@dmitryowens Mellon Collie had some amazing songs, even on the more experimental second disk. However, I think Siamese Dreams was a better complete album, in terms of overall theme and how the songs fit together...
@@Dad.by.Daylight 100%. Mellon Collie has some great tracks, but several skippable moments. had it been a single disk we might be having a different discussion. Siamese dream is solid gold from start to finish.
Good analogy, but I'd go further. It's like camambert or limberger. Either you love all of the complexity and nuance, or it's the most vile thing you've ever experienced.
I love karaoke, and Smashing Pumpkins are one of my all time favorite bands, yet Corgain is one of the more challenging to get just right since it's so unique/unusual.
So glad you chose "Mayonaise!" If you had asked me as a teenager in 1993 to name my top 10 favorite songs, this one would have been in it. Now, over 30yrs later, it still is!
OMG!!! Seriously!!! This is my all time favorite Pumpkins song. I still have the CD with the July 26, 1993 Siamese Dream release party at Tower Records. I was there with a few buddies. The Pumpkins performed an acoustic set and I just fell in love with this song. Can’t wait to hear what you have to say (good or bad).
Man there is no way to replicate hearing this song when it was new. This entire album. So amazing full of emotions and that classic smooth distortion. It was such an amazing time for music.
One of the all time greatest albums, listen to it from start to finish, you wont be disappointed. I was 17 when this came out, soundtrack to my wreckless, hedonistic youth, kicks me with nostalgia everytime i hear a track from Siamese Dream.
I’m so glad you are showing love to The Smashing Pumpkins. There are many many of us to whom the Smashing Pumpkins were and are incredibly important in our musical journeys.
“The band can get very loud and have intensity and a certain gnarly edge to it, but then there’s this soft, REALLY personal side.” Great summary of the Pumpkins in a nutshell.
Agreed. I’m nostalgic to a fault (almost a bit masochistic, haha!) but the pain always does my soul good to reconnect with my past self in a way. The pain is healing if that makes sense 😢
I bought this album the day it was released. Since then, it has been my favorite Smashing Pumpkins song and in my top 5 favorite songs of all time. The layering on the instruments and vocals. The way the vocals quickly yet gently slide from the back to front of the pallet and the back again. The Shakespearean message of to thy self be true. "I just want to be me and when I can, I will" has been my mantra since the first time I heard the song. And no lie, it can be really hard just to be yourself.
I don’t know why, but this song usually makes me cry. I really appreciate your thoughtful and empathic analyses. I always find new depths to my favorite songs after watching your videos. Much respect.
Well, it's about the misery of his childhood being abandoned by his parents and abused by his step mother and trying to protect his little brother, so it IS quite tragic.
@@patrickgriffiths889unless you believe Billy when he says the lyrics are just rhyming couplets he wrote and put together without any real meaning behind them.
Every single time with that opening guitar riff. It’s like a little slice of heaven. Really one of my favorite opening guitar sections. Absolutely incredible.
Fans voted for this as the number 1 favourite song in a Rolling Stone poll. So I'm not surprised this was the most requested song on your channel too! It's my all time favourite song of SP. It has been since I was a teenager in the 90s. I only knew one other person who loved the song so it was nice to find out that I wasn't alone by any means with so many other fans loving it too. The chord progression is what makes this song, put together by James Iha.
I’ve been a Pumpkins fan for 33 years and always kind of “liked” Muzzle but they did it as an encore the last time I saw them live and now it’s one of my all-time faves as well.
Such a great song. I remember towards the end of the album cycle Muzzle naturally became a single on the radio. At least in Southern California. I love this damn band so much.
My favorite Pumpkins song, I cannot wait for this reaction! I did a presentation on this song for my Junior English class in high school back in 93/94, feels like a lifetime ago. It's such an iconic part of my teenage years.
It amazes me that when I was 14 yrs old and heard Smashing Pumpkins for the first time, I did not know anything about music. I did not know that the guitars made me feel nostalgic. I did not know that Billy could switch his air and muscle control so well. All I knew was that they were awesome and made me feel things that Indidn't feel listening to other music. Thank you, Elizabeth, for finally putting into words what it is that the band does to make us all feel the things we do.
Hands down my favorite Pumpkin song. Nostalgia is absolutely the feel of the song. Combine that with this being the pinnacle of my youth this song hits home in such a way that I'm transported back to the mid 90's. Listening to this, I can feel everything I felt at that age. So nostalgic I tear up. Such an amazing song. Thank you Billy Corgan. Thank you James Iha.
Thank you so much for reviewing this song. It wasn't expected because it never got much air play and not many people know about it, save for the real TSP fans. It has one of the most beautiful and melodic intros and outros ever. Even the distorted verses have an underlying wave of melody that pulls you along, saying don't be afraid of the rip tide. I really appreciate your description of the different parts of this song. For me ... This song IS a nostalgic swim back in time to a place where my world was completely different. It is my all-time favorite song for that reason, because every time I hear it I'm right back there in the moment, when everything was possible, even though I was fool enough to almost be it, cool enough to not quite see it. 🙌
Quick correction anyone listening at their height and into grunge alternative…. Definitely a well known track by any SP fan. Back when we actually bought physical CDs 💿 We didn’t really listen to radio was mostly the “pop” charts
It makes my heart happy to see someone enjoy this song as much as us pumpkin fans do. The best part of this entire album, is the fact that the best written songs never made radio AirPlay. So to know it is to know a lot. I would rank their non-radioplayed songs in this order: Mayonnaise Hummer Geek, USA Space boy Soma It's just a great album and someone like you would really appreciate it.
My favorite Pumpkins song! I'd have to guess so many people suggested it simply because it's such a beautiful and heartfelt song, in addition to being a great showcase for Billy's voice.
13:40 He used a late 60’s Teisco produced Kimberly Kay (2 pickup version). It uses gold foil pickups that were never meant to be distorted. They’re microphonic, so they squeal easily when you stop playing. I have the exact same model and green color as Billy’s. Photos available on my X account under the same name.
The gold foil pickups were, as OP said, were for the clean playing of the time (early 60’s) and not wrapped with copper wire and waxed. So when plugged into a Marshall JCM800 and (probably) facing the speakers, you get tremendous feedback, especially when you aren’t playing. Genius incorporation. BTW, just because it’s gold foil doesn’t make it expensive. Just a technology of the time.
YASSS!! Finally a deeper vocal analysis of Billy's style (people don't understand how intentional he is). But can we just address Billy's poetic genius on this one?? I mean, all his lyrics are beautiful, but this one just hits. Fool enough to almost be it Cool enough to not quite see it Doomed Pick your pocket, full of sorrow And run away with me tomorrow June We'll try and ease the pain But somehow, we'll feel the same Well, no one knows Where our secrets go I send a heart to all my dearies When your life is so, so dreary Dream I'm rumored to the straight and narrow While the harlots of my perils Scream And I fail But when I can, I will Try to understand That when I can, I will Mother, weep the years I'm missing All our time can't be given Back Shut my mouth and strike the demons That cursed you and your reasons Out of hand and out of season Out of love and out of feeling So bad When I can, I will Words defy the plans When I can, I will Fool enough to almost be it And cool enough to not quite see it And old enough to always feel this Always old, I'll always feel this No more promise, no more sorrow No longer will I follow Can anybody hear me? I just want to be me And when I can, I will Try to understand That when I can, I will
You're wrong there. This is one of the few tunes that James Iha brought to the table. James wrote the intro arpeggios (basically all the chords used in the song) and Billy added the rest. A rare collaboration and much lived of course @@pestilentfellow3609
Thank you so, so much for reacting to and analyzing this song. The Pumpkins mean so much to me, and though there are SO many songs I feel deeply connected to, if there was one single song I think of when I think of the Pumpkins, this is the one. A true Pumpkins masterpiece.
Smashing Pumpkins made the most beautiful music. There are hidden gems like In The Arms Of Sleep or several other songs in the Mellon Collie album. This band brings me back to my teen years. Thanks for the video.
@@RyanShaw_ThatShawGuy Same, I think it has settled itself as my favourite, among so many really strong contenders. There's a certain category of SP song that's spacey and soaring and fluffy and heavy all at once and Ruby is the perfected expression of it.
Listened to this entire album so many times riding with my best friend. We blasted this everywhere we went. He died in a wreck in 1995 at 16, i was 17. It's a bittersweet listen and so gd nostalgic, it hurts but it hurts so good.
I was such a huge Pumpkins fan when I was a teenager in the '90s. (I still am a huge fan.) Listening to this song brings me back to the days when my weird friend group consisting of band geeks, goths, and burnouts, would hang out in the corner of the school cafeteria, listening to Siamese Dream through shared headphones. We'd cry, we'd try to give each other words of wisdom, and we'd bond over this amazing band. Sadly, two of these precious friends died way too young. I cry when I hear this song, but it also brings back such wonderful memories. Thank you for analyzing this song. It mean so much.
Cant tell you how much joy i feel hearing your interpretations and analysis of my favorite band for 30 years. Those of us die hard fans sometimes feel like no one really sees or appreciates how much beauty is in the pumpkins canon. Thank you for shining a light on it with ur incredible incite!
My favorite Smashing Pumpkins song. Funny, you mention nostalgia! Always got that feeling from the song and it’s amplified a million times revisiting this song and why it’s so great 30 years down the road. Memories of triumph and pain, hope and sadness, and longing for days long past all rushing in at once.
This is one of my all time favorite songs, and you nailed it! This is one of those songs like Everlong that touches something deep. Please do Soma too!!! Pretty pretty pretty please!!!!!
OMG I was so happy when you did Tonight, Tonight. I saw all the suggestions in the comments, and while many great songs were recommended, I was bummed that nobody was recommending my favorite SP song. Lo and behold, it’s your next SP reaction. Love your work!
This entire album is a sonic journey and this has become one of my favorite song reactions you have done recently. I am looking forward to more of your pumpkins deep dives! One of my most favorite songs from the album that I don't believe was ever a single is Geek U.S.A and would be amazing to watch you analyze. That song has so much propulsion to it and it feels like you are on a non-stop spiraling roller coaster that just sucks you into it until you hit bottom and then just float. I'll never forget the liner notes lyrics page, where Billy wrote the lyrics out in a spiral and it just captured so much of what the song feels like sonically. So impactful.
So excited you went with Mayonaise, my personal favorite. LETS GO! 🎉😊 The drive from the distortion in the guitar with Billy's nasal tone able to cut through that sound wall is just the perfect combo. The memories from this era are so good I played this album into oblivion in my compact disc player as a kid. ❤ 🔥 ❤ 🔥 ❤
I love how much you totally GET The Smashing Pumpkins! The intro does indeed sound like someone noodling on guitar - in a dark quiet summer night in '93.
Hearing this song as a kid started my life-long love of music. I had so many unintentional Corganisms in my singing voice until I learned to train them out. His vocal dynamic is still such a huge inspiration for me Thank you for diving more into The Smashing Pumpkins recently! I’d love to see you analyze their song “Bodies” next. His harsh vocals go straight into his fluffy aoli sound in the choruses, and it sounds like a magic trick to me
When I was a kid, they were my favorite band. The first time I got tickets to see them live was my freshman year of high school. My dad picked me up from school to drive to Universal Amphitheater. When I got in the car, Billy Corgan was making an appearance on KROQ to plug the show that night. A few minutes into the interview, Billy announced that Smashing Pumpkins were breaking up. I was all kinds of emotional that night. The final song they played in their second encore was "Mayonaise." It was already my favorite song, but to end on it in what was at the time their final appearance in LA, just made it that much more special to me.
I'm an 80's teenager and I didn't know how much I needed grunge for my musical soul. It came straight to the heart, no big hair, no big pose, artists breaking the rules in protest, singing about the deep and ugly things that were forgotten or left out of music for so long. Eddie and Kurt broke my heart, made me face my own ugly side, and I thank them dearly for it. Grunge changed me, and for whatever people might say about it, the impact it had on so many people's souls including mine, it was something I had never experienced and have not since. THANK YOU for giving it the credit it deserves.
@@jedMcHiggins Shortly ago I heard her say she was investigating grunge, for whatever they belong or not, I decided to share my thoughts at this moment, cause something in the video reminded me of it. Nothing more fancy than that. Cheers.
Some people are turned off by the "broken guitar" sound. I LOVE IT! It is like a scream in the middle of the song. Like when you are trying to say something in a thoughtful calm way but feel like screaming while you do it.
Great song. Billy Corgan wrote,played, and sang so many great songs it's hard to choose a favorite, but this is right up there. I love all the diff little layers in a pumpkins song, always a lot going on in the background. Pink Floyd of the grunge era
This is gonna be good. I'm not a massive fan of Smashing Pumpkins, but Siamese Dream is a classic from start to finish. One of the very best of the decade.
Siamese Dream is an amazing album. I'm an even bigger fan of Gish, their debut album... but both are undoubtedly great. I personally think they went downhill after Siamese Dream, but to each their own I guess :)
Smashing Pumpkins will always be my favorite band, Billy just wrote masterpieces back to back when he was younger, and now that he's older he's so much more consistent in his live performances. All around a fantastic band.
I think she needs to hear some of their harder stuff... like "Zero".... or "X.Y.U"... just to get the full range of Pumpkins music.... but also EVERYTHING they do is fascinating - you can't go wrong! My favorite of theirs is "Thirty Three"... "1979" and "Disarm" and "Today" are imperative to hear... I mean, whatever she listens to next is going to be great! I'm so happy you're getting into the Pumpkins, Elizabeth!!!
This song still hits me like it did when I first heard it all those years ago. I know this is a vocal analysis but what most people miss now new to listening to SP is the impact that Jimmys drumming had on those early recordings. His drumming is so musical and expressive which is a perfect match for Billys vocals, guitar playing and song writing.
22:06 I think the “sweeping sounds” in the guitar are coming from the Mu-Tron Bi-Phase, a very expensive effect pedal that was used extensively on this album.
GREAT follow up choice!!! There is somethign totally magical about this song in particular, i'm glad that you noted it sounds nostalgic and it's not just distortion of memory (because i remember getting the same feeling hearing this the first time, in my bedroom alone, drowning in the melancholy fuzz, a teenager really exploring those emotions the first time.)
I lost a good music friend to his battle with alcohol last year. Smashing Pumpkins was the last thing he was sending me before he passed. I've never heard this song before in my life, but it came on and my buddy was sitting next to me again for a second talking about how Jimmy Chamberlin started out as a jazz drummer... Telling me about playing music with his older brother while dad was stationed in Germany... We went through our first 12 step together about ten years ago and played together at Celebrate Recovery for most of that ten years. But he's in the Lord's hands now, and those are the best hands to be in. Edit: Oh jeez. I just got to the part where we talked about the lyrics. Why do my eyes always get extra wet when I watch Elizabeth talk about music?
You are the first trained voice/reaction channel I discovered, and there is no comparison. There are "voice coach" channels, and most of them have this wave of jidgement in both their commentary and expressions. You, are able to dissect these voice ranges and explain them in a way that is so beautiful and so thought-provoking, that I will never watch any other channel but yours. You are absolutely a professional, gifted, and open-minded to experience the true art. You are a gift. And we get to receive your talent and education. I now see and hear music like never before. Especially on midlife crisis, you pointed out the breaths and 3 syllables in crisis. You're brilliant.❤❤❤❤❤❤
I just love how expressive your face is when you are listening.. it is the cutest thing :) Sorry, I’m new to your channel haha. The Pumpkins were the first band I REALLY FELT growing up in the 90’s. Changed my whole outlook on music.. Hummer is one of my favs of theirs!
Great video, loved the nuanced dive into Corgan's vocals and I recommend one of my favourites thru the eyes of ruby from smashing pupmkins album mellon collie and the infinite sadness!
Thank you. This is one of my all-time favorite songs. Fun to watch someone experience it for the first time. I wish I could do the same all over again. Music is what feelings sound like. And this songs makes me feel so many things, even now, 31 years later I'm tearing up watching you respond to it.
Siamese Dream (release July 93) launched the SPs into superstardom. I was at Ohio State in 93 and the Pumpkins did a few warm up dates before the BIG SD tour. They did one in Columbus Ohio at a gogo club that held about 500 people (August 93'). I was there, against the stage, something I'll never forget. My ticket was printed on construction paper and hand numbered! God I wish I still had that ticket!
This is my favorite video I've ever watched of yours, and I've seen a lot of them. Maybe it's because you have the same reaction that I did to the song. Love, Love, Love it. And you!
If you ever decide to do whole album analysis, Siamese Dream would be a great choice. It’s super cohesive and takes you on a ride. It’s one of those albums I put on and let play through without skipping around
As soon as she said "like a rocket is taking off" to describe the guitar solo at 22:28 I became desperate for her to analyze Rocket next. One of my faves ❤
I love how your analysis never fails to give me an even deeper appreciation for songs I've loved for many years. What an awesome gift to share with us! Mayonnaise was a great choice. For some harsh vocals from Billy, check out "Bullet with Butterfly wings."
Artist/Song Suggestion: Alanis Morrissette - Thank You... You like unique and iconic voices, none better than her in that regard. If not familiar she had a very unique style that set her apart in all the best ways in the late 90s. Other songs of hers to consider would be "You ought to know", "Ironic", "You Learn", "Uninvited" (this one stands out), basically she is a rabbit hole of amazingness.
My favorite song! It came into my life when I was a teenager learning to play the guitar and it just hit me so hard. Especially acoustic versions. So glad you did this one.
Just close your eyes and prepare to go places. Probably the best guitar album of the 90s and one of the sweetest melodies of that era. That song is magic.
My most favorite Pumpkins song by far!! Holy crap…..great song to cover. This has always been one of my favorites from the entire era for how well it mixed and played with tonality to drive the emotion into it. The melodic and sweet to the crunch and back to the sweet and melodic…..with a spacey phased solo in there to soar on. This is great analysis on Billy’s strengths that drive this song. As usual I’ve never thought about the singing much. But this approach mixing in with what the instruments are doing has always just made this song soar and fly.
YES YES YES!! I'm so happy that you get to know the Smashing Pumpkins and experience their genius. Billy's voice is admittedly not for everyone, but I absolutely love it. And his music writing is unlike anyone else. The range of ballads to heavy metal and everything in between and the way he can seamlessly travel that gamut is unlike any others.
I endorse this recommendation - but I would also endorse “Today” as a “feel-good” song and an antithesis to “Tonight, Tonight” which Elizabeth already analyzed. {update: maybe it’s not such a feel good song, after listening to it and the lyrics again}
This has always been one of my favorites. I was at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in Biloxi, MS on April 8, 1994... the day they found Kurt Cobain dead. I heard the news while in the crowd at the show... Billy was always a little unpredictable on stage back in the day, but he was extraordinarily emotional on this night. For the first encore, he emerged from backstage wearing an orange knit cardigan, eerily similar to the ones that Kurt would often wear and he played this song. Always been one of my favorites.
Siamese Dream is one of the greatest albums ever recorded in music history. Its nails, front to back. Absolute masterpiece.
Mellon Collie is much better.
@dmitryowens Mellon Collie had some amazing songs, even on the more experimental second disk. However, I think Siamese Dreams was a better complete album, in terms of overall theme and how the songs fit together...
@@Dad.by.Daylight 100%. Mellon Collie has some great tracks, but several skippable moments. had it been a single disk we might be having a different discussion. Siamese dream is solid gold from start to finish.
So true
@@jp1170 One BILLION percent agree with you on this.
Billy’s voice is bleu cheese. Sharp and off-putting to the unfamiliar, but rich and complex to those that love and revel in it
GREAT analogy
Good analogy, but I'd go further. It's like camambert or limberger. Either you love all of the complexity and nuance, or it's the most vile thing you've ever experienced.
Perfect analogy.
I love karaoke, and Smashing Pumpkins are one of my all time favorite bands, yet Corgain is one of the more challenging to get just right since it's so unique/unusual.
DAMN
I don’t always listen to The Smashing Pumpkins but when I do, my neighbors do too. 🤗
Yessir.
*_"When I can, I will."_*
Right on.
Lololo I relate 😂
So well said! It's so true!!
So glad you chose "Mayonaise!" If you had asked me as a teenager in 1993 to name my top 10 favorite songs, this one would have been in it. Now, over 30yrs later, it still is!
Samezies❤
OMG!!! Seriously!!! This is my all time favorite Pumpkins song. I still have the CD with the July 26, 1993 Siamese Dream release party at Tower Records. I was there with a few buddies. The Pumpkins performed an acoustic set and I just fell in love with this song. Can’t wait to hear what you have to say (good or bad).
Shoegazers Unite!!
The Tower release Concert is on line. Great Live video !!
@@carlysoprano8677 I got my Loveless CD next to my Siamese Dream CD!
Siamese dream is the Goat
I was at that release party - I still have my signed CD!
Man there is no way to replicate hearing this song when it was new. This entire album. So amazing full of emotions and that classic smooth distortion. It was such an amazing time for music.
💯
I still hear it as if I were 20, although albums like this had such an impact, they can get lost in the present.
Overdrive pedal, boss, that yellow one. One of my "friends" stole from me 25 years ago. Must have on your arsenal!
@@EpicBundy Biggmuffs. Ive built transistor and opamp versions. Ive found the opamp versions to give the closest to SP sound.
Agreed. It wasn’t like anything else.
One of the all time greatest albums, listen to it from start to finish, you wont be disappointed. I was 17 when this came out, soundtrack to my wreckless, hedonistic youth, kicks me with nostalgia everytime i hear a track from Siamese Dream.
Same same same
Amen
I was 18!🤘🏼
I’m so glad you are showing love to The Smashing Pumpkins. There are many many of us to whom the Smashing Pumpkins were and are incredibly important in our musical journeys.
“The band can get very loud and have intensity and a certain gnarly edge to it, but then there’s this soft, REALLY personal side.” Great summary of the Pumpkins in a nutshell.
Geek USA is the perfect example.
The Smashing Pumpkins have a way to conjure up the feeling of nostalgia, in a very deep form. It hurts, but also feels good.
Agreed. I’m nostalgic to a fault (almost a bit masochistic, haha!) but the pain always does my soul good to reconnect with my past self in a way. The pain is healing if that makes sense 😢
@ amen brother. Amen.
Soma. It won't disappoint
SOMA!
Yup, Soma just has to be it.
That song KILLS me every time I hear it… Siamese Dream is their Magnum opus
You can close your eyes and listen to it in the dark and it is as close to a time machine back to 1993 as you will get.
Absolutely Soma. Probably my favorite song ever.
I bought this album the day it was released. Since then, it has been my favorite Smashing Pumpkins song and in my top 5 favorite songs of all time. The layering on the instruments and vocals. The way the vocals quickly yet gently slide from the back to front of the pallet and the back again. The Shakespearean message of to thy self be true. "I just want to be me and when I can, I will" has been my mantra since the first time I heard the song. And no lie, it can be really hard just to be yourself.
I don’t know why, but this song usually makes me cry. I really appreciate your thoughtful and empathic analyses. I always find new depths to my favorite songs after watching your videos. Much respect.
Same
Me too. And I don't know why either. Great stuff.
It's a full on journey! From the very open cord
Well, it's about the misery of his childhood being abandoned by his parents and abused by his step mother and trying to protect his little brother, so it IS quite tragic.
@@patrickgriffiths889unless you believe Billy when he says the lyrics are just rhyming couplets he wrote and put together without any real meaning behind them.
Every single time with that opening guitar riff. It’s like a little slice of heaven. Really one of my favorite opening guitar sections. Absolutely incredible.
Oh man, SP's portfolio is so huge and extraordinary. You're gonna have so much fun discovering it!
Fans voted for this as the number 1 favourite song in a Rolling Stone poll. So I'm not surprised this was the most requested song on your channel too! It's my all time favourite song of SP. It has been since I was a teenager in the 90s. I only knew one other person who loved the song so it was nice to find out that I wasn't alone by any means with so many other fans loving it too. The chord progression is what makes this song, put together by James Iha.
I did a double take when I saw that you did MAYONAISE. Omg. The best Pumpkins song. So excited to watch!
"This song gives me the feels, it makes me want to be a better person." -Liz. Couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you for this.
It wasn't officially a single from Mellon Collie, but "Muzzle" is lowkey my favorite Pumpkins song.
High key favorite. That song is brilliant.
I’ve been a Pumpkins fan for 33 years and always kind of “liked” Muzzle but they did it as an encore the last time I saw them live and now it’s one of my all-time faves as well.
Such a great song. I remember towards the end of the album cycle Muzzle naturally became a single on the radio. At least in Southern California. I love this damn band so much.
I learned the whole album, every single song, by heart when it was released. Muzzle was definitely one of their best song ever.
Supposedly the Record label wanted Muzzle as a single but Billy didn't. That's why it was originally played on radio stations as a single.
Aww, I just saw them live last weekend and this song brought me to tears 🥹 Definitely my favorite Pumpkins song.
My favorite Pumpkins song, I cannot wait for this reaction!
I did a presentation on this song for my Junior English class in high school back in 93/94, feels like a lifetime ago. It's such an iconic part of my teenage years.
All I heard were their common radio tunes. I liked all of them but never did listen to any albums, even up to now.
Adding to 'watch later'.
I was also a Junior in 93/94! 👊
It amazes me that when I was 14 yrs old and heard Smashing Pumpkins for the first time, I did not know anything about music. I did not know that the guitars made me feel nostalgic. I did not know that Billy could switch his air and muscle control so well. All I knew was that they were awesome and made me feel things that Indidn't feel listening to other music. Thank you, Elizabeth, for finally putting into words what it is that the band does to make us all feel the things we do.
This song instantly transports me back to the 90's. Love this song so much.
Absolutely
Hands down my favorite Pumpkin song. Nostalgia is absolutely the feel of the song. Combine that with this being the pinnacle of my youth this song hits home in such a way that I'm transported back to the mid 90's. Listening to this, I can feel everything I felt at that age. So nostalgic I tear up. Such an amazing song. Thank you Billy Corgan. Thank you James Iha.
This is literally the greatest song of the 90s. I would listen to this with headphones and just close my eyes and let the music take me.
Music is magical
@@Kyles_Money I don't think I could ever pick just one but I wouldn't argue with anyone who picks Mayonaise.
Thank you so much for reviewing this song. It wasn't expected because it never got much air play and not many people know about it, save for the real TSP fans. It has one of the most beautiful and melodic intros and outros ever. Even the distorted verses have an underlying wave of melody that pulls you along, saying don't be afraid of the rip tide. I really appreciate your description of the different parts of this song. For me ... This song IS a nostalgic swim back in time to a place where my world was completely different. It is my all-time favorite song for that reason, because every time I hear it I'm right back there in the moment, when everything was possible, even though I was fool enough to almost be it, cool enough to not quite see it. 🙌
Quick correction anyone listening at their height and into grunge alternative…. Definitely a well known track by any SP fan. Back when we actually bought physical CDs 💿 We didn’t really listen to radio was mostly the “pop” charts
If you want to hear another side of Corgan after hearing this, his cover of Landslide by Fleetwood Mac would be a great place to find that
Saw him play it live the other week in São Paulo, in Brazil.
Yes
Also Stumbleine, similar vibes
It’s the same side
I feel like she should start exploring some of their heavier sound next.
Amazing analysis. Love that you really gave this a good shot without judging Billy’s voice negatively. Disarm and Bullet with Butterfly Wings next!!!!
Porcelina of the vast oceans is my favourite
Rock around the clock is mine!
Porcelina is a good one indeed.
Porcelina is like the GOAT in such a weird way.
I think Cupid, Galapogos, Muzzle, and Porcelina is one of the best 4 song runs on any album that I have listened to.
That insane feedback Corgan is playing with in Porcelina is just divine.
It makes my heart happy to see someone enjoy this song as much as us pumpkin fans do. The best part of this entire album, is the fact that the best written songs never made radio AirPlay. So to know it is to know a lot.
I would rank their non-radioplayed songs in this order:
Mayonnaise
Hummer
Geek, USA
Space boy
Soma
It's just a great album and someone like you would really appreciate it.
My favorite Pumpkins song! I'd have to guess so many people suggested it simply because it's such a beautiful and heartfelt song, in addition to being a great showcase for Billy's voice.
13:40 He used a late 60’s Teisco produced Kimberly Kay (2 pickup version). It uses gold foil pickups that were never meant to be distorted. They’re microphonic, so they squeal easily when you stop playing. I have the exact same model and green color as Billy’s. Photos available on my X account under the same name.
He always said it was bc it was a cheap guitar. But it's bc it uses gold foil pickups? Wouldn't that be more expensive than other pickups?
The gold foil pickups were, as OP said, were for the clean playing of the time (early 60’s) and not wrapped with copper wire and waxed.
So when plugged into a Marshall JCM800 and (probably) facing the speakers, you get tremendous feedback, especially when you aren’t playing.
Genius incorporation.
BTW, just because it’s gold foil doesn’t make it expensive. Just a technology of the time.
YASSS!! Finally a deeper vocal analysis of Billy's style (people don't understand how intentional he is). But can we just address Billy's poetic genius on this one?? I mean, all his lyrics are beautiful, but this one just hits.
Fool enough to almost be it
Cool enough to not quite see it
Doomed
Pick your pocket, full of sorrow
And run away with me tomorrow
June
We'll try and ease the pain
But somehow, we'll feel the same
Well, no one knows
Where our secrets go
I send a heart to all my dearies
When your life is so, so dreary
Dream
I'm rumored to the straight and narrow
While the harlots of my perils
Scream
And I fail
But when I can, I will
Try to understand
That when I can, I will
Mother, weep the years I'm missing
All our time can't be given
Back
Shut my mouth and strike the demons
That cursed you and your reasons
Out of hand and out of season
Out of love and out of feeling
So bad
When I can, I will
Words defy the plans
When I can, I will
Fool enough to almost be it
And cool enough to not quite see it
And old enough to always feel this
Always old, I'll always feel this
No more promise, no more sorrow
No longer will I follow
Can anybody hear me?
I just want to be me
And when I can, I will
Try to understand
That when I can, I will
Yeah, Billy is a legit genius. Between his wrestling career and other things, he shines.He also wrote all of this music.
You're wrong there. This is one of the few tunes that James Iha brought to the table. James wrote the intro arpeggios (basically all the chords used in the song) and Billy added the rest. A rare collaboration and much lived of course @@pestilentfellow3609
Thank you so, so much for reacting to and analyzing this song. The Pumpkins mean so much to me, and though there are SO many songs I feel deeply connected to, if there was one single song I think of when I think of the Pumpkins, this is the one. A true Pumpkins masterpiece.
Smashing Pumpkins made the most beautiful music. There are hidden gems like In The Arms Of Sleep or several other songs in the Mellon Collie album. This band brings me back to my teen years. Thanks for the video.
Mayonaise is probably my favourite song of all time. I can listen to it over and over again and keep getting emotional.
Through the Eyes of Ruby is an absolute banger of a Smashing Pumpkins song
100% this. It was a slow burn for me over the years, but now it’s my favorite song from them.
Totally underated and possibly my fav by pumpkins
My all time favorite song as well
Easy top 5 SP song for me!
@@RyanShaw_ThatShawGuy Same, I think it has settled itself as my favourite, among so many really strong contenders. There's a certain category of SP song that's spacey and soaring and fluffy and heavy all at once and Ruby is the perfected expression of it.
Listened to this entire album so many times riding with my best friend. We blasted this everywhere we went. He died in a wreck in 1995 at 16, i was 17. It's a bittersweet listen and so gd nostalgic, it hurts but it hurts so good.
"Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins"
"Homer Simpson, smiling politely" 😂
It’s 1996 all over again!
😂
"no more promise, no more sorrow; no longer will i follow; can anybody hear me?; i just want to be, me" incredible
Excited. Yesss
Hummer is also great
Love 💕
YESS! Do the version off their live album release party @ Tower Records
This has been one of my favorite songs for nearly 30 years and the way you analyzed it made me see even more in it. Thank you!
I was such a huge Pumpkins fan when I was a teenager in the '90s. (I still am a huge fan.)
Listening to this song brings me back to the days when my weird friend group consisting of band geeks, goths, and burnouts, would hang out in the corner of the school cafeteria, listening to Siamese Dream through shared headphones.
We'd cry, we'd try to give each other words of wisdom, and we'd bond over this amazing band.
Sadly, two of these precious friends died way too young.
I cry when I hear this song, but it also brings back such wonderful memories.
Thank you for analyzing this song. It mean so much.
Cant tell you how much joy i feel hearing your interpretations and analysis of my favorite band for 30 years. Those of us die hard fans sometimes feel like no one really sees or appreciates how much beauty is in the pumpkins canon. Thank you for shining a light on it with ur incredible incite!
My favorite Smashing Pumpkins song. Funny, you mention nostalgia! Always got that feeling from the song and it’s amplified a million times revisiting this song and why it’s so great 30 years down the road. Memories of triumph and pain, hope and sadness, and longing for days long past all rushing in at once.
Well said
This is one of my all time favorite songs, and you nailed it! This is one of those songs like Everlong that touches something deep. Please do Soma too!!! Pretty pretty pretty please!!!!!
I really connected to both those songs more than most. The intro to Everlong, so good.
There are so many Smashing Pumpkins songs and this is the best one!
it’s a close second for me. I think Porcenlina of the vast oceans is the perfect SP song
OMG I was so happy when you did Tonight, Tonight. I saw all the suggestions in the comments, and while many great songs were recommended, I was bummed that nobody was recommending my favorite SP song. Lo and behold, it’s your next SP reaction. Love your work!
This entire album is a sonic journey and this has become one of my favorite song reactions you have done recently. I am looking forward to more of your pumpkins deep dives! One of my most favorite songs from the album that I don't believe was ever a single is Geek U.S.A and would be amazing to watch you analyze. That song has so much propulsion to it and it feels like you are on a non-stop spiraling roller coaster that just sucks you into it until you hit bottom and then just float. I'll never forget the liner notes lyrics page, where Billy wrote the lyrics out in a spiral and it just captured so much of what the song feels like sonically. So impactful.
Perfectly described and one of my all time faves, with an incredible drum performance to boot, by one of the greatest working drummers out there.
this album hit different back in the 90s. it was one of my favorites ever since
This was such a great episode…. Such a great episode… Thank you!!!!
Thanks for this.
One of the most beautiful songs ever, and perfect for this late autumn season. ❤
So excited you went with Mayonaise, my personal favorite. LETS GO! 🎉😊
The drive from the distortion in the guitar with Billy's nasal tone able to cut through that sound wall is just the perfect combo.
The memories from this era are so good I played this album into oblivion in my compact disc player as a kid.
❤ 🔥 ❤ 🔥 ❤
Your ability to quickly move from shock and abject horror to fully bought-in is really commendable and an admirable quality to have.
Best Smashing Pumpkins song EVER!!!!
I've bought this cassette in 1993
Wore it out 😂
I love how much you totally GET The Smashing Pumpkins! The intro does indeed sound like someone noodling on guitar - in a dark quiet summer night in '93.
It's a longshot, but I really think she'd appreciate "Drown", which is the song that got me into the Pumpkins, my personal favorite of their songs
That whole soundtrack for Singles is amazing
Hell's Yes
I think it's funny how the last 2-3 minutes of Drown really feel like Billy saying, "let's make sure this is never on the radio." 😂
Yes! "Drown" and "Rhinoceros" are my favorite earlier Pumpkins tracks.
Yes! With the disclaimer that the longer version has a few minutes of experimental distortion soundscape at the end because Billy gonna Billy.
Hearing this song as a kid started my life-long love of music. I had so many unintentional Corganisms in my singing voice until I learned to train them out. His vocal dynamic is still such a huge inspiration for me
Thank you for diving more into The Smashing Pumpkins recently!
I’d love to see you analyze their song “Bodies” next. His harsh vocals go straight into his fluffy aoli sound in the choruses, and it sounds like a magic trick to me
When I was a kid, they were my favorite band. The first time I got tickets to see them live was my freshman year of high school. My dad picked me up from school to drive to Universal Amphitheater. When I got in the car, Billy Corgan was making an appearance on KROQ to plug the show that night. A few minutes into the interview, Billy announced that Smashing Pumpkins were breaking up. I was all kinds of emotional that night. The final song they played in their second encore was "Mayonaise." It was already my favorite song, but to end on it in what was at the time their final appearance in LA, just made it that much more special to me.
Undisputed best of the Smashing Pumpkins. Man this brought back some amazing memories
I'm an 80's teenager and I didn't know how much I needed grunge for my musical soul. It came straight to the heart, no big hair, no big pose, artists breaking the rules in protest, singing about the deep and ugly things that were forgotten or left out of music for so long. Eddie and Kurt broke my heart, made me face my own ugly side, and I thank them dearly for it. Grunge changed me, and for whatever people might say about it, the impact it had on so many people's souls including mine, it was something I had never experienced and have not since. THANK YOU for giving it the credit it deserves.
Why are you talking about grunge on a Pumpkins video?
@@jedMcHiggins Shortly ago I heard her say she was investigating grunge, for whatever they belong or not, I decided to share my thoughts at this moment, cause something in the video reminded me of it. Nothing more fancy than that. Cheers.
@@jedMcHigginsIn some sources Smashing Pumpkins are listed one of the grunge bands.
So glad you did this one. It is the one I would have chosen for your first SP song. My favorite SP song by far, and I love them all!
OH MY GOD. I can't believe she is doing my favorite rock song of all time!
Some people are turned off by the "broken guitar" sound. I LOVE IT! It is like a scream in the middle of the song. Like when you are trying to say something in a thoughtful calm way but feel like screaming while you do it.
Great song. Billy Corgan wrote,played, and sang so many great songs it's hard to choose a favorite, but this is right up there. I love all the diff little layers in a pumpkins song, always a lot going on in the background. Pink Floyd of the grunge era
Well said.
This is honestly my favorite song of all time and got so exited when I saw this video on my notifications!
This is gonna be good. I'm not a massive fan of Smashing Pumpkins, but Siamese Dream is a classic from start to finish. One of the very best of the decade.
Siamese Dream is an amazing album. I'm an even bigger fan of Gish, their debut album... but both are undoubtedly great. I personally think they went downhill after Siamese Dream, but to each their own I guess :)
Smashing Pumpkins will always be my favorite band, Billy just wrote masterpieces back to back when he was younger, and now that he's older he's so much more consistent in his live performances. All around a fantastic band.
I think she needs to hear some of their harder stuff... like "Zero".... or "X.Y.U"... just to get the full range of Pumpkins music.... but also EVERYTHING they do is fascinating - you can't go wrong! My favorite of theirs is "Thirty Three"... "1979" and "Disarm" and "Today" are imperative to hear... I mean, whatever she listens to next is going to be great! I'm so happy you're getting into the Pumpkins, Elizabeth!!!
I know it’s a “soundtrack” song but The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning never gets any love.
She'll need to listen to 10+ songs to get their "full" range 😂
I'd go with Cherub Rock next. 1979 would be a cool one for her to check out after a harder one, though. Deep catalogue!
@@o0Donuts0o Eye is another one like that people overlook
@@RyanEglitis True statement!!
So appreciate this, it's always cool seeing someone emotionally impacted by this song. Also that guitar sound and the story behind it, so unique.
Thank you SO very much for this. This song is sacred to me.
This song still hits me like it did when I first heard it all those years ago. I know this is a vocal analysis but what most people miss now new to listening to SP is the impact that Jimmys drumming had on those early recordings. His drumming is so musical and expressive which is a perfect match for Billys vocals, guitar playing and song writing.
Jimmy's playing is always perfect for the song. He's soooo good.
22:06 I think the “sweeping sounds” in the guitar are coming from the Mu-Tron Bi-Phase, a very expensive effect pedal that was used extensively on this album.
No matter how many songs I listen to ,this still remain one of the best music experiences.What a wonderful tune,thanks for the video.:)
This is a landmark album. My favourite track is Soma, but all are perfect.
GREAT follow up choice!!! There is somethign totally magical about this song in particular, i'm glad that you noted it sounds nostalgic and it's not just distortion of memory (because i remember getting the same feeling hearing this the first time, in my bedroom alone, drowning in the melancholy fuzz, a teenager really exploring those emotions the first time.)
I lost a good music friend to his battle with alcohol last year. Smashing Pumpkins was the last thing he was sending me before he passed.
I've never heard this song before in my life, but it came on and my buddy was sitting next to me again for a second talking about how Jimmy Chamberlin started out as a jazz drummer... Telling me about playing music with his older brother while dad was stationed in Germany...
We went through our first 12 step together about ten years ago and played together at Celebrate Recovery for most of that ten years.
But he's in the Lord's hands now, and those are the best hands to be in.
Edit: Oh jeez. I just got to the part where we talked about the lyrics. Why do my eyes always get extra wet when I watch Elizabeth talk about music?
Sorry for your loss. Stay strong
You are the first trained voice/reaction channel I discovered, and there is no comparison. There are "voice coach" channels, and most of them have this wave of jidgement in both their commentary and expressions. You, are able to dissect these voice ranges and explain them in a way that is so beautiful and so thought-provoking, that I will never watch any other channel but yours. You are absolutely a professional, gifted, and open-minded to experience the true art.
You are a gift. And we get to receive your talent and education. I now see and hear music like never before.
Especially on midlife crisis, you pointed out the breaths and 3 syllables in crisis. You're brilliant.❤❤❤❤❤❤
This song feels like a warm blanket.
I just love how expressive your face is when you are listening.. it is the cutest thing :) Sorry, I’m new to your channel haha. The Pumpkins were the first band I REALLY FELT growing up in the 90’s. Changed my whole outlook on music.. Hummer is one of my favs of theirs!
Great video, loved the nuanced dive into Corgan's vocals and I recommend one of my favourites thru the eyes of ruby from smashing pupmkins album mellon collie and the infinite sadness!
+1 for Thru the Eyes of Ruby.
Thank you. This is one of my all-time favorite songs. Fun to watch someone experience it for the first time. I wish I could do the same all over again. Music is what feelings sound like. And this songs makes me feel so many things, even now, 31 years later I'm tearing up watching you respond to it.
My favorite Smashing Pumpkins song
Seeing the emotion on your face is awesome! That's how I've felt since I was 15, I'm 40 now LOL
Siamese Dream (release July 93) launched the SPs into superstardom. I was at Ohio State in 93 and the Pumpkins did a few warm up dates before the BIG SD tour. They did one in Columbus Ohio at a gogo club that held about 500 people (August 93'). I was there, against the stage, something I'll never forget. My ticket was printed on construction paper and hand numbered! God I wish I still had that ticket!
Was it the Newport?
This is my favorite video I've ever watched of yours, and I've seen a lot of them. Maybe it's because you have the same reaction that I did to the song. Love, Love, Love it. And you!
If you ever decide to do whole album analysis, Siamese Dream would be a great choice. It’s super cohesive and takes you on a ride. It’s one of those albums I put on and let play through without skipping around
Or at least listen to it through. It's a gorgeous album
I listen to Silverf*** on repeat. 😂
So excited to see you review this song. It is my favorite all time pumpkins song
As soon as she said "like a rocket is taking off" to describe the guitar solo at 22:28 I became desperate for her to analyze Rocket next. One of my faves ❤
I love how your analysis never fails to give me an even deeper appreciation for songs I've loved for many years. What an awesome gift to share with us! Mayonnaise was a great choice. For some harsh vocals from Billy, check out "Bullet with Butterfly wings."
Heck yes!!!! 😍
I'm so happy you covered this song and loved it!
Artist/Song Suggestion: Alanis Morrissette - Thank You... You like unique and iconic voices, none better than her in that regard. If not familiar she had a very unique style that set her apart in all the best ways in the late 90s. Other songs of hers to consider would be "You ought to know", "Ironic", "You Learn", "Uninvited" (this one stands out), basically she is a rabbit hole of amazingness.
Uninvited please
This And Harriet Wheeler Of the Sundays
@@petereyndhoven104 I think she would love Uninvited.
Seconded 👍
My favorite song! It came into my life when I was a teenager learning to play the guitar and it just hit me so hard. Especially acoustic versions. So glad you did this one.
Just close your eyes and prepare to go places. Probably the best guitar album of the 90s and one of the sweetest melodies of that era. That song is magic.
😂
My most favorite Pumpkins song by far!! Holy crap…..great song to cover.
This has always been one of my favorites from the entire era for how well it mixed and played with tonality to drive the emotion into it. The melodic and sweet to the crunch and back to the sweet and melodic…..with a spacey phased solo in there to soar on.
This is great analysis on Billy’s strengths that drive this song. As usual I’ve never thought about the singing much. But this approach mixing in with what the instruments are doing has always just made this song soar and fly.
A funeral song, wedding song, love, hate, all of it. I listen to this every few days
YES YES YES!! I'm so happy that you get to know the Smashing Pumpkins and experience their genius. Billy's voice is admittedly not for everyone, but I absolutely love it. And his music writing is unlike anyone else. The range of ballads to heavy metal and everything in between and the way he can seamlessly travel that gamut is unlike any others.
Please do Disarm next!
I endorse this recommendation - but I would also endorse “Today” as a “feel-good” song and an antithesis to “Tonight, Tonight” which Elizabeth already analyzed. {update: maybe it’s not such a feel good song, after listening to it and the lyrics again}
I love that song so damn much!!!
Ava Adore...its a great hit of the Smashing Pumpkins
Not really a feel good song... @@scottNNJ
@@josecuesta4519oh yes, both Disarm and Ava Adore are amazing 😊
This has always been one of my favorites. I was at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in Biloxi, MS on April 8, 1994... the day they found Kurt Cobain dead. I heard the news while in the crowd at the show... Billy was always a little unpredictable on stage back in the day, but he was extraordinarily emotional on this night. For the first encore, he emerged from backstage wearing an orange knit cardigan, eerily similar to the ones that Kurt would often wear and he played this song. Always been one of my favorites.