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The Aeroplane Flies High
Home > Complete List of "x-z" Artists > Zwan > Item 14
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The Aeroplane Flies High
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by Smashing Pumpkins
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$27.00
At Amazon
on 9-8-2008.
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This is a surprisingly good collection of the singles and their respective b-sides from the Mellon Collie sessions, with many terrific tunes that aren't nearly as over-the-top as some of Mellon Collie's more silly moments. It's amazing that such good songs were relegated to b-side status. Though the format makes for a difficult listen, and a couple of the singles aren't that great, it's still a worthwhile set for anyone interested in delving into the Pumpkins further. Disc 1- Bullet with Butterfly Wings is probably the weakest of the five, being mostly a collection of pretty mediocare cover songs. The second track, "Said Sadly", is the exception, a bouncingly sad original piece sung by James Iha and D'Arcy (I believe). Very heartfelt and sweet. I wish this were placed on one of the other discs instead. The Cars cover is pretty much the only other one worth listening to on the disc. Disc 2- 1979 is where things pick up quite a bit. All of the b-sides here are exceptional, and combined with what follows, you wonder why they didn't even make a 3-disc album with Mellon Collie. "Ugly" is a simple plaintive tune the kind that Corgan is (or at least used to) be able to churn out by the handful. Despite his grating whine, he puts feeling and emotion into the melody. "The Boy" comes next, one of my favorite Iha-penned tunes, a rollicking number in the spirit of 1979, yet remove the generational context and replace it with simple longing. "Cherry" and "Believe", by Corgan and Iha respectively, continue the same great midtempo vein, and although samey, are rousing songs of loss and hope. "Set the Ray to Jerry"'s probably the sexiest (yes, sexiest) songs the Pumpkins ever wrote, with a lustful bass and rhythm section backing Corgan's almost cooing vocals. Good stuff all around. Disc 3- Zero is again a mixed bag of sorts. "God" probably comes closest to the silliness of Mellon Collie with its over-the-top, quasi-cliched vocals. The lyrics could almost make a good NIN song (as good as NIN songs are considered to be, which isn't much). "Mouths of Babes" I believe was a song oringinally from the Siamese Dream era, and it shows with the same kind of grungy thundering pace of that material. One of the highlights, along with the almost-funky "Tribute to Johnny" (I think its a dedication to their deceased keyboardist). "Marquis in Spades" is so overblown, you can't help but like it. Probably the meanest vocal Corgan's ever done, and it comes off as convincing. For once the angst of the music is matched pound for pound with Corgan's own, and it doesn't come off so forced. He even pulls off a couple of great primal screams during the track. "Pennies" kind of clashes with the rest of the material on the disc, but it's still a jolly little listen with a great chorus. The last track, though, could really be done without. "Pisctachio Medley" is a 26 minute useless hodge-podge of bits and pieces from various outtakes. Though some of the melodies seem interesting, and you want to know what the whole song was like, in the end it's just trying. Disc 4- Tonight Tonight is the most depressing fare of all the discs. All mostly acoustic guitar and little else, most of these tunes are genuinely affecting. "Maladori Magpie" has the gentlest rhythm to it that it becomes nicely catchy and bordering on the edge of depressing all at the same time. "Rotten Apples", on the other hand, is quite depressing, though a fairly good sad song. "Jupiter's Lament" is by far my favorite, a whistful tune about wanting to leave the world behind while holding onto the tinge of hope that remains. Short and very sweet. "Medellia of the Grey Skies" is unbearably dark though, and just might be the most depressing song ever. Sad and echoey, I can't stand to listen to it because of the plain moroseness of it all. "Blank" kind of relieves that, being a small simple acoustic song with a simple plaintive message. Very good, but quite a downer. Disc 5- Thirty-Three rounds out the package nicely. The first 3 b-sides on the disc are absolute essentials. "The Last Song" is as affecting as any a Pumpkins song have been. Wonderfully beautiful guitar bridge done by William Corgan Sr., Billy's dad. Then comes "The Aeroplane Flies High", practically the centerpiece of this set. Fading in and out samples from the band, Corgan reading a bit of prose and the others making cryptic epithets, it all comes down in a crash of guitar noise that sustains through most of the song. A bit overdramatic, but still an intense piece of music. Uplifting in the darkest way possible, is probably the best way I can describe it. "Transformer" is next, which is simply a great rock song, with a terrific beat and guitar work by Corgan and Iha. Practically the same as their other guitar-based tracks, but with the company they're in, that's one of the highest compliments that could be paid. "The Bells" is another sad song from Iha that is kind of superfluous and not as good as his other material on the album. The closing cover "My Blue Heaven" is lilting and lulling in a good way, but kind of leaves one cold after the outstanding tunes before it. Still a great way to close the set. Overall a wonderful collection. If you have the money and the interest in the Pumpkins, by all means go for it. The format, though, is what hurts it the most. It would be awesome if it were all put on a single CD, Pisces Iscariot-style. Then it would have been essential, and better than Mellon Collie even. In any case, it's definitely better that this music exists than not at all, and do yourself a favor and pick this up if you enjoy the Pumpkins to any degree.
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The Aeroplane Flies High
Available from Amazon
Price: $27.00
Updated on 9-8-2008.
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