Music Debate #66: The Smashing Pumpkins

[Abelardo | 154]

Smashing Pumpkins was my favorite band for the longest time and Siamese Dream tops my all time favorite albums list, would've given a 10 but I just can't stand the SP2 era (2006-present).

Here's an amazing concert from the Siamese Dream tour:

 

[noiseredux | 232]

17 minutes ago, Abelardo said:

 I just can't stand the SP2 era (2006-present).

I get it WHY you wouldn't. But man. I still do. I mean, I do kind of think of them as two different bands. There's SP and then "SP," which is basically just Billy's solo project, I guess. At any rate, I'd at least say that Oceania was a pretty close return to form (if you haven't heard that one, at least check out "Panopticon," which is a stellar stand-out). Also, Shiny And Oh So Bright from last year was awesome - and *almost* a full on reunion, minus D'Arcy of course.

Also also, I don't know if this is a hot take or whatever, but I seriously think that the Zwan album is one of the greatest "SP" albums of the post-90's.

[Abelardo | 154]

28 minutes ago, noiseredux said:

I get it WHY you wouldn't. But man. I still do. I mean, I do kind of think of them as two different bands. There's SP and then "SP," which is basically just Billy's solo project, I guess. At any rate, I'd at least say that Oceania was a pretty close return to form (if you haven't heard that one, at least check out "Panopticon," which is a stellar stand-out). Also, Shiny And Oh So Bright from last year was awesome - and *almost* a full on reunion, minus D'Arcy of course.

Also also, I don't know if this is a hot take or whatever, but I seriously think that the Zwan album is one of the greatest "SP" albums of the post-90's.

SP were always changing their sound, on Gish and Siamese Dream (and Pisces Iscariot) it was more or less consistent "grunge/post-grunge" sound, Butch Vig was in the production at the time so I guess that contributed to that, starting from MCIS every album had it's own distinctive feel to it almost as if it were a different band, and I enjoyed every single one of them until Zeitgeist, which I did enjoy at first and the following tour gave me the opportunity to see them live a total of 3 times (one in Dallas, one in Mexico City and finally in my hometown) in retrospective I sort of lived my teenage fantasy of attending an SP concert but I guess I moved on after that.

I've casually listened to some of the newer stuff and I've been surprised at times at how nice some songs are (just listened to Panopticon and it's very nice), last year I got to listen to Shiny And Oh So Bright and it was pretty decent but didn't feel like putting any of those songs on my playlist, in fact the SP section on my playlist has been shrinking for the last 10-12 years to the point now it only has songs from '91-'95.

Out of all post-90's pumpkins I enjoyed Machina the most but aside from that I liked Billy Corgan solo project, the song Walking Shade was a good one and the rest of the album was decent (although my memory is fuzzy), I appreciated that he wasn't trying to sound like the Pumpkins and he might've gone in an interesting path if he continued solo. Anyways it's nice that he's still doing music as "SP", still touring and willing to play classics like this one:

 

[PasseGaming | 28]

I loved the Smashing Pumpkins during the 90's. Recently seen em in concert and they still put on a pretty damn good show. Though much of their newer stuff just doesn't ring with me like the older tunes did.

[NESfiend | 1,517]

On 6/3/2020 at 2:59 PM, skinnygrinny said:

siemese dream

mayonaise

thats whats up. you know they covered fleetwood mac's (lets be honest its stevie's song) "landslide"?

 

I have lost sleep debating if their best song is mayonnaise or thirty-three. I liked their version of landslide alright. Tough song to cover though. Pumpkins are on a short list of bands in that category/time period I will still listen to some today. 

@PasseGaming glad you mentioned the concert. I had thought about getting tix if they come somewhere near me. What % of it would you say was new stuff as opposed to classics? I'd be pissed if I went and it was all new album with only a few 90s songs mixed in. 

[PasseGaming | 28]

@NESfiend, that's a good question. I had heard stories in the past that he was stubborn about playing only his newest stuff and it was one of the reasons why I hadn't seen him earlier. Eventually just said screw it and decide to go to a show a couple years back. I am happy to report it's a solid mix. I'd say 60/40 old/new tunes. An it was just the best from each album as opposed to playing just the newest album and a handful of classics as many other bands like to do. Definitely check em out if you have the chance.

[zombiemicrowave | 42]

6/10.  I really enjoyed Infinite Sadness when it came out, but never really followed them after that.  Corgan has always seemed like a cool cat, I wouldn't mind catching them live. 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

Billy is a better wrestling promoter than he is at music. That's actually a compliment since he's made the NWA more relevant than it has been in 30 years.

[SpoonMan Abrams X | 697]

7/10

Could arguably just about include them in any discussion about great 90s bands, though I still like most of the others better. Still dig their music a lot though

Fun fact; Billy Corgan is the owner of National Wrestling Alliance, and has done some pretty great things with it. Bought it after he was essentially screwed out of getting ownership of TNA/Impact Wrestling.

[RH | 4,980]

I figured I'd throw this in here since I just pulled this out of storage to eventually put up in my office/game room.  Anyway, I found this for $15 at an antique shop about 10 years ago.  I'm not sure if the seller knew what this really was because whatever company made these actually did a good job weathering the paint to match the pseudo-age of the aesthetic.  Anyway, this was apparently an advertisement piece that a record store could buy, or maybe had shipped to them, from the label to advertise the album.  It really does feel like something that belongs in a Cracker Barrel.  I've loved it ever since I laid eyes on it.

 

[docile tapeworm | 4,204]

13 minutes ago, RH said:

I figured I'd throw this in here since I just pulled this out of storage to eventually put up in my office/game room.  Anyway, I found this for $15 at an antique shop about 10 years ago.  I'm not sure if the seller knew what this really was because whatever company made these actually did a good job weathering the paint to match the pseudo-age of the aesthetic.  Anyway, this was apparently an advertisement piece that a record store could buy, or maybe had shipped to them, from the label to advertise the album.  It really does feel like something that belongs in a Cracker Barrel.  I've loved it ever since I laid eyes on it.

 

you like paracutes and smashing pumpkins like me but not britney spears.