If you liked Zeitgeist you’d probably enjoy Agohri Mori Mei. Cyr was a double album and Atum a triple album, and yet there’s hardly a solid 10 song track list amongst it all. Colour of Your Love and Harmageddon are really great songs though.
Honestly, most post-reunion stuff I’ve just listened to once and thought “yeah that’s cool” and then never really came back around to it lol
I don't understand how anyone can enjoy this shit, tbh. I mean, it's fine if you like it and get something out of it, I guess. I just don't get it. To me, the discography is littered with so much garbage at this point. Honestly wish everything post-Machina was released under a different band name. These should just all be shitty Billy solo records. I will admit I've enjoyed bits and pieces of Zeitgeist and Oceania, but that doesn't justify the presence of 21st century Smashing Pumpkins. The past 10 years of released material, in particular, have been absolutely embarrassing.
Post-reunion, Zeitgeist, Oceania and the one from last year are solid. The rest… varies wildly in quality to say the least. They’re in dire need of an editor.
Mmm, I don't agree. Like, not liking what they've been doing for the last twenty odd years is fine and all, but so much venom in that take. Like, relax a little. The 90s aren't going away.
it explained so much when I found out that D'Arcy was their quality control on the early stuff (aka she was the only one who'd tell Billy when something sucked lmao). once his ego got too big to listen to her is when their stuff started getting so bloated and the quality went down all that said there's not a huge difference between Oceania and their prime stuff imo, I assume someone in that lineup was fulfilling the same purpose before Billy kicked em out
How many bands put out their best work or even consistent quality work after 30 years? Should every band just call it quits after a certain amount of time? Personally, I think there is plenty of good in their recent works and they continue to have a very dedicated fan base
Exactly. The whole "they should perform under a different name" thing is such a silly take. Listen to what you want and don't worry about what other people are doing.
Everything has been mostly great imo, the only album i dont really feel like I need to go back to is Monuments. Cyr absolutely slays.
As someone who was a Smashing Pumpkins die hard in the 90s (I'm old), the first time I noticed there being actively bad material was Machina (can't stand "Heavy Metal Machine"). Since then it's been pretty spotty but Oceania is probably the most consistent release. Atum is....such a slog to get through, Cyr is cool but sort of one overall vibe, I can't remember a note of the one released a few years back and Zeitgist is really hit or miss.
I really enjoy Zeitgeist, Oceania, Monuments. The other records that have come out since haven’t done anything for me, but I appreciate how Billy isn’t content to retread the same ground
Yeah even if it’s not my cup of tea, I think the band would sound way worse if they were just trying to rehash their old sound. I couldn’t picture an almost 60 year-old Billy attempting to recreate Siamese Dream
My point isn't that they need to rehash Siamese Dream, my point was that the newer stuff sucks. I'm glad some like it, more power to you. It's not the "trying to sound different" that is the problem. It's bad, boring songs that all sound the same and lack of producer/editor, in my opinion. I would bet money if they did another album with Rick Rubin or comparable it would come out and be just fine. They're not going to put out another Siamese Dream at this point for all the reasons stated and I am at peace with that. But they can do better than they have in the past decade without doubt and if a new album was similar in quality (again, subjectively) to Zeitgeist or Oceania I'd be thrilled. There are other bands from that era with singers/songwriters of similar age who still put out new material that I can enjoy even if they are no longer at their peak.
Since I'm being honest and complaining I will also add that the overly pretentious album and song titles and "storylines" he creates for this shit is cringey as hell. That whole Death of Zero bullshit and its explanation makes me want to slit my wrists.