Smashing Pumpkins - ATUM » ALBUM REVIEW
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- čas přidán 26. 05. 2023
- On ATUM, is Billy Corgan sending us a message about the future (or lack thereof) of The Smashing Pumpkins?
And how GOOD OR BAD can an album be at 33 tracks?
We discuss all of this and more in my review of Smashing Pumpkins' latest album, ATUM: A Rock Opera In Three Acts.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atum
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atum:_A... - Hudba
I really like this album. I've got to appreciate the pumpkins work post adore more and more. The musicality of this album is insane. The mastering is sublime.
Corgan's musicality is indeed insane - that much is NEVER in question.
Agree! It’s a great blend of electronic and organic elements. The production is clear, and we’ll balanced. Listening on a hi end system like Sonos home theatre set up or headphones really makes a difference.
Listening to Atum made me go to the pod cast. It’s a great listen, and if your a Pumpkin’s fan- you get interviews with most of the band a classic song each episode break down. I think Atum will go down as a classic and best of 2023 for sure. The CD packaging also has a story break down for each song. It’s a cool sci-fi story that speaks to censorship and the authoritarian dangers of big tech and media.
Interesting - I may check that out!
Atum is for pumpkin fans + 11 eleven hard rock pumpkin style.songs
I've been an SP fan since 1993. Billy was also the sole reason I began to play guitar (going on 22 years now); Thru the Eyes of Ruby spoke to me on a divine level, and I have always supported BC. But, this album is just lackluster to say the least.
Same
That's where I am too...
the gold mask, my favorite so far. but still listening to the album. I think it's great
Gran album, ganará con las escuchas y los años, en la sociedad actual de play list lo tiene difícil para ser mainstream pero el tiempo lo situará en el lugar que corresponde.
Billy says the band already has another album full of songs written
Yes, but are they GOOD songs?
@@beardsofkentucky even if half of it rocks, it's great to have... It's just great to have the band still around tbh, it's really all bonus now at this point. Have you heard the 10 extra songs included in the ATUM box set called Zodeon At Crystal Hall? Some interesting stuff there too... 🤘
@@beardsofkentuckywhether it's "good" or not is up to the listener. It's all subjective. I personally like the new as well as their old songs.
I'm a huge OLD pumpkins fan, nothing after Machina stuck with me. I understand his voice can't stay the same, but I hate his singing after '06 or so. It would be cool if Billy could keep writing music but lean on James more for vocals. I might start listening again.
Yeah, I feel you - Corgan's voice has ALWAYS been a sticking point for me, even on the old stuff (but it sounded better back then).
imo - this album is one of the best the pumpkins have done. initially i discarded it as it seemed too mechanic and flat. as i progressively listened to it, i becamed enamored with it. can’t stop listening to it over and over. it’s really a treasure you need to discover on your own.
OK I’ll give it another listen…
I was a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan in middle and high school in the 90s, but fell off after Machina and the introduction to Zwan. I tried listening to the podcast, but fell off of that too. It was amazing seeing them live again last October for the first time since Radio City Music Hall, but that's because they played a ton of old faves. I didn't like the new video at all. I'm sure I'll get around to listening to this whole album at some point, but take me back to the 90s any day!
May get to see them live in September. It would be my first time, hope they play A LOT of old stuff.
@beardsofkentucky they are great live! It was like reliving my youth...straight up cried during Tonight, Tonight! I remember wishing they played more older stuff when I saw them back to back on the Adore Tour in NYC. Thankfully last year they did! Have an awesome time!
there are literally millions and millions of people that share your story and feel the same way
I enjoyed Atum, he's doing a heavy album next. He's always creating and exploring, you can't please everyone all the time and SP are not like AC DC where every album is meant to be the same. (I love AC DC too btw)
If anyone has listened to Billy corgan's podcast 33, you will know that the follow-up to Atum is already done. So if the real question is are The Smashing Pumpkins done? The answer according to Billy Corgan himself is no. They are going stronger than ever. And I would have to agree based on how amazing this album is. It is an absolute Epic 2 hour and 20-minute masterpiece. I've listened to it at least 50 times already. If you have only given it one or two lessons I recommend giving it another chance. It is definitely an epic album that has to grow on you. Can we get off this high horse of the Smashing Pumpkins sounding like Siamese Dream and Gish. I would take any album after Siamese Dream over Siamese Dream and Gish. Overrated Smashing Pumpkins albums for sure. Don't get me wrong, they are amazing albums and i love them, but they are not the Smashing Pumpkins best work. Mellon Collie and Atum are both better albums. I think every artist should take their sound where it needs to go in their artistic mind and not care about what fans you like your music 30 years ago think. So you like Gish and Siamese Dream huh? Must be nice being nothing but a trendy Smashing Pumpkins fan who wants an artist to be who they were 30 years ago. It might take 20 or 30 years, but Atum will get its recognition someday.
I love Gish and SD but I’ll give this another listen…
5:24 that's the real pumpkins that everyone wants to hear. everything else is fake pumpkins to me.
I mean I like a lot of the other stuff, but that's the classic sound for me, it's so good. The RHINO-HUMMER sound.
People have hated on Billy and SP for this album. I’ve listened to everything Billy has released since 1992 and I absolutely love this album, although I’m a sucker for 80’s music.
Then you may like Billy's musical output with The Smashing Pumpkins from the 1980's.
@@gothfather8741 My grammar is off - I meant I started listening to them in 92 when I was a young un
@@SodagornMedia no it's all good. You mentioned you liked '80's music so I just recommended checking out some of The Smashing Pumpkins music from the 1980's. Billy's earlier bands The Marked (1986/7) and Hexen (1984/5) which were around before SP's formed also had some good songs and musical ideas.
I’d say though the majority aren’t big on this one, there’s a strong minority that really love it. That’s cool…
It’s above average ok. There are some really decent songs on there, but to stretch it out to three discs was a bit much. There’s about 1/3 material that could’ve been one album and it would have been much more focused. The good tracks get lost in the rest of the mediocrity. A lot of it just needs a little umph. He used to have more of a range of emotion in his songs, but it’s so much more flat now. His vocals used to go from growl screams to a light sweet purrs. The vocal emotional range just falls flat so much now. They’re good songs there, but editing was needed. 8:30 you’re right… there’s no real stand out catchy singles to bring you in. Zero, Today, Disarm, Landslide, & 1979 made everyone want to dive in more because they had that allure. There’s no songs really like that on Atum. There’s some good stuff, but nothing to use as a single that is super creative, catchy, and compelling like Gish, Siamese Dream or MCIS.
Word
It's a great album when you look past the production, lyrics and singing style. The music is really good. Which means Billy needs a producer to edit and package the music better but Billy seems to be beyond working like that with someone.
A common problem with highly successful creatives - I'm thinking George Lucas with the prequel trilogy. Nice ideas marred by very questionable execution. Editing matters so much.
@@beardsofkentucky good comparison. Quite unfortunate. It actually happened with Adore, seems Billy was producing himself since then and less band input after Melloncollie.
Seems to be following the modem corporate way … so look at movies now .. the visuals the packaging the presentation all very nice and compelling. But the writing the story the flow all sucks. Content over quality. Have the pumpkins and billy going down this route too? I’ve never seen such accessibility .. to billy his thoughts his new songs … vinyl special editions … limited printing .. bonus tracks. But the new music just all sorta blends and melds. There’s no staying power any more … no direction … song titles are strange .. so simple (hurray!) remember listening to SD or Gish and I would re listen to tracks over and over . Think about what he is singing about … the hooks the chorus the solos the riffs. Maybe it’s just modern music now … low attention spans … but so much content and all I want is a 15 hr podcast where billy spends a hour on every song off gish SD Pisces MCIS adore machina Machina ll zwan the future embrace !
Billy Corgan could have over a 1000 songs under his belt...and I'm not exaggerating. The guy couldn't quit if he wanted to. For Corgan, the end of the smashing pumpkins music would be to go back and do a siamese dream/gish style album. As long has he has full access to his literally never ending pool of creativity, he'll be forever making music. The smashing pumpkins is his band that can't be pigeon holed into any category, which is another aspect of his creativity.
As someone who holds their own creativity with the deepest respect and protection, I can honestly come back to this thread in 10 years and know that he's going to have at least another 5 albums out, most of which are double albums.
I find it interesting that when the music industry stifled his creativity, back in Machina, the band suddenly went off the track.
I must have been born on the wheel of Osiris and reared to pace as well because I really dig the album.
Not only is it terrible, it’s embarrassing. The music is generic, mediocre, uninspired and mixed atrociously. The lyrics/‘story’ are amateur at best, insulting to the listener at worst.
Huge fan from album 1 in the 90's. This is unlistenable. I can't even find words for how much this sucks. Like what the actual heck. Not one good track. NOT. ONE. I get it, he can't come up with a 2023 version of Gish or SD. But that doesn't mean you have to make an album to just to make an album. It like a musical version of the emperor has no clothes.
There’s a few tracks I like, but this is not one I’ve played since I reviewed it.
Nothing ties MCAS to this. Just a sequence of farts that came out of high and mighty Billy.
Great, now I can't unsee the mental image of BC farting insane guitar riffs. 🤣
Corgan did legendary, poignant, relevant,noisy and beautiful work in the 90s. But now hes completely out of touch, high on his own farts, without anybody around him telling him his music and art kinda really sucks now. Maybe he just exhausted all his creative energy by the early 2000s.
Needs to get back to the dream-pop sounds of the pre-MC era.
Well he obviously hasn't exchausted his creative energy if he's making music this ambitious . I'd say he's too stubborn to return to what he knows works. He mentions it on Bill Maher a bit.
I disagree. I find him wise and fully awake.
I agree.😅
PROGROCK ? no way, Its 80s synth pop with electric guitars (and the way he treat one of the greatest drummers, with him emulating drum-machines is just SAD), nothing progressive rock on this trilogy at all ("Hooray" is childrens music, not progressive rock) Billy should retire !
Well, there can be BAD prog rock. I think it has more in common with that genre than synth-pop.
Batman v Superman was not that good Zack but here we are😂
Is so disheartening as a massive SP fan since Gish was released. Billy is a legend and one of the greatest musicians of all time imo... But SP and Billy himself lost the plot a long time ago. Adore was the last truly great release. The synth pop bs Billy has been peddling for so long is just garbage. Hes so much better than that they all are. Theres been good and even great songs scattered through the subsquent records post Adore but never anything cohesive as an album imo. Atum is possibly the worst imo though Cyr is so so bad. Billy needs someone to check his hubris and edit down the nonsense.
An editor might help!
Its so bad. The ego of the guy is just absurd. Who wants a 3 album rock opera with no good songs on it? Just the subtitle alone pisses me off. Who thought this was a good idea? I used to be a fan in the mid 90s as a teen, but then I grew up and discovered 'good' music. Its been a surprise to see just how mediocre and unimaginative Corgan is as a songwriter.
Well, Gish, Siamese Dream, and Mellon Collie are all legit classics, no matter how you feel about what came later.
great album! 8/10
This album has so much damn filler
33 songs, that's to be expected. My brain involuntarily shut down by Part 3.
I do think he could have thrown some more arrangement variety in there to make it more easy to digest, but it was so heavy on the synths and crunchy guitars.
@@beardsofkentucky yeah too many songs sound the same.
Part 3 is the strongest Act though..it's best to just compile the strongest 15 tracks and put them on a playlist than trying to slog through all 33 in a row
It really does. I think it could have been a decent album if it was just reduced to 12 key songs.
The album blows 😅
Like the Autumn wind?
Best SP album.
Well that’s an interesting opinion! How do you rank the others?
Horrible album, it’s a shame
.
Dude, you’re really reading too much into this lol
Am I tho?
This album upset me. Smashing are finish.. some tracks are rip off of 70. Not good album