MUSICINPLETHORA

Rotten Apples:  Greatest hits

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS

The pumpkins’ greatest hits album really takes you down memory lane.  Nostalgia ofthe 90s grunge scene is elicited through this album.  “Teenage spirit” and teenage angst is at its’ best while being smothered by whiny vocals by Billy Corgan--Smothered, of course in the best and possible way.  Their sound was a little different from the other grunge gods (nirvana, pearl jam) in that, it is definitely darker.  This album is full of their 18 track hits (b- sides included in the 2 disc set).  The 18 awesome hit tracks from “Siamese dream” “melon colie and the infinite sadness” and “gish”  just beam together.  The heavy riffs, whiny vocals, and poppy/hooky beats are captured in each track.  Hits like, “today,” “1979,” “zero,” “bullet with butterfly wings,” and a bunch more are simply beautifully heavy.  Corgan somehow produces non-stop hits for an angry/teenage angsty  group of kids.

Corgan was a bit whiny during most of their success; however, his music defies all that.  Besides they embraced marketing their music and redefined how "selling out" is inevitable.  Without their contribution to "selling out" it would never be cool and ok. to do so.   Sometimes its ok to "sell out" and make some money, but only if you are as great as the pumpkins.  Most dead musicians are probably turning around in their graves whilst  i write this.  It is the millenium, being geniune and philosophical does not make money and may actually kill you (not saying being philosophical is not important but should used with discretion); but it is only ok for the bands that actually have good/worthy music. to do so.  They have to make a living some how.

Although I was a tween at the time of the pumpkins' success; but because these tracks are awesome adn transcend time, I was still embracing the tracks in the early millennium (while the boy band resurgence was evident).  The boy bands were great and I was a fan, but I needed a little more meat to satisfy my taste. 

The pumpkins' sound has stayed pretty much the same with the more recent "zeitgeist" and "kaliedoscope."  Some times change is not good and the pumpkins are the poster child for this.   kaliedoscope got a little softer but still, they still the songs were not too badly made.

So go ahead and pick up this album, especially, if you are new to rock music.  Since these are hits it might evoke further interest from their full length albums.  This album will blow your mind and put you in a 90s grunge trance.

Track Listings