Commercially this album kind of sunk like a stone which is a shame because it deserved much better. Sure, it's no Siamese Dream, but there aren't any big stinkers on it either. I think it is criminally underrated. Any thoughts?

My favourite tracks include:

Stand Inside Your Love
Try, Try, Try
The Imploding Voice
With Every Light
Age Of Innocence

It was a challenge for me and I'm a huge fan. I do like it though. Special cuz it's their last. I've almost had an easier time getting into Machina II.

GangstaFam said:

It took me a while to get into it. I don't know what it is but there's something about the sound of it that makes it hard to get into.

There's some great songs, but the album overall takes itself too seriously and gets too pretentious at times. Billy Corgan sounded like he was off in some fictional la-la land through the whole album, vs the more down to earth but nonetheless poiniant lyrics of Siamese Dream or Gish.

The progression of the Pumpkins kinda reminded me of what Styx did when they moved toward stuff like Mr Roboto

As a huge fan this one took a while to like. Now I just love it. I actually find myself throwing this in alot lately. The sound was different and alot of it sounded too busy. It saddened me to see this album nosedive the way it did. By this time many had grew tired of the band, the drama, Corgan's enormous ego. It was released at the beginning of 2000 and to me was the official end of the 90's as they were my favorite band of that decade. MACHINA II was fucking great as well!

But as with their other albums...I fell in love with it...

Favs

Stand Inside Your Love (the video is one of my favorites...just gorgeous!)
Imploding Voice
I of the Morning (.....radio plays my favorite song...radio...raaaadio)
Try Try Try (the video/short film just kills me)
Heavy Metal Machine (for some reason I hated this one...but now I love it!)

peace

I'm a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan and many of the songs on Machina rank amongst my favorite SP tracks:

Try, Try, Try-Can't get enough of this song.

Stand Inside Your Love

The Imploding Voice-Such a great song.

Actually, just add the rest of the album to this. I never knew why more people didn't get into it-yes it's heavy in the concept album vein. Probably too much for some people to handle as well, but the music holds up-it's no Siamese Dream or Melon Collie, but it's not trying to be.

It's a great stand alone album and taken as it is-it's hugely underrated.

Great album, comparing the Smashing Pumpkins to Styx in any shape form or fashion is a sin.

GangstaFam said:

I definitely had an easier time getting into Machina II. Is that the same as Friends and Enemies of Modern Music? I forget...I know that there was a bunch of online stuff released afterwards that I loved....

But yeah, for whatever reason, Machina has never done much of anything for me, although I loved the lead single ("you know i'm not dead..." - man I need some more of Billy right about now!!). I actually sold it back in 99 after buying it and not liking it at all, and then had a pang of conscience last year and bought it again used ... and didn't really like it at all, and haven't listened to it.

Maybe it's one of those albums that will hit me out of nowhere someday.

I liked it more than Mellon Collie. I thought that album was a load of inflated guff. CD2 had some great stuff on it but it there was too much bad rock music on it like Zero. Machina is a really fine album. They blew it with Adore though.

Sorry if this sounds stupid, but was it the Smashing Pumpkin's who sang Mmm mmm mmm song? LOL.

That song is fantastic though.

sawah said:

No, that was Crashtesting Dumpkins.