Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness
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Free Music Notes for Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness
Free Music Review: How can a band be so loud, intense and so ethereal at once?
Hit: 5 Stars
The Smashing Pumpkins (to me) had something that put them above almost every other major alternative band of the 1990's. Maybe it's because they were the only band brave enough to go beyond the usual aggressive angst-filled pounding and venture into other areas like classical, folk, electronica/dance, dream pop, jazz and other genres that are hard to categorize. Or maybe it's because when they amp it up and go super-heavy (as ex-Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford says) it's also ethereal, dreamy, celestial and angelic sounding. Who else has married these seemingly odd contradictions? Whatever the actual reason, they left me awe-struck from day one.
_Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness_ is an ambitious, diverse and intense 122-minute album that runs the gamut -- emotionally and musically. Billy Corgan actually wrote all of it (with the exception of two tracks) by himself, as well as co-producing it. Some of the tracks from each disc:
Disc One (Dawn To Dusk) features mostly heavy hitters, but there are diverse moments on here as well. "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness" starts this wonderful journey off as a soothing, elegant and sad-sounding piano piece. It has a classical flavor to it as well. "Tonight, Tonight" is brilliantly orchestrated with strings added to the mix. It gives this track an overwhelming intensity. I don't really need to say much more about this track. "Jellybelly" is one of the Pumpkins' most ephemeral and unsung heavy hitters. This track is ultra-heavy and intense, as the track is drenched in a sea of sludgy guitars. But, I hate to call it sludge, because it's so beautiful and otherworldly-sounding. Near the end of the track, there's an ascending lick that builds until finally reaching a climax that sounds nearly orchestral. This is because it's so smothered in the flooded mix, it sounds dimly audible -- which I mean in a good way. "Here Is No Why" seems to have a retro sound. I didn't like this too much at first, but now I realize that it really couldn't be produced any other way. "To Forgive" is a slow r&b-esque ballad that I could imagine Prince doing. "An Ode To No One" is pure, cathartic and angry metal. One of the most crunchy and aggressive tracks the Pumpkins have ever done. "Love" is a slow dance/electronica piece featuring some sultry vocals from Billy Corgan during the chorus. "Cupid De Locke" -- I can't even describe what this is. Neo-psychedelia? Classical? It's romantic, poetic and dreamy-sounding for sure. "Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans" is as evocative as the title suggests -- a 9-minute prog-rock epic with metal guitar, dreamy vocals and enchanting soundscapes. "Take Me Down" is the mellow and soothing closer of the disc sung by guitarist James Iha.
Disc Two (Twilight To Starlight) features the more softer and diverse elements. But, don't let all this fool you -- there are some explosive and intense rockers on here as well. "Where Boys Fear To Tread" is a strange-sounding edgy rocker. "Bodies" is scathing. "Thirty-Three" was conceived when Billy Corgan said that a psychic predicted that his life would change at the age of 33. Ironically, the Pumpkins broke up when Billy hit that age. Anyway, the track is a soothing, reflective dream pop ballad with small touches of folk. "1979" is the dance/pop track that became a popular hit for the band. "Tales Of A Scorched Earth" is a scathing industrial metal-ish track. Volatile, explosive and intense, some may be put off from this. "Thru The Eyes Of Ruby" seems like something some of the best progressive rockers of the 70's never wrote. Retro-sounding, but very hard to describe at the same time. It's a 7-minute epic with sonic architecture to be envied over. It closes with a dreamy and atmospheric acoustic ending. "Stumbleine" sounds like just a voice and guitar track from Billy Corgan. "X.Y.U." is ultra-intense, volatile, hellish and enraged. It'll be hard to keep your adrenaline down, as this track will make you want to throw your fist through a window. It's THAT intense. The Pumpkins sure ended all this with a bang, as the rest of the tracks are soft, soothing and sweet. "We Only Come Out At Night" is just pretty. "Beautiful" is an r&b-esque track featuring some hypnotic effects. Once again, I'm reminded of Prince. "Lily (My One And Only)" sounds like a mixture of show tunes and classical with a synthesized-like drum beat layered on top of it all. Beautiful stuff. "By Starlight" reminds me of some of those 70's sappy ballads. I'm not saying this in a degrading way, as I really like this. "Farewell And Goodnight" features vocals from three members of the band. Definitely a song to send you to sleep (in a good way.) Billy Corgan has said that the last five songs on this disc were meant to put the listener to sleep. Couldn't tell whether he was being serious or sarcastic.
It broke my heart terribly to see a fantastic band like this break up. The Smashing Pumpkins were truly a one of a kind band. _Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness_ is an album that should show off the brilliance of this band perfectly. Of course, it isn't to say to ignore their other albums completely, but to me, this is their crown jewel.
Free Music Review: Amazing, Beautiful, Epic, But Most Of All: Brilliant
Hit: 5 Stars
Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness(1995). The Smashing Pumpkin's Third Album.
In 1995, Grunge and Alternative Rock was hitting its peak, and The Smashing Pumpkins' 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness' and Alice In Chains' self-titled album gave the style its last gap, before bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit, and other abysmal bands became popular. With the release of the 60's Psychadelia influenced 'Gish' and the out-right masterpiece 'Siamese Dream', The Smashing Pumpkins had proven to the critics and the public they were a force to contend with. In an interview, Billy Corgan stated that the Pumpkins were going to release a 2-disc masterpiece, something that would set the standard for Alternative Rock. So the hype was on: When the album was released, 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness' hit the top of the charts, and stayed there for quite a while, easily going multi-platinum despite being twice the price of a normal CD. It spawned the massive hits 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' and '1979', not to mention minor hits like 'Tonight, Tonight' and 'Zero. With such buzz around the album, and the fact 'Siamese Dream' is one of my favorite albums, I expected a *ton* from this album: So was I impressed? Read on to find out!
In 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness', Billy Corgan takes The Smashing Pumpkins in an epic direction, applying two discs, with totally different themes. The 'Dawn To Dusk' album is supposedly happy and uplifting, while the second disc, 'Twilight To Starlight', is supposed to be dark and foreboding. While there are exceptions to this rule(namely 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings'), that stays true throughout.
Because of the massive amount of music, I will only try to describe the music instead of every track. Billy Corgan, to anyone familar with him, is one of the best songwriters ever, capable of blending an uplifting jazz ballad to a gothic heavy metal song without missing a beat. The man is amazing, layering buzzing and distorted guitars together for a symphonic and immersing sound, adding in keyboards, orchestra instruments, and other odd noises to create some amazing melodies and harmonies.
From the scorching Gothic rock of 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings', to the moving orchestra ballad 'Galapagos', to the punk of 'Jellybelly' and 'Zero', to the confessions of '1979', The Smashing Pumpkins create an album so varied that the songs I mentioned are few of the many styles. If you write The Smashing Pumpkins off as "simply a garage band, or some Alternative Rock clone', you, my friend, are a moron. These guys are obviously the most creative and genre-bending band of the 90's. Basically, if you are a fan of any hard rock, and even the symphony orchestra, there is no doubt in my mind you would enjoy this: 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness' didn't become one of the most popular albums of the 90's for nothing.
As for the musicians, sometimes the music says it all. Billy Corgan, lead songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist, displays a depth that even Dave Grohl can't match, blending numerous guitar melodies together to create an incredibly immersive beat, not to mention levelling the listener with his odd(great though, IMO) vocals. Jimmy Chamberlain, The Smashing Pumpkins drummer, is capable of setting the pitch, tone, and rhythm as deftly as Rush's Neil Peart and TOOL's Danny Carey, and his instrument is clearly not part of a crowd, but part of the sound. Bass player D'Arcy Wretzky, while taking a minor role in the band, supplies more than enough punchy and addictive basslines to satisfy the stingiest of critics. Guitarist James Iha, who went on to perform in the band A Perfect Circle, tunes and plays in perfect precision with Corgan, and needless to say he is magnificent. There are also numerous other musicians, from keyboardists to celloists to violinists, but that's the core of the band.
Overall, 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness' is flawless. Over two hours of sheer musical bliss, The Smashing Pumpkins take you on a journey, blending so many genres and styles it's impossible to define this, but in a word, I would say: Excellence. Although 'Siamese Dream' will always be my favorite Smashing Pumpkins album, 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness' is flat-out magnificent, displaying possibly the greatest songwriting and epic musicianship I've ever heard. Although I may be making the album sound like the best I've ever heard(it isn't), it's just plain awesome! Like '1979, 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings', 'Zero', or 'Tonight, Tonight'? Buy this album and you can thank me later.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO FANS OF ROCK AND THE SMASHING PUMPKINS! THINK THE TITLE'S CREATIVE, WAIT UNTIL YOU HEAR THE MUSIC!
Killer Kuts- '1979', 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings', 'Jellybelly', and pretty much everything!
Also Recommended-
Siamese Dream- The Smashing Pumpkins
Dirt- Alice In Chains
Vs.- Pearl Jam
Thanks For Reading!
Free Music Review: One of the 90's best...totally beats anything Nirvana ever did
Hit: 5 Stars
From metal anthems to quiet harp melodies, playful romps to power ballads, alt-rock to soul, Smashing Pumpkins' double album opus (also considered their best ever) Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness has an amazing array of musical styles that totally differ form each other, yet still holds together in a way that you know "XYU" and "Cupid De Locke" are on the same album.
Billy Corgan still amazes; his passionate voice that goes from whispering to screaming in an instant, his utterly enthralling, poetic lyrics that Kurt Cobain wouldn't have touchedwith a 10-foot pole, and as a guitarist, he plays scorching, dextrous riffs effortlessly. (Is that him playing that riff on Jellybelly?) James Iha plays great lead guitar, Jimmy Chamberlin is one of the most amazing drummers I've ever heard, and D'Arcy, well...D'arcy plays the bass guitar.
Oh, and Smashing Pumpkins totally beats Nirvana. Well, Krist is a better bassist than D'arcy, but that's it. Jimmy > Dave, Billy > Kurt. Want creativity? Don't listen to "Lithium", listen to "We Only Come Out At Night"! Want rock? Listen to "Jellybelly" not "On A Plain" or "Territorial Pissings". I'll admit, Smells Like Teen Spirit is a pretty ass-kicking song, but the lyrics suck. And Kurt's voice makes William Hung sound like Frank Sinatra. I'm just saying if you're a Nirvana fan, it's time to check out some real music and lyrics without "A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido" crapola.
"My little group has always been and always will until the end" is no "and what you never knew can never get to you so fake it".
Alright, now that i'm done with my Nirvana lecture, let's get down to business.
disc 1
MC&TIS-10/10 a beautiful piano song with some violin.
tonight, tonight-10/10 another beautiful, glorious song...fantastic in every way
jellybelly-9/10 near metal anthem...almost perfect. fantastic drums and guitar.
zero-9/10 the song featured when the pumpkins appeared on the simpsons...very dark, very confessional, very cool.
here is no why-8.5/10 alright song during the song part of the song, but the chorus is enthralling. it saves the whole song from mediocrity.
bullet with butterfly wings-10/10 the pumpkins most famous song...another dark one with great lyrics and an explosive climax.
to forgive-8/10 truly 'mellon collie' indeed...but the lyrics...they're so infectious...
an ode to no one-9/10 a new one for the pumpkins-a faster paced, more punkish song. my favorite lyric? "galaxies full of nobodies..."
love-8/10 a big surprise...electro metal!
cupid de locke-10/10 floating harp and violin (i think) in a truly pretty song. eat this kurt...yeah your music was so creative...
galapogos-9/10 soft alt rock...but theres something about how it's so soft, yet so ready to explode...like soma...
muzzle-8/10 pop. but the drumming redeems it. its something you can play along with.
porcelin of the vast oceans-10/10 the pumpkins 9-minute altrock opera.
take me down-7/10 james iha's voice has a close, warm feeling to it, and thats all thats okay about the song. the weakest on the album.
disc 2
where boys fear to tread-9/10 alRIGHT! now were down to business! very solid song. great vocals. is that darcy in the background?
bodies-9/10 passionate vocals and the song rocks hard, but theres a softer tone to the guitar...its not as jagged and ear piercing as songs like geek usa...
thirty three-11/10 flawless. perfect. in every way.
in the arms of sleep-8/10 nice calming song.
1979-10/10 classic song.
tales of a scorched earth-5/10 the crappiest song on the slbum.
theres nothing good about this song.
thru the eyes of ruby-9/10 a magical song. a little overlong, but thats alright.
stumbleine-10/10 a gorgeous acoustic song with thoughtful lyrics.
x.y.u.-N/A i could give this song a one or a ten. i could say its just a screaming rant, or i could say it's an anguish filled, enthralling experience. you have to decide for yourself.
we only come out at night-9/10 dramatic vocals for such a childish song. very very creative.
beautiful-10/10 i cant describe this. its just too great and well, beautiful.
lily (my one and only) 8/10 childisdh song but still a classic.
by starlight-7/10 for a sp song, shapeless, and frankly, kind of boring.
farewell and goodnight-10/10 perfect finale
okay im getting tired of writing this review by now. ill keep it frank. if you want one of the greatest albums you'll ever hear, buy this now. if you're even thinking about buying this album, buy it now. i dont want you to miss out on this enthralling, magical, dramatic, creative, bautiful experience.
oh and guess what billy corgan wants to reunite smashing pumpkins. new album? a us tour? hmmmm...
Free Music Review: Magnum Opus
Hit: 5 Stars
This is one of the best albums ever made, by anyone. Where it fits in that list of top 25 is hard to say and quite arguable, but nonetheless, it deserves a spot.
A lot of people will argue till they're blue in their faces about whether this or SIAMESE DREAM is the best Smashing Pumpkins album. Let me say, I give SIAMESE DREAM 5 stars as well, but it is just not the same work of art that this is. This is truly a masterpiece, and Billy Corgan hasnt' made anything that's come close since.
MELLON COLLIE .. - great instrumental, perfect way to start an album.
TONIGHT, TONIGHT - obviously a classic. when i first heard this song, i was shocked. i'd never heard anything quite like this before.
JELLY BELLY - good rock song. great lyrics as usual. "welcome to nowhere fast".. but could be too 'heavy metal' for some people.
ZERO - great lyrics, great rock song. gets skipped a lot by me though since i've heard it too many times.
HERE IS NO WHY - i like this song a lot, but i didn't always. the chorus is great -- "may the king of gloom be forever doomed!"
BULLET with BUTTERFLY WINGS - great title, and great rock song. it always seemed like kind of a joke on angst to me. "despite all my rage, i'm still just a rat in a cage"
TO FORGIVE - sad song about childhood. not always immediately accessible, but it grows on you a lot.
F--- YOU (AN ODE TO NO ONE) - great song. the guitar work is amazing. really knocks my socks off.
LOVE - not one of my favorites, but still alright. good lyrics.
CUPID DE LOCKE - very interesting song, and there is no other SP song (OR ANY OTHER SONG, FOR THAT MATTER) that is like it. the lyrics are somewhat of an old-style (i dont know what it's called) poem, and the music is quite fantastic.
GALAPOGOS - one of the best songs on the album, and has great lyrics and the vocal he delivers is INTENSE, by all means. musically excellent as well.
MUZZLE - good rock song, but until i heard his acoustic version from the United Center show (their 2nd to last performance) i didn't really 'get' it. it's his favorite pumpkins song, and the lyrics are very very good. empowering.
PORCELINA OF THE VAST OCEANS - amazing song, especially the encapsulating and hypnotic intro. great guitar work. great vocals.
TAKE ME DOWN - a good song by james, but doesn't really fit with the rest of the album, imo.
-DISC 2-
WHERE BOYS FEAR TO TREAD - excellent rocker. love the riff here, very dark.
BODIES - another excellent rocker, great lyrics. "no bodies ever knew / no bodies felt like you"
THIRTY-THREE - highly underrated last single from the album. if i were to use an overused word, it would be 'poignant'
IN THE ARMS OF SLEEP - one of my favorites, acoustic, amazing lyrics, a feeling all of us have identified with- "i'll always need her more than she could ever need me / i need someone to ease my mind / but sometimes a someone is so hard to find"
1979 - everyone knows this song. it's great.
TALES OF A SCORCHED EARTH - everyone hates this song. i don't, personally. i just never listen to it. good lyrics, but i suggest reading them instead of listening to it unless you're feeling angry.
THRU THE EYES OF RUBY - excellent song, and the end of it features the reprise to the title track, which is excellent, and done on acoustic guitar.
STUMBLEINE - one of my absolute favorite songs. very minimal, just billy on acoustic guitar, singing a very personal and touching song. excellent.
X.Y.U. - great rock song, great contrast after the previous song. i love this one.
WE ONLY COME OUT AT NIGHT - very simple song, but i like it a lot. i like the vocals.
BEAUTIFUL - really really great song. great lyrics, great singing, great music, great production. great. should i say 'great' again? yes. it's great.
LILY - really good song for the voyeur in you. lily was his cat, and i think there's a picture of her on the back of the 'i am one' single, perhaps? in any case, another really good song.
BY STARLIGHT - spectacular song, and sonically it blows me away. such emotional intensity rules this song. 'and are you just like me? her eyes were as vacant as the seas..'
FAREWELL AND GOODNIGHT - great song that features all of the members singing, which is the only instance of this on an official release. i think they should have done this at their last show, but they didn't. jimmy can't sing very well but he does alright. d'arcy and james are sweet together though.
BUY THIS, and BUY IT NOW. Also highly recommended are the b-sides to this album, "THE AEROPLANE FLIES HIGH" boxed set, which features some of the Pumpkins' best work ever, incl. "MEDELLIA OF THE GRAY SKIES," "THE LAST SONG," "THE AEROPLANE FLIES HIGH (TURNS LEFT, LOOKS RIGHT)" "MY BLUE HEAVEN" "MARQUIS IN SPADES," "PENNIES," and "ROTTEN APPLES"
Free Music Review: Some of Their Best Songs.
Hit: 5 Stars
The Smashing Pumpkins followed up their second album "Siamese Dream" with this 28-track double album which features some of the bands greatest songs. The single for "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" (their best song in my opinion) won them their first grammy and this album showcased the Pumpkins as an incredible musical talent. Billy Corgan is frequently called a songwriting genius and is critisized for his voice. I love Billy Corgan's voice and I think that he even though he's a di*k he is a musical genius. But it isn't merely Corgan who makes this album work. James Iha is one of the most underrated guitarists of the nineties, Iha can play. D'arcy Wretsky is one of the hottest bass players ever and she's not that bad. Jimmy Chamberlin can play hard and fast. While Corgan wrote all the songs; It's the Pumpkins that made them what they are. Here are the tracks:
Dawn to Dusk (Disc 1)
1. Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness-5/5-Just a 2 minute piano instrumental. I don't know who plays it, but they do it quite well.
2. Tonight, Tonight-4/5-I never REALLY liked this song. It's got an awesome video, but the song is just so-so.
3. Jellybelly-5/5-The beat is rocking. James Iha's guitar is mad.
4. Zero-5/5-This is one of my favorite Smashing Pumpkins songs. It's great. From the awesome guitar, to Corgan's singing. The chorus rocks!!!
5. Here is No Why-5/5-This song has some really good metaphorical lyrics. It's got a great beat too.
6. Bullet With Butterfly Wings-5/5-My favorite Smashing Pumpkins song. This song has got one of the coolest choruses in rock music and is just a purely great song.
7. To Forgive-5/5-This song is a ballad and is pretty damn good.
8. An Ode to No One-5/5-The beat (especially bass & guitar) is fu**ing great.
9. Love-3/5-This song has Billy Corgan singing meaningless lyrics in a distorted voice. I didn't like this song that much, it pretty much sucked.
10. Cupid De Locke-4/5-Weird. It's got a strange beat; Billy Corgan speaks at the end of the song and sounds pretty cool though.
11. Galapogos-5/5-I don't know why Billy Corgan chose to call the song "galapogos" but anyway...It's really slow dream-like song, but I loved it.
12. Muzzle-5/5-Very good, one of the best on this disc.
13. Porcelina of the Vast Oceans-5/5-A little overbloated (9 minutes) but other than it's a great song.
14. Take Me Down-5/5-I don't know who sings this song but I know it's not Billy Corgan. It's really good, but the singer for some reason remains anonymous. If anyone knows who this is feel free to e-mail me at moviefreak144@hotmail.com
Twilight to Starlight (Disc 2)
1. Where Boys Fear to Tread-5/5-Weird, but really good. Lyrics kinda tell a fairy tale.
2. Bodies-5/5-"Love is suicide" is a pretty cool line. The song should've been given a different title, but ignoring that this is a great song.
3. Thirty Three-5/5-Really good...One of the five singles from this album.
4. In the Arms of Sleep-4/5-Good lyrics, not a big fan of the song though.
5. 1979-5/5-This is a great song and has an equally good video. This song is pretty much about teenage angst; the lyrics fit perfectly with the music.
6. Tales of a Scorched Earth-5/5-Really angry lyrics. Including the statement
"You're all whores and I'm a fag". Interesting statement for Billy Corgan to make. Also, Corgan screams Marilyn Manson-style on this song.
7. Thru the Eyes of Ruby-5/5-In a sense it's pretty much told through the eyes of a ruby, so it's interesting, if not overbloated (7: 30)
8. Stumbleine-4/5-I have no idea what this song was meant to be about, but we have Corgan making a weird statement again; "I'll be your stumbleine, I'll be your super queen."
9. XYU-5/5-One of the best on this disc. Blends hard rock (simalar to "Bullet With Butterfly Wings) and soft rock (1979).
10. We Only Come Out At Night-5/5-Apparently about vampires or something. It's not the best nor the worst song.
11. Beautiful-5/5-I really like the lyrics in this song, really good.
12. Lily (My One and Only)-5/5-The lyrics are fu**ing hilarious; Not what you'd expect from the title.
13. By Starlight-4/5-(No Comment)
14. Farewell & Goodnight-5/5-OK. There's at least 3 people singing on this song. One's Billy Corgan. But who are the other two? James Iha & D'Arcy Wretsky. If you know e-mail me at moviefreak144@hotmail.com
A-