I’m going to keep this rather brief, because while I like these new Deluxe Editions, I really don’t have much to say about them. I also have other music I’d rather be writing about.

I’ve already gone over the sound quality of these sets, but what about the content itself?

Both of these Deluxe Editions are three-disc sets, each containing their own bonus CD of rare material and a live concert DVD.

I’ll start with the CDs. There are very few “new” tracks on these discs. If you’re looking for previously unheards songs, you’re probably going to be a little disappointed. The Gish bonus disc only includes two completely unheard tracks (demo versions of “Hippy Trippy” and “Jesus Is The Sun”) while the Siamese Dream bonus CD includes four never-before-heard tunes (demos of “STP,” “Moleasskiss,” “USA” and “USSR”). The rest of the tracks on both discs are either previously released B-sides that weren’t on Pisces Iscariot, or alternate/early versions of previously released material.

But that’s not to say that this material still isn’t worth having. In fact, the majority of these demos and alternate versions stand up on their own as complete songs, and not just curiosities designed to appeal to the hardcore fans and no one else. I really enjoy the demo version of “Today,” since it’s far heavier than the original, and helps to convey the actual dark and disturbing lyrics of the song way more than the final version ever could, and it’s great to have another eight-minute version of the Singles soundtrack cut “Drown” (this one with a different guitar solo). The lo-fi demo versions of “Spaceboy” and “Luna” are great as well.

I haven’t been able to fully absorb the live DVDs yet, but they both sound great. They are videotapes from the early 90s, however, and look about as bad as you might think. If you never got to see the Smashing Pumpkins during this era of their career, you should be in for a treat.

So, consider my mind blown. Someone finally treated classic albums from the 90s with the respect they deserve, giving us deluxe editions that should please both old and new fans alike. If you love the Pumpkins or if you’re a bit younger and have never really heard them, these new editions are great jumping on points.

Now…for tonight’s music. To be honest. I got nothing. All the rare Smashing Pumpkins I have is in print. So instead I’ll once again direct you to the Internet Archive, where you can find a complete recording of the Smashing Pumpkins’ performance from VH1’s Storytellers. It’s a great show with a lot of interesting comments from Billy. I suggest you check it out.

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 at 12:36 am and is filed under The Smashing Pumpkins. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.