The Smashing Pumpkins

[poinoup]

Act I: ATUM, Butterfly Suite, The Good in Goodbye, Embracer, Hooligan, Steps in Time, Where Rain Must Fall, Hooray!
Act II: Empires, Moss, Night Waves, Beguiled, The Culling, Springtimes
Act III: Harmageddon, Intergalactic, Spellbinding

I'm not really feeling III, but I'll revisit it in a month or so.

[kas23]

30 second clips of the songs from Shiny V3: Zodion at Crystal Hall

Psychedelic is the word.

(I did not get a copy with the Zodion singles, they sold out before I could scrounge up the cash for a black pressing. Kinda miffed.)

Thanks for posting this. I went from searching everywhere for a rip to “when it comes, it comes out”. I didn’t hear anything remotely interesting, but could be wrong.

[GulDukat]

I'm spending the week with ATUM. I think that this is their best album since Oceania (although I did really like MTAE). And I gotta love Billy for making a three-disc rock opera. Who does that in 2023?

[poinoup]

Oceania blew 95% of the Zeitgeist to Teargarden material out of the water. It sounded rejuvenated and brighter, maybe fun even.

EDIT: Just found this. https://www.reddit.com/r/SmashingPum...gbysong_story/

[sonic_discord]

I realized that I haven't posted in here since the third act was released and I've had the opportunity to listen to the entire album as a whole (or at least three separate, but complete acts). I absolutely LOVED Oceania and while I don't think Atum quite manages to top it, I do really like most of Atum and agree that it's easily their strongest effort since Oceania. I will add that many of these songs grew on me significantly after a handful of listens.

Here's my current list of favorite tracks:

ACT I:
• The Good in Goodbye
• Embracer
• Steps in Time (still easily my favorite track of the entire album)
• Where Rain Must Fall
• Beyond the Vale
• The Gold Mask

ACT II:
• Avalanche
• Empires
• Moss
• To the Grays
• Beguiled
• Springtimes (this is one where the podcast gave me a much deeper appreciation for the song – not the story of the Rock Opera, but the behind-the-scenes story of the recording)

ACT III:
• That Which Animates the Spirit
• Pacer
• In Lieu of Failure (I love the Mellon Collie-esque sound of this one)
• Harmageddon
• Fireflies
• Spellbinding (This song was such a great surprise. It's intoxicatingly catchy and one of the best singles of the whole SP2.0 era)

This is a huge body of work that takes some time and patience to let sink in and appreciate. As is often the case with Billy and the Pumpkins, some editing likely would have helped, but there's a good amount of truly great songs on Atum.

[GulDukat]

Oceania blew 95% of the Zeitgeist to Teargarden material out of the water. It sounded rejuvenated and brighter, maybe fun even.

EDIT: Just found this. https://www.reddit.com/r/SmashingPum...gbysong_story/

And the tour was awesome, as documented in the Oceania:Live in NYC album/dvd. I've seen the Pumpkins many times and I think the 2012 show at Boston was my favorite. Sorry that lineup didn't last for another album.

[GulDukat]

I'm hearing a George Harrison-Eastern influence in "Intergalactic."

[Jon]

Oceania blew 95% of the Zeitgeist to Teargarden material out of the water. It sounded rejuvenated and brighter, maybe fun even.

For some reason, this comment reminded me that I really miss the 2008 live version of "I Am One, Part 2".

[Zimbo]

Vinyl finally received, #74! Huzzah! About to crack into Shiny part 3 mono 7inchers.

I REALLY like Atum. Like, maybe in top four or five records.

[dinkle50]

I'm a little surprised that I'm liking this. ATUM is a pretty solid effort. Ambitious, yes and it certainly could use some editing, sure, but I am digging it much more than the last couple of Pumpkins releases. The synths on a lot of ACT II really remind me of what Billy was going for with The Future Embrace. There's also lots of, dare I say, "retro" sounding guitar licks. That David Gilmour effect is used early and often (and that's not a bad thing IMO). Some fun "slow burn" moments in here to keep that aggression simmering, but never boiling over. Looking forward to getting through the 7" singles this weekend.

[Disassociative]

ATUM is growing on me a lot, I've listened to it in full more times than CYR or Shiny already

However, I had a chance to listen to the Zodion songs... and if this was a 'scrapped' vol. 3 of the Shiny and Oh So Bright thing... WHY?? I am really digging these songs. It's more natural sounding, the synths/keyboards are better and Jimmy's drumming is so much more interesting overall and feels more 'alive' (as does the whole album)

[Jon]

ATUM is growing on me a lot, I've listened to it in full more times than CYR or Shiny already

However, I had a chance to listen to the Zodion songs... and if this was a 'scrapped' vol. 3 of the Shiny and Oh So Bright thing... WHY?? I am really digging these songs. It's more natural sounding, the synths/keyboards are better and Jimmy's drumming is so much more interesting overall and feels more 'alive' (as does the whole album)

I'm guessing it didn't fit in with William's vision of the story for "that" rock opera. The songs are good, as you've said.

[seasonsinthesky]

Zodion doesn't do a thing for me except Magdalena. Less synth, sure, but the songwriting is exactly the same as Shiny, Cyr, Atum, and all the other records that have been chasing contemporary radio play (or so it seems to me). That said, the handful of best Atum material that exceeds this approach has been refreshing, so I hope there's more of it in store.

[Kodiak33]

I really tried and cannot get into this at all. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it!

[Zur En Arrh]

I really tried and cannot get into this at all. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it!

I feel you. I am a sucker for major works by an artist. This feels like a major work and I think I like the idea of it more than the actual music. I'm trying but it feels so pretentious and unrelatable to me. I'm not connecting to him at all. Like his life is easy and this feels like someone who's living an easy life. He's off in the forever ether of the demon clouds of mordor. Like I don't get it..

[versusreality]

got tickets to see them this summer, first time seeing them, can't wait!

[sonic_discord]

Does anyone here have access to a high quality rip of Zodion (or is it Zodeon now??) at Crystal Hall (AKA Shiny and Oh So Bright Vol. 3)? The rip I have is VBR MP3, but I'd prefer to have 320kbps at the very least, if not FLAC or ALAC.

[Disassociative]

Does anyone here have access to a high quality rip of Zodion (or is it Zodeon now??) at Crystal Hall (AKA Shiny and Oh So Bright Vol. 3)? The rip I have is VBR MP3, but I'd prefer to have 320kbps at the very least, if not FLAC or ALAC.

not yet, I’ve been keeping an eye out but so far I’ve only found what I suspect is the same vbr mp3 files you have

[kas23]

Does anyone here have access to a high quality rip of Zodion (or is it Zodeon now??) at Crystal Hall (AKA Shiny and Oh So Bright Vol. 3)? The rip I have is VBR MP3, but I'd prefer to have 320kbps at the very least, if not FLAC or ALAC.

Second this. Would love to get my hands on this Preferred Material as well.

[Shadaloo]

Magdalena is a great track, and I dig Simmatar and MaryQ to some extent too. Other than that, the whole groovy flower child quasi-Teargarden vibe ain't exactly for me. Rather hear Billy dressed in campy 80's scifi than 60's psychedelia.

[poinoup]

Seeking only found me a 135kbps and a 224/256 mix.

BC says it's "Zodeon."

[GulDukat]

ATUM debuted at 111 on the Billboard 200. That's terrible.

Journey's Greatest Hits (1988) is at 88.

[Disassociative]

ATUM debuted at 111 on the Billboard 200. That's terrible.

Journey's Greatest Hits (1988) is at 88.

I don't think the release model did it any favours

[GulDukat]

I don't think the realise model did it any favours

IDK if streaming/downloading parts 1-2 months ago impacts how sales are tallied. It's not a masterpiece, but it is an excellent album. People rather listen to Ed Sheeran. I don't understand the kids today.

[sonic_discord]

I don't think the release model did it any favours

Yeah, the fact that Act I had been out for six months and Act II had been out for over 3 months are surely the reason it's so low – most of it wasn't new anymore. I wasn't expecting it to debut at #1 or anything, but if they had only done the podcast and released it all at the same time, I imagine they'd at least be in the top 50, maybe even top 25. I suppose this highlights one of the issues of a staggered release model. I do think it allowed me to digest and appreciate each act, rather than being overwhelmed with all of it at once.

[GulDukat]

Fleetwood Mac's Rumors (1977), an album that was released close to a half century ago, is at #37. So last week considerably more people bought that than ATUM.

[sonic_discord]

Fleetwood Mac's Rumors (1977), an album that was released close to a half century ago, is at #37. So last week considerably more people bought that than ATUM.

I'm not sure it's fair to compare a brand new triple-album — two thirds of which had already been released — to the 12th best-selling album of all time, even if it is a re-release that's 46 years old. If you ask me, they're apples & oranges (or Appels + Oranjes! haha). Either way, I am surprised at how low that number is and I'm sure Billy/William isn't happy about it. That's an embarrassingly low debut. The only album to rank lower is Gish and that's because they were relatively unknown at the time.

[GulDukat]

I'm not sure it's fair to compare a brand new triple-album — two thirds of which had already been released — to the 12th best-selling album of all time, even if it is a re-release that's 46 years old. If you ask me, they're apples & oranges (or Appels + Oranjes! haha). Either way, I am surprised at how low that number is and I'm sure Billy/William isn't happy about it. That's an embarrassingly low debut. The only album to rank lower is Gish and that's because they were relatively unknown at the time.

It's not even a re-release. I don't understand why that particular album is selling so well. One would think that pretty much everyone who likes that album has bought it multiple times already.

[Disassociative]

It's not even a re-release. I don't understand why that particular album is selling so well. One would think that pretty much everyone who likes that album has bought it multiple times already.

[GulDukat]

What's up with Rumors being so popular? It's a great album, a classic. But why is it in the top 40 all of a sudden? There were really that many people last week who would rather buy another copy of Rumors than the new Smashing Pumpkins?