Alternative Press
Thanks to Eve for sending this review.
While the Smashing Pumpkins double album mellon collie and the Infinite Sadness took the frontal lobes of generation X by storm only about a single discs worth of material truly resonated. Eliminate the tales of woe, nostalgia and dolphins and Collie burned out of control like devils night in detroit. the Pumpkins best moments were as a burning bright rock band; much of this was due to jimmy Chamberlin's furious yet complex sense of slam. But Chamberlin's much publicized dismissal, as well as founder Billy Corgan's reputed interest in sequenced electronics, seemed to hint at new vistas for the band. EYE the pumpkins excellent song on the Lost Highway soundtrack, seemed like a good sign for the bands future direction.
Unfortunately, Adore contains neither fist pumping air-guitar epiphanies nor revelations of uncharted electronic territories. Nitzer Ebb co-founder Bon Harris appears on the album, but any major contribution he may have made seems to have been left on the hard disc editing unit. the lyrics on Adore make good fodder for high school break up notes (You were never meant to belong to me, intones Corgan on Crestfallen) and little else. Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretsky and guitarist james Iha have captured the attention of the fickle mainstream modern rock audience, and they always insist on making these useless visits to their obvious FM radio roots. People who paid 85 dollars to see the Eagles don't want to hear Smashing Pumpkins, and smart young folk who need the affirming power of Silverfuck rather than rewrites of their parents moody Blues records.
Adore begins with the overwrought acoustic ballad To Sheila that sets the lachrymose tone of the whole album. It's then followed by the discs most propulsive track, the midtempo, loop driven Ava Adore. You'll always be my whore/the one that I adore, Corgan spits in his patented nasal sneer, in Adores only moment of seething. Perfect, Daphne Descends nd Appels and Oranjes all sound like country rock being genre spliced by the Pet Shop Boys mentor Stephen Hague for inclusion on the soundtrack to the Wedding Singer. the six minute Tear sports booming drums and mellotron breaks that were thrown out of King Crimsons court years ago.
Besides the aforementioned Ava Adore, there are few interesting textural moments (read: non-rock) to be had within Adore. Annie Dog has a loose Sunday morning practice space jam, with electric piano and Corgan's fragile roll out of bed and into 1973 vocals. Shame has a wobbly post punk feel, as if the church were covering the post Bauhaus band Tones on Tails. Blank page is a demo-quality take on exorcising the ghost of John Lennon (imagine) but Corgan's trips to the whine bar detract from the songs orchestral beauty. The processed crackling Piano Solo is worth more terrain than its measly 17 seconds, and it wouldn't be out of place on Brains Enos Here Come the Warm Jets. Enthusiasts of sensitive balladry would be better served by the posthumous Jeff Buckly collection Sketches than they would be by Adore. Simply put Smashing Pumpkins aren't john len non or Big Star. And at this stage of the game-to use the only patented lyrical rock cliche Mr. corgan has missed-they probably don't even know themselves. the filler in you brings out the killer in me, maaaah luvvv... -Jason Petigrew