Album: Smashing Pumpkins - Pisces Iscariot (1994)14 tracks / 57:26
Acquired: December 2006
Guitars, vocals: Billy Corgan
Guitars (and vocals in #5): James Iha
Bass: D'arcy Wretzky
Drums: Jimmy Chamberlin
Pisces Iscariot is not a full-length album but instead a compilation of B-sides and outtakes from the previous two albums. The result is a collection of interesting songs that don't make a whole as cohesive as the previous two albums did. However, the cover songs that the band recorded add some curiosity value, because even though Smashing Pumpkins have done some covers throughout their career, recorded ones are not that commonplace outside bootleg recordings and live shows.
The biggest problem with Pisces Iscariot is that it lacks the great hit song. It is packed with pretty good songs, some of which are my personal favorites, but I still feel that it could've used some better material. But on the other hand, if the album is full of songs that didn't make it to the albums or were only filler material for the single releases, it's kinda expected.
1. Soothe (2:36)
(Billy Corgan)
The compilation opens with a short and aptly titled "Soothe". A peaceful, acoustic piece with soft vocals. This B-side of "Disarm" (from Siamese Dream) works as a soft introduction to the album, and though the song really doesn't go anywhere, and the album could've used a song less mellow to kickstart it, there is really hard to find anything bad from it. It's a little dull, if anything.
7/10
2. Frail and Bedazzled (3:17)
(Billy Corgan)
Now we're talking! Kicking with rumbling Chamberlin drumming, powerful riffing and those trademark Pumpkin leads. Apparently this song didn't have what it takes to end up in Siamese Dream, but one can clearly hear that sound-wise it could fit in there perfectly. I guess in Siamese Dream, this song would've felt more of a faceless filler track, whereas it receives more attention as a first real rocker in this compilation. A neat Smashing Pumpkins regular.
8/10
3. Plume (3:37)
(Billy Corgan, James Iha)
A slower, groovier track that includes one of the greatest single pieces of lyric Billy Corgan has ever written: "My boredom has outshined the sun." A regular rock song trudging this slow has a potential to be dull and uninteresting, but the effects-heavy guitar leads make this song melodically interesting while the chorus manages to keep me entertained. "Plume" is one of those songs I couldn't name as one of my favorites, but every time I listen to it I remember I like it pretty much.
9/10
4. Whir (4:10)
(Billy Corgan)
Another Siamese Dream outtake, this time much lighter and mellower sounds and a more relaxed atmosphere full with acoustic guitars and soft surf guitar fills.
As the song progresses it becomes obvious why it ended up as a B-side: it has no real flaws, yet it lacks the kick and catchiness the Pumpkins is known for. An enjoyable piece, but maybe it was best for the album to scrap it - after all, it still ended up in this compilation where it receives more attention. Especially its outro that shifts to a slightly darker atmosphere before fading out works great.
8/10
5. Blew Away (3:32)
(James Iha)
Well, it makes sense why this song is an outtake. I guess a song composed by James Iha could end up in a Pumpkins album, if Billy the dictator was in a good mood, but definitely not a song sang by James. Billy's nasal vocals are the cornerstone of the Pumpkins sound, that's why even a great song with only a different singer sounds too out-of-place in the middle of an album.
This song is as cute as Pumpkins go, with Iha's somehow childlike vocals and mellow sounds. Then suddenly a heavily distorted guitar solo emerges and the song ends up with massive, shoegaze-style guitar chords.
Most likely not your favorite Pumpkins song, but in any case an enjoyable one.
8/10
6. Pissant (2:31)
(Billy Corgan)
"Pissant" is a real asskicker after all these more or less mellow tracks. Crunchy, heavily distorted guitar riffs pound away with the support of Chamberlin's feverish drumwork. The guitar solo here is very reminiscent of the solos from the later Pumpkins era, both sound- and harmony-wise, and I guess this is one of the earliest Pumpkins songs in which Billy has played solos like these.
The liner notes say that this song almost ended up in Siamese Dream, but Billy Corgan didn't see it fit there. I agree to some extent, though it would fit there sound-wise, a song this aggressive and straightforward would've felt a little bit out-of-place in the middle of the relaxed atmosphere of Siamese Dream.
8/10
7. Hello Kitty Kat (4:32)
(Billy Corgan)
A quick, metallic snare fill and the crunchy guitars kick in. "Hello Kitty Kat" is a missing link between Gish and Siamese Dream: sound-wise it is straight from Gish, but instead of being a multi-phased prog opus like most of the Gish songs were, this one is more of a straightforward rocker like the Siamese songs are.
With manic drumming played along with as intense guitar leads and driving groove, this one is in my opinion probably the best Pisces track. One of the most intense works of early Pumpkins.
10/10
8. Obscured (5:22)
(Billy Corgan)
Once again, a mellow and a dreamy ballad, very much like the dream-pop-esque songs from Gish. "Obscured" is a Gish outtake, which makes sense, because there were already some songs very much like this on the album. However, I don't think that this one is any less good than the ones on the album are; in my opinion this song could've replaced easily any Gish ballad and the album would've worked just fine.
One of the greatest parts of this song are those clean, Hawaii-style slide guitars in the background. Towards the end, guitar feedback takes place and drowns the whole song away. Though not that memorable of a song, it is still very pleasing and relaxing one.
8/10
9. Landslide (3:10)
(Stevie Nicks)
The first of the two cover songs of the album, this one being a Fleetwood Mac cover. A melancholic and beautiful song, this one really stands out. It's an acoustic ballad, but very unlike the Pumpkins ballads, making it very distinct from the rest. Definitely the best ballad on the album and one of the best from the whole. No wonder even Stevie Nicks gave her approval for this version, it really honors the original while retaining the own unique Pumpkins sound.
9/10
10. Starla (11:01)
(Billy Corgan)
"Starla" is the behemoth of this album. Clocking at well over ten minutes, it is one of the lengthiest Pumpkins songs of all time, though not the only one. It's a B-side of one of their earliest singles, and the sound is definitely the same from Gish, whereas the composition is easily recognizable as their early works: it's a slowly growing prog mammoth that takes influence more from 60s and 70s psychedelia than from the early 90s grungy alternative sound.
It rumbles on slowly, shifts very slowly from one part to another, lulling in every piece for some time, having an extended space jam section in the middle. Especially the crazy guitar effects wankery part is a real divider of opinions - it's a tad too crazy and quite lenghty, but it also makes the song that memorable. Otherwise the song would've been most likely just a song way too long and gotten lost in the sea of vapidness. Now it makes this song "that crazy mammoth of a song that has that 5 minute wah guitar solo."
Though occasionally maybe too long, this song still to manages to remain as a cohesive package - as if Pumpkins made a crazy bastard offspring with Pink Floyd or King Crimson. It's long, it's crazy, it's interesting and thank lord, there are not that many more where this came from.
8/10
11. Blue (3:19)
(Billy Corgan)
A very Gish-ish song srom the first bass riff: buzzsawing guitars, distinct bass lines and sudden mood changes are all there. On ok song that could've made better in Gish, or even in a place less ungrateful - now it remains a little bit overshadowed by the massive "Starla".
A nice song that harkens back to the early Pumpkins days, but not anything mind-blowing.
7/10
12. Girl Named Sandoz (3:34)
(Eric Burdon, John Weider)
The second one of the two cover songs, this time The Animals cover. The song has nice, raw and groovy riffs doubled by trebly bass clatter, but the vocals really put me off. This song doesn't a spot in me, anywhere. It's a bit too dirty sound-wise, with all that feedback and over-the-top guitar wankery, but especially the vocals are the thing that remain as my biggest problem with this song.
From the cover songs, this one's light years behind the Fleetwood Mac cover.
4/10
13. La Dolly Vita (4:16)
(Billy Corgan)
Once again a relaxing, acoustic piece, almost like a cleaned-up dream pop song. Really a song you can fall asleep to. The distant guitar leads, pulsating bass rhythms and Billy's voice make a great lullaby. Not a special song in any way, but at least an ok one nonetheless. Though ending with the distorted guitar solo and hysterical drumming do fit the song, I wish the band could've come up with something a bit calmer to finish the song.
8/10
14. Spaced (2:24)
(Billy Corgan)
The track that closes the album, "Spaced", is not a real song, but some calm tunes accompanying some spoken stuff, which is quite unintelligible as there's a load of echo effect applied to it. A Siamese Dream outtake, which makes pretty much sense, because it would've ended up in the middle of all those great hits only a short filler, not a real song - though it plays same kind of role here too.
The cover booklet states that "Spaced" tells the 7 secrets of the 7 veils of Apollo. Thank you, booklet. Unfortunately the secrets remain rather untold to me, as I can't make anything out of it. I leave this piece out from the rating, as this is more of an outro to the album than a proper song. As indicated above.
-/10
***
Final verdict
After having listened to it through, one can pretty easily tell that Pisces Iscariot is a collection of B-sides and outtakes: it lacks the red thread and the sounds are a-changing throughout the album. Luckily the songs are from an era this short - even then one can hear how the band has evolved both sound- and composition-wise. If the album would've included songs from, say, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness era, the differences between the earliest and the more recent ones might've been too much to be included on a single disc.
Pisces Iscariot works as a neat collection of nice songs, but it still lags a bit behind the full-length albums, due to its lack of cohesion and general sense of togetherness. However, it's an album well worth buying, but not as one's first Pumpkins record. It serves perfectly as an anthology to the early days of the Pumpkins, showcasing their evolution through songs one usually doesn't hear during the course of a single album.
Score: 78/100
The biggest problem with Pisces Iscariot is that it lacks the great hit song. It is packed with pretty good songs, some of which are my personal favorites, but I still feel that it could've used some better material. But on the other hand, if the album is full of songs that didn't make it to the albums or were only filler material for the single releases, it's kinda expected.
1. Soothe (2:36)
(Billy Corgan)
The compilation opens with a short and aptly titled "Soothe". A peaceful, acoustic piece with soft vocals. This B-side of "Disarm" (from Siamese Dream) works as a soft introduction to the album, and though the song really doesn't go anywhere, and the album could've used a song less mellow to kickstart it, there is really hard to find anything bad from it. It's a little dull, if anything.
7/10
2. Frail and Bedazzled (3:17)
(Billy Corgan)
Now we're talking! Kicking with rumbling Chamberlin drumming, powerful riffing and those trademark Pumpkin leads. Apparently this song didn't have what it takes to end up in Siamese Dream, but one can clearly hear that sound-wise it could fit in there perfectly. I guess in Siamese Dream, this song would've felt more of a faceless filler track, whereas it receives more attention as a first real rocker in this compilation. A neat Smashing Pumpkins regular.
8/10
3. Plume (3:37)
(Billy Corgan, James Iha)
A slower, groovier track that includes one of the greatest single pieces of lyric Billy Corgan has ever written: "My boredom has outshined the sun." A regular rock song trudging this slow has a potential to be dull and uninteresting, but the effects-heavy guitar leads make this song melodically interesting while the chorus manages to keep me entertained. "Plume" is one of those songs I couldn't name as one of my favorites, but every time I listen to it I remember I like it pretty much.
9/10
4. Whir (4:10)
(Billy Corgan)
Another Siamese Dream outtake, this time much lighter and mellower sounds and a more relaxed atmosphere full with acoustic guitars and soft surf guitar fills.
As the song progresses it becomes obvious why it ended up as a B-side: it has no real flaws, yet it lacks the kick and catchiness the Pumpkins is known for. An enjoyable piece, but maybe it was best for the album to scrap it - after all, it still ended up in this compilation where it receives more attention. Especially its outro that shifts to a slightly darker atmosphere before fading out works great.
8/10
5. Blew Away (3:32)
(James Iha)
Well, it makes sense why this song is an outtake. I guess a song composed by James Iha could end up in a Pumpkins album, if Billy the dictator was in a good mood, but definitely not a song sang by James. Billy's nasal vocals are the cornerstone of the Pumpkins sound, that's why even a great song with only a different singer sounds too out-of-place in the middle of an album.
This song is as cute as Pumpkins go, with Iha's somehow childlike vocals and mellow sounds. Then suddenly a heavily distorted guitar solo emerges and the song ends up with massive, shoegaze-style guitar chords.
Most likely not your favorite Pumpkins song, but in any case an enjoyable one.
8/10
6. Pissant (2:31)
(Billy Corgan)
"Pissant" is a real asskicker after all these more or less mellow tracks. Crunchy, heavily distorted guitar riffs pound away with the support of Chamberlin's feverish drumwork. The guitar solo here is very reminiscent of the solos from the later Pumpkins era, both sound- and harmony-wise, and I guess this is one of the earliest Pumpkins songs in which Billy has played solos like these.
The liner notes say that this song almost ended up in Siamese Dream, but Billy Corgan didn't see it fit there. I agree to some extent, though it would fit there sound-wise, a song this aggressive and straightforward would've felt a little bit out-of-place in the middle of the relaxed atmosphere of Siamese Dream.
8/10
7. Hello Kitty Kat (4:32)
(Billy Corgan)
A quick, metallic snare fill and the crunchy guitars kick in. "Hello Kitty Kat" is a missing link between Gish and Siamese Dream: sound-wise it is straight from Gish, but instead of being a multi-phased prog opus like most of the Gish songs were, this one is more of a straightforward rocker like the Siamese songs are.
With manic drumming played along with as intense guitar leads and driving groove, this one is in my opinion probably the best Pisces track. One of the most intense works of early Pumpkins.
10/10
8. Obscured (5:22)
(Billy Corgan)
Once again, a mellow and a dreamy ballad, very much like the dream-pop-esque songs from Gish. "Obscured" is a Gish outtake, which makes sense, because there were already some songs very much like this on the album. However, I don't think that this one is any less good than the ones on the album are; in my opinion this song could've replaced easily any Gish ballad and the album would've worked just fine.
One of the greatest parts of this song are those clean, Hawaii-style slide guitars in the background. Towards the end, guitar feedback takes place and drowns the whole song away. Though not that memorable of a song, it is still very pleasing and relaxing one.
8/10
9. Landslide (3:10)
(Stevie Nicks)
The first of the two cover songs of the album, this one being a Fleetwood Mac cover. A melancholic and beautiful song, this one really stands out. It's an acoustic ballad, but very unlike the Pumpkins ballads, making it very distinct from the rest. Definitely the best ballad on the album and one of the best from the whole. No wonder even Stevie Nicks gave her approval for this version, it really honors the original while retaining the own unique Pumpkins sound.
9/10
10. Starla (11:01)
(Billy Corgan)
"Starla" is the behemoth of this album. Clocking at well over ten minutes, it is one of the lengthiest Pumpkins songs of all time, though not the only one. It's a B-side of one of their earliest singles, and the sound is definitely the same from Gish, whereas the composition is easily recognizable as their early works: it's a slowly growing prog mammoth that takes influence more from 60s and 70s psychedelia than from the early 90s grungy alternative sound.
It rumbles on slowly, shifts very slowly from one part to another, lulling in every piece for some time, having an extended space jam section in the middle. Especially the crazy guitar effects wankery part is a real divider of opinions - it's a tad too crazy and quite lenghty, but it also makes the song that memorable. Otherwise the song would've been most likely just a song way too long and gotten lost in the sea of vapidness. Now it makes this song "that crazy mammoth of a song that has that 5 minute wah guitar solo."
Though occasionally maybe too long, this song still to manages to remain as a cohesive package - as if Pumpkins made a crazy bastard offspring with Pink Floyd or King Crimson. It's long, it's crazy, it's interesting and thank lord, there are not that many more where this came from.
8/10
11. Blue (3:19)
(Billy Corgan)
A very Gish-ish song srom the first bass riff: buzzsawing guitars, distinct bass lines and sudden mood changes are all there. On ok song that could've made better in Gish, or even in a place less ungrateful - now it remains a little bit overshadowed by the massive "Starla".
A nice song that harkens back to the early Pumpkins days, but not anything mind-blowing.
7/10
12. Girl Named Sandoz (3:34)
(Eric Burdon, John Weider)
The second one of the two cover songs, this time The Animals cover. The song has nice, raw and groovy riffs doubled by trebly bass clatter, but the vocals really put me off. This song doesn't a spot in me, anywhere. It's a bit too dirty sound-wise, with all that feedback and over-the-top guitar wankery, but especially the vocals are the thing that remain as my biggest problem with this song.
From the cover songs, this one's light years behind the Fleetwood Mac cover.
4/10
13. La Dolly Vita (4:16)
(Billy Corgan)
Once again a relaxing, acoustic piece, almost like a cleaned-up dream pop song. Really a song you can fall asleep to. The distant guitar leads, pulsating bass rhythms and Billy's voice make a great lullaby. Not a special song in any way, but at least an ok one nonetheless. Though ending with the distorted guitar solo and hysterical drumming do fit the song, I wish the band could've come up with something a bit calmer to finish the song.
8/10
14. Spaced (2:24)
(Billy Corgan)
The track that closes the album, "Spaced", is not a real song, but some calm tunes accompanying some spoken stuff, which is quite unintelligible as there's a load of echo effect applied to it. A Siamese Dream outtake, which makes pretty much sense, because it would've ended up in the middle of all those great hits only a short filler, not a real song - though it plays same kind of role here too.
The cover booklet states that "Spaced" tells the 7 secrets of the 7 veils of Apollo. Thank you, booklet. Unfortunately the secrets remain rather untold to me, as I can't make anything out of it. I leave this piece out from the rating, as this is more of an outro to the album than a proper song. As indicated above.
-/10
***
Final verdict
After having listened to it through, one can pretty easily tell that Pisces Iscariot is a collection of B-sides and outtakes: it lacks the red thread and the sounds are a-changing throughout the album. Luckily the songs are from an era this short - even then one can hear how the band has evolved both sound- and composition-wise. If the album would've included songs from, say, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness era, the differences between the earliest and the more recent ones might've been too much to be included on a single disc.
Pisces Iscariot works as a neat collection of nice songs, but it still lags a bit behind the full-length albums, due to its lack of cohesion and general sense of togetherness. However, it's an album well worth buying, but not as one's first Pumpkins record. It serves perfectly as an anthology to the early days of the Pumpkins, showcasing their evolution through songs one usually doesn't hear during the course of a single album.
Score: 78/100
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