In some parts of England they're said to be bloody smashin'

I don't know.
I've been wanting to check them out. I want to be "blown over" could anyone please recommend their best album.

They were quite productive and I think they're quite distantly, and indirectly connected to da purple 1.

But I'm after a recommendation, (me).

SIAMESE DREAM / PISCES ISCARIOT

Siamese is the proper album, Pisces is the B-Side project. Absolutely brilliant and amazing, both. Billy fell off artistically once he went solo. Ignore most of that stuff, it's not worth it. Those albums however PURE. MAGIC!

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Their first album Gish is pretty great too.

mynameisnotsusan said:

thanks guys.

I remember many years ago now I listened to the mellon album but it didn't make much of an impression at the time because I was so stressed with other things.

Thanks. P.

Rightly said:

Mellon Collie is a mood piece. It's a great set but those 2 albums GET THEM! Gish is wonderful too but those 2 are the best IMO.

Siamese Dream. I love Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness but Siamese Dream is more consistent and probably easier to digest for someone new to the band.

rialb said:

Easy digestion? I wouldn't exactly say that. Makes it sound average or usual

::waits for zaza to show up on this one::

ernestsewell said:

He better agree with me!

Never been a fan, but I liked what they did with disarm at the mtv awards





(good god that girl has an ass on her)
[Edited 4/13/10 18:21pm]

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I think he's probably in bed right now. It's rather late over there.

paintsprayer said:

I consider that a travesty because I'm sure they had to pander. The original version is just brilliant. I also don't like seeing that because it reminds me how things went terribly WRONG when the band broke up. Lost the character of the original line up and Billy's solo stuff was crap. the Zeitgeist sonically sounded the same as this era but it was soulless. At least that's how I remember it. I should give it a whirl again.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

God I thought (and still think) the original was pure crap, hearing it constantly back in the day was one of the things I hated about the pumpkins. This version astouned me it was so good

Siamese Dream
I have listened to it hundreds of times and it never gets old.

Siamese Dream would be the album I recommend first and foremost.

Although - if you really dig the Billy aesthetic - I find I'm listening to the Zwan album a lot lately. It didn't grab me at first, being a little more accessible - but I don't feel embarrassed while I'm listening to it (like I do with a couple songs on Zeitgeist).

siamese dream is probably the best since it's one tight album, no misses,
just coming hard start to finish.

but mellon collie is my personal favorit. it has so much going on and the
bsides are also a complete treasure trove of great, great songs.

all in all over 40 songs, an album/project that created a world, entirely
of and on it's own. i still love everything about that project.

pure bliss.

Siamese Dream, hands down

listened to Siamese Dream early this morning at work. For the 1000th time I thought to myself, This is just about better than any record on the planet.
It's so brutal and hard, and yet incredibly delicate and tender in the quiet parts. A very emotional ride.

IstenSzek said:

I have never owned that album set

Ok, I'm here!

Each album has it's own magic. But those three albums are probably the best:

"Siamese Dream" - it's a masterpiece. Tracks like Soma and Mayonaise are CLASSICS. If you like "Loveless" by My Bloody Valentine, you will love this album. Of course, Billy is such a dickhead, but this album is his masterpiece and he proved he is a musical genius.

"Pisces Iscariot" - amazing b-sides. Starla is the highlight. Oh and I love his cover of Landslide.

"Mellon Collie" - this is probably one of the most interesting albums of the 90's. I dislike some tracks, mainly on the second disc, but if you will listen to this double album from start to finish..wow, such an amazing musical journey. And I LOVE b-sides to all 5 singles called Aeroplane Flies High. Billy was really productive during this era and those b-sides are fantastic!


These are in my opinion three best albums. But for me, SD is the best. I really like Gish and Adore, even Machina is great album. Songs on Zeitgeist are good, but the biggest problem with them is their sound. It sounds like shit on cd, but their live versions are great.

And I'm really looking forward to their new 44 tracks long project.


Oh, and check out my cover of Crush from SP's debut album http://www.youtube.com/wa...nVEj-aJ-gI
[Edited 4/14/10 14:20pm]

I would say Gish, Or Siamese dream. But then again they are the first two I heard, I was at a really good part of my life then, so I have alot of happy memories associated with those albums.

Those are my two favourites, but according to my ipod I play Mellon Collie most, but thats because other people use my ipod and they generally like Mellon Collie more.


I agree with Zaza about seeing them live. I saw them in 1996 and they did a half hour sonic freak out, which left a lot of the teenage girls confused, but people like me loving it.

zaza said:

It's about damned time.

You know I will just say this. I think the Pumpkins are just dreadful. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind. In my view, they're just so mournful, noisy, and undisciplined. We played songs from Mellon Collie a lot when I worked at Record Town in Minneapolis. I couldn't stomach it. His whiny voice just makes me cringe. Also I had a double dose of them back then. They did two songs for the Batman and Robin soundtrack.

I also worked at the Warner Bros. store in the Mall of America, and we had a Laser disk player that played promos on the big screen. We usually had 4 disks shuffling. But at this time, we had one 45 minute program that was all about Batman and Robin. It was a faux news report about Poison Ivy and company doing bad business in Gotham City. I had more than enough of R. Smelly, Pumpkins, Moloko, Bone Thugs & Harmony, and all the others, as they played long snippets of songs from the soundtrack.

I never got into The Cure either, although I do like Disintegration Street.

ernestsewell said:

This seems to be the most common complaint I hear about these bands, is the sound of the voice.
Most people I know who dislike smashing pumpkins just can't stand the whiny voice.
I wonder if he sung in a less whiny way more people might enjoy it

mostbeautifulboy said:

I don't know. Their music is a mess, to me.

ernestsewell said:

You really consder Siamese Dream and the music on that disc a mess or are you referring to live performances or what? That is blasphemy what you said right there

I don't really think his voice is overly whiny at all on Siamese Dreams. Live it's a different story.

I gotta say I hated his voice on Tonight, Tonight from Mellon Collie, possibly because the video got played so much back in the day.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I never listened to Siamese Dream, that I know of. I'm going by what was on the radio or MTV etc. Whatever "love is a vampire" song is...it's annoying. The two songs from Batman and Robin are atrocious. The songs from Mellon Collie - yeeeesh.

ernestsewell said:

I don't know. If you're biased and hate his voice you might just hate the album simply because of that but anybody who is serious about music cannot lie and say that album is a mess!

ernestsewell said:

I'm probably misquoting, but I remember an album review (was it Everett True?) saying that Bill Corgan sings like he's trying to sharpen pencils with his asshole.

I find it's a good method approach when I'm at the Karaoke bar, singing Bullet With Butterfly Wings.

MarkThrust said:

I don't disagree with that but he has the voice he has