Artist Retrospective #58 — The Smashing Pumpkins

So, next up in the “new 2024 album” series of retrospectives is The Smashing Pumpkins, a band I previously only knew for:

1. That one song on Guitar 3
2. The “Hullabalooza” episode of The Simpsons
3. The Future of the Left song that compares Billy Corgan to Voldemort

Well, OK I had heard Siamese Dream before, years back, but it never really stuck with me for whatever reason. So, with their new album released earlier this year, seemed like a prime opportunity to give them a proper listen.

My main takeaway from this retrospective is that there are basically two eras for the band:

• The Classic era (i.e. the first 6 albums)
• Billy Corgan (+ Friends) presents the Synth & Guitar Variety Hour(s)

I think I have the fairly standard opinion that the band started with some absolutely astonishing albums, featuring some of the best sounding guitars and coolest riffs around, before a steady decline in quality until we wind up with last year’s 2hr+ triple album slog of mostly bland synths “ATUM”.

(I guess I found 2007’s “Zeitgeist” substantially better than was generally accepted, really don’t get the hate for that one).

Now, I’m happy to report that while this year’s “Aghori mhori mei” isn’t right up there with their best, it’s definitely an improvement over the previous 5 albums and shows that the band still has some juice left.

13 — CYR (2020) — 2/10 12 — ATUM (2023) — 3/10 11 — Monuments to an Elegy (2014) — 4/10 10 — Shiny and Oh So Bright Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. (2018) — 4.5/10 9 — MACHINA II / The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music (2000) — 5.5/10 8 — MACHINA / The Machines of God (2000) — 6/10 7 — Oceania (2012) — 6/10 6 — Aghori mhori mei (2024) — 6/10 5 — Adore (1998) — 6/10 4 — Zeitgeist (2007) — 7/10 3 — Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995) — 7.5/10 2 — Gish (1991) — 9/10 1 — Siamese Dream (1993) — 9/10

Bob Average ᵀᴹ — 5.81/10