I don't know, maybe it's a topic which doesn't belong in here for 100%, but i just want to know your opinions on that, because you all in here are the nicest people I've ever met online and sometimes this forum feels like second home for me:) . It's a very personal topic (not as personal as the "sleeping with my friend" thread, but nearby8-)) and it's linked to the Pumpkins somehow, so here it is: In the last days, i feel more and more changes coming into my life. It starts with finishing school those weeks; I got the german "Abitur", something like A-Levels after 13 years of education now. It's a strange feeling... But that's just the beginning, in the last weeks, I started thinking about my youth and I discovered one thing, that led me through these years: The music of Smashing Pumpkins! It started with 13 years, as i first heard Zero on TV and borrowed Mellon Collie from our towns library. While discovering other Pumpkins-albums, there was my first teenage-love which was defintly supported by the music. From that time on, I had an emotional connection to the Pumpkins and they became my definite favorite-band. I listend to them all the time, many years long and they didn't become boring, but even more and more amazing. Pumpkins WERE god and nothing (or noone else). The first time, I got doubts about that was last year's july, when i started listening to Zeitgeist and really felt let down and betrayed by Corgan for the very first time. But I thought, it was an unique mistake. Other bands never played any role in m life, but in November I suprisingly started listening to other music, aswell after I saw a brilliant prog-rock gig. Then American Gothic followed and it didn't feel right, aswell. The Pumpkins gig on February 22th in Munich also wasn't what i expected from Pumpkins, i liked it, but the choice of songs and Corgan's presence, both were not very good. I got more and more in the bands Porcupine Tree and Sonic Youth (as you might know) and discovered that they also were able to create emotional and well written music. Now today, I feel like the "magic" of the Pumpkins is gone somehow. I still like them a lot, but I do not listen to them as much as in my past. I also changed the way I looked radicaly and started things, I planned to do before years. Maybe youth is over now, and became more adult, i don't know, but the thing I fear is, that i sooner or later (maybe after i would dislike the coming relase) could lose touch with the Pumpkins, who always have been an important part of my life, but I don't want to. Sounds weird, I know, but thanks for reading!!!
Well, on my holidays in Tunis (Northern Africa), I found this strange Smashing Pumpkins Greatest Hits Release, called "Gold 2000" in a small musicshop nearby my hotel. It was new and untouched (with plastic foil around the case), I bought it for about 6 Euro (=about 8 Dollars). First of all, here's the tracklist: 1. Stand inside your love 2.1979 3.Geek USA 4.Ava adore 5.BWBW 6.Whir 7.I'm one (=I am one written like this ) 8.The crying tree of mercury 9.The end is the beginnig is the end... 10.Tonight, tonight 11.Quiet (Live, from the earphoria) 12.Disarm 13.Fristessa (=Tristessa written like this ) 14.Everlasting gaze 15.Soma 16.Zero 17.Window paine 18.Thiry-three I' ve also uploaded the cover ... ...the back ... ...and the disc for you! I don't really know, if this was an original or an pirate release! I used to buy it, bcause it looked strange and interesting! I also like the tracklist much better than the Rotten Apples' one. There are many of my favorites which were not in Rotten Apples, like Soma, Window paine, the end ist the beginning.... Do you think / know it being a proper release? And what do you think of the tracklist (within those mistakes)?
Well, I've been listening to Zeitgeist AND the Bounustracks that often, that I finally found a way to describe the album. The first thing which comes up to your mind while listening to Zeitgeist is that the Pumpkins became very hard. I mean there have been several "breakouts" like XYU or Tales of a scorched earth but here, one heavy song follows the next. The first silent moment is neverlost which would MAYBE have been a B-Side on Aeroplane or so in their best times, it's definitly a weak song. Other songs like That's the way don't seem to have an entire melody, indeed it sounds like bad machina outtake (don't get me wrong, I love machina!!!). But after all the album is not that bad, but the "Pumpkinsfeeling" just came up to me within 2 Songs: At the fast end of united states and while listening to for god and country (that's defenitly the best song on Zeitgeist)! The Outtakes except Zeitgeist (the song!!!) seem to me like thefutureembrace crap and nothing else! But I still can't figure out what is missing here...maybe it's the fact that Billy is to old for writing angstfilled and emotional songs, maybe it's the fact that Billy and Jimmy are appearing with 2 strangers which look like puppets which belong to Billy. And maybe it's the fact that the original Band broke in 2000 because it was supposed to be the end of the Smahing Pumpkins. Zeitgeist sounds like Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin but NOT the Smashing, Progressive and Emotional Pumpkins to my old ears. They would better have been releasing the album under the artist: BC/JC because that's exactly what it sounds like and nothing else. Finally, I've got some good music but also the confirmation that the Smashing Pumpkins which lead me through my teenage years really died and were buried in 2000. (and no best of tour [Where the fuck are all the Gish songs?] by 2 members will bring them back)! Indeed, I like the Demos of Billy's first Band 'The Marked' much better (and they're on poor quality)! Thanks for reading!
