Shiny And Oh So Bright Vol. 1: No Past. No Future. No Sun. (studio album) by The Smashing Pumpkins

From Brad1770 12/22/2018 03:50

Pitchfork game this album an absolute caning , "There is nothing for you here. There is, in fact, almost nothing here at all " is one quote from the blisteringly negative review that ultimately gave it a 3.4 Score . Ouch !

On the other hand NME gave this album a great review and a rather glowing 8/10 score , quote: "Instead, it’s a showcase of songcraft that’s allowed to breathe and reveal itself. Bring on volume two. The dream lives on"

Mmmmmmm what to make of this ? Better check it out myself to make up my own mind so I did

Track 1:"Knights of Malta" - nice strings and swirly guitar and woah woah woahs , but still the worst "Knights" song committed to record . "Knights Of Cydonia" and "Knights In White Satin" still rule. TICK

Track 2: "Silvery Sometimes" - paint by numbers track. CROSS

Track 3: "Travels" - pretty awful. BIG CROSS

Track 4: "Solara" - sounds like a rocking 'Melancholi' B-Side. TICK

Track 5: "Alienation" - moving along at a marching beat this track isn't the worst here but still ... CROSS

Track 6: "Marching On" - speaking of marching this track sounds loud and angry but full of nothing. CROSS

Track 7: "With Sympathy" - yew just awful , worst track here . BIG CROSS

Track 8: "Seek and You Shall Destroy" - best saved for last , an OK- ish album closer . TICK

Verdict: 3 Ticks , 3 Crosses , 2 STINKERS

Pitchfork was right

35/100

From elo269megv 11/19/2018 23:22

This album is good but not great. It didn't blow me away, but I wasn't expecting it to. Better than Monuments and Zeitgeist. Probably on par with Oceania but much shorter. I'm content with this.

Top tracks: Marchin' On, Silvery Sometimes, Seek And You Shall Destroy, & Solara
Filler track: Alienation

From adnielsen 11/19/2018 22:27

Ever since the 1998 release of Adore, an underrated masterpiece, it seems that every forthcoming Smashing Pumpkins album is billed as a return to their original sound (Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie, and Gish) which Billy Corgan likes to arrogantly point out their original sound (pre-Gish) was more psychedelic and goth. This album sees the return of founding member, James Iha, along with drummer Jimmy Chamberline, and lead lunatic and Alex Jones BFF, William Patrick Corgan Jr. The lead singles “Solara” and “Silvery Sometimes” are solid if unspectacular songs on par with “Cash Car Star” or “Frail and Bedazzled” of yesteryear. The rest of the album is mostly ho-hum filler which is crazy to say since this album is only eight tracks. The production is pretty slick and the Pumpkins sound clear and rehearsed well like they did on their recent “reunion” tour. Before the Pumpkins “last show” on December 2, 2000, Corgan released the song “Untitled” free to fans and radio stations intended as a goodbye but also to prove that Corgan could still write songs that sound like the original Pumpkins of the Siamese Dream era. While he doesn’t want to admit that this is yet another attempt to show he can write songs like the good old days, that seems to be the goal. Against the standard of the era to which he is appealing, this is nowhere near the same level. Albums of outtakes such as Pisces Iscariot and The Aeroplane Flies High are way more interesting and addictive compared to this deflated version of a previously great band.

Not quite on par with their Mellon Collie or Siamese Dream, but around the quality level of Gish. I like all of the songs, even if they don't fit together as a cohesive whole. Very enjoyable, but slightly uneven.

I wasn't expecting it to be this enjoyable. What a nice surprise