Музыка и песни Smashing Pumpkins, The / Smashing Pumpkins, The

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Artist: the Smashing Pumpkins Label: Napalm Records (Universal Music)

Artist: The Smashing Pumpkins Label: Napalm Records

SMASHING PUMPKINS RARE LIVE UNPLUGGED BROADCAST PERFORMANCES Formed in 1988 in Chicago by Billy Corgan (lead vocals, guitar), D'arcy Wretzky (bass guitar), James Iha (guitar), and Jimmy Chamberlin (drums), The Smashing Pumpkins disavowed the punk ethic of many of their alt-rock contemporaries, developing quickly a diverse, densely layered, and guitar-heavy sound, containing elements of gothic rock, heavy metal, dream pop, psychedelia, prog, shoegazing, and, in later recordings, electronica. With Corgan as the group's primary songwriter with his musical ambitions and cathartic lyrics, he shaped the band's albums and songs, which have been described as "anguished and bruised, straight from Billy Corgan's nightmares". The Pumpkins broke into the mainstream with their second album, 1993 s Siamese Dream; the release reached No.10 on the Billboard chart and eventually sold over 5 million copies in the US alone. In support of the record the band toured extensively and performed for the cameras too on a number of occasions, largely playing Unplugged and fully acoustic at such events. This CD collects together a number of these acoustic performances, recorded for live transmission during 1993, which illustrates just how strong the Pumpkins compositions are, that in a stripped down live setting they have the same dynamic force as in their original studio versions. Bonus cuts here, feature a further acoustic performance from 1991, recorded while the band were promoting their debut, Gish.

RADIO BROADCAST RECORDING FROM SMASHING PUMPKINS ADORE TOUR Recorded following the death of Billy Corgan's mother, and in the wake of his divorce, 1998's Adore represented a significant change of style from the Smashing Pumpkins' previous guitar-based rock, veering into electronica. The record, cut with assistance from drum machines and studio drummers including Matt Walker from Filter, was infused with a darker aesthetic than much of the band's earlier work. The group also modified its public image, shedding its alternative rock look for a more subdued appearance. Although Adore received favourable reviews and was nominated for Best Alternative Performance at the Grammy Awards, the album had only sold about 830,000 copies in the United States by the end of the year. It nonetheless sold three times as many copies overseas. The band began a seventeen-date, fifteen-city charity North American tour in support of Adore. At each stop on such, the band donated 100 percent of tickets sales to a local charity organization. The Pumpkins also played 14 dates overseas and in Canada, one of which, on 19th of July, was at the Chum City Building in Toronto, the headquarters of Bell Media. This CD features the full show the Smashing Pumpkins performed at this venue on the date in question, where they put on an extraordinary gig, including cuts from the new record alongside a host of tracks from previous albums. Included too as bonus cuts on this CD, two tracks from the Smashing Pumpkins set at Neil Young s Bridge School Benefit show from the previous year, when they performed alongside Marilyn Manson.