‘All throughout my teen years, I remember kids in the “ZERO” shirt and the frequency that I heard at least the singles from Mellon Collie. It is little wonder that this album remains so highly regarded.‘
-Broc Nelson
Release date: October 23, 1995 | Virgin | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website
What superlatives, what sufficient praises still remain to be heaped upon this record that haven’t been bestowed by eager music journalists a thousandfold before? Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, in all its 2-CD, almost 2-hour splendour, remains one of the most brilliant and audacious pieces of alternative rock history, cementing The Smashing Pumpkins‘ legacy as one of the great guitar bands of the ’90s – and beyond, as their influence still radiates outwards.
Broc Nelson
I am shook that Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness is 30 years old. That would put me at 9-going-on-10 years old when this 2-hour behemoth of alt-rock first appeared in the public consciousness. When I look back at my preteen years, I was just beginning to explore music outside of my parents’ tastes. MTV was still playing music videos, at least sometimes, and I know I saw the video for “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” nearly every time I turned on the channel. Maybe I am wrong in my recollection, but I feel like I really started watching MTV regularly around the age of 12 o4 13, which means that Smashing Pumpkins had massive staying power with this album.
In fact, I don’t think I owned a copy until I was in high school. I remember that it was a burned copy with printed sticker labels for the artwork on the CDs themselves. Yet, all throughout my teen years, I remember kids in the “ZERO” shirt and the frequency that I heard at least the singles from Mellon Collie. It is little wonder that this album remains so highly regarded. It was a touchstone for Generation X and us elder Millennials, and it isn’t even my favorite Smashing Pumpkins album (Siamese Dream wins). I always found this album to be unwieldy, full of great songs, but 2 hours is a long fucking album, no matter how you slice it.
I listened to it all the way through a few times back then, but mostly hit the singles which remain some of Smashing Pumpkins best songs. “1979” is such a perfect encapsulation of bygone nostalgia and ‘90s alternative music that it deserves to live on in the history of recorded music ad infantum. The skittering electronic intro, the sharp drums that borderline on drum machine precision, Billy Corgan’s ‘da na na na’ echo, the clean guitars that merge with shining lead effects in the chorus, and the melody and structure may be trying to evoke the late ‘70s, but are unmistakably a hallmark of the 1990s. “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” is the heavier counterpart. In its post-grunge angst, it was the perfect anthem for disenfranchised and alienated teenagers.
This juxtaposition of heavy rock songs and artful alt rock is what carries Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, tied together with provocative lyrics like, ‘love is suicide,’ ‘despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage,’ and ‘emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness, and cleanliness is godliness, and god is empty, just like me.’ These words ring in millions of peoples ears, and as we age and change, there is still glimmers of truth in that simplistic cynicism. Maybe we wouldn’t phrase it as flamboyantly as Corgan’s pissed-off teen journal lyrics, but we all identified with them at some point.
Re-listening to this album in its entirety revealed a few things. Firstly, Smashing Pumpkins gave themselves lots of room to breathe and create here. Some songs veer into nearly honky tonk territory while others seem to predict 2000s and 2010s psychedelic indie rock, complete with strings, organs, slide guitars, and synthesizers. Secondly, The Pumpkins write incredible riffs. “Here Is No Why” echoes Stone Temple Pilots, “Jellybelly” and “X.Y.U.” remind me of Akuma No Uta-era Boris in their fuzzed-out hard rock intensity. The swirl of guitar effects over acoustics on “Thirty Three” are dreamily infectious.
Smashing Pumpkins maybe didn’t set out to inspire generations of indie/alternative/shoegaze artists, but the proof is in the pudding. Lately, I have been jamming the new album Lotto by They Are Gutting A Body Of Water, and having this opportunity to write about Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness has illuminated how much Smashing Pumpkins have influenced the new wave of shoegaze. TAGABOW could easily become the spiritual successor to Smashing Pumpkins as much as Wednesday or Hotline TNT. Ultimately, we will probably never have an album like this, again. The streaming, social media, and the music industry at large have pretty much ensured that any new artists would be incapable of making a feature film-length opus that spans multiple genres of popular music and ever gain the level of popularity and legacy that Smashing Pumpkins did here. I hope I am wrong, because popular music could use hard-to-define iconoclasts. In the meantime, I am at least thankful that I have been alive during this album’s release and ever growing legacy.
Toni Meese
About 12 or 13 years ago, I played guitar in an acoustic cover band. We played cozy, warm tunes. We played mostly folk and soul tunes, rehearsed in rotating living rooms, and performed in libraries and wine shops. It was fun! A couple of months into the project, the other guitarist in the band asked if he could play “1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins. Alright, let’s do it!
My knowledge about this band to this point was limited to ‘that bald singer with the squeaky voice and one of the best jokes ever done in a television show:
‘Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins‘
‘Homer Simpson, Smiling Politely‘
Ah! That’s comedy gold, folks! As it turned out, “1979” is a great song, especially for guitar. It has a unique and catchy riff, and despite the vocals, it’s a generally enjoyable tune. The track ended up in our set, and I don’t remember us messing it up too badly when we played it. Eventually, this band turned to dust, and I forgot about The Smashing Pumpkins.
It was only in recent years, especially after rekindling my love for ’90s alternative rock through the wave of nostalgia-driven bands that brought grunge and alternative rock back into the contemporary rock landscape, that I became curious about my blind spot for The Smashing Pumpkins. I delved headfirst into their discography. I was pleasantly surprised by how genuine and charming the teen angst was presented, especially on the double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, the subject of this fine feature. Of course, it’s all a bit over the top. Billy Corgan‘s voice takes some getting used to (although I think he gets way too much flak for it — ultimately, it’s highly recognizable and serves the music). But the riffs, energy, and sound of the fun, memorable songs are off the charts. Although one generally associates them with a particular sound, Mellon Collie is surprisingly varied in its influences. They can be punky, dreamy, psychedelic, noisy, and poppy—a great quality, especially if it doesn’t affect the cohesiveness.
I think Corgan can come off a bit obnoxious in his presence, especially in recent years, and some of their songs feel a bit overplayed. And yeah, the vocals – hit or miss. Maybe it’s a bit of prejudice – but I for one like this band, and especially this album. It’s a classic and an important influence for a reason, and if you never gave them the time of day, this album is a fantastic starting point.
