The Smashing Pumpkins
didn't shy away from making the follow-up to the grand, intricate
Siamese Dream
. With
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
, the band turns in one of the most ambitious and indulgent albums in
rock
history. Lasting over two hours and featuring 28 songs, the album is certainly a challenging listen. To
Billy Corgan
's credit, it's a rewarding and compelling one as well. Although the artistic scope of the album is immense,
the Smashing Pumpkins
flourish in such an overblown setting.
Corgan
's songwriting has never been limited by conventional notions of what a
band can do, even if it is clear that he draws inspiration from scores of '70s
heavy metal
and
art rock
bands. Instead of copying the sounds of his favorite records, he expands on their ideas, making the gentle piano of the title track and the sighing
"1979"
sit comfortably against the volcanic rush of
"Jellybelly"
"Zero."
In between those two extremes lies an array of musical styles, drawing from
,
pop
folk
, and
classical
. Some of the songs don't work as well as others, but
Mellon Collie
never seems to drag. Occasionally they fall flat on their face, but over the entire album,
prove that they are one of the more creative and consistent bands of the '90s. [A clean version of the album was also released.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine