TheUnknown285's Full Review: Thirty Three [Maxi Single] by Smashing Pumpkins
If one were to look at the track list for the Smashing Pumpkins hugely successful (not to mention huge, period) 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, you would think there is no way the band could have had more material laying around at the time. Hell, Mellon Collie is twenty-eight tracks long. The Pumpkins had released their previous studio album, the wildly successful in its own right and equally as good Siamese Dream only two years before, and in the year in between, the Pumpkins released a collection of B-sides and outtakes in the form of Pisces Iscariot, itself successful and very good. Surely, the Pumpkins had drained the creative reservoir. Well, you would be wrong.
Mellon Collie, owing to its expanse, quality, and reception, yielded five radio singles (“Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” “1979,” “Zero,” “Tonight, Tonight,” and “Thirty-Three”), all of which yielded success for the bad, though in different amounts, with a deeper cut (“Muzzle”) seeing some airplay as well. “Thirty-Three” would be the last song released officially as a single. The single begins with the title track. While not the most successful song from Mellon Collie…, Thirty-Three is definitely one of my favorites. It’s one of those Pumpkins songs that, in addition to being a great song instrumentally and vocally, hits a nerve emotionally. As I move ever closer to a major change in my live, one that brings about excitement, fear, sadness, bewilderment, and joy, I find myself drawn to “Thirty-three” and its message of hope, love, contentment, determination, and savoring the moment. The musical accompaniment is enchanting and powerful, yet subdued, understated, and delicate, led mostly by an acoustic guitar and piano playing gently yet firmly in unison with some sound effects adding nicely to the mix and evoking images of gentle falling snow. I still haven’t figured out if there is really a choir singing angelic “Ooos” in the background or if I’m just imagining it; that’s how understated in can be. ”And for a moment I lose myself, Wrapped up in the pleasures of the world, I’ve journeyed here and there and back again, But in the same old haunts I still find my friends, Mysteries not ready to reveal, Sympathies I’m ready to return, I’ll make the effort, Love can last forever, Graceful swans of never topple to the Earth.”
I seem to be in the minority when it comes to the next song The Last Song. It’s not that I don’t like it, quite the opposite. I just don’t love it, certainly not to the extent of “Thirty-Three” and, as you’ll soon see, “The Aeroplane Flies High.” I found myself skipping it at first as the first thirty seconds are quite bland, with almost monotone vocals and hookless instrumentation and semi-repetitive lyrics. The beginning of the second verse has the same problem. However, once you get past that, the song improves greatly. The lyrics are heartfelt and bittersweet. Corgan’s acoustic guitar becomes emphatic and attention-getting while his vocals become more heartfelt yet catchy. Corgan’s father, William, Sr. adds a subdued and short yet poignant electric guitar solo at the end. ”The shards of broken glass, Sing the strains of a sad old tune, We've made it at last, But what we had is lost inside our past. The Aeroplane Flies High (Turns Left, Looks Right) adds a welcomed dose of fire and electricity to the mix. While not a fast song, it is electric; energy flows from the resonating distortion. The methodical pace of the verses, coupled with Corgan’s almost whispered vocals, gives way to a fiery chorus with waves of distortion. Truthfully, I’ve become a little bored with the first five minutes after several dozen listens (although I still love the drums) but the song’s four minute climax is always awesome with its swirling, somewhat psychedelic guitar solo that leads into a firestorm of riffs and crashing cymbals with a menacing bass in the background and Corgan singing some awesome lyrics. It ends not with a bang but a whimper with a haunting ending featuring the hypnotic echoes of a turned down electric guitar (I wish they would use that tune longer; it’s really interesting) and Corgan damn near babbling after the near exorcism seconds ago. ”Wishing you were real to me, Wishing I could make belief, Take my secrets to the grave, Safely held beneath the waves, Always knew I couldn’t save, Always knew I couldn’t save you.” Transformer, the closing track is by far the weakest. The whole song has a lo-fi feel to it, with the sound being a bit muffled and muddled, the speakers overloading, and static. Some like that, some don’t. I am more in the latter camp, but it’s not a huge deal. My biggest problem is that the song comes off as pretty disposable. The guitar and drum rhythm is a little thin, basic, and uninspired. The lyrics are random. I think it’s a complaint about a girlfriend, but the lyrics are really random, so it’s hard to ascertain much. In fairness, though, the guitars have a nice, catchy rhythm and the vocals are equally as catchy. So, the song isn’t a complete bust. ”A livewire moves slow, A transformer always knows, The score is four, Leaves you hanging on the floor.”
Unfortunately, this single is apparently out of print, so you’ll have to scour second-hand retailers. I found it on Ebay for a couple of bucks (I also found the 1979 single there, too). If you do manage to stumble across it somewhere, by all means, get it. I recommend it with five stars. Tracklist and Ratings 1. Thirty-three ***** 2. The Last Song ****.5 3. The Aeroplane Flies High (Turns Left, Looks Right) ***** 4. Transformer ***.75
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