It took the better part of a decade and a myriad of line-up changes to pull it off, but with the release of last year's "Oceania," Billy Corgan finally achieved commercial and critical acceptance again with The Smashing Pumpkins. As alternative rock's self-appointed curmudgeon, Corgan has fought an uphill battle to be taken seriously for decades now, and it's with that mindset that he took to the road with his current line-up (Jeff Schroeder on guitar, Nicole Fiorentino on bass and Mike Byrne on drums) and an expansive (and expensive) stage set-up to perform "Oceania" in its entirety, from front to back, night after night. Whether they wanted to or not, audiences would have to ultimately accept this version of the Pumpkins as the real deal. This set captures their December 10th performance in New York City, completely unedited at 24 tracks long.
Sounds like: A healthy compromise of Corgan's past and his vision for the future.
The Good:
- Not only are you getting the rock-solid "Oceania" in its entirety, but a good chunk of Pumpkins classics. The second half of the set is as devoted to well-worn radio staples like "Disarm" and "Tonight, Tonight" as it is to slightly deeper cuts like "X.Y.U." and "Hummer." - The "new" Pumpkins more than hold their own, effortlessly pulling off "Oceania" while giving new life so the classics as well.
- The visuals are a real treat, especially during "Tonight, Tonight" which recalls the song's iconic music video.
The Bad:
- Billy's skin-tight wrestling shirt gives way to copious amounts of muffin top and coin-slot. Next time, leave the skin-tight outfits to Nicole.
- Billy is clearly phoning it in on the likes of "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" and "Cherub Rock." Don't like playing the Pumpkins tunes? Stop calling it Pumpkins. It's time to reconcile what you think the band should be and what everyone else wants it to be.
- Pointless cut-scenes of the New York Subway system in action are vexing. This visual addendum has all the appeal of a high-school student's film-class project.
Hits:
- New track, "The Dream Machine" is absolutely stunning. A big, bold and moody prog-rock jam that recalls the lost "Gossamer" and "As Rome Burns." Even if this song never gets recorded, you get a professionally recorded version of it with this set.
- The "Oceania" title-track surpasses its studio counterpart, which gives hope to this "young" band's future.
- The set closes out with "Hummer" (before the prerequisite encore, of course). Let that sink in for a second. "Hummer." The only song that would have made for a better exit would be "Mayonaise." Sometimes, just sometimes, Billy really knows how to reconnect with his past.
Misses:
- A cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" is fine and all, but with so many Pumpkins classics to sift through, it seems a waste of time. It works well in transitioning from the "Oceania" material to the "Classic" set, but perhaps this is where "Starla" could have fit in.
- Nothing from "Gish" or either of the two "Machina" albums. For shame Billy, for sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-shame. Then again, nothing from "Teargarden," so that's something, right?
Best Seen When: You have some nostalgia pains but want to hear something current at the same time.
Personally: The Smashing Pumpkins have always been a favorite and all criticisms aside, Billy Corgan is still one of the greatest song-writers of his era. Having seen this exact same show in Portland, ME (minus the orb), it's a nice treat to have this memento. Granted, as far as all-time greatest Pumpkins shows go, you could do better. Check out the '93 Metro show from the "Siamese Dream" re-issue for proof.
The Bottom Line(s): The "Oceania" tour was a nice compromise between old and new Pumpkins, and if you still nurse a soft spot for the "Siamese Dream"/"Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness" days, this performance is likely to win you over.
