Up next is another rewind review and the band that’s back on the chopping block is The Smashing Pumpkins. Now before the original review, I wasn’t a fan but it was recommended and requested to give these guys a chance. So I did, loved what I heard, and finally got to see them live. So let’s take a look again to see if anything’s changed and how the new albums are……..
Gish- ah yes the one to start it all. From what I remember last time, I actually really enjoyed it. Listening to it now, eh not so much. It’s a lot slower, and the songs are good but not great. Still though this isn’t an album I would say is bad in anyway just maybe there are better Pumpkins albums.
Previous Score: 9/10
New Score: 7/10
Standouts: I Am One, Bury Me, Tristessa
Siamese Dream- this one is still a great album and is just as good if not better. The songs are just as good as they were to me back when I first heard them and at the end of the day this is just a really great rock album.
Previous Score: 10/10
New Score: 10/10
Standouts: Cherub Rock, Quiet, Silverfuck
Pisces Iscariot- so this one was not reviewed last time but basically, it’s a collection of B-Sides from Gish and Siamese. It also includes some demos, live tracks, and cover songs. This is the album that gave us the Landslide cover. It’s not bad but I must warn you, if you’re gonna listen to this one straight through, it’s a long one. There are some gems that are worth listening to so check this out. I’ll give this one 8/10
Standouts: Hello Kitty Kat, Whir, Jackie Blue
Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness- I mean really this album came out in 95 and how could you not avoid seeing it in stores? Seriously I mean this thing was so damn popular and for good reason. I think back in the day, it was about $30 which in 1995 was a lot. Much like Siamese, this album is a freaking masterpiece and feels almost like it could be a rock opera. And with it clocking in at around 2 hours it could certainly be a rock opera. Now yes there are overplayed songs on here but really those don’t scratch the surface. Ok I’ve rambled on about this enough.
Previous Score: 9+1=10
New Score: 5+5=10
Standouts: Jellybelly, Zero, Love
Adore- ok so word of advice, if you have a long drive, DO NOT listen to this album it will make you sleepy. It’s so slow and has a calmness about it. I do not remember it being this slow and it’s almost kind of boring. But I will say that the song writing is great and make no mistake, this is not a bad record but it’s one I wouldn’t revisit again.
Previous Score: 8/10
New Score: 7/10
Standouts: Perfect, Ava Adore, Tear
Machina/The Machines Of God- ok so if Adore puts you to sleep, then this one will wake you up. It is refreshing to hear the rock sound again after such a slow album but this has kind of an industrial feel to it and at times can almost feel like if Adore was sped up.
Previous Score: 8/10
New Score: 8/10
Standouts: The Everlasting Gaze, I Of The Mourning, The Sacred and Profane
Zeitgeist- this album and I have a weird relationship because for the original review, I was only able to hear a bootleg live version on YouTube. This isn’t on any streaming platform so I had to work with what I could access at the time. Fortunately, someone was kind enough to upload the album to YouTube and I must say, I freaking love this album. It’s just a straight up rock album, nothing fancy. It’s definitely one of their heavier records so please definitely check it out (you just have to stream it on YouTube unfortunately).
Previous Score: 9/10
New Score: 10/10
Standouts: Doomsday Clock, Starz, Tarantula
Oceania- from what I remember, this one had a grungey feel to it and I still hear that with this one. Honestly, I didn’t really remember this one until I heard it again and forgot how great this one is. It’s got some rock songs as well as some of the slower songs but it all works.
Previous Score: 9.5/10
New Score: 10/10
Standouts: The Chimera, Quasar, Glissandra
Monuments To An Elegy- this one I feel kind of picks up where Oceania left off but there’s something I didn’t notice before when I originally reviewed this and that it’s got a sort of 80’s feel to it. It’s definitely a unique record in that aspect. I actually enjoyed this one more than I did the last time around.
Previous Score: 7/10
New Score: 8/10
Standouts: Anaise, Run2me, Anti-Hero
Shiny And Oh So Bright- again this one kinda has a little bit of everything going on. It’s got the ballads, rock, and kind of epic stuff that is on some of their previous albums. To me this time around, it can feel a bit uneven but it’s another great album.
Previous Score: 9/10
New Score: 9/10
Standouts: Marchin On, Knights Of Malta, Solara
Cyr- (apparently it’s pronounced Sear) is it just me or are does the album artwork a lot like Shiny and Oh So Bright? Anyway, this one reminds me a lot of the last album. It seems like they had some great ideas from Shiny and decided to use them here. This album is kind of dark yet bright I don’t know how to describe it. It’s also got a lot of synthesizer usage which is something kind of new. I really liked this one and the opening song has to be one of my favorite Pumpkins songs. I’ll give this one 10/10
Standouts: The Colour Of Love, Ramona, Minerva
Atum: A Rock Opera In Three Acts- I was very hesitant to start this album. I mean 33 songs? Like seriously?? And an album that clocks in at over 2 hours are you kidding me??? But once you start this, it honestly doesn’t feel like 2 hours. In fact, if you sit and listen to it, it really takes you on quite the journey. The songs don’t drag and it goes quick. Now the album itself is very atmospheric and definitely lives up to the rock opera name. Apparently this is a sequel to Mellon Collie and Siamese and I guess it does sort of feel that way. I’ll give this one 8/10
Standouts: Embracer, Empires, Beguiled
Aghori Mhori Mei- this one feels like they decided to go back to their rock roots kind of like Siamese or even Zeitgeist. It’s short but sweet and it’s a guitar driven record. Overall this is a great return to form record and I’ll give it 10/10
Standouts: Sighommi, War Dreams Of Itself, Sicarus
The great thing about this band is that they are evolving themselves in a good way. Each record has its own uniqueness which in turn makes the band that much better. Now since the origin review was written, I have had the chance to catch them live and they are fantastic live and I encourage everyone to go see them. One thing I also realized after seeing them and revisiting these albums is that Billy Corgan is a great guitar player and songwriter. Definitely underrated and yes his voice can be hard to get into but really it’s great and is perfect for this band.
Previous Final Grade: A+
Final Grade: A+
Original Album Rankings:
- Siamese Dream
- Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
- Gish
- Shiny And Oh So Bright
- Oceania
- Zeitgeist
- Adore
- Monuments To An Elegy
- Machina/The Machines Of God
New Album Rankings:
- Zeitgeist
- Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
- Oceania
- Siamese Dream
- Aghori Mhori Mei
- Cyr
- Shiny And Oh So Bright
- Monuments To An Elegy
- Atum: A Rock Opera In Three Acts
- Machina/The Machines Of God
- Pisces Iscariot
- Gish
- Adore
Sinister Reviews 