Reconsidering Machina #3

This is part three in a series in which I learn to love, or at least like or tolerate, the Smashing Pumpkins album "Machina/the machines of god."

My opinion of the album hasn't changed too much since the last installment, but I do have some more specific things to say about it.

• The album is fairly balanced between the pretty, softer songs and the heavier, guitar-based songs. Unfortunately, a couple of those heavier songs drag the album down with their depressing and plodding sounds. Taking some of those songs off the album would strengthen it.

• The return of Jimmy Chamberlin's drumming is very welcome. Even though he doesn't get to show off like he does on previous Pumpkins albums, having the drums come from The Man instead of a drum machine makes a huge difference.
  

• As I said before, this album can really only be compared to Adore. The sound on this album is a little heavier than that album, but not by much. It certainly isn't as heavy as Mellon Collie. Even though Machina and Adore share some of the same sound qualities and methods of production, Machina is the weaker album because the melodies are weaker. However, the difference is not very large; these albums are two sides of the same coin to me.

• "Glass And The Ghost Children" is really starting to grow on me. First, it sounds like an actual rock song. Second, it sound like an actual Smashing Pumpkins rock song. It's the same progressive thing they've been doing all along, only a little different. I love the bass in the first section, and I also love the freaky guitar sounds. This is another one of the Pumpkins' great epics, and I think I needed a few listens to get that.

• With a few exceptions, these songs are what I'd call decent. They're not as horrible as I first thought, nor are they great. Unlike most of the other Pumpkins albums, though, there's nothing on here that I'm particularly excited about. There's very little here I would tell a new fan to listen to in order to learn about the greatness of the Smashing Pumpkins. There are only a few songs I'd consider candidates for that sort of thing. When I think of the essential Pumpkins songs, I'm going to think of songs that aren't on this album.

Those are my thoughts for today. I think I'll end the series here for now, because I don't see these opinions changing in the near future. However, I'll probably revisit the album at some point in the future. A week from now, a month from now, or even a year from now. But, right now, I'm done Reconsidering Machina.

Reconsidering Machina #2

This is part two in a series in which I learn to love, or at least like or tolerate, the Smashing Pumpkins album "Machina/the machines of god."

Surprise, surprise! I'm actually beginning to enjoy some of these songs! Many of them are what I would call "pretty." The melodies aren't as strong as what you find on earlier Pumpkins albums, true enough, but they're pleasant. I think this is a good companion to Adore. You can't really compare it to the first three albums. At this point in their career, the Pumpkins were a different band than the one that hit big in the mainstream. In some places, you can hear the roots of Billy Corgan's solo album.

The majority of these songs are beautiful and dreamy. There are a few harder songs, and they work reasonably well. "The Everlasting Gaze" is a Pumpkins classic, or at least a near-classic. "Glass And The Ghost Children" is pretty intense, but suffers from the long, three-part construction. Keep the first part, do something different with it, make it go somewhere, and you've got a keeper. "Heavy Metal Machine" gets better every time I listen to it. It could be more intense, and the whispers near the end could go, but otherwise it's pretty good.

There are only a few songs on the album, so far, that I still hate. The others, I'm starting to enjoy. I'm starting to see what Billy was going for with the sound of this album. It's still the worst Pumpkins album, but it's not as bad as I first thought. It's a grower.

Favorite songs so far:

"The Everlasting Gaze"
"Raindrops + Sunshowers"
"Try, Try, Try"
"This Time"

Reconsidering Machina #1

I'm going to allow you to join me on a musical journey this week. I'm determined to see if the Smashing Pumpkins' Machina/the machines of god will grow on me or not. You saw my first impressions in this post. Now, as I listen to it more, I want to document my ever-growing feelings about the songs and the album as a whole. Will I end up loving it? Will I still think it sucks after a week? Stay tuned!

Here are my thoughts about Machina today:

I do enjoy album-opener "The Everlasting Gaze." If the Pumpkins made the whole album sound as exciting and rock-and-roll as that, the album would have been a success.

Some of the songs are starting to grow on me. I can sense a hint of melody peeking through. The sound of the album is closer to Adore than anything else, except with more guitars.

Speaking of guitars, some of the tracks would have been much improved if they had been made harsher, louder, more aggressive. Some choruses mostly whine and whimper and make a half-hearted attempt at rocking, and they would sound so much better if the guitars exploded with sound.

The worst thing about the album, right now, is the lack of discipline in the musicianship. The songs mostly meander about and overstay their welcome. If things had been tightened up a bit, if excesses were suppressed, the album would have been easier to listen to. Also, some of the songs are just depressing.

Those are my thoughts today. Come back tomorrow to see if I've changed my mind or had any more insights into this beast of an album.