Bang Bang You're Dead... POLL In Your Head - ILM Artist Poll #87 - SMASHING PUMPKINS - Results

Didn't vote for Cupid de Locke but it's lovely - it was definitely a favourite when I first got the album.

I can hear what Tim means about From the Choirgirl Hotel re: Pug, good shout.

https://i.imgur.com/3GLrQXe.jpg
48. By Starlight
162 points, 9 votes
From: Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, 1995

part of the nature of mellon collie being so long: i bought the album when i was eight but i don't think i got around to this song until i was nine or ten

it's one of the best though

“Cupid de Locke” is delightfully ridiculous. The first thing from my ballot to place, too!

lol i love the outro of pug, sounds like the song's malfunctioning

i love the kinda last blast of full on romanticism that "by starlight" represents on the album, such a lovely, warm song. the sudden appearance of the "does she really know who i really am" bridge is my favorite part

I love the repeating guitar line in By Starlight that slowly increases in intensity throughout the song

https://i.imgur.com/txNiliK.jpg
47. Where Boys Fear to Tread
170 points, 8 votes
From: Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, 1995

I agree with most of what was said about Ava Adore, it's all style with very little substance, as if we were supposed to be impressed that SP were hip to goth and electronica so it didn't really matter if they forgot to write a decent melody or chorus.

But on other parts of Adore (the album) they totally nailed the goth rock/electronica hybrid which is why that album is so fascinating but also so frustrating.

I sort of wish the drums were a little more forceful or something?

the hi-hat in the second verse, though

^^^ re: "ava adore"

All the last three are way too high with the exception on 'By Starlight' which is roughly in the right place. In no way are these better than the MACHINA tracks that place lower. I guess I'm just fortunate that I'm able to spot a good song even if the production is a barrier to some.

'Pug' has some neat ideas in the arrangement, but the vocal melody isn't all that strong.

Starting to think that every single thing on Mellon Collie is going to place but otoh there's no chance of enough people voting for We Only Come Out At Night.

By Starlight is one of his best ballads though.

It is, but the version they played at Glastonbury was fucking awful, if I recall.

https://i.imgur.com/LArDV2t.jpg
46. Eye
172 points, 9 votes
From: Lost Highway Soundtrack, 1997

YEAH

this song sounds so cool

it's really those thick daubs of bass throughout

most of the recent Machina tracks were higher than those MCIS tracks for most of the voting period, none of the recent MCIS tracks had many votes at all until the last day or so

I love the repeating guitar line in By Starlight that slowly builds in intensity, one of my favourites.

I don't care at all for Where Boys Fear to Tread though, just feels like an aimless riff to me.

Eye rules and I wish there were more harder-hitting songs like it on Adore, which mostly went for a murkier sound in its percussion & bass.

https://i.imgur.com/kfl7mJ1.jpg
45. Blank Page
180 points, 9 votes
From: Adore, 1998

yesss beautiful song

https://open.spotify.com/user/beeok/playlist/4IrfPuY4059KGXCZoMftEl?si=3HXmKcGNSei8NLSHIU2ouw

Please keep updated.

Eye is great and probably too low. I thought it'd get a Lynch bump around here.

there's an adore demo/outtake called "my mistake" which it sounds like they dissolved that song in water and "blank page" was the result

also:

take a day
plant some trees
may they shade you from me
may your children play beneath

https://i.imgur.com/8MZRYur.jpg
44. Glynis
184 points, 8 votes
From: No Alternative, 1993

this is the only one I don't have a good image for unfortunately, couldn't find an easy way to replicate the font on the No Alternative cover...

yayyyyy!!!

dang Glynis now that's a song, my #5

i voted for "glynis," two spots above "blank page" oddly. everything i love about gish/sd era sp is kinda embodied by that song, especially the contrast between its two halves. i can't explain why but it feels related to "hummer," like an even more chilled-out paisley mirror of it

love those yelps at the end, there's an alt version on the deluxe Pisces that replaces the yelps with a bunch of "crayzeeee" vocals & it sucks so bad, but the original is total blissed out sadness, my Pumpkins

never heard Eye before! almost sounds more like a God Lives Underwater or Jesus Jones track or something.

this is prob the fourth time this video has been posted between the voting thread and the results thread but this is a really stunning performance imo and billy actually sounds great for most of it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohGwSHQ7Vdc

I totally forgot about Glynis. Great tune, it wouldn't have jelled on SD but it's an album worthy song for sure.

All of my least favorite Adore songs are placing thus far ...

love those yelps at the end, there's an alt version on the deluxe Pisces that replaces the yelps with a bunch of "crayzeeee" vocals & it sucks so bad, but the original is total blissed out sadness, my Pumpkins

OK this is embarrassing, that's the only version of Glynis I've ever heard, didn't realise it was an alternative take!

https://i.imgur.com/DSUynbC.jpg
43. Behold! The Night Mare
188 points, 8 votes
From: Adore, 1998

this is my favourite from Adore, I had it very high. it has a lovely shimmery sound in the guitars and drums, the Adore production at its best. the acoustic bridge followed by that beautiful guitar noise then the ascending second part of the bridge, then the way it ends with a second verse, it sounds like it could drift on forever.

re. Glynis, it's more just another mix, but a much worse mix I think, not least because it forefronts Corgan's vocals at the end. in the original mix you get the "one love" parts but not much of the rest of Corgan's ad libs, and it's much much much better for it.

"behold!" is so good, it just missed my ballot. somehow lives up to its ridiculous title without ever seeming like a ridiculous song

https://i.imgur.com/u5kYUYs.jpg
42. To Sheila
196 points, 10 votes, 1 #1 vote
From: Adore, 1998

This is one of a few Adore tracks I love.

the little middle eight break thing in Behold is one of the best things Billy ever wrote

it was such a shock to hear this after mellon collie

i mean i know the end of mellon collie sets you up for it but still

whose #1? Good choice

yeah for real

"to sheila" was originally supposed to play behind the scene in cruel intentions soundtracked by counting crows "colorblind"

I always thought "autobahn" was kinda incongruous to the corgan lyrical universe

excellent trivia brad

Ah yes!!! I voted for Glynis and Blank Page! By Starlight another near miss; Brad otm about it being creeper