Kick Me In The Jimmy!

Most people will agree that Siamese Dream is the most important album in the Smashing Pumpkin’s discography. Sure, sure, some people like Mellon Collie better than SD but no one can deny its importance in bringing the Pumpkins into the eyes and hearts of the general public. And for many 20somethings like myself, it will always have a special place as an album that coincided with that time in your life when you stopped just hearing music and really began to listen to it.

I see this album, Machina as the second coming of the Pumpkins. I see this as being the Siamese Dream for all of the 16 year-olds out there today. The Pumpkins have an incredibly unique sound that is sometimes “melody metal” with their immediately recognized, fuzzy guitars and sometimes catchy pop/rock-that-don’t-suck tunes.

I love every one of my Pumpkins albums. Each one is different enough to stand on its own, and each one has its own special flavor. This one almost seems like a culmination, a complete maturation…as I can hear a bit of every album in it. However, if I had to compare it to one album, it would definitely be Siamese Dream with its monster drums and ripping guitar melodies. There are some albums that you listen to a couple times and just know that they are going to be classics. This is one of them.

On a side note, one of the best things about this album is that there are a bunch of songs that, although thick with instrumentation, are perfect for the amateur singer/guitarist to arrange according to their own taste. I can almost hear my own re-arrangements right now!

The Everlasting Gaze:
Right out of the starting gates, the Pumpkins rip through your head. I hit play on the CD player with much trepidation. I had read so many good reviews of this album…and I HATE critics so I was scared that it wouldn’t live up to expectations. My joyous tears came only seconds after the opening guitar riff. It is loud. It is hard. It hooks. It kicks you right in the jimmy. This is a great, energetic opening for the album. I knew as soon as I heard this song that my Pumpkins were back.

Raindrops + Sunshowers:
Oh Jimmy Chamberlin, we missed you so! This song really drives home exactly why. Chamberlin’s rolling beat entwined with D’arcy’s slippery bass line really makes this song come alive. I am not one to even pay attention to drummers (in my old band, we were lucky if the drummer could stay sober enough not to fall off his stool and knock over the drums before the end of the second song) for the most part, but throughout this album, the drums really jump out and grab you.

Stand Inside Your Love:
I love songs that build. Start with a solid tom drum beat, add some interesting chordal picking, add some soft lyrics and bring to a HUGE crescendo with crunching, fuzz-chords and you got something. The verse intrigues you and the chorus grips you. This song is single material. Billy Corgan really is the master of layering and layering and layering and this song demonstrates that to the fullest. It is rare that a song makes me feel happy, yet this one does. Don’t ask me why, sometimes certain sounds just hit me and the chorus in this song just grabs me by the proverbial bootstraps and lifts.

I Of The Mourning:
Not my favorite song on the album, but still solid Pumpkins rock. I just didn’t like the transition from verse to chorus, it could have been a bit smoother. The verse itself was a bit choppy, but catchy, and the chorus, as with most Pumpkins songs, rocked the hizouse.

The Sacred And Profane:
In addition to this being a great all-around song, it displays what I feel is one of Corgan’s strongest talents: subtle ornamentation. The guitar riff in the chorus that slides alternately up and down is a perfect example of how a good song can become a great song. These are the things that set the Smashing Pumpkins above the competition. He can take a simple progression and make it so much more with a few tweaks and embellishments.

Try, Try, Try:
Chamberlin brings back the funky drummin’ in this catchy tune. By the way, Punkins, if you are reading…I like the delay on the drums. It is another example of how the Pumpkins excel at not only loud metal tunes but the quick-tempo lighter-fare as well. This is a line that not many bands can successfully tread but SP pull it off consistently. This is a great pop (I hate that word) tune you can’t help but bop the head to.

Heavy Metal Machine:
The title says it all. This song IS a heavy metal machine. You can almost feel the plodding march of a machine of death in the interplay of drums and guitar in the verse. But the Pumpkins won’t let you off with just a somewhat abrasive heavy verse…the chorus is almost sweet in comparison to the verse and bridge. They always manage to slip something into the most meandering songs that locks it down and makes it sound “good” to the untrained ear.

This Time:
HIT HIT HIT HIT HIT
Did I mention HIT? This is in a similar vein to Stand Inside Your Love. This song leads you with every chord. You feel where you want it to go and you wait and wait…just hoping that it leads to the chord you hear inside your head….and there it is! It never disappoints. The interplay of the instruments is great and Corgan’s voice almost sounds, well…good! I have to listen to this song a couple times whenever I pop the album in. It seems to be the Yang to “Stand Inside Your Love”’s Ying. The darker side lyrically, but not musically.

The Imploding Voice:
Ok, so the verse is a bit choppy. The Iha plays the guitar like he is sawing a 2x4. When I first heard the song I thought I was going to be disappointed. Forgive me for my lack of faith! I should have known they wouldn’t let me down. The chorus crashes in with rich harmonies and solid chord progressions. Definitely not my favorite song on the album, but still a solid tune.

Glass And The Ghost Children:
The intro vamp has Radiohead written all over it. I love Radiohead. A medium beat with repeating bass and screechy guitar driven through about 7 effects. This song is sort of 2 songs in one. About 5 minutes into the song, it fades out and you get some clips of an interview with Billy Corgan. This I don’t like. I hate it when artists get preachy. We all know that musicians have weird philosophies on everything from politics to underoos and back again but I don’t really care about that. If you are rocking my world with your music, don’t stop it to indoctrinate me with stories of how you are doing the work of God. I honestly don’t care.
Anyway, thankfully the music returns in a slow, lilting ballad that isn’t all that remarkable but is nice and relaxing.

Wound:
Hey, it’s catchy. Not the hardest nor the rokkin-est of the songs on this album, it is still a great, catchy tune. I must say that I rarely listen to the radio, so it could already be a single, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I heard it getting some airplay soon. It is very listener friendly with its ringing acoustic guitars and sweet progressions.

The Crying Tree of Mercury:
Definitely less of a mainstream Pumpkins tune. It is slow, dark and plodding….but in a good way! The lead guitar in this is POWERFUL. It is run through a huge overdrive effect and makes you feel like you are standing behind a jet engine. Definitely the dark horse of the album.

With Every Light:
There couldn’t be a more stark difference between 2 songs than between this one and “The Crying of Tree Mercury. A nice, slow pop/country sweet song that really stands out from the rest of the album and most of the Pumpkins music.

Blue Skies Bring Tears:
This song is along the same lines as “The Crying Tree of Mercury”. A slow, ambient tune with some electronic loops and a crushing lead guitar. I envision chilling out in a dark room with this song on high volume and just enjoying the sound that pumps from the stereo. The word soundscape comes to mind.

Age Of Innocence:
Pop the bass, snap the drums, grab your acoustic and get ready to roll. This song is a classic Smashing Pumpkins tune. Fast paced and bright, you can’t help but groove when you hear it. It really is a perfect way to wrap up the album as it is totally a defining SP tune (if there actually is such a thing). When you know a band well you can sometimes hear a new song and feel as if you already know it through and through. This is one of those songs. As soon as it hit, a smile came to my lips as I knew that Da Punkins had not only completed a great album, but completed a complete album.