Archive for the ‘The Smashing Pumpkins’ Category

Smashing Mondays

Monday, November 19th, 2012

Hey!

News to me, the Super Deluxe edition of The Velvet Underground & Nico came out last month. I just bought it. Expect an review (with delicious waveforms) later this week or early next week.

News from me: I finally got a good interview lined up for my first feature on the new site. Details to come (on the new site).

News for everyone else: Music!

Smashing Pumpkins
1979 (Moby Mix)
1979 (Cement Mix)
In just a few weeks Billy Corgan will be re-releasing Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness as a massive 5CD+1DVD box set filled with demos, B-sides and other rarities. One would think that this would be a perfect time for Billy to re-release these 1979 remixes. That would make sense. That would be a good value to the consumer. That would be something a normal, rational human being  would do.

So of course, Billy Corgan is not doing that! Nope. These 1979 mixes will not be on the Mellon Collie re-issue. More perplexing (I mean, stupid) is that there will be some random brand new remixes of other Mellon Collie songs done by superstar DJ/producer/composer BT. Nothing against BT, I like BT (shit, I met BT once, and he’s a super-nice dude), but those new mixes do not belong on a re-issue that is supposed to be a representation of that album and the era around it. It reeks of a lame cash grab and for die-hard fans like me who want all their classic Pumpkins, stupid remixes and all, in one easy-to-find package, it’s a big downer.

But whatever, thanks Billy, for keeping your head firmly up your ass and making sites like mine relevant.

Also, these are some weird-ass mixes of “1979” and have almost nothing to do with the original song. You’ve been warned.

 

Happy Mondays
Sunshine And Love (Far Island Mix) 
Sunshine And Love (Junior Mix)
Sunshine And Love (12″ Remix)
Stinkin Thinkin (Boys Own Mix)
Stinkin Thinkin ( Junior Style Mix)
I don’t know how many people out there are begging for remixes of Yes Please! era Happy Mondays tracks – but a complete lack of relevance, demand or acclaim (even from myself) has never stopped me from posting music before!

The best of the bunch here are the 12″ Remix of “Sunshine and Love” and the Junior Style Mix of “Stinkin Thinkin.” They’re solid dance mixes, both keeping what is good about the originals while making them ideal tracks “for the club.” The other mixes, especially the other “Sunshine and Love” mixes, just strip out damn near everything about the original versions and turn them into near-instrumental house tracks. And while I love some instrumental house tracks, I want a bit more from my Happy Mondays remixes, thank you very much.

Also, I don’t know about the entirety of Yes Please!, but “Stinkin Thinkin” is a great fucking song dammit and I don’t want to hear anyone say otherwise.

 

Smashing Pumpkins – Pisces Iscariot Deluxe Edition Review

Wednesday, July 18th, 2012

Pisces Iscariot was first released in 1994. Primarily a B-sides and outtakes collection, it lacks the cohesion and tightness that other Pumpkins albums of the era have, but it’s still a quality collection of excellent tunes nonetheless. While the album is probably not anyone’s favorite Smashing Pumpkins record, it does have plenty of tracks that remain standouts in the Pumpkins’ repertoire to this day, including the band’s classic cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” the hard-rocking “Frail & Bedazzled” and the legendary epic face-melting shredfest that is “Starla.”

Even though Pisces Iscariot is “just” a b-sides compilation, Billy Corgan still decided that it should be part of his massive re-issue campaign which to date has already seen excellent three-disc (2 CD/1 DVD ) re-releases of the band’s first two albums; Gish and Siamese Dream.

In my reviews for those re-issues I noted that not only were the remasters decent (although not optimal) but that the deluxe editions of the albums included a good selection of excellent demos, b-sides and other rarities that fans of the groups should enjoy. I gave both my wholehearted endorsement.

I don’t think I can do the same for Pisces Iscariot.

Oh boy, this one is really a mixed bag. Where do I begin?

Disc 2 of the collection is probably what fans of the band are interested in the most, as it’s where most of the previously unheard material is held, so I suppose I’ll start there. The packaging for the album describes the second disc a collection of “17 previously unreleased or alternative versions of Pisces era songs.” But that’s a lie. Only nine of the tracks on disc two are in fact previously unreleased, the rest are culled from singles, compilations or the Earphoria album (which is weird since that’s still in print).

Those nine tracks are good though, and should be of interest to most Pumpkins fans. Highlights include the quiet “Blissed,” which is exceptionally beautiful, and unexpected covers of “Cinnamon Girl” and “Venus In Furs.” And while they have been previously released, it’s a safe bet that most fans haven’t heard quality rarities like “Glynis” or”Jackie Blue” so it’s nice to see them finally see a release on a proper Pumpkins album. They deserve to be heard by a wider audience.

But then again, so did “Honey Spider II” and “Not Worth Asking” two rarities that were included on a bonus 7″ on some editions of the original Pisces Iscariot. Why were they excluded? It’s so random. And where is “Bullet Train To Osaka,” the b-side to “I Am One?” The 15-minute long “Why Am I So Tired” should have been cut to make room for these genuine rarities. It’s on Earphoria. There’s no reason for it to be here. Especially considering how it was “remastered.”

About the remaster, it’s another Bob “I’m against the Loudness Wars until someone pays me” Ludwig job, so it’s not great. It’s not bad either, but it’s certainly less than ideal. Just like the remasters for Gish and Siamese Dream, everything on Pisces Iscariot has fallen victim to the Loudness Wars. Although some songs have made it out better than others.

Nearly all the quiet tracks are fine, it would be really hard to make something like “Landslide” too loud, so I’m going to focus on the more rocking numbers from Pisces.

Each of the following are images of the waveforms from selected tracks. The original version is on top, the remastered version on the bottom. Below each image is a measure of each version’s dynamic range, which is the difference between the quietest and loudest parts of a recording. When a remaster decreases the dynamic range of a song, then its actively making it sound worse.

 

Frail And Bedazzled
Original - 10
Remaster  – 8

Starla
Original – 11
New – 9

La Dolly Vita
Original – 11
New –  8

So all the tracks on Pisces have made it through the remastering process with some of their dynamic range stripped away in lieu of making them as loud as possible. Just like Gish and Siamese Dream though, the difference is barely noticeable. At least I didn’t detect any audible distortion in any of the tracks and they don’t have a “wall of noise” feel to them like the remaster of Nevermind did. The album is totally listenable in its remastered form, but if you have the original you should probably hang on to it.

The second disc is more a mixed bag. The quiet songs made it out fine, but the louder tunes seem to have been over-compressed to a much more noticeable degree. Here are some comparisons of tracks on the second disc that have been previously released. Just like the other comparisons, the originals are on top, while the remastered versions are on the bottom.

Glynis
Original –  10
Remaster –  7

Slunk
Original – 8
Remaster – 5

Why Am I So Tired?
Original – 13
Remaster – 7

“Glynis” goes from 10 to 7 and “Slunk” also drops down three, from an already noisy 8 to a boisterously loud 5, but the real crime here is the needless butchering of “Why Am I So Tired.” It loses nearly half of its dynamic range! And Check out the clipping.

See where the waveform flattens out? That’s where music is actually being lost so the album can be made louder. Pointless.

The song sounds different now, it’s like a wall of noise that drowns out the music buried within. It’s actually tiring to hear (Why Am Is So Tired? Because your song is too damn loud Billy). Thankfully I still have the properly mastered version on Earphoria.

On a most positive note, the box also features a DVD of an early live footage of the group, which includes an entire performance for a cable access show in 1988 and some various live clips from ’89 to ’94. Most are taken from videotape, so they don’t look good, but at least they sound great. I’m actually ripping all the tracks off the DVD and converting them to MP3 because I like them so much.

And finally, there’s even a reproduction of the band’s demo tape, which is actually on a cassette tape.

Okay, I get it. Cassettes are “cute” and retro at the moment. People have developed some strange nostalgia for cassette culture and that’s great. I’m not going to fault anyone for looking back at something that made them happy when they were growing up.

But…cassettes sound like garbage! They’re worthless, dead pieces of technology that no one should be forced to deal with ever again. And who the hell still has a tape deck? The majority of people who buy this box set are never going to get to listen to this tape. And if they do, they’ll just be bummed at how crappy it sounds. Because cassettes sound like crap! At the very least it should have included a download card.

Oh wait it did, but only if you bought the album direct from the Smashing Pumpkins website. Because fuck record stores I guess.

And to top it all off, the tape is ugly.

So, is this set worth getting? Well, even with all its faults I still think it’s worth picking up for the previously unreleased tunes and the live footage, which is really something special. It’s just a downer that the set is “good enough” when it really had the potential to be great.

It does make me worry about the upcoming deluxe reissue of Melon Collie. If Billy fucks that one up I hope someone punches him in his little bald head.

Update
As various commentors have, well, commented, there are additional problems with this remaster.

The above image is taken from the waveform for “Pissant.” See that part that looks like a square wave? That’s a mastering error. These are the kind of things that should be caught before the album comes out. Bob Ludwig strikes again.

There are also other problems, which you can read about in the comments, perhaps you may want to stay clear of this one for now until they (hopefully) get worked out.

And if anyone wants to complain about this to Bob Ludwig or Billy Corgan on Twitter, please do. I would, but they both blocked me! I assumed Bob blocked me for this, and I think Billy blocked me when I attacked him for his transphobic bullshit.

 

Smashing Pumpkins Reissues: Mini-Reviews

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

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.

A Shocking Lack Of Rage (In A Cage): Smashing Pumpkins Week Day 2

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

So far, the important albums of my generation haven’t fared too well when given the “deluxe” treatment. Pearl Jam’s Ten was re-issued in an amazing deluxe package, but the record itself was compressed to hell. Nirvana’s Nevermind had it even worse (a fact I’ve documented here repeatedly) thanks to a shameful box set that might go down in history as one of the worst re-issues of all time.

Because of that, I was more than a little trepidatious when Billy Corgan announced that he would be remastering and re-releasing the entire Smashing Pumpkins catalog over the course of the next few years – starting with re-issues of Gish and Siamese Dream. I was even more apprehensive when I discovered that Bob Ludwig, the hypocrite behind the Nevermind remaster, would be behind the mixing desk for these new deluxe editions.

Thankfully, while neither album makes it through the loudness wars entirely unscathed, I’m happy (wow, I’m happy?!?) to report that the damage is rather minimal.

Allow me to explain.

Here’s “Siva.” The top is from the original CD release, the bottom from the remaster:

Original Dynamic Range: 11
Remaster Dynamic Range:  8

“Tristessa,” another great track from Gish

Original Dynamic Range: 10
Remaster Dynamic Range:  8

Onto Siamese Dream and “Cherub Rock.”

Original Dynamic Range: 10
Remaster Dynamic Range: 8

Let’s do one more for good measure, my favorite Smashing Pumpkins track, “Silverfuck.”

Original Dynamic Range: 11
Remaster Dynamic Range:  8

So yes, the new editions of both Gish and Siamese Dream suffer from decreased dynamic range. However, look at those dynamic range differences, they aren’t that drastic, nothing like the hack job that Nevermind was subjected to. I suspect that if there is any difference in fidelity with these re-issues, most audio equipment (and ears) won’t be able to pick it up. I sure as hell didn’t.

Did these albums need to be louder? Probably not, but at least they didn’t seem to be noticeably damaged in the process.

They also come with some pretty solid extras, which I’ll talk more about in my next post.

Until then, let’s celebrate this unlikely event with an awesome bootleg!

Smashing Pumpkins – Pluggletric (Click here to download the complete album)

Spaceboy
Dancing in the Moonlight
Rocket
Cherub Rock
Today
Drown
Disarm
Siva/Disarm
Geek USA
I Am One
Cherub Rock
Silverfuck
I Am One
I don’t know why, but I associate the Smashing Pumpkins with the 90s more than any other band from that era.

One experience that was especially “90s” for me were my weekly trips to the local record store and scouring their collection of bizarre “import” CDs, many of which were really bootlegs.  I spent many a paycheck at that CD Warehouse, buying poorly labeled and typo-ridden bootlegs of bands like Garbage, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails and, most often, the Smashing Pumpkins.

Of those boots, Pluggletric was one of my favorites. As its name suggests, half of it is acoustic and the other half electric. Of the acoustic stuff, “Today” and “Cherub Rock” are highlights, mostly because they lend themselves so well to the acoustic format – very mellow and chill. When it comes to the electric live tracks, the choice cuts include a blistering rendition of “Geek USA” and the epicly epic “Silverfuck,” which is extended to 11 minutes in length here.

And if you think that’s impressive, when I saw them live in 1997 they played a version of that song that was almost 30 minutes long. You may call that excessive, drawn-out and masturbatory, but I call it the point where the Smashing Pumpkins became my favorite band in the world until they disbanded three years later.

 

Smashing Pumpkins Week Day 1: If I Were Dead Would This Record Sell

Monday, November 28th, 2011

It’s a big week for the Smashing Pumpkins, and I mean the actual Smashing Pumpkins, not that group that Billy Corgan has with him now.

This Tuesday we get new Deluxe Editions of both Gish and Siamese Dream. For many children of the 90s (myself included) these records hold just as much weight, if not more, as Nirvana’s Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s Ten. While those albums showed that rock could work when it was stripped down and bare, the best stuff by The Smashing Pumpkins proved that sometimes bigger (and bigger) was still sometimes the way to go. I love the bombast, guitar wankery and batshit self-indulgent grandiosity of the classic Pumpkins tracks. Nothings sounds like them, even to this day.

The extras on these Deluxe Editions look to be pretty stellar, let’s just hope they don’t fuck it up this time (Bob Ludwig is mastering it…). Expect a full review by yours truly later this week. Until then, here are a couple Smashing Pumpkins bootlegs that are absolutely smashing (see what I did there)?

Smashing Pumpkins: Live at the Axis Nightclub – September 23rd, 1991
Intro
Rocket
Tristessa
Window Paine
Bury Me
Siva
If that date above looks familiar, that’s because it’s the same date as this Nirvana show. That’s right, The Smashing Pumpkins were the opening act for that night. That’s a lot of awesome for one night.

This recording is a little muddy, but it definitely sounds better than the Nirvana recording that was made the same night. The nine-minute version of “Siva” is fucking awesome too.

Like the Nirvana bootlegs I’ve hosted, this is yet another gift from the awesome Duane Bruce. I thank him for hooking me up with the files.

Smashing Pumpkins: Live at the Cabaret Metro – October 5th, 1988
There It Goes
She
My Eternity
Under Your Spell
Bleed
Spiteface
Nothing And Everything
The last (real) Smashing Pumpkins concert was at the Chicago Metro in 2000. Attendees of that legendary show got this CD, which is a bootleg recording of the group’s very first concert as a complete band (before this show they played with a drum machine). It’s not unlistenable, but it’s definitely more of note for its historical relevance than its actual quality: there’s a reason why you probably never heard of any of these songs.

Still jonesing for more Pumpkins bootlegs? Head over to the Internet Archive, they have an amazing selection of high-quality Smashing Pumpkin bootlegs from the 80s to today. If you don’t know where to start I highly (highly) recommend their second-to-last show from November 29th, 2000.

I was at that concert, I’m certain my ears never completely recovered from it (wear earplugs kids) and it was totally worth it. And it’s a high-quality FM rip, so it sounds amazing.