Simply Smashing


With the onrush of compilation albums, many groups have attempted feeble comebacks, few giving us reason to salute. This, then, an album that might as well be the last of a group that has seen its death in drug abuse, is the Smashing Pumpkins (last?) initiative to overwhelm its alternative audience.

Compiling numbers that have seen the Pumpkins gather glory, like "Rhinocerous", "Today" and "Cherub Rock" the album skirts the raucous rhythms of past records and maintains a graded balance, juxtaposing the heavier tracks like "Zero" and "Stand Inside Your Love" with the slow-rolling "Tonight" and "Try". Billy Corgan’s whining vocals combine with ripping lyrics to make this a rocking recipe for good music.

This article was first published on 14 Feb 2002.