Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness
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Free Music Notes for Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness
Free Music Review: Pretentious
Hit: 5 Stars
If Billy Corgan can be pretentious, so can I. I will now review this monstrously good album - song by song."dawn to dusk"
Mellon Collie: a sparkling piano intro, completely unexpected. you KNOW there's a concept here... A
Tonight Tonight: epic grandeur continues, sweeping orchestra. very beautiful, and holds a lot of memories. A+
Jellybelly: a cauldron blast, the first indication that 30 guitar tracks is still in vogue with Billy. B+
Zero: snaky guitar, bruising. A-
Here is No Why: nobody talks about this song, but I love the melody and lyrics. A
Bullet With Butterfly Wings: Reznor meets Cobain, acidic song; a little overplayed, but still packs a wallop. A-
To Forgive: great lyrics, quiet song; powerful. A-
An Ode to No One: subtitled F... You, it is everything its title promises. B
Love: another lesser known song, great distorsion on guitar and vox, with great lyrics. A
Cupid de Locke: psychedelic freak-out from another century, a jawdropper. A+
Galapogos: amazing lyrics! the music complements it perfectly, very dynamic. A+
Muzzle: another lyrical masterwork over a basic grunge track. A-
Porcelina of the Vast Oceans: the first disc's standout, a nine-minute prog workout with *surprise* great lyrics, aching melody. A+
Take Me Down: the gentle come-down written by James Iha. A-
"twilight to starlight"
Where Boys Fear to Tread: the dark side begins with this furious rock song. complete turn-around from the first disc's beginnings. A
Bodies: another furious guitar workout that drops out from under you as Billy states "love is suicide". stunning. A
Thirty-Three: sweeping harps, beautiful lyrics. another jawdropper. A+
In the Arms of Sleep: what sounds like a Native flute highlighting desperate love lyrics. A
1979: one of the best Pumpkins songs, an entire nostalgic youth contained in four minutes of musical and lyrical brilliance. A+
Tales of a Scorched Earth: the most unbearable song, the distortion is sometimes too much to take. B-
Thru the Eyes of Ruby: the album standout! my absolute favorite, just on another level in every aspect. A++
Stumbeline: a short acoustic ballad, strange lyrics. A-
X.Y.U.: scalds you for seven minutes, a roller-coaster of a metal song. A-
We Only Come Out at Night: very strange musical accompanying lyrics about vampires maybe? definitely enjoyable. A
Beautiful: exactly as the title suggests. A
Lily (My One and Only): a ballad that seems out of the 30s, not very liked, but still a great song. A-
By Starlight: a slow, morose ballad with great lyrics. a favorite. A
Farewell and Goodnight: the concept is tied together with a beautiful piano outro after a soothing goodnight to the Pumpkins' best era. fantastic end. A+
Being in Grade 6 when this album was released, it contains my idealistic youth in its two discs and 28 songs: all the anger, the romantic longing, optimism and pessimism that any young man feels during their youth. My copy is battered and bruised, but I couldn't trade it for anything. Pretentious musical types will argue about the musicality of the album: I talk about the memories contained within. A wonderful achievement and a treasure piece of music in my collection.
Free Music Review: Nothing but a masterpiece
Hit: 5 Stars
The Smashing Pumpkins were a wonder for the world of music in the 1990s, and their music still lives on today. Primarily, in "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness," a glorious double album with more than a few wonderful, immersing songs, and, arguably, absolutely no filler material whatsoever.
At slightly over two hours in length, the album is divided into two discs: "Dawn to Dusk," and "Twilight to Starlight." The first disc starts out with the title track, "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness," a solemn piece, but beautiful and absorbing, with a piano prevailing. Then the famous "Tonight, Tonight" comes along, featuring amazing songwriting, both musically and lyrically. The album then dives down into a long set of hard rock, including "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" which spawned the famous "Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage" line. Toward, and at, the end of the first disc, the music softens and lightens, including my personal favorite from the entire album, the sometimes underrated (in my opinion) "Muzzle."
The second disc, "Twilight to Starlight," dives quickly back into the heavier, angrier stuff, with a softer one thrown in here and there, such as "Thirty-Three" and the famous "1979," nostalgic and reminiscing. Toward the end, the album finally once again mellows out, with songs of love and beauty, such as "Lily (my one and only)" and "By Starlight." Topping it all off is "Farewell and Goodnight," ending with a great piano sequence, excellent in itself, but also rather reminiscent of the album's title track, way back at the very beginning.
John Craig's accompanying illustrations are also interesting, bizarre beyond any doubt, and, one could say, almost grotesque in their obscurity. There are rabbits playing baseball and smoking a hookah, children carrying a goat through a field of flowers, human-shaped felines joining in holy wedlock, and strange birds flying in odd war planes. On the front of the album is an angelic woman emerging from a star surrounded by planets, stars, and comets, and on the back, a smiling sun peeks over the ocean through a cloudy sky.
Billy Corgan, the lead singer, whines, rasps, and goes off-key. I won't deny that. However, to me, and to the many fans of this brilliant music, singing isn't so much about voice clarity and pitch control as it is about passion and emotion, which Corgan donates to the music like has rarely, if ever, been seen before in any production. The entire album is filled with all different emotions: happy, sad, angry, loving. This is the case with many albums, but often these emotions are just slapped together. Here, they are woven into a delicate flow. The lyrics are thought-provoking, the songwriting is creative, and the instruments are superbly played. The drum rhythms particularly appeal to me, especially in "Muzzle," and may very well to others also.
This album is a masterpiece. It is one of those few pieces of artwork which can truly survive the tests of time, not like crappy faddish mainstream stuff (no offense intended to any fans of crappy faddish music =D ).
Free Music Review: The Best of the Pumpkins-
Hit: 5 Stars
Originally, I considered Siamese Dream to be the best SP Album of all. Now after the break up, The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music, and their final concert approaching, I reminisce about the ultimate smashing pumpkins album- mellon collie and the infinite sadness.I was in about 6th grade when I first heard "bullet with butterfly wings." from then on i was hooked. my older sister would play the album when we drove around in the car, she was about 17. she then introduced me to "tonight tonight" and her favorite- "1979". she also listened to a couple other songs which i would forget and then find later, "muzzle" and "jellybelly."
But that was then. A little over a year ago, when the date for Machina to be released was set and Everlasting Gaze was played for the first time on Q101, I searched in my past and found the new smashing pumpkins, the ones i hadnt heard, the whole albums. I thought siamese dream was amazing. and mcis was about what i remembered it for- an album with a bunch of good singles.
BUT NOW, its different again, MCIS IS the ultimate rock opera/epic rock record of the 1990s, on par with radiohead's "OK Computer" in the sheer grandioseness of it all.
here are my ratings of songs:
Mellon Collie and The infinite sadness- 85 (out of 100)- a soothing, mellow, somewhat depressing, beautiful instrumental.
Tonight Tonight- 90- admit it, its a great song.
Jellybelly- 80- I used to love this song...i still do, but not quite as much.
Zero- 55- I never liked zero much, it is AWESOME in concert though.
Here is no why- 95- a gem i discoverd lately, short-sweet, grand, uplifting, heavy and great- one of the few effective happy smashing pumpkins songs.
Bullet with butterfly wings- 85- filled with rage, i love it.
To forgive- 50- kind of just there.
**** You (an ode to no one)- 70 - rage again, i like it. listen to it if you are very angry at someone.
Love- 60- its alright, kinda misdirected..maybe its just me.
Cupide de Locke- 60- another decent song...
Galapagos- 95- the ultimate "adore warning sign" AWESOME and BEAUTIFUL.
Muzzle- 90- great profound, happy music.
Porcelina...-85- another song i used to love..stillgreat.
Take me down- 50- ok
where boys fear to tread- 55- i liked the doom sound effects.
bodies- 80- great song, nice and heavy, also melodic.
Thirty three- 90- beautiful, powerful
In the Arms of sleep - 95- very beautiful.
1979- 80- its good, as usual.
Tales of scorched earth- 45- too hard to understand..listenable.
Thru the Eyes of Ruby- 99- The best song on the album, so close to perfection. Art Rock at its best.
Stumbleine- 75- pretty.
XYU- 90- hardcore, i love when it gets fast, energetic..awesome.
we only come out...- 70- nice little song.
beautiful- 75- just like the name.
Lily..-50- not that appealing to me.
By Starlight- 87- excellent song.
Farewell and Goodnight- 85- great closer, ends the album the way it started, brilliant.
THE SHEER MAGNITUDE OF GREATNESS MAKES THIS THE BEST ALBUM BY THE SMASHING PUMPKINS.
Free Music Review: The Epic Album - The 'Bible' of My Adolescence
Hit: 5 Stars
I bought this when it first came out, some years ago. I've since moved on to other bands, but I must admit, after all these years, MCIS still remains my favourite album of all time. And this comes from a person who listens to everyone from metal to musicals, religious music to Marilyn Manson. Here is a short run through of all the songs.1. MCIS 8/10 - Instrumental piece. great opening track.
2. Tonight, Tonight 10/10 - grandeur to the max! lyrics are memorable as hell!
3. Jellybelly 7/10 - Guitar onslaught with catchy chorus
4. Zero 9/10 - Emptiness is loneliness...etc. One of the most memorable lines and riffs in rock history
5. Here is no why 7/10 - don't quite dig this one as much as my friends
6. bullet with butterfly wings 10/10 - despite all my rage, i am still just a rat in a cage. talk about classic rock slogans!
7. to forgive 7.5/10 - grows on you. give it a chance. mellow melancholia
8. an ode to no one 7/10 - pure angst ramble
9. love 8.5/10 - incredible distortion intro! the perils of love indeed!
10. cupid de locke 8/10 - lyrics read like a good poem. mystic, dreamy, lovely
11. galapogos 9/10 - sweet lullaby, sweet lull of a guitar intro
12. muzzle 9/10 - incredible intro, incredible ending, incredible rock song!
13. porcelina of the vast oceans 7/10 - a little too long for my liking but features the classic loud/soft/loud/soft structure of siamese dream
14. take me down 8/10 - sweet closure to the first disc from iha.
1. where boys fear to tread 9/10 - always attempt to drum and keep tempo with the incredible intro of the song.
2. bodies 9/10 - love is suicideeee!!! angry and ficious. guitar onslaught
3. thirty-three 9/10 - sentimental but vague, melodic ode to friends
4. in the arms of sleep 7/10 - puts me to sleep sometimes but it grows on you
5. 1979 10/10 - a ten because this is the song (and video) that got me hooked onto SP and made me buy the album.
6. tales of a scorched earth 6.5/10 - to me weakest song on the album, but even then...it's good! heavily distorted vocals
7. thru the eyes of ruby 7/10 - grows on you with a few listens
8. stumbleine 9/10 - acoustic guitar bliss! gentle vocals
9. XYU 9/10 - refined angst. many segments to the song. swells in its messiness which is great
10. We only come out at night 8/10 - these songs are what make pumpkins unique. no other band has the ability to create such distinct sounding songs!
11. Beautiful 9.5/10 - simply gorgeous lyrics, gorgeous arrangement, and d'arcy is singing backup!
12. lily (my one and only) 9/10 - cute as a button!
13. by starlight 8/10 - melancholic romance. imagine yourself singing this to a lover lying beside you
14. farewell and goodnight 9/10 - the perfect closure to a near perfect album.
this album has to be listened through and through. It will take you on an almost spiritual journey through anger, happiness, sorrow, and joy. This is the definitive Pumpkins album, and the definitive album of my teenage years. Get it. Buy it. Adopt it as your child.
Free Music Review: The Greatest Album of the 90's
Hit: 5 Stars
Yes, it is a statement that may seem far off in left field, but it is the truth. "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" is the single greatest rock record of the 1990's.Most people tend to agree that the greatest rock albums of the 90's are Nirvana's "Nevermind" and Pearl Jam's "Ten." When seriously thinking about this in a musical sense, it becomes apparent that these two albums were more of a defining statement for their time rather than the greatest musical work of art of their time. "Mellon Collie," on the other hand, is both a defining statement and a great work of art in a musical sense.
A musical rollercoaster, written almost entirely by frontman Billy Corgan, "Mellon Collie" takes the listener on a journey through the emotional state of a torn soul. It is fairly clear that this is meant to mirror the life of an angst driven teen of the times.
Great albums usually come in two forms. A) They are a grabber. You immediately know that you love it from the first listen. Or B) They grow on you. The first listen may not be entirely satisfying, but upon each additional listen the album gets better and better. "Mellon Collie" is both.
Clocking in at over 2 hours, the 2 disc album is arranged roughly in the progression of a day to night. The titles of the individual discs points towards this notion, as they are titled "Dawn to Dusk" and "Twilight to Starlight."
As the title implies, "Dusk to Dawn" seems to be the day of this album. Highlights (in order of appearance) are "Tonight, Tonight," "Jellybelly," "Zero," "Here is No Why," "Bullet with Butterfly Wings," "To Forgive," Porcelina of the Vast Oceans," and "Take Me Down." The opening piano piece followed by "Tonight, Tonight" is the only true glimmer of hope on the album, showing how depression can truly overtake a person's life.
"Twilight to Starlight" is the less commercial sounding of the two discs, but musically is far superior. Highlights include "Where Boys Fear to Tread," "Thirty-Three," "In the Arms of Sleep," "1979," "Thru the Eyes of Ruby," "Stumbleine," and "Farewell and Goodnight." "Thru the Eyes of Ruby" is the best song on the album, and in my opinion, the greatest alternative rock song ever written.
With each listen to the album in sequence, new questions arrise. It's a great album at playing mental tricks on you. The listener can come up with new conclusions as to what the album means with every listen.
Where as Nirvana's "Nevermind" defined them but was followed up by their greatest album, "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" is the Smashing Pumpkins album that redefined them as well as being their greatest work.