It was Oct. 30th of 1996, an I was about to enter a 4 year love affair. This night I picked up my first Smashing Pumpkins CD. A group of my friends had snatched tickets for the show in Ft. Wayne, IN. I remember hearing the group on the radio previous to that night, but I fell in love at the show. Garbage opened up and the Pumpkins drove the night home.
I was young and naive and at the end of my high school years. Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness was the puppy love stage in the relationship I shared with the Pumpkins. A good album, but not their best effort in my opinion. A friend of mine decided to get rid of his Aeroplane Flies High box set, and I picked it up for $25... well worth the price, the rarities and B-Sides quenched my thirst for more SP love.
After moving away to college, I made friends with a guy who was also into the band and was quickly introduced to their earlier work. I quickly procured copies of Gish, Pisces Iscariot, and Siamese Dream. Dream was the album that drove me to the peak of my SP love affair. By far their best album, from beginning to end it was pure genius.
Then came along Adore, a mediocre effort, and my passion began to dim. The band just did not sound the same without Jimmy pounding those beats out on the drums. The album contained a few good songs, but overall a disappointment.
I remember getting extremely excited about the idea of taking a road trip up to Detroit, MI for the first show with Jimmy back behind the kit. It was a small venue and there had been a hold on out of state tickets sales and the show sold out before I could even get the chance to try to get a ticket. I had to settle for the bootleg of the show later on. Would have been a good one to be at. Of course this bootleg introduced me to the newest effort of SP music crafting, the soon to be released Machina. This album had a harder feel to it than all of their previous work. I liked the sound and regained a bit of that dying passion. Saw the Smashing Pumpkins for the last time in '99. The actually played a show where I was attending college. By then D'Arcy had left the band to pursue her own follies, and I got to hear the stylings of Michelle on bass. All in all a good show, but not like that dreamy night back in 96 where that passion had first kindled.
2000 brought about the end of the band and also my love affair with the group. I still listened to my favorites, but had moved onto broadening my musical tastes. I had started a new relationship with raves and electronic music.
Didn't think much of the band anymore. When the new album rolled out in '07, I didn't even bother to look up my old flame. With the departure of Iha, I didnt think the band would be the same. Kinda like when Jimmy was missing. I finally picked up a copy of the album earlier this year. I must say its quickly becoming one of my favorites of theirs. Made me all nostalgic for those early times... good times... when our love was fresh
I was young and naive and at the end of my high school years. Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness was the puppy love stage in the relationship I shared with the Pumpkins. A good album, but not their best effort in my opinion. A friend of mine decided to get rid of his Aeroplane Flies High box set, and I picked it up for $25... well worth the price, the rarities and B-Sides quenched my thirst for more SP love.
After moving away to college, I made friends with a guy who was also into the band and was quickly introduced to their earlier work. I quickly procured copies of Gish, Pisces Iscariot, and Siamese Dream. Dream was the album that drove me to the peak of my SP love affair. By far their best album, from beginning to end it was pure genius.
Then came along Adore, a mediocre effort, and my passion began to dim. The band just did not sound the same without Jimmy pounding those beats out on the drums. The album contained a few good songs, but overall a disappointment.
I remember getting extremely excited about the idea of taking a road trip up to Detroit, MI for the first show with Jimmy back behind the kit. It was a small venue and there had been a hold on out of state tickets sales and the show sold out before I could even get the chance to try to get a ticket. I had to settle for the bootleg of the show later on. Would have been a good one to be at. Of course this bootleg introduced me to the newest effort of SP music crafting, the soon to be released Machina. This album had a harder feel to it than all of their previous work. I liked the sound and regained a bit of that dying passion. Saw the Smashing Pumpkins for the last time in '99. The actually played a show where I was attending college. By then D'Arcy had left the band to pursue her own follies, and I got to hear the stylings of Michelle on bass. All in all a good show, but not like that dreamy night back in 96 where that passion had first kindled.
2000 brought about the end of the band and also my love affair with the group. I still listened to my favorites, but had moved onto broadening my musical tastes. I had started a new relationship with raves and electronic music.
Didn't think much of the band anymore. When the new album rolled out in '07, I didn't even bother to look up my old flame. With the departure of Iha, I didnt think the band would be the same. Kinda like when Jimmy was missing. I finally picked up a copy of the album earlier this year. I must say its quickly becoming one of my favorites of theirs. Made me all nostalgic for those early times... good times... when our love was fresh