Here's a little Smashing Pumpkins story for you. It's not enough that we're celebrating the 20th anniversary of these two albums when their releases really only seem like they happened yesterday. But I was trying to explain to a co-worker who the Smashing Pumpkins were. I named songs...which didn't help. I even tried to hum a few of the bars but I'm a terrible singer and probably did more harm than good. I tried to explain how popular they were in the 90s...from the epic double album to their electronic experimentation to the being first band to really use the internet to give an album away for free. I finished giving the person one last point...they even headlined Lollapolooza. The co-worker looked at me with a blank stare and said..."What's Lollapolooza?" When do I sign up for social security?
Here are the 11 Best Smashing Pumpkins:
1. Drown (Singles Soundtrack)
2. Aeroplane Flies High (Thirty-Three)
3. Said Sadly (Bullet With Butterfly Wings)
4. Slunk (Peel Sessions)
5. You're All I've Got Tonight (Aeroplane Flies High)
6. Apathy's Last Kiss (Today)
7. Marquis In Spades (Zero)
8. A Night Like This (Aeroplane Flies High)
9. Once In Awhile (Ava Adore)
10. Dreaming (Aeroplane Flies High)
11. The End Is The Beginning Is The End (Batman & Robin)
Buy the new Smashing Pumpkins reissues Gish & Siamese Dream...now!
aaaahhh. sometimes, i think i like the b-sides better than some A-sides or that they deserve a better fate. i used to sit in my parents basement listening to "apathy's last kiss" on the 7" from the siamese singles box set. i picked up the zero single on the way to a post funeral gathering after we left the cemetery. such fond memories of them all. here's my best 11 (in no order whatsoever):
ReplyDeleteUgly (1979)
Set the Ray to Jerry (1979)
God (Zero)
Mouths of Babes (Zero)
The Last Song (Thirty-Three)
Medellia of the Grey Skies (Tonight, Tonight)
Dross (Machina II: The Friends And Enemies Of Modern Music)
Frail and Bedazzled (Pisces Iscariot)
Whir (Pisces Iscariot)
Hello Kitty Kat (Pisces Iscariot/Today)
Apathy's Last Kiss (Today)
apologies if any of my selections violate criteria for consideration (Dross on Machina II or frail + whir which were outtakes rather than b-sides)
Your top two are absolutely my top two. The Smashing Pumpkins were my first concert, it was just two bands them and Garbage. Which I believe it had to be during the 1st garbage album because it was the Melon Collie tour. My Dad took me and one of my friends and he was also pretty excited about it. I only remember my dad coming along to two shows in my life, this one.. and the Deftones at The Troc (philly) with Limp Bizkit & Will Haven (during the around the fur tour). Also my wife's father recently took us to see the new Smashing Pumpkins. All of this I guess just showing how far that reach went when those songs came out. My father and her's definitely aren't the type of people to normally encounter bands like SP.
ReplyDeleteBoth lists are very interesting and I will surely check some of your favorite pumpkins B-side songs and who knows maybe some will find regular play time at my stereo. But the real reason why i'm posting is that some years back I've assembled a "Pisces Iscariot 2", partially because i was upset that Billy didn't include "Drown" on the "Pisces Iscariot", which would have been a cherry on the top of that compilation. To me, Drown is not only the best Pumpkins song but also one of the best songs of all time. I don't get why only shorter versions are included on best of compilations? It's like Billy is set on having the original song ONLY on "Singles" soundtrack. He finally did include it on a reissue of "Gish", only... it's an alternate guitar solo version!!! (wtf!). But anyways here is what I've compiled for my Pisces Iscariot 2 :
ReplyDeleteEast (demo 88)
With You (demo 89)
Snap (demo 89)
Stars Fall In (demo 89)
Not Worth Asking (89)
C'mon (89)
Honeyspider (89)
I Am One (I Am One Single 1990)
Tristessa (I Am One Single 1990)
Jesus Loves His Babies (outtake 91)
Smiley (Peel Session)
Siva (Peel Session)
Wave Song (demo 91)
Slunk (Lull Ep)
Bye June (Lull Ep)
Drown (Singles Soundtrack)
Glynis (No Alternative)
Infinite Sadness (Siamese Outtake)
Jackie Blue (Gish Sessions)
Where's Vince (Outtake 93)
Apathy's Last Kiss (93)
Dancing In The Moonlight (1994)
Delusions of Candor (Starchildren)
Isolation (Starchildren)
Firewall (Tony Iommi)
Why Am I So Tired
I've used quite a bit from 5CD "unofficial" compilation "Mashed Potatoes" which is circulating on internet, and the rest from various sources. Still a nice listen, mostly because of Billy's songwriting and youthful energy of the group. Viva Pumpkins!!! (or should I say Viva Billy!!!)
Both lists are very interesting and I will surely check some of your favorite pumpkins B-side songs and who knows maybe some will find regular play time at my stereo. But the real reason why i'm posting is that some years back I've assembled a "Pisces Iscariot 2", partially because i was upset that Billy didn't include "Drown" on the "Pisces Iscariot", which would have been a cherry on the top of that compilation. To me, Drown is not only the best Pumpkins song but also one of the best songs of all time. I don't get why only shorter versions are included on best of compilations? It's like Billy is set on having the original song ONLY on "Singles" soundtrack. He finally did include it on a reissue of "Gish", only... it's an alternate guitar solo version!!! (wtf!). But anyways here is what I've compiled for my Pisces Iscariot 2 :
ReplyDeleteEast (demo 88)
With You (demo 89)
Snap (demo 89)
Stars Fall In (demo 89)
Not Worth Asking (89)
C'mon (89)
Honeyspider (89)
I Am One (I Am One Single 1990)
Tristessa (I Am One Single 1990)
Jesus Loves His Babies (outtake 91)
Smiley (Peel Session)
Siva (Peel Session)
Wave Song (demo 91)
Slunk (Lull Ep)
Bye June (Lull Ep)
Drown (Singles Soundtrack)
Glynis (No Alternative)
Infinite Sadness (Siamese Outtake)
Jackie Blue (Gish Sessions)
Where's Vince (Outtake 93)
Apathy's Last Kiss (93)
Dancing In The Moonlight (1994)
Delusions of Candor (Starchildren)
Isolation (Starchildren)
Firewall (Tony Iommi)
Why Am I So Tired
I've used quite a bit from 5CD "unofficial" compilation "Mashed Potatoes" which is circulating on internet, and the rest from various sources. Still a nice listen, mostly because of Billy's songwriting and youthful energy of the group. Viva Pumpkins!!! (or should I say Viva Billy!!!)