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THE REVIEW
PISCES ISCARIOT: songs without promises and without pretensions. In other words: remembering to start again. I wish everything would start again like this.
Writing something about 'Pisces Iscariot' on the eve of a reunion of the Chicago group (www.smashingpumpkins.com) can be very enlightening on what the premises might be (should be). Starting over, going back to when everything was so simple, so straightforward. No super-worldwide rock band, no millenarian saga, no concentrated despair from dusk till dawn, no god machines, and no zeros.
A guitar riff placed there by chance, a breath that can make us soar with the lightness of a feather, the boisterous energy of four kids who just want to play together. And that's it. Talking about love, daily anxieties like getting married or growing up, flying away over snowy hills, fallen kites. All this is 'Pisces Iscariot', songs that have no pretense, not even that of being published, but "all special for the heart", as a boy with a bad haircut named Billy Corgan once said.
Songs that don't say anything new because they don't want to, randomly collected from B-sides of 'Siamese Dream' (1993) and 'Gish' (1991) and demos recorded in an old apartment, with the sound of the 7 a.m. bus disrupting the sound ("soothe"). Melancholy without endless sadness ("obscured"), sweetness without rain ("whir"), James Iha's slightly distorted folk ("blew away"), sonic chaos ("frail and bedazzled", "hello kitty kat"), random mistakes left there to settle ("plume", "la dolly vita"), covers with the fear of change ("landslide", Fleetwood Mac) and the desire to make noise ("a girl named Sandoz", Animals), experimentalism for fun and without epic ("starla", "spaced"). A booklet written with an old typewriter and many typos takes us back to times of sincere confusion, when without beating around the bush and without fear of being judged one could say "fuck those who will never understand. love, peace, empathy, desire, nastiness, and joy. 2007".
2007: I wish everything would start again like this, with a handful of songs made to be with you just a little during a velvet morning...
"she doesn't know I stole my smile from an unreal cat and all I wanted was to be a man and since I gave up I feel free"
("Frail and bedazzled", translation from www.pumpkins.it)
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Summary by Bot
Pisces Iscariot by Smashing Pumpkins is celebrated as a raw and heartfelt collection of B-sides and demos, capturing the simplicity and youthful energy of the band. The album reflects themes of love, growing up, and personal struggles without pretension. It contrasts with the band's massive fame by returning to an unpolished and genuine approach. The review highlights the emotional depth and musical variety, from folk to sonic chaos. Overall, it marks a hopeful restart and a tribute to sincere expression.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
The Smashing Pumpkins
American alternative rock band formed in Chicago and led by Billy Corgan, famed for 1990s albums such as Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.50 Reviews
Other reviews
By ILDonk
Pisces Iscariot for me is the ultimate of the pumpkins, it has something magical that captivates me every time I listen to it.
At first glance, a simple collection of b-sides. For me, it is the episode where the best of pumpkin production can be found.
By bellycorgan
"Pisces Iscariot represents the transitional moment between two great albums, Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness."
"A collection of outtakes/B-sides that testify to an unrepeatable phase of grace of a band not yet overwhelmed by the negative effects of popularity and commercial logic."
