Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is a Smashing Pumpkins album which is split in two discs, consisting of 28 songs all together. The album is known to be one of the greatest album from the band. All the 28 songs are magnificent and important as unique contributions to the album. After listening to all 28 songs thoroughly, there are 14 songs in this album that are true treasures.

For Smashing Pumpkins fans, the album is more than just another album to complete their collection. It marks a very significant moment in the journey of their loving band. The album is Smashing Pumpkins' last album and it was during this album's tour Jimmy Chamberlain was exiled from the band. Even though he had returned, he found out that the band was no longer the same band it used to be. Now, he and Billy Corgan are the ones who used to make up a legendary band.

I would like to distinguish the songs in this album into two categories. The first category is filled with songs that anyone can enjoy, while the second is the category of the songs which need devotion to enjoy.

The Melon Collie's theme song comes as a beautiful and deep instrumental songs played by piano. The nest song is Tonight, which is a cool song accompanied by much likely the same cool video. Next is the song that presumably had made Billy Corgan shave his head, Zero. This song does not only work as Corgan's personal credo, but also becomes a radio hit and inspires the making of the Zero shirt. The next song is the already famous Bullet with Butterfly Wings which is the first hit from the album. The drum playing in this album is obviously successful in attracting listener's attention. The next two songs are Galapagos and Muzzle, two similar yet different songs. Both are emotional songs, telling about love and sadness. The next song would be the best song in the album, Porcelina. This song is a masterpiece and very worth listening to. There are more radio hits coming with Thirty-Three and 1979. The second one is so popular that it still gets radio plays until today. Tales of a Scorched Earth and Stumbeline are two contradicting songs. The first one is so distorted while the second is a sweet ballad that will carry you away with its melody. Then comes Starlight, a soft and emotional song as the closure song for this category.

I will not mention all the songs in the second category to cut things short. We Only Come Out at Night and Lilly (My One and Only) are two distinguished songs compared to other rock songs. Farewell and Goodnight is an exceptionally funny song since all the member take turns to sing in this song. However, all the songs in this category are great songs that also deserve appreciations from their listeners.

This album is well worth listening to and everyone must not only buy it, but also listen to it every day for a month. By doing this, people will get to know every song in the album and then come to love and appreciate them.

Favourite Prince's Songs

It is complicated to speak out my opinion when it comes to Prince. I love some of his songs, yet I consider some of his other songs not good at all. I would say that the best years for Prince are between mid-1980's and early 1990's.

My first favorite album from Prince is the Purple Rain soundtrack. I love all the songs in the album, particularly “When Doves Cry.” I was nine years old when I first listened to the song and thought the song was very cool. Later on, I got to know the lyrics and found the lyrical imagery in the song to be the cool thing of the song. This song is the kind of song that has the beat to make you dance. If you listen very closely, you will find the baseline in the song. This is a brilliant song to my opinion, the one you can listen to and make you dance.

Another song that I like from the soundtrack album is the title song. This is quite a long song, an eight minute song with guitar instrumental played at the end. I usually don't like slow songs from Prince, but the way that Prince combines the music, the lyrics, and the performance in this song is very brilliant and evoke emotional reaction from everyone that listens to it.

In the following years, I came to like “Raspberry Beret,” a song from Around the World in A Day album. The song tells a story about a guy who works in a small store. Then he falls in love with a girl who steps in to the store one day. The girl wears a raspberry beret, the one which inspired the title. They finally get together in the end, which makes a sweet story and a sweet song to listen to.

I also have some favorite songs in Sign 'O' the Times, a 1987 Prince album. The song with the same title with the album, tries to depict the social life at the time. It talks about drug abuse, Ronald Reagan's “Star Wars” project, Challenger space shuttle, and nuclear war. I love this song except for the cheesy lines near the end. My other favorite song in this album is “U Got The Look” which has a great poppy beat and special appearances by Sheena Easton and drummer Sheila E.

There is another soundtrack song that I like in 1990. The title is “Thieves by The Temple” from Graffiti Bridge movie. The movie did not hit the box office, however. I like the way this song builds the intensity towards the end. I also like the way Prince sings about the ended relationship in a very bitter way.

In the next year, there is the title song from Diamonds and Pearls album. The music is easy listening and talks about the love of a couple and what they would give for their love. In this song, I like the way Prince and Rosie's vocals come together and blend wonderfully.

Later on in 1992, I like a song titled “7,” a second single from the album with the unpronounceable title. The song tells about a love in apocalyptic tale. However, it is the music that makes me love this song. I also like Morning Papers from this very same album.

Other songs that I like from Prince are "Little Red Corvette," "1999," "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man," "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World," and "Betcha By Golly Wow!"

Megadeth United Abdominations Album Review

The new Megadeth album, “United Abominations”, is considered as a sonic assault, in the first album which featured a stable line up since their album “The World Needs A Hero” David Mustaine speaks up his mind on nuclear war and government corruption in the United States.

In first impression, the songs in the album are similar to other Megadeth's late albums. The music focuses on the song structure and the guitar rhythm without insane speed and technique. Megadeth is an old rock band, but they can play with the same intensity with other groups younger than their age. The album is steady and easygoing while full of lyrical message. Mustaine tries to deliver instead of the skill show-off as in “Rust in Peace.”

The album starts with a song with a catchy tunes in “Sleepwalker”. This is the typical song same with the opener of the previous album “The System Has Failed”, the song full with unique lyrical structure that unfortunately never reach the peak as Megadeth's songs use to be. “Washington Is Next” has catchy chorus and faster speed. “United Abominations” is definitely the catchiest song in the album, as it becomes the title of the album. Next comes “Never Walk Alone...A Call To Arms," a long paced song slipping in the middle of the album. The songs after “United Abominations” unfortunately get worse in comparison to the previous songs. "Gears Of War" is full of metal frenzy yet too amateur for Megadeth's reputation. The same music also goes for "Blessed Are The Dead" and "Play For Blood.” The next remake of “A Tout Le Monde” which features Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil fails to impress since it is played the same with its previous version in “Youthanasia.” Cristina Scabbia's voice barely heard in the song and Glen Drover's guitar solo are lame and out of technique. The last three songs "Amerikhastan," "You're Dead," and "Burnt Ice" do not come any better. The closing of the album gives an impression that the album completion is rushed so that they just grab any song to fill in the album. The guitar solo is painful to hear and lack of creativity. Dave's guitar sounds chaotic, but Drover's is actually good, only he's an artist who can only re-create others' works and without creativity.

The sound quality in “United Abominations” is no good compared to “The System has Failed” album. The album sounds as if it is made not in a professional recording establishment, but in a home studio. The good thing about this album is that it can easily be listened to. The sound is average and not full of music and instrumental distortion.

To Megadeth fans, even though they buy the album, this album is disappointing. The songs are not as what they may have been expected. There are no heavy metal music, only simple hard rock. Mustaine fails to do a great job this time.

Review of Gish Album From Smashing Pumpkins

Gish, an album from Smashing Pumkins, definitely has a great opening song to set the tone for the entire half of the life band. I Am One, the first song in the album, starts with the simple drum beat from Jimmy Chamberlain to keep listener's interest. Then the guitar riffs from Billy Corgan come in. When the vocal comes in, the greatness of the band comes into its full picture. Not just I Am One, all the songs in the album are great songs too, making Gish one of the best albums from a legendary band ever.

Despite the great opening from I Am One, I consider Siva as the best song in this album. Even though Siva cannot be considered as a hit, it is the only song from the album that got radio play. The song is dark and very cool, which is the original character from Smashing Pumpkins that made them famous.

The fourth song, Bury Me, is the representation of the poppier song the band also famous for. It is the chorus of this song that sells and makes this song famous, even though the whole song is also wonderful. Crush, a ballad in this album, sounds ordinary when first you hear it. However, when you get used to it, the song will be your favorite song and won't get off your mind easily.

Snail is the grunge ballad that is so powerful and emotional. The music is exceptional with hard driving guitar parts and drum plays. As a mediator from emotional ballads to weird songs in the end, comes Tristessa, a song with typical rocking music. In the end of the album, there are Window Paine and Day Dream, two songs that drive the listeners to think what kind of music those songs carry. Two similar yet different songs with the style that Smashing Pumpkins must have in each of their album.

Gish is very good album to have and must have if you consider yourself as a Smashing Pumpkins fan. Buy it, and you won't regret it.