Crucify the Insincere: A Smashing Pumpkins Thread

[Kevin Davis]

Machina is def underrated.. I like it better than adore

Everyone should.

I've never listened to either, I might try to do so soon.

I picked up a second-hand copy of Adore today, will give it a spin soon.

This is my least favorite first generation SP album (not counting "Machina II," which I've only listened to a few times and which never did much for me). For an all-ballads album, it would be nice if more of the songs stood up to the better ballads from their other albums, the "Thirty Three"s and such. But apart from "To Sheila" and "For Martha" (okay, I really like "Perfect" too), most of the songs on this album bore me silly -- melodically flat songs largely devoid of that sensitive emotional center that always seemed to come so naturally to the Pumpkins. I'd rather listen to the "Tonight, Tonight" single -- that at least feels appropriately lightweight.

[zeb]

This is my least favorite first generation SP album (not counting "Machina II," which I've only listened to a few times and which never did much for me). For an all-ballads album, it would be nice if more of the songs stood up to the better ballads from their other albums, the "Thirty Three"s and such. But apart from "To Sheila" and "For Martha" (okay, I really like "Perfect" too), most of the songs on this album bore me silly -- melodically flat songs largely devoid of that sensitive emotional center that always seemed to come so naturally to the Pumpkins. I'd rather listen to the "Tonight, Tonight" single -- that at least feels appropriately lightweight.

This guy gets it.

[BigRedLedbetter]

I like Adore but its not as listenable to Siamese Dream or MCATIS. I might even like Gish more. I think Gish is really underrated. Just a fun rock record. Crush and Snail are two of my fav SP songs. I do really love To Sheila and Ava Adore though.

My SD CD has been in my car for years. So if I forget my iPod I still have something to listen to.

I am really interested in doing an SP song tourney. Due to my schedule I probably can't run it. I would love to do it if there is enough interest though.

[chewm]

Gish is actually my least favorite first generation smashing pumpkins record.
I guess Id be in for the tourney but I really need to listen more to the newer stuff (and albums like pisces iscariot).

[matt reeder]

I love Adore but I can absolutely understand why some people don't dig it. It takes a long time to get into, and it's perfect for long walks on rainy winter days - and not perfect for a lot of other situations.

[Jorge]

Yeah, I love Adore a whole lot. I'm very fond of the songs "Annie-Dog", "The Tale of Dusty and Pistol Pete" and "Behold! The Night Mare", in addition to the ones KD mentioned. I'd shave off a few tracks-- it really doesn't need to be 73 minutes long-- but there's a lot to love in the heap. I'd rank it above Gish and Machina for sure.

[Jorge]

By the way, I found this James Iha solo song from a few years ago and I really like it. Iha has a voice like a cartoon turtle, but I love the chorus melody. Very dream-poppy.

[BigRedLedbetter]

I have to be in the mood for Adore. It's not something I can throw in on a consistent basis. Great album just not something I listen to a ton.

Iha has some pretty damn good songs.

[Kevin Davis]

I've given it a lot of chances over the years -- it's definitely grown on me, but I've never had that moment of epiphany with it like I have with other records. It's kind of the breaking point in their career for me -- I think I like pretty much every track they made up through '97 or so (the Batman songs) -- and also the first record where Corgan's songwriting doesn't have the support of that cavernous Pumpkins "band sound" to salvage the weaker songs.

[BigRedLedbetter]

Eye would have been awesome on Adore. As well as the Batman songs. All three of those are amazing.

[southp]

No one's mentioning Tear amongst the best on Adore. I absolutely love that song.
I put Adore ahead of Gish in that SP Part-1 era. But I do agree that you have to be in the right mood.

[Kevin Davis]

I do like how much Billy singing "I went falling" at the end of "Once Upon a Time" sounds like "I went bowling."

"Gish" is probably my second favorite SP album, after "Siamese Dream."

[LoathedVermin72]

Real talk: Gish and Siamese Dream are my least favorite of SP's first five albums.

[Kevin Davis]

I knew it would come to this eventually.

Siamese Dream
(Pisces Iscariot)
Gish
Mellon Collie
(Aeroplane Flies High)
Machina
Adore
Machina II

[LoathedVermin72]

1. Adore
2. Mellon Collie
3. Machina
4. Siamese Dream
5. Gish

[southp]

SP Part-I
Siamese
Mellon Collie
Machina
Adore
Gish

Comp-albums:
Pisces
Machina II
Aeroplane

SP Part-II
Zeitgeist
Oceania
Monuments

[Jorge]

Siamese Dream
Melon Collie
Adore
Machina
Gish

I like all those albums, but Siamese Dream towers over everything else. I haven't really listened to anything they've done since the, ahem, reunion.

[Jorge]

Or Machina II, mainly because I haven't heard a version of it that didn't sound like garbage, as far as sound quality.

[E.H. Ruddock]

I found an old Smashing Pumpkins tshirt of mine up in our attic this weekend.

[surfndestroy]

But apart from "To Sheila" and "For Martha" (okay, I really like "Perfect" too), most of the songs on this album bore me silly -- melodically flat songs largely devoid of that sensitive emotional center that always seemed to come so naturally to the Pumpkins.

It's that same quality that makes Adore my favorite SP record. It has a level of human-ness missing in all the other albums.