With the release of The Smashing Pumpkins' 'Aghori Mhori Mei', their thirteenth LP, we explore where their newest effort ranks in their discography.
ADVERTISEMENTOver the course of more than three decades, The Smashing Pumpkins have remained a reference in rock music.
Originally comprised of singer/guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D’arcy Wretzky, and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, the Chicago outfit were one of the defining bands of the 1990s. They captured the era’s grunge sound, and progressively injected elements of psychedelia, goth, metal and even synth pop into the mix.
It hasn’t always worked, as the band has had some high highs and some very low lows after their original break-up in the early 2000s.
Since then, the ever-revolving line-up - with Corgan remaining the band’s only permanent member – has steadily released records, making up an extensive if uneven discography. Still, they’ve never been afraid of shaking things up and as frustrating as their output can often be, there’s never a dull moment to be had.
With the release today of 'Aghori Mhori Mei', their thirteenth LP, we explore where the newest effort ranks in comparison to the band’s classics like 'Siamese Dream' and 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness'.
13) Zeitgeist (2007)
Let’s get this one out of the way, as no one likes this album. You can try to reappraise, but it’s a royal mess.
When the band disbanded in 2001, frontman Billy Corgan spread his wings and released an excellent album with the short-lived supergroup Zwan. Over the years, there were rumours that Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin were looking to revive the Pumpkins. In 2007, we got the fruit of their labour... And they sounded on autopilot. 'Zeitgeist' does have a few decent tracks, like ‘Doomsday Clock’ and ‘Tarantula’, but despite some strong riffs, this is the one Smashing Pumpkins album you can merrily skip.
12) ATUM: A Rock Opera in Three Acts (2023)
Billy Corgan has never been short on ambition. He’s had lofty plans for concept albums and narrative structures that tie the releases together around one heady concept. There was 'Teargarden by Kaleidoscope' and the 'Shiny and Oh So Bright' series – both of which were abandoned midway – and last year saw him embark on another enormous undertaking. And this time, he actually finished it. So kudos on that front. However, 'ATUM: A Rock Opera in Three Acts' is a 33-track strong concept album that's just a slog.
Fully embracing the synth pop sound of the latest era, this is a theatrical but tepid collection that gets lost in its own mythologizing.
11) Cyr (2020)
The synth experimentation of recent years was a laudable attempt for the Pumpkins to steer their goth sounds in new avenues, and 'Cyr' was the sound of fully committing.
Plus side: It's less gloomy and significantly more optimistic.
Minus side: It’s a 72-minute attempt to ape Joy Division by way of New Order, and bar a handful of decent songs (‘Cyr4’, ‘Wyttch’, ‘Wrath’), you’ll be hard pressed to find a Pumpkin fan that ranks this album very high on their favourites list.
10) Shiny and Oh So Bright Vol. 1: No Past. No Future. No Sun. (2018)
From this point on, things get a smidge more interesting.
2018 was a good year for the Pumpkins, as original band member James Iha rejoined the band for the first time since the original break-up in the early 2000s. Their next album would be an atypically brisk one, with eight songs that work rather well together. Sure, it’s occasionally portentous and songs like ‘Knights of Malta’ slow things down a bit too much. Still, singles ‘Solara’ and ‘Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)’ showed that there was still life inside the Pumpkins yet. 'Shiny and Oh So Bright' wasn’t the most convincing return to form, but they did recapture some of that early magic.
9) Monuments to an Elegy (2014)
An oft-maligned effort, but 'Monuments to an Elegy' is a concise and upbeat album that works.
ADVERTISEMENTThe band line-up had Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee joining in on the fun, and when you take the album out of the sprawling and confusing 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope' opus it was meant to be included in, it’s a very enjoyable listen – with tracks like ‘One And All (We Are)’ and ‘Drum + Fife’ standing out.
Unlike 'Zeitgeist', this one may still get reappraised in the future as an unfairly overlooked effort from the Pumpkins.
8) Oceania (2012)
Again, another album which was part of the abandoned 'Teargarden' project, but one that was pleasant enough – especially after the disappointing 'Zeitgeist'. It’s the only album featuring bassist Nicole Fiorentino and drummer Mike Byrne, and their chemistry with Corgan worked. There’s a dreamy feel to a lot of these songs, and the sonic cohesion of the 13 tracks was an impressive departure from the Generation X sounds of the 90s. Highlights include 'Quasar', 'The Celestials', 'Violet Rays' and 'Pinwheels' - songs which showed at the time that latter day Pumpkins weren’t to be ignored.
All in all, an album that deserves more love in their discography.
ADVERTISEMENT7) Pisces Iscariot (1994)
Bit of a bonus one, as 'Pisces Iscariot' is a compilation of B-sides, rarities and outtakes that doesn’t often get included in the band’s main catalogue.
However, much like Nirvana’s 'Incesticide', it’s a must-have for fans – especially those who want to hear Corgan cover Fleetwood Mac’s 'Landslide'.
Other must-hears are ‘Soothe’ and the 11-minute ‘Starla’.
Not an essential record, but definitely better than it had any right to be.
ADVERTISEMENT6) Gish (1991)
There’s no denying that 'Gish' is a great debut album, the LP which introduced them to an overcrowded grunge field that included Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Jane’s Addiction.
It didn’t make that many waves at the time, probably because it was released just four months before Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’. However, tracks like ‘Rhinoceros’, ‘Siva’ and ‘I Am One’ gave the band enough airplay to herald a promising start from four musicians playing like they had everything to lose. The fact that it’s ranked so low is because what follows has more staying power in their discography.
And the next entry is a very pleasant surprise...
5) Aghori Mhori Mei (2024)
They’ve only gone and bloody done it. While skepticism was warranted, considering the band’s simultaneously OTT and lackluster releases of late, Corgan and original members Jimmy Chamberlin and James Iha have delivered 10 new tracks which deserve to be labelled as a true return to form.
ADVERTISEMENTIt couldn’t be more different from last year’s 'ATUM', as 'Aghori Mhori Mei' feels like a band ditching the self-parody and firing on all cylinders once more. It’s a guitar record, with no shortage of passion, that feels like vintage Pumpkins. From the ominous ‘Edin’ to the orchestral ‘Murnau’, via the prog-like ‘Pentagrams’ and the soaring ‘Who Goes There’, the hooks and choruses land, feeling like a Pumpkins album you’re not in two minds about recommending.
Recency bias be damned - they took their sweet time about it, but they’re fully back.
4) Machina / The Machines of God (2000) & Machina II / The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music (2000)
The classic Smashing Pumpkins quartet was back together briefly (drummer Jimmy Chamberlin having been absent for 1998’s 'Adore') and for the last time, as this duo of albums was the end of an era for the original line-up. After the more experimental 'Adore', they cranked it up once more and delivered grandiose melodies, heavy riffs, masterful drumming, and career-highlight songs. Not all of it works, but the few slip ups don’t detract from this dynamic set – with 'The Everlasting Gaze', 'Stand Inside Your Love', and 'Wound' proving to be a terrific swansong for the original band. Fun fact: Corgan originally wanted 'Machina' to be a double album, but the label refused. So, in an early example of gifting music to fans, he gave 'Machina II' to friends - with permission to redistribute the album on the internet.
3) Adore (1998)
Shrouded in tragedy and upheaval, the band’s fourth album did not get off to the best start. Jimmy Chamberlin and touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin both overdosed after a 1996 concert, leading to Melvoin’s death. Chamberlin was fired from the band, and without their drummer, the now three-piece recorded a moody album brimming with synths, pianos and songs about loss. The gothic ‘Ava Adore’, the tender ‘Perfect’, the dark ‘Pug’ and the heartbreaking ‘For Martha’ have stood the test of time, and while 'Adore' was considered too much of a radical departure for fans of the band’s earlier sounds, the album has gained something of a cult following since its release. And it’s richly deserved.
ADVERTISEMENT2) Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
Bombastic and theatrical, the band’s third album is widely considered to be one of their best – if not their most celebrated. After the alt rock masterpiece of 'Siamese Dream' (no points for guessing which album tops this list now), Corgan set about putting together a grandiose plan: out-Walling Pink Floyd’s 'The Wall'. 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness' would be a 28-track double album, one that would push grunge / alt rock to new levels. He and his bandmates succeeded, with the critically and commercially acclaimed odyssey running the gamut of styles and moods - from lush (‘Tonight, Tonight’), ferocious (‘Zero’, ‘Bullet With Butterfly Wings’), introspective (‘Thirty-Three’), to soothing (‘Farewell and Goodnight’) to just plain iconic (‘1979’). The talent matched the ambition, and 'Mellon Collie...' remains a 90s rock staple, as well as one of the band’s greatest achievements.
Not their best though...
1) Siamese Dream (1993)
'Gish' may have been a solid album, but the leap between the debut and their sophomore set was staggering. 'Siamese Dream' wasn't smooth sailing though. The band were a mess: Jimmy Chamberlin was addicted to heroin, D’arcy Wretzky and James Iha had broken up, and Corgan was not only depressed but yearning to release an album that could garner the same sort of commercial attention as Nirvana. And yet, with all of that weighing on the band’s shoulders, ‘Siamese Dream’ ended up giving a voice to a disillusioned generation, becoming one of the defining releases of the 1990s. From the snarling opener ‘Cherub Rock’ to the most beautiful song written about suicidal tendencies ‘Today’ and the hit single ‘Disarm’, The Smashing Pumpkins managed to tap into the anxiety of the time and make it resonant on both a personal and universal level.
It’s a perfect album, and doubtlessly the record the band will be remembered for.
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