lot more diverse from track to track than I expected. Overall, a very good album. It’s a long one, but it’s worth a listen.
this was good. might have been more of it than I would prefer
:)
Really cool, I never dug into their music too much but cool band. The heavy songs really rip and the ballads are pretty. probably didn’t need to be a double album, I think they could’ve cut half the songs and I still would’ve liked it the same. They get some really cool guitar tones. I love the range of their sound too, so different from song to song.
I really liked this. An Ode to No One and XYU, Porcelina of Vast Oceans were my favorite. Parts of Thru the Eyes of Ruby were cool too. I wish I could hear his vocals more at some points. Minus one star because two hours is too long.
This is a staple of 90s alternative. There are so many good songs on this album and given how long it is, it’s be impossible not to have some good ones. There are several that have been thoroughly listened to by me for years. The only downside of this album is its length. But other than that it’s an album that just sounds reminiscent at times. It sounds angry it has so many emotional pulls in it and it’s splendid. 8.0/10
Could have been half the length but the high points are high (especially stumbeline).
A staple of my youth, or at least I thought it was - I forgot how loud and heavy they were at times, although it must be about 20 years since I last heard this. Reminds me so much of an old band practice place of my youth where everybody at one point tried to either cover or replicate this sound. I don’t think you can talk about 90s US alt bands without mentioning Smashing Pumpkins, and this record in particular. It’s long, but it’s class. Will probably remain in that period for me, but it’s a great record nonetheless. Shame Billy Corgan went a bit weird. In fact the only thing I knock it down for is the slightly suspect lyrics at times - he certainly leaves himself open for some pisstaking. Solid 4.5.
I mean it isn't bad, but it kind of merges into one. Loads of angst, I can see why Jack is keen. Zero was good. +1 for Jack.
It's outstanding overall, very high quality in pretty great quantify, even if one finds the loudest, ragin-est cuts a bit tiresome and feels a bit yo-yoed between those and the rather excellent sweeter and more melodious cuts. On certain days, under specific conditions, this is nearly a 5.
pretty good for illinoisans :)
I've heard a lot about this album through different media sources, and is rightly lauded as a defining moment in Alternative Rock. Though not listed as a concept album by Billy Corgan, this "Loose Collection of Songs" has distinctly captured the feelings of teenage angst and confusion. Over 28 songs, there is naturally some brilliant moments and some to be less enjoyed, but a good listen none the less.
An all time great album!
Fantastic
Overall I really liked it. Thought it dragged on a little long and had a few stinkers near the end. But otherwise was very close to a 5 star.
ziemlicher standard alt rock, nicht schlecht für ein paar songs, nichts was ich dauerhaft bräuchte
Outcome - Really like, needs more listens Melon Collie - Part 1 - Standouts Tonight Tonight Bullet Butterfly An Ode to noone Cupid De Locke Galapogos Muzzle Part 2 - Standouts Thirty-Three 1979 Eyes of Ruby X.Y.U Beautiful Farewell and Goodnight Notes: Sometimes feels disjointed, like going from 1979 to Scorched Earth, sometimes feels like there’s a grunge album mixed with indie rock album Wouldn’t mind splitting and seeing how they sound Feel like I need more than a day to unpack with it being 2 hours long. Needs more listens 2nd Listen Standouts Tonight Tonight* Bullet with Butterfly Wings* Ode to No one* Cupid De Locke* Muzzle Thirty-Three 1979* Scorched Earth Thru the Eyes of Ruby* Stumbline Starlight* Appreciated the album a lot more one 2nd listen (continuous), particularly Porclina, Arms of Sleep, Scorched Earth, and Stumbeline, Starlight Bar a few throwaway I really like the album as a hole. Ultimately I think they could have condensed it, but like the way it goes from aggressive tone to lighter tone. I think I needs a few more listens to settle in fully, will be difficult to get another full listen due to being such a long album. Throwaways: Where’s Boys Fear to Tread Bodies
I don’t think this one suffered from being too long as much as some of the other double/triple albums did. I liked just about every track on it and there are plenty of different genres being mixed in this album to keep you intrigued. Personal favorites are Here is No why and 1979. Here is no why’s riff is fucking sick, really moody, and like the rest of the album it has a great guitar tone. 1979 is just a perfect song and for me it encapsulates the nostalgic feeling of this album really well. Toss up 4/5 for me but the only thing that might hold it back is that the back half didn’t have as many standouts as the first. Even though I liked the whole second half it didn’t hit as hard as the first. Gonna go 4 cuz I think I’ve been handing out too many 5’s and I wanna reel my ratings in a little bit. (Bad, Kilimanjaro, and dirty probably should’ve been 4’s) 👍:1979, here is no why
There’s a lot of good songs here. There’s also some bad ones. It had a pretty wide range stylistically. Some loud stuff, some grunge stuff, prog rock stuff, some lighter acoustic stuff. Billy Corgan is not the best singer and his songwriting can be pretty weak at times. But the album is riddled with great instrumentals and melodies. The more I listen to it the more I’m enjoying it. I feel like I need more time with this album to truly sort it out. Quick little shoutout to tracks that I HATED: tales of scorched earth, xyu, love. There’s probably around 7 more that I disliked/ thought we’re just okay. But that’s still 18 songs that I liked. Yeah this album is too long, but at least it has enough quality to, at least somewhat, justify the long run time. Hard to decide on rating/favorite songs when there’s 28 songs, some of which I’ve only listened to once. Originally was thinking 3 but it’s grown on me a lot in just a day and I’m gonna bank on it continuing to grow. With that considered, im gonna, cautiously, go with a 4. Best: 1979, Galapagos, thirty three MMM: 😆WEEEEEEE DONT EVEEEN CARE
It’s an epic length effort. A dark and brooding piece at times, but it rocks with a lot of good tracks.
Equal parts gentile and aggressive. Muzzle has become my go to track from this album over the years.
Fucking love that guitar tone
Tonight, tonight... I'll rate this album tonight. Yes, tonight... Huge respect to the band for recording a 2-hour album that is not boring. I think their recording session might have been one of the most productive sessions ever made. Billy Corgan's voice is interesting. It fits those instruments perfectly. I'd give the album 5 out of 5 if it was shorter.
Maybe I picked a wrong strategy with this one. I have several double albums in my physical collection and I rarely listen to both cds at once. So why should I do that to Mellon Collie? Just because it was generated as my daily album on 1001 albums? While I genuinely enjoyed the music, at the beginning of the second part I already had quite enough. The division is there for a reason. Also I love the cover. I've only ever seen it in miniature before and now I can see that it really looks great.
Belter of an album. Genuinely a classic.
sounds blend together well. cant really tell what instrument is what besides strings and drums guitars sound cool, not sure how they did that Stand outs: Jellybelly; Tonight, Tonight; Here is No Why;...? didnt listen to all of it but what i heard was pretty good
Definitely up there as one of the longest albums I've had on the list so far. Despite all that I thought it was an excellent album that was overall varied enough to never get old. This was a real journey from soft to hard to soft again and it slapped the whole time, but it maybe messed with the pace a little too much - sometimes it left me with some whiplash. I hadn't been sure about my opinion on Billy Corgan's vocals going into this but I got used to them and it stopped being so jarring after some time. Still a really good album though, and I think I'll come back to this. Favourite: Bullet With Butterfly Wings
This was another album that I was looking forward to getting at some point. It's pretty long but didn't noticeably drag at any point and I definitely enjoyed it more than soma. Bullet with butterfly wings and 1979 are still the best but I really liked how eclectic the tracks were overall. Like the song after 1979 is full on metal.
magically
I had no idea that I would like this, let alone love it. I’m going to explore more of their music.
2h levyks aika pirun kova. Aika meni siivillä eikä voi sanoo, et ois yhtään huonoo biisii ollu. Kuitenkin se yks tietty x-factor jäi vielä uupumaan, että nousis kirkkaimpien joukkoon. Todella vahva nelonen
A classic
Serious nostalgia with this one, it felt like Year 11 all over again. Watching Rage with mates on a Sunday morning, sharing the back stories of Darcy and Iha and Billy in a pre-internet world where information was currency. Some cracking tunes and some beautiful ones and a few too many. This would have been a sublime single album.
First song is just gorgeous, beautiful instrumental and way to start the album. Feels very vibes like these are songs you would find in a coming of age movie from the 90’s/2000’s. Not traditionally my sound but I really like it. Perfect change of pace from what I usually listen to. 28 tracks is crazy and 95 on the deluxe HUH??? They have clearly lost their minds.
Ignore the haters, this is a banger album. The album starts with an incredible run spanning something like the first 8 songs. After that it takes a small dip for a few songs before returning to excellence with the epic “Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans” and capping off the first disc with the quaint “Take Me Down”. The second disk is overall not as strong, though it still has great songs like the iconic “1979”. For some reason they decided to make the last 5 songs all slow songs, which really kills the momentum of the album. That being said, “Farewell and Goodnight” is a very pretty closer. This album gets a strong 4. I almody didn’t notice it was 2 hours long :^)
In my opinion almost all double albums really only have one album's worth of decent songs on them. Mellon Collie is my primary example of this. There are SO MANY incredible tunes on here that will be in my personal playlist forever. So many songs that I have deep personal and nostalgic connections to. However for every one of those songs there's at least one boring forgettable filler fucking nonsense. Mellon Collie is nothing if not ambitious. 4 because the songs that hit, hit HORD
4.5 Alright, Smashing Pumpkins - one of my favorite bands. While their best album in my eyes will always be Siamese Dream, I can see why some consider this their magnum opus. The double-album was a huge step forward in the evolution of the band and is full of creative, diverse, and, at times, theatrical songwriting, BUT it raises the age old question… is it too long? Look, this album starts off 10/10. The titular piano ballad is absolutely beautiful and sets the tone for the album immediately without outstaying its welcome - and then we kick into the absolute banger that is Tonight, Tonight. It’s one of my favorite songs by the band, and I’ve also always thought the music video captures the vibe of both the song and album perfectly (it also features the future voice actor for Spongebob in the main male role!) Then we get into some heavier, electric guitar-driven stuff that serves as a nice reminder that these guys can really rock out. Of course Zero and Bullet with Butterfly Wings are classics, but I’ve always thought Jellybelly and Here Is No Why are absolutely great tunes by their own merit and hold their own despite being cramped between a series of mega hits. From there, I feel like we hit a little bit of a slump in the album as things slow down with To Forgive. While things start picking up again with Galapagos, Porcelina of Vast Oceans is the last epic moment of this side before things end with a bit of a weak closer in Take Me Down (sorry James - Blew Away is a great tune though!). Part 2 starts incredibly strong with two of the band's most underrated tunes in Where Boys Fear to Tread and Bodies (the latter I always thought was a good skateboarding song). After that, I feel like you get a bit of a mixed bag, generally alternating between a really solid tune and a more forgettable one. Among those solid tunes is 1979, which, yes, is the band’s most popular song, but honestly has every right to be. Despite the name, the song feels timeless, and even as someone born 18 years after, I think of my high school friends and shenanigans whenever I listen. Finally, after 26 tracks, the band sticks the landing with By Starlight (probably the best slow song on the album) leading into Farewell and Goodnight, which, although a tad cheesy, feels like an appropriate conclusion. So is it too long? Is a double-album justified? I definitely think the argument could be made that it is and that there are songs that could be cut, but I also feel like that would take away from the grandiose, theatrical nature of the album in some ways, and honestly, even the weakest points of this album aren’t bad. That being said, I do feel like the two-hour runtime does dissuade me from re-listening to this one too often, so do with that what you will. As stated, not my favorite of theirs, but very, very, very good… and appropriately, I think this is now my longest review as well. Final thoughts - if you’re in the camp this album is too long, as a test of Billy’s musical drive/insanity, there were at least 30 more fully finished songs prepared for this album that didn’t make the final cut. Let that soak in.
great for work
Took me a while to get into it back in the day but it eventually got me. Very good but not great album. Wouldn't have hurt it to trim the fat and make it a long single album, rather than a double.
Huge fan when it came out and still think it's great. Plenty of excellent tracks and a few weird/interesting ones.
Probably dont need 2 hours of this, but a great album nonetheless. I had listened to this once before and it didn't stick, but a second time through proved to the sweet spot 4/5
Kinda scared to listen to this... i know it's REALLY long! Sounds great so far though. I'm not gonna listen to the whole thing at once though.
M exposure to the pumpkins has mostly been through their hits. I’ve been meaning to check this album out but have felt daunted by the length. It is quite good. They switch it up the pace and style a decent amount which is imperative for such a big record, but as a whole it has a cohesive sound. Corgan is a weirdo but his lyrics, when discernible, are powerful. I didn’t love the heavy metal aspects but appreciate the texture they added. Other than the singles, my faves were Love and Bodies.
There’s most likely a 5 star album in here somewhere but 2 hours is a long time. I don’t mind that he sounds like a frog with a sinus infection or that the true moshers claim they are inauthentic rich kids. I like the blend of tender ballads and dirty grunge, I’ve just not really got the time to listen to 1h20mins of it right now.
1st song was great way to start an lp There are several amazing songs on this album
Corgan and crew delivered an astonishing output during the sessions for this album. Incredible songs, amazing arrangements, the way this went beyond alternative to breakthrough to the mainstream. Listen to the deluxe version with all the extra stuff. So good.
Way too long, with moments of brilliance. I think this would still be four stars if it were a single album as, while I love lots of it, it's not mind blowing.
A touch bloated but wonderful nonetheless
This album could have been a lot better if they had poured more time into enhancing a smaller number of stronger songs rather than giving full attention and resources to 2 hours of music. None of the songs are necessarily bad, but you can pick out multiple on the album that they could have done without as they sound incredibly similar to another or more. Generally, length of an album shouldn’t be a factor when rating, but when the run time is over double what a typical record would entail, one must question if all that extra noise was needed. Lyrics, production, and instrumentation are great. Vocals could get a little stale at times given the lack if range. Still a fantastic album, but it could have been a whole lot more fantastic. 4/5
Long sad angsty album, very good
Damn I love this album but fuck it’s long.
I've listened to a lot of this before, but never the whole thing. Especially not in one sitting. A few pretty good songs on here.
Way too many songs to get through but it was great. The vocals aren’t my favorite
This album deserves to be listened to simply because the scale of the projected and how the sound Billy Corgan was attempting to create differed from the grunge movement that had almost died at this point. This album showed growth in the Pumpkins sound, but my God, it's long. I can't help but think if it were a single album then it would get a higher rating. The scale is what differs it from other albums, yet also what causes this album to drag a bit in the middle from bloat.
Ура, эмоциональные качели от подборки музыки! После дико веселого Rio сразу слушать альт/эмо/гранж рок странновато) На самом деле какие-то очень двойственные ощущения: с одной стороны злость и ярость как у OffSpring и Nine Inch Nails (жду этих гигантов!), с другой стороны тексты очень меланхоличные как у Radiohead,Pink Floyd и The Cure. Как альбом - приятно, интересно. Как отдельные треки - не слишком сильно зацепило как-то. Лучшее описание для меня: злые Cure на спидах и адреналине. Че послушать: Bullet with Butterfly Wings,Dawn to Dusk, 1979 Оценка на деле: 3.5-4-
long. but pretty good.
for a 90s classic, it actually holds up to the test of time. big kicks, swelling melodies, gives the best of both worlds. catchy, quick riffage, great guitar tones. his screaching is visceral. this is an album that deserves its place on the mountain top. even if corgan is a clown. bless iha.
-Woah "Jellybelly" comes out of nowhere being heavy after 2 calm tracks to start the album. Just a totally sludgy guitar throughout the whole thing. Then the end jam has the drums blazing and the guitar squealing and ripping -"Zero" is quite the jam. I like the start-stop stuff -Hey "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" has the famous "despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage" -"An Ode To No One" is nice and heavy. It jumps between calmer and full blast guitar and drums. Very cool -"Muzzle" is a solid track that I missed on my first listen -"Tales Of A Scorched Earth" is crazy and the vocal effect/screaming is pretty intense -"Thru The Eyes Of Ruby" is heavy and a long tune -"X.Y.U." picks up into like the craziest punk song ever -Important critiques: "Zero" is not the zeroth song on the album, "Thirty-Three" is not the thirty-third song on the album, and "1979" is not the one thousand, nine hundred seventy-ninth song on the album. -Somes songs I loved, but some chunks seemed to get too mellow for me, and with the album being so long it is hard to get a good concept of the whole thing without spending a ton of time with it. I preferred the heavier tracks, particularly "Jellybelly," "Zero," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "An Ode To No One," "Tales Of A Scorched Earth," "Thru The Eyes Of Ruby," and "X.Y.U.." -With how strong those heavy tracks are, I find it likely that I could come to like a lot of the tracks that are mellower or even just not at full-throttle intensity. I think I will give it the benefit of the doubt on the many mellower seeming songs and give it a 4, on the expectation that the album will grow on me in the future (ie "Zero" and "Tonight, Tonight"grew on me on a second pass)
This is a bit of a sprawl. It is also a release that shows why double albums are so tricky, and so few are truly great. This one just misses the bar. It is very good. Tonight, Tonight and 1979 are still wonderful, but there are tracks (among the 28) like Bullet With Butterfly Wings that miss the mark for me.
This is a tough one for me to rate. The styles on this record really span the entire spectrum from softer, sweet ballads to thunderous heavy metal. This is also an album, where I knew a surprising number of songs without having any idea of the titles. I'd give this a 3.5 if possible but rounding up to 4 for Bullet with Butterfly Wings (a song I've heard a million times but no clue what the title actually was.)
Alot of good songs, but the album was like 2 hours long
Great album, ambitious and full of bangers. 1979 is a favorite of mine. It’s a bit long and I’m not the biggest fan of the style the vocalist sings in, but still, so many great songs.
even if it doesn’t always work i respect the ambition
After multiple listens, I have to recant and say that I was wrong in my teens. This was a really solid album, filled with varied compositions. Corgan’s voice has grown on me after a few deep listens and I now understand that his singing isn’t my usual cup of tea, but is still great
I wasn't looking forward to 2 hours of the Smashing Pumpkins. I remember kind of disliking them in the 90s. Based on what? I do not know. So there was a lot of music here and I only had time to listen once but I really really liked it. I think I'd like to narrow it down to about 10 songs instead of 28 but I really really like those 10.
I love the album cover. The runtime of this album was a little intimidating. Fortunately, the first two songs’ cinematic quality with the piano and orchestra disarmed me. Perhaps the two hours would fly by... Turns out I've got two issues with this album. 1 - The 2 hour length B - It is stylistically all over the place There are songs that sound like rage metal, 90s grunge, movie soundtrack, love themes. Songs seemed to challenge the mood that had been set just a few minutes earlier. I would have probably enjoyed a lot of this a lot more had this been broken up into a couple of albums. I heard some good songs, some strange songs, some great songs, some interesting songs, and a few tedious songs. But despite the distinctive vocal delivery didn’t get the feel of this as an album. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is an interesting albeit unwieldy album. A good curator could lift and separate this into a few great albums.
too whiny
Niceeeeeee
There are a lot of great songs on this and it works well on the whole, but it really marks the beginning of the end for Smashing Pumpkins in my opinion where everything just gets far too long and overblown. Nowhere near as direct and consistent as Gish or Siamese Dream, to the extent that I was toying with giving this a 3, but when it hits it really hits
Sarà la voce gracchiante di Billy Corgan o il fatto che in radio passano solo tre sue canzoni (tutte incluse in quest’album peraltro), ma non ho mai apprezzato particolarmente gli Smashing Pumpkins. Devo dire che dopo questo lungo (forse troppo) ascolto ho scoperto che se la cavano su più generi, dalle ballatone melense, al grunge, finanche al metal. Bravi. Seriamente però, troppo lungo; potevate pubblicare due album e guadagnare il doppio.
This was actually one of the first albums I ever listened to all the way through without interruption, so I suppose you could say it holds a place in my heart of some kind. I mean, obviously it's a double album, but it's crazy how many memorable songs are on this album. 1979, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Zero, We Only Come Out At Night, Lily, and many more. It's just a really fantastic grunge album that has a lot of variety. I admittedly seem to like the first part more than the second part, but both have great songs and are a joy to listen to. Getting some good albums lately, can't wait for another line of stinkers.
Great representation of 90’s angst in an artful concept album that inspired many into the 00s. Despite the almost 6 hour deluxe edition that came out at a later anniversary, the original 2 CD/4LP release felt forced and a 1 cd/ 2 LP would have made this perfect
Great album, a bit disorganised at times and definitely longer than it should be, but still extremely memorable and full of excellent songs.
A very very lengthy album, mostly really good songs, with their 4 biggest hits, and a few duds too. The Smashing Pumpkins was the first band's cd that I ever bought as a kid. I particularly enjoy the sound of his nasally voice. Great album and band!
A classic. Some songs are a bit lame, but there's enough variety and left-hooks to keep the whole thing engaging despite it's huge length
There are so many iconic songs from this double disc monster of an album, including an all time favorite “1979”. However, it could be said that they went a little overboard on going with essentially two albums for this release. While some interesting deep cuts were rediscovered in listening through this album, there were songs that might have been better left on the cutting room floor. Not trying to invite confrontations from Pumpkin heads, but maybe this could have been really refined and cut down to one ironclad album. But as it is what we have here, I appreciated the lengthy listen and hitting those gems like “1979” how they were meant to be found. If you have the time, the full album is worth it…though obviously it might be worth mentioning for the first time listeners that Billy Corrigan is an acquired taste to say the least. Outside of this, I still think overall this double album is a good way to enjoy the 90s alt rock scene when you get to it.
Overall great album, perfect example of mid-90s alternative/post-grunge rock. Tonight tonight, bullet with butterfly wings, 1979, zero, are all classic tracks off this double album. Songs range from loud, heavy rockers, to soft ballads with orchestras, nostalgic songs about better days, and songs about the angst of the present.
I don't listen to this album often due to its length, but its near perfection every time I do. Billy Corgan seems like a nightmare to work with, but he's a wonderful lyricist and captures the angst, hopelessness, and emotionality of youth well here.
This list is often making me relive my youth.
The only track I was familiar with here was 1979, which I used to include on compilation tapes quite a bit after finding it on a cd single. Great track. Happy to find many great tracks on this album. Bullet With Butterfly Wings is terrific. I listened to the remastered 2012 double cd version. I thought the 2nd cd was outstanding. The music was so diverse and the musicianship of the highest order. I am not big on Corgan’s voice, but despite that, I found the album really engaging. Great listening.
Good music but I can’t take his voice
I liked it!
I’ve heard bits of this over the years but never listened to the whole album, although not sure why cos it’s always seemed like something right up my street. I wasn’t wrong, it’s ace. It’s too long (all double albums are), but editing would take away the grandeur of this record. Love it.
I have tried to listen to this album in full before, but the running time has always prevented me from going further than the first disc. Used to always listen to the highlights on my iPod or later on Spotify. And while I finally listened to all of it, to me the excessive amount of songs has brought it down from a masterpiece to a great overloaded album. That being said, you will gain some fantastic songs if you're unfamiliar with Smashing Pumpkins. The opening title track is a beautiful introduction, only to be followed by Tonight, Tonight which is one of my favourite songs ever. Aside from my familarity with the singles Zero, Bullet the Butterfly Wings and 1979, I really enjoyed Cupid De Locke, To Forgive, Take Me Down, Jellybelly and Lily. This is a better listen if you listen the two halfs at seperate times, or even better if you trimmed the running order further to say 20 songs and have a 5 star double album. There are definitely a few songs that sound repeated over the 2 hrs.
The Smashing Pumpkins are good in little dosages. That's all I'll say. Album was 7/10
4.5
Very melodic rock pretty intresting, very long but a great journey
I completely forgot how great this album is, haven't listened to in full in years. Some favourites from my teenage years and at least one of my all time fave songs (1979). As with virtually every double album, it is a bit bloated and there are a couple of forgettable tunes. Some of the lyrics are a bit cringy now that I'm a 30-something ["God is empty, just like ME! >:(" for ex]. It doesn't quite live up to "Siamese Dream", in my opinion, but it is still a fantastic album.
T3B 1. Bullet With Butterfly Wings 2. Tonight, Tonight 3. Zero
Eerste plaat vind ik geweldig, maar bij de 2e haak ik toch altijd een beetje af.
Lang geleden dat ik deze in zijn geheel heb gehoord. Toch wel een plaatje hor, hoewel Siamese Dream de go to plaat is. Daarom een ster minder
Te lang, en iets teveel opvullers ertussen, maar de rest blijft geweldig. Niet zo goed als de platen voor deze, en die boze neuzige schreeuw-zang is soms tegen het irritante aan. Maar muziekaal echt geweldig!
The vibe/sound of a lot of their songs is similar enough to me that I can't quite give this a 5. But I don't deny that this album is great (even if it is long af, hah) 4.5
Some good tunes. Tonight, Tonight, and 1979 are obvious bangers. Seemed a bit too long though…
Billy Corgan has an annoying voice, but otherwise I'm actually quite liking this. Not sure it needed to be so long though.
One could consider this as the bands magnum opus, though I still prefer Siamese Dream. This album was huge when it came out, and it honestly holds up nearly 30 years later. The songs aren't necessarily linked by any themes or narrative (other than maybe being a 90s teen) but it works as a cohesive unit nonetheless. Does drag a little in parts, but there are more than its fair share of great tracks.
This album made no sense when it came out but the singles were huge hits. I listened to this when it was first released and but didn't dig much deeper than the singles. There are some good tunes here but its a little too long. Typical Billy Corgan production that seems to be improved on the 2012 remaster.
Great album. Was a very instrumental grunge album
This album fucking takes me back. I remember really liking it when I was younger, and then in my typical oppositional defiant disorder way, I became much less interested in it when I found out that a lot of other people liked it. As a result, I didn't listen to this album nearly so much as a lot of its contemporaries that were slightly less popular. Now I get to listen to this album fresh after many years. One of the things that stands out now is the influence of the shoegaze genre on this band. I wasn't familiar with bands like My Bloody Valentine in the 90s, and it's cool to hear some of the influences of those works on the Smashing Pumpkins. It's also interesting to see little bits of Industrial and Electronica in the music, especially since those influences would become more prominent in their future works. Overall I like the album, it feels a bit long as a double album, but at the same time it's not easy to pick out songs that I would cut from it to make it tighter. There's so many different flavors here, and the album wouldn't feel as complete if it focused more around fewer sonic ideas. Some of the lyrics are a bit on-the-nose, which I think also contributed to my abandoning the album as I got older in high school. Overall, it's a really good album 4/5
Liked it a lot
Lots to absorb here. Probably would have helped if I was 22, directionless, and needed a friend in Billy. Sounds great and a good reflection of mid 90s rock.
Already happier with these instrumentals- piano and maybe violin? Much softer and sweeter to my ear on the first song. Oh the deception… I like the whimsicalness of Cupid de Locke I also like Galapagos Porcelina is nice I just wanna feel like i’m travelling through outer space like this. Take me down is pretty 1979 slaps We only come out at night is interesting, definitely catchy and captivating I want a mashup bw beautiful and we only come out at night tbh
This album has some all time classic songs. It also has quite a bit of filler. But for a grunge album from 1995 it surprisingly does not get tiresome after 45 to 60 minutes. It holds up for the whole two hours. The filler isn't bad, but if it was just the highlights this would easily be a 5 star album. The filler drops it to a 4 and Billy Corgan being such a dick makes me want to drop it to a 3 or a 2, but if we are separating the art from the artist this stands as a 4 star album.
Such a fantastic album and a must listen to.
A double album, enjoyed parts of it
Soooooo looooong. Definitely some great tracks that have aged well, but the album is just so long without much justification and that holds it back for me
Fantastic album. Love a large amount of the tracks on it. I'm not big on giant double albums like this one as they usually have a few tracks which come across as filler-ish that I could/would usually skip. Would love to cut the track amount down.
I’d go back and listen
Pas mon album préféré des Pumpkins mais un album incroyable tout de même. Trop long à mon avis. Certaines des "ballades" sont moins intéressantes, mais les pièces "rock" restent des classiques de ma génération. Une mine de positivisme! 😂
2 hours. .... bloody hell
Some great tracks on this. Particularly enjoyed Disc 1.
Very good!!!
Very intersting!
As I usually say; there’s a fantastic single album here! There has never and there will never be a perfect double album!
This one evokes a lot of memories from the high school, so is an instant classic in my mind. Objectively it's a good album, regardless though, I will always enjoy it and turn it up, but it's got it's flaws.
There are some great songs. There are some good songs. and there is a good chunk of filler. This album was everywhere when i was in high school so it hits that nostalgia button for me. Zero still hits pretty hard. While I'm not sure if this needed to be 2 hours long, it's still worth a listen.
It's a very good album. But it would be a stellar 45 minute album. Why is this thing two hours long? No one needs that much, especially since there are a few duds in that extra time.
Bastantes temas buenos, pero larguísimo...
Could have have been a 5/5 if they cut the filler down to 1 CD. Standout tracks - Mellon Collie and the infinite sadness - tonight tonight - muzzle - zero - bullet with butterfly Wings - where boys fear to tread - 1979
Sharon Osborne and Billy Corgan. I think about this a lot
A very long listen but well worth it. I think there are a handful of songs that could have been cut or re-ordered to make this double album a smoother listen but overall it's a phenomenal album.
One of the nineties
Aptly named. Nostalgia aside, the vocals were never well balanced, something they did fix in the remastered versions.
Beloved racket
What a great listen, and a flashback to youth. But it holds up! Mostly. A little too long, but still a banger.
4.25
Never been a massive fan of Corgan's vocals when he goes overly nasal but apart from that, this is a fantastic album if a little long. Ambitious, powerful and heavy.
It’s funny, I namedropped Billy Corgan in yesterday’s review and he shows up today. Hmm, something something Neurosis. But no, I did rock with Smashing Pumpkins in my youth. I never really connected with Nirvana or Radiohead, so it took some time for me to embrace the other 90’s alt rock giants. But I did gravitate to most of the other ones in due time, and I played the fuck out of my Mellon Collie CD. In hindsight, it’s way too long, and the pattern is basic- heavy song, slow song, repeat with minor exceptions. But I can still feel the primal aggression in Bullet with Buttefly Wings, even if it’s pretty silly in hindsight, and I dig how weird some of the non-hits get while appreciating the softer tracks. It’s an imperfect thing, but I feel like this should still be essential listening for teenagers. B
The same age as me, the album is remarkably diverse, so there is no chance not to like at least one track. Anyway, as a whole it's not working for me, at least for now.
Diverse and chaotic, just like me.