This year brought several changes to my life. I turned eighteen and graduated from high school. So, I've been thinking about getting older, growing up, etc. to go along with all the other stuff I thought about before.

The year also brought about a change in radio station. I had gotten fed up with the lack of variety and the conservative leaning of the Clear Channel-owned station I had been listening to. I made the change to their rival, a new rock station. It was there I discovered early nineties rockers the Smashing Pumpkins.

For the most successful part of their run, the Smashing Pumpkins are led by Billy Corgan on lead vocals and guitar. With him are James Iha on guitar, D'Arcy Wretzky on bass, and Jimmy Chamberlin on drums. Corgan is the band's songwriter. Chamberlin and Wretzky would eventually leave the group (Chamberlin in 1995 and Wretzky in 2000). Chamberlin would be replaced by Matt Walker and Wretzky with Melissa Auf Der Maur.


TRACKS
(NOTE: This is gonna be a little long.)
1. Siva (4:21)
(from Gish, 1991)
The name Siva is a variation of Shiva, the destroyer and redeemer of worlds in Hindu mythology. It's an interesting twist on the standard teen angst song.

"Way down deep within my heart,
Lies a soul that's torn apart,
Tell me, tell me what you’re after,
I just want to get there faster."

2. Rhinocerous (5:53)
(from Gish, 1991)
In my opinion, this is a rather disjointed song in terms of its musical aspects. For the first half, the tempo is slow, subdued, and haunting with a slow, steady drumbeat, soft electric chords, and vocals that are across between spoken-word and a spoken whisper. At the halfway point, the pace and tone pick up with Corgan's vocals reaching to just a few levels below screams and the duel guitars playing off one another, one playing a raw, crunching rhythm, the other a squealing solo. But while the vocals and instrumentation are good, the lyrics seem rather inane to me. Judging from the lyrics from the other songs, I'm sure there's some hidden, personal meaning in there, but I'm not seeing it.

"Planned a show,
Trees and balloons,
Ice cream snow,
See you in June."

3. Drown (4:30)
(Not part of a studio album)
"Drown" is a slow, subdued song with an intimate feel that is one of the few songs on this album to feature both an electric and an acoustic guitar. The lyrics are a little hard to decipher. My best guess is they're about a distant and mostly forgotten friendship.

"No matter where you are,
I can still hear you when you dream,
You traveled very far,
You traveled far, like a star."

4. Cherub Rock (4:59)
(from Siamese Dream, 1993)
Beginning with crescendoing drums and a simple guitar melody, this ode to the superficial friendships, cliques, and posturing of high school is an infectious rocker led by raw dual guitars and Corgan's trademark part-growling, part-carefree vocals.

"Freak out,
And give in,
Doesn't matter what you believe in,
Stay cool,
And be somebody's fool this year,
'cause they know,
Who is righteous, what is bold,
So I'm told."

5. Today (3:22)
(from Siamese Dream, 1993)
This is a song of two contrasting moods that flow into each other so aimlessly that it's hard to recognize the difference at first. It begins with Corgan's light and carefree vocals and happy-go-lucky lyrics along with a mid-tempo, light rock accompaniment. This mood alternates with a slightly darker feel with Corgan's muffled vocals and growl along with a squealing guitar and lyrics about regret.

"Pink ribbon scars,
That never forget,
I tried so hard,
To cleanse these regrets."

6. Disarm (3:18)
(from Siamese Dream, 1993)
This is my favorite Pumpkins song. It's a song about a young man growing up, having spent much of his childhood trying to act grown-up, who hates being treated as a child, only to find out he doesn't really know what to do when he finally does grow up. It's a theme I can personally relate to. Musically, the song is intimate with only Corgan and an acoustic guitar in the foreground but at the same time, grand and dramatic with bells and absolutely beautiful strings in the background. Together, they combine to beautifully capture the emotion of the lyrics.

"Disarm you with a smile
And leave you like they left me here
To wither in denial
The bitterness of one who's left alone
Ooh, the years burn."

7. Landslide (3:10)
(from Pisces Iscariot, 1994)
This is a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song of the same name. If you've heard the original, then you should know what to expect here as it's basically the same thing: the plucking of an acoustic guitar and some vocals, only instead of Stevie Nicks singing, it's Billy Corgan. And that is the problem. The instrumentation is beautiful and intimate as always, but the vocals are a little too nasal for my taste. Still, it's a beautiful song that fits in with the subject matter of the rest of the album.

"I've been 'fraid of changing,
'Cause I built my live around you,
But time makes you bolder,
Children get older, I'm getting older, too."

8. Bullet With Butterfly Wings (4:17)
(from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, 1995)
Right from the start, one can tell this is a very angry song. It begins with Corgan's relatively soft but emotionally charged vocals backed up with a deep and heavy drum-bassline and a throbbing guitar, signifying a barely contained anger. From there, it explodes into full furry with Corgan screaming the famous line "Despite all my rage, I'm still just a rat in a cage" backed by dual, raw electric guitars. The lyrics express a theme others, such as R.E.M. and Metallica, have expressed: how the music industry and fame de-humanize musicians to the point where everything comes off as fake. But at the same time, it expresses Corgan's own need for the fame and admiration.

"Now I'm naked,
Nothing but an animal,
But can you fake it,
For just one more show?"

9. 1979 (4:23)
(from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, 1995)
This is another song that touches me personally. It's a nostalgic song, telling the story of a group of kids and their carefree days before focusing on their uncertain future. The music is mostly mid-tempo but speeds up near the end, featuring a steady drum beat, the strumming of an electric guitar, and some sort of woodwind instrument in the background.

"We don't even care, as restless as we are,
We feel the pull in the land of a thousand guilts,
And poured cement, lamented and assured,
To the lights and towns below."

10. Zero (2:41)
(from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, 1995)
With this song, the Pumpkins prove that even short songs can't go on for too long. It starts out pretty well, though with two loud, distorted electric guitars playing off one another. But the last third of the song is wasted on riffs and screams from Corgan that don't achieve much, other than lengthening the song.

"Emptiness is loneliness,
And loneliness is cleanliness,
And cleanliness is godliness,
And god is empty just like me."

11. Tonight, Tonight (4:15)
(from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, 1995)
Another song in same vein as "Disarm." In fact, to the uninitiated ear, it's easy to mistake them. I've done it myself. As with "Disarm," "Tonight, Tonight" features Corgan and an acoustic guitar backed up by classical instruments, although the rest of the Pumpkins and more than just stringed instruments can be heard. But this song covers a happier topic: a positive change (i.e. marriage, graduation, first child) in which a person loses a part of him or herself, but gains a lot more in the process. Overall, the song perfectly captures the sadness, fear, and happiness of such a momentous occasion.

"Time...is never time at all,
You can never ever leave,
Without leaving a piece of youth."

12. Eye (4:54)
(Not part of a studio album.)
This is the first of two more electronic offerings from the Pumpkins. This one has a hip-hop or techno flare to it, featuring a slow vocal track over a steady, up-tempo drum machine. The lyrics are a little hard to decipher. I think they're about someone having serious trouble coping with a broken relationship.

"Is it any wonder I can't sleep,
All I have is all you gave to me,
Is it any wonder I found peace through you,
Turn to the gates of heaven, to myself be damned,
Turn away from light."

13. Ava Adore (4:21)
(from Adore, 1998)
This is the second of the two electronic offerings. This one is heavier and closer to rock than the previous track. Its main instrument is a heavily synthesized bass-drum beat along with screeching guitars and electronic beeps. With them are the creepy vocals about possessive, obsessive love that sound like something a sexual predator would write.

"It's you that I adore,
You'll always be my whore,
You'll be the mother to my child,
And a child to my heart."

14. Perfect (3:22)
(from Adore, 1998)
This is one song I had no previous exposure to. I now feel cheated. Musically, it's fueled mostly by a bouncy drumbeat and a catchy guitar hook that fades aimlessly in and out of the foreground. My favorite part would be the lyrics, which are about two ex-lovers wishing things could have been better. All of this coupled with the Corgan's warm and friendly vocals gives the song a bittersweet, with more emphasis on the sweet, feel.

"Angel, you know it's not the end,
We'll always be good friends."

15. The Everlasting Gaze (4:02)
(from MACHINA: The Machines of God, 2000)
Another song much like "Zero" which starts off with a bang but loses my interest, despite what I feel to be an interesting commentary on organized religion and spirituality. It begins interestingly enough with the fedback riffs of the dual guitars of Iha and Corgan. But that quickly wears off as that riff is played ad nauseum thoughout the song. To top it off, Corgan sounds like he's singing in the shower.

"We all want to hold in the everlasting gaze,
Enchanted in the rapture of his sentimental sway,
But underneath the wheels lie the skulls of every cog,
The fickle fascination of an everlasting god."

16. Stand Inside Your Love (4:13)
(from MACHINA: The Machines of God, 2000)
This song is the fourth song on this album about love. Whereas "Eye" is about broken love, "Eva Adore" is about obsession, and "Perfect" is about love that wasn't meant to be, this song is more about an unrequited love. Musically, it features a powerful mid-tempo drum-bass beat that melds beautifully with the strums of electric guitars before speeding into a full on, but slightly muffled rocker.

"Travel the world,
Traverse the skies,
Your home is here,
Within my heart."

17. Real Love (4:10)
(Previously Unreleased)
This is the direct opposite of "Rhinocerous," which if you've been too bored out by this long-ass review to remember, featured good instrumentation and vocals but subpar lyrics. "Real Love" features interesting lyrics that could be a commentary on love and/or religion but subpar instrumentation and vocals that just don't seem to get anywhere.

"Scratch through the changes,
Real love is nameless,
So tired and hopeless,
Real love is painless."

18. Untitled (3:51)
(Previously Unreleased)
I don't listen to this song often. And for good reason. It's musical masochism. It's one of those fairly disposable songs that annoy the Hell out of you but at the same, you can't help but to enjoy it a little. What annoys me is Corgan's vocal technique where he says the first few words of a line, then rushes through the second part of the line. At the same time, it has an infectious pop-rock track.

"When you're young you can promise,
Anything that you wanted,
To be in love, to feel love all around."


CONCLUSION
I don't know if they did this on purpose, but the Pumpkins have managed to make a concept album about the teenage experience out of their Greatest Hits album. Whether it be the barely-contained anger at the world of "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," the raging hormones of "Ava Adore," the unrequited love of "Stand Inside Your Love," the bittersweet celebration of change in "Tonight, Tonight," the journal of high school cliques in "Cherub Rock," the apologetic love song "Perfect," the introspective "Disarm," the sarcastic pity-party of "Today," or the nostalgia and uncertainty of "1979," they have managed to capture the varying emotions and experiences of one of the grandest periods of one's life. And all to a kick-ass soundtrack, too.


SMASHING PUMPKINS ALBUMS
NOTE: Singles, Compilations (excluding greatest hits albums), and MP3 albums are not included.
Gish (1991)
Siamese Dream (1993)
Pisces Iscariot (1994)
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
Adore (1998)
MACHINA: The Machines of God (2000)
Greatest Hits (2001)


Great Music to Play While: Growing-up, Reminiscing, Feeling sorry for yourself, Thinking about the future


Recommended: Yes