I'm kinda curious which is Ned's favorite.
Don't think I have one. I stand by all this.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 29 April 2011 14:00 (twelve years ago) link
i listened to this album this week, it was fantastic with all those memories come flowing through. it has held up really, really well to be honest. i remember at the time thinking that this album would be the best ever and would be hard to top. not sure if the Pumpkins released a better album, though i did like a bunch of their later songs.
― Bee OK, Saturday, 30 April 2011 02:50 (twelve years ago) link
just putting this on now in honor of the poll here. will report back soon
― the arching beast limb vulva singing upside down and backwards (jdchurchill), Saturday, 30 April 2011 03:20 (twelve years ago) link
wtf:'happiness will make you wonder will i feel ok'
― the arching beast limb vulva singing upside down and backwards (jdchurchill), Saturday, 30 April 2011 03:35 (twelve years ago) link
i must give a shout-out to those strange photographs what with the lyrics all scribbled on them in the booklet.
― the arching beast limb vulva singing upside down and backwards (jdchurchill), Saturday, 30 April 2011 03:37 (twelve years ago) link
There is half an album's worth of gold. Most of the 2nd half is garbage.
Be surprised if Soma doesn't win.
― xyzzzz__, Saturday, 30 April 2011 11:01 (twelve years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Saturday, 30 April 2011 23:01 (twelve years ago) link
soma has that guitar solo so
― Gukbe, Saturday, 30 April 2011 23:35 (twelve years ago) link
^^
voted geek USA, though. Soaring epic followed by bludgeoning epic
― blank, Sunday, 1 May 2011 02:34 (twelve years ago) link
two hours to go, looking forward to see what wins. could "Cherub Rock" be the dark horse?
― Bee OK, Sunday, 1 May 2011 20:14 (twelve years ago) link
i voted Cherub Rock.
― it is his "enigmatic signifier" (the table is the table), Sunday, 1 May 2011 21:20 (twelve years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Sunday, 1 May 2011 23:01 (twelve years ago) link
acceptable
― Gukbe, Sunday, 1 May 2011 23:23 (twelve years ago) link
2. Quiet 113. Luna 0
Madness.
― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Monday, 2 May 2011 00:43 (twelve years ago) link
I would've voted for Luna
― Shin Oliva Suzuki, Monday, 2 May 2011 00:49 (twelve years ago) link
pretty impressive how many more votes the 2nd half of the album got than the 1st half, considering how frontloaded the singles all are
― hong does your geirden gro (some dude), Monday, 2 May 2011 00:50 (twelve years ago) link
"Quiet" is a proper tune of the rocking out nature iirc
― That Dunkster! (absolutely clean glasses), Monday, 2 May 2011 01:05 (twelve years ago) link
somewhat related: TS: "I Am One" vs. "Cherub Rock"
― mookieproof, Monday, 2 May 2011 01:10 (twelve years ago) link
Mad that I missed this poll, would have been unable to choose anyway though.
― Doctor Casino, Monday, 2 May 2011 01:34 (twelve years ago) link
I love "Quiet" - wish I'd voted for it just so it'd have had a better showing (voted "Mayonaise")
― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Monday, 2 May 2011 02:59 (twelve years ago) link
man, i forgot how awesome jimmy chamberlain seemed once
― j., Tuesday, 3 May 2011 01:13 (twelve years ago) link
he still seems awesome listening to this album in particular.
― That Dunkster! (absolutely clean glasses), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 01:29 (twelve years ago) link
When I first heard this album in jr high I thought the drums during the solo in "Geek USA" were the greatest thing ever.
― Simon H. Shit (Simon H.), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 01:31 (twelve years ago) link
he does seem that way but it's been a long time so i'm sort of trying to re-calibrate my ears for 90s Alt-Rock Production (and Songwriting!).
― j., Tuesday, 3 May 2011 01:32 (twelve years ago) link
I was thinking about giving this album a shoutout in the greatest drum albums thread...
― if hongroes could fly this place would be a geirport (Drugs A. Money), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 03:46 (twelve years ago) link
Life's a bummer when you're a hummer
― hex enduction hour, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 05:23 (twelve years ago) link
i voted for Cherub Rock, but that's because i couldn't pick one, but thought about the one that i hum to myself more than all the others.
tho someone was OTM upthread about Gish being a better album. that shit's in my car tape deck all the time.
― it is his "enigmatic signifier" (the table is the table), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 05:26 (twelve years ago) link
It's weird seeing that picture at the top of the thread, the UK version of the CD looks completely different...
I voted 'Hummer' after a bit of thought, definitely my favourite of their mini-epics. I used to love 'Mayonaise' but I'm not sure that'd even be in my Top 5 now.
― Gavin, Leeds, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 10:58 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, it looks weird to me too. My cd is this one:
http://s.dsimg.com/image/R-2353183-1299605581.jpeg
― Le Bateau Ivre, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 12:10 (twelve years ago) link
Damnit, I know this is slightly off topic, but the guitar solo at the end of "Drown" will guarantee that Billy will always have a soft spot in my heart. How can he be so damn good and yet ...
― grandavis, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 15:00 (twelve years ago) link
Maybe it was the hair.
― grandavis, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 15:01 (twelve years ago) link
dang forgot to vote here for soma. bang bang yr dead hole in yr head
― 7+ minute (jdchurchill), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 01:15 (twelve years ago) link
that's "Silverfuck."
― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Wednesday, 4 May 2011 02:07 (twelve years ago) link
Happy 20th birthday Siamese Dream!
Would have voted for 'Soma'
― I wanna live like C'MOWN! people (Turrican), Saturday, 27 July 2013 15:51 (ten years ago) link
I'd probably put Quiet third on my list and Luna just above Cherub Rock but otherwise I stand by my ranking upthread
― Drugs A. Money, Sunday, 28 July 2013 07:21 (ten years ago) link
I can understand almost nobody rating it as best on the album, but spaceboy is a really gorgeous and touching song.
― Fetchboy, Sunday, 28 July 2013 08:23 (ten years ago) link
Maybe the most loving song he's written outside of For Martha.
― Fetchboy, Sunday, 28 July 2013 08:27 (ten years ago) link
JIMMY SMASH
― j., Friday, 23 December 2016 23:22 (seven years ago) link
― That Dunkster! (absolutely clean glasses), Sunday, May 1, 2011 6:05 PM (five years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Friday, 23 December 2016 23:23 (seven years ago) link
since i started drumming the "geek usa" drums give me heartburn
― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Friday, 23 December 2016 23:26 (seven years ago) link
1. luna2. rocket3. cherub rock4. hummer5. geek u.s.a.6. spaceboy7. sweet sweet8. today9. silverfuck10. quiet11. disarm12. soma13. mayonaise
but i generally prefer the live versions of these songs, especially 1994 and especially lollapalooza. the band was on fire that summer and were never more aggressive, even during the Machina era.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLHEitwq20w
― flappy bird, Monday, 19 February 2018 07:09 (six years ago) link
also swap geek & hummer in my list
― flappy bird, Monday, 19 February 2018 07:13 (six years ago) link
God that is inhumanly fast and precise
― startled macropod (MatthewK), Monday, 19 February 2018 07:42 (six years ago) link
Anyone else noticed the font used on the sleeve is similar to the one used on TV series Murder, She Wrote?
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Monday, 7 May 2018 18:05 (five years ago) link
yes. it's called Agatha. i see it fairly often in ads/signage/copy. i've seen the MCIS font in the wild, too.
timely bump, because i've actually been listening to SD a lot lately, more than i have in years. like i said in the poll thread and probably here, i prefer the faster/more intense/less staid live versions, but you know to state the obvious SD really is one of the best guitar/studio rat records ever. i blasted the 2011 vinyl reissue last night with headphones and heard guitar parts on Hummer and Cherub Rock that i'd never noticed before.
― flappy bird, Monday, 7 May 2018 18:08 (five years ago) link
it’s a really beautiful sprawling guitar record. i wish there were more like it. (one record i really connect to it is jimmy eat world’s clarity)
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Monday, 7 May 2018 23:24 (five years ago) link
Happy 27th birthday to this sprawling LP which left my Gish-loving teenage self somewhat underwhelmed and nonplussed; but which I now recognize has some kickass songs and is undoubtedly a high point of ‘90s major-label alt-rock (I guess it didn’t get a lot better than this).
― Your dream has symbolic content (morrisp), Monday, 27 July 2020 06:19 (three years ago) link
fulfill the promise made of tin
― flappy bird, Monday, 27 July 2020 07:01 (three years ago) link
man oh man did i write the lyrics to 'Soma' all over my notebooks in high school
― alpine static, Monday, 27 July 2020 07:24 (three years ago) link
haha there are some clunkers in there!
― flappy bird, Monday, 27 July 2020 16:02 (three years ago) link
A chin-stroking observation (after going back & forth a few times btw. the orig CD and the remaster): "Geek USA" is an even more interesting/complex song than "Silverfuck" - even though I think conventional wisdom would hold the opposite(?)
― HIPPO violation (morrisp), Friday, 29 July 2022 17:04 (one year ago) link
Silverfuck has always been my least favourite SD-track. Too long, and just not a good as most of the other rockers on the album. Shares some weaknesses with Fuck You from MC.
― Mule, Friday, 29 July 2022 19:10 (one year ago) link
Only makes sense as a live “indulgence song” really
― assert (matttkkkk), Friday, 29 July 2022 20:00 (one year ago) link
They played it when I saw them in Oct. ‘91(?), before I had even heard Gish… I didn’t know the song, of course, but I remember Billy singing “I feel no pain…” over the bassline.
― HIPPO violation (morrisp), Friday, 29 July 2022 20:48 (one year ago) link
One thing I’ll add is that when SD first came out, those are the two songs I least enjoyed… “Geek” sounded too tryhard-aggro and hookless to me, and “Silver” too much like, idk, Jane’s Addiction or something.So I think learning to like/appreciate those songs was key, in terms of the whole album clicking with me… no more “second half, time to skip” syndrome.
― HIPPO violation (morrisp), Saturday, 30 July 2022 16:45 (one year ago) link
happy 30th (and two days)
― mookieproof, Saturday, 29 July 2023 19:21 (eight months ago) link
In a dream, we are connected
― Nonhuman biologics enthusiast (morrisp), Saturday, 29 July 2023 23:47 (eight months ago) link
Pretty cool acoustic set. From the comments, sounds like Pumpkin Heads have long been familiar with this set as a boot, but I never heard it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzwOwzGtiZw
― Chavez video on MTV, July 1995 (morrisp), Saturday, 14 October 2023 03:58 (six months ago) link
yeah that rules! it’s amazing how well those droney songs translate to the acoustic setting really. In the late 90s I got that set as part of a cd-r trade on alt.music.smashingpumpkins lol
― brimstead, Saturday, 14 October 2023 16:22 (six months ago) link