A perfect example of this is "Violet Rays." This has a beautiful, haunting melody. However, the almost minute-long synth intro forced me to skip the song the first few times. Turns out there is a powerful song in there.
It becomes a distraction. I think a piano would have sounded beautiful. But, the keyboards sound to me like they were played on a Casio. Seriously. Other than that, it is a very solid album with awesome bombastic rock, and some beautiful meandering pieces that remind you of the best stuff from Mellon Collie....
If you Google Billy or search him on YouTube, you will find at least as many interviews where he puts his foot in his mouth as you will musical performances. Most recently, he said Radiohead is overrated due to the "pomposity" and "value system" that says they're more valuable in the music world than Deep Purple. Skip those, and watch any performance where he has an acoustic guitar in his hands, such as this amazing track from several years back called "99 Floors". It is the best thing I have heard the Pumpkins do in 15 years, yet I don't believe it has been released outside of a bizarre If All Goes Wrong documentary/concert DVD release from a few years ago. You can still find this sweetness and sheer Pumpkin-ness, however, on Oceania's "The Celestials."
The Smashing Pumpkins are back. Billy and company can still make amusing music, for sure. Should you buy Oceania? Yes, if you are a Pumpkins fan. No, if you are not.
Article comments
1 - Adam Android
Just wanted to let you know that this terrible "casio" keyboard sound your hearing are some of the most sought after vintage synths with in my opinion beautiful warmth and tone..(There is footage of billy trying to find unique tones and patterns with an engineer on a particular vintage synth larger than an upright piano that resembles the plug and patch rooms telephone operators used to use) anyways a lot of the tones he's using would make many synth lovers drool. Maybe cuz its different than what your used to you don't like it? I think it adds an awesome psychedelic atmosphere that the pumpkins haven't dabbled with too much but what I appreciate about it is that those tones have become very popular in a lot of alternative/indie/dubstub stuff that people are listening to today only Billys approach on it is using vintage analog and actually playing or creating most of it rather then the popular alternative of programmed and digital synth...just something to think about next time you listen maybe it will grow on you? And as far as the whole angst thing goes and the albums of the past don't even think about that stuff! soak it in as if you'd never heard it before! If artist stayed the same you'd hate it even more! Because then its apparent they are only making music based upon what people want and probably just to sell records..I think Oceania is unique and beautiful unto itself and though Billy may be happier these days this album is full of some very desperately sad themes.