5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Blend of Vintage and Modern Pumpkins

S. · July 27, 2013

I was but one of many long time fans that eagerly awaited this albums release back in 2007. In all honesty, I was a bit nervous to find out if Corgan and Chamberlin could really pull off an entire project themselves. Not only was I impressed with the results, but I felt so happy and proud for Billy and Jimmy for being able to create an album that retained most of the key features that made every other album of theirs so memorable. That's when you know an artist, or a band of artists, is being artistically honest with themselves and their fans. If they maintain that regal authority that made them famous instead of manipulating their work in order to fit in with the mainstream, you know you've a got a highly respectable band on your hands. That's exactly what Zeitgeist does; reminds me of why I fell in love with The Smashing Pumpkins when I was a child.Jimmy Chamberlin continues to impress and only furthers my notion that he is the most important drummer of his entire generation. Although he too has selected a shallower snare drum in the same manner as many modern drummers, this never affects his precise time-keeping and energetic performance. Even if his drum work is not as varied here as it has been on past albums, I was mostly pleased to hear this man doing what he does best.Billy Corgan's vocal work is rather impressive. While many singers tend to loose their range and precision with nearly twenty years of experience behind them, all that time seems to have taken little affect on Corgan's abilities. I found myself very attentive to Corgan's delivery on numerous occasions. There are several songs on this CD where Billy makes clever use of vocal overdubs. This technique adds a pleasant dynamic to his singing that is seldom present in past albums. I think it is fair and accurate to say that this record contains various songs that can easily be counted among his best vocal executions.Perhaps the only real problem I've found with the album is that several songs are mixed too loudly. You really must adjust the volume a few times in order to find a comfortable level.Related to this issue is the onslaught of over-dubbed guitars. Now, if you're an SP follower, it needn't surprise you that many songs contain multiple guitar tracks all mixed together. That's one of the hallmarks of most Pumpkins records and it almost always sounds warm, sleek, and regal. However, I feel they went overboard with how they did it on this release.Indeed, some songs are simply overwhelmed by Corgan's riffs and solo's (although, said riffs and solos are quite good). Chamberlin, who received substantial praise form critics, fans, and colleagues for his performance on this project, is sometimes drowned out by what sounds like an entire orchestra of Billy's vocals and guitars.Given what I've written above, it won't come as a surprise that my favorite songs on the album tend to be the ones which feature the keyboards and vocals prominently, rather than the typical guitar and bass-driven numbers. Although I can say that all of these songs are good, my favorites are clear:Track 3 - Bleeding the OrchidTrack 4 - That's the Way My Love isTrack 8 - Death From AboveTrack 9 - Bring the LightTrack 10 - Come On Let's GoTrack 11 - NeverlostTrack 12 - StellarTo conclude, Zeitgeist may not garner The Smashing Pumpkins any new fans, but I do believe that it will satisfy those of us devout who have long been fallowing their genuinely impressive career.

5.0 out of 5 stars The general pubic tend to follow the critics

J.R.T. · February 25, 2014

I know that people tend to overuse the word 'underrated', but sometimes its application is entirely appropriate, as is the case with Billy's Pumpkin's return record of 2007, "Zeitgeist". I remember when this came out, I was very much jaded by the musical climate (as was certainly Billy); where rock and roll was long dead, and in its place, Millennial-Generation 'emo' bopper rock and synthetic, candy-coated solo pop artists. I wasn't even aware that Billy had reformed the Pumpkins, and out of the blue I began seeing the album cover all over the internet, which at the time appeared shoe-in bland and uninspired; just not very 'Pumpkins' (I now disagree), so I unfairly surmised that the musical content would be similar. From there I learned that the only other faithful surviving member was the great and underrated Jimmy Chamberlain, and subsequently delved into critics' reviews who generally panned it and spewed their unfair vitriol towards Billy and the album, followed by fan reviews slamming both the record and Corgan for marching on sans James and D'arcy. So I, a long time Pumpkins fan, unwisely dismissed it. Fast forward to the start of '14, having heard good things about "Oceania" (despite Billy being the last and only remaining band member), I decided to pick it up. I was slightly disappointed; there were only 4 or 5 songs that I really liked on it. Then I figured "what the hell, let me see what 'Zeitgeist' was like", so I ordered that soon after. And I'm sure glad I did, because make no mistake, this is very much a Pumpkins record and so very Billy; I find myself listening to it more often than Oceania. In fact, I think I listen to it more often than any Pumpkins record in my library.It's a shame that so many had written it off, because man is it just a slam-bang wall of blissfully vitriolic, apocalyptic Corgan hard rock disenchantment! There are tracks here that I feel are some of the best he's ever written. Billy was, is, and always will be the Smashing Pumpkins, so ultimately none of the band member drama even matters. The album kicks off with a bang; a one-two-three punch avalanche of enveloping, end-of-the world buzz-saw guitars and Billy's classic nasally vocals. Then it lets up and eases off for a bit, only to return hard to kick your ass again (particularly with the thunderous, 10 minute epic march of "United States"), and then has a nice come-down, filling out the remainder of the album with Corgan's trademark synth-sculpted dream-pop alternative. Billy got a hard rap for this one, and unfairly so. The whole album was recorded with just Billy and Jimmy hunkered up in a house somewhere, writing and recording non-stop for weeks on end (they even used the same tape machine that was used in the recording of "Melon Collie" on many of the songs). So the record shares that familiarly gritty, fuzzy sound of the Pumpkin's biggest album. "Zeitgeist" isn't perfect; the production could have been a bit cleaner (particularly Billy's heavily layered and effects-soaked vocals), and there are a couple weaker songs, but I still think it's top, and quite a relative and appropriately expressive reaction to the times (hence its title). Critics tend to be very left-wing, and I think that that may have influenced their poor reviews, as Zeitgeist has more patriotic, libertarian overtones, in Billy's defiant reaction to today's progressively PC, anti-American and social Marxist Agenda. And you certainly get a feel for how disenchanted and pissed off he is, especially with the blistering in-your-face opener, "Doomsday Clock" (the best rocker of his since anything off "Melon Collie"). I think Zeitgeist stands proudly juxtaposed with all the classic Pumpkins records, so ignore the negativity and give it a shot for yourself if you haven't yet!recommended tracks: Doomsday Clock, Bleeding the Orchid, Tarantula, United States, (Come On) Let's Go!

5.0 out of 5 stars A strong return for the Pumpkins.

C.S. · August 12, 2007

This album really surprised me. I was truely expecting some pseudo-garbage like Zwan was, but holding on to hopes of a real Pumpkins revival. I heard "Tarantula" and became optimistic. I got the album, and with a couple exceptions, this album is absolutely fantastic. "United States," while interesting, seems to drone on forever (and at over 9 minutes, it really does). "Pomp and Circumstances" is way slow, and in my opinion boring. The other 10 songs, however, are nonstop good times. This album, as a whole really evokes a bit of the spirit of each of the Pumpkins' best albums (Gish, Siamese Dream, and Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness). Billy's voice, while still retaining the distinct raspiness, has a new "sing-song" kind of quality to it that I've never heard before. Songs like "Doomsday Clock," "Tarantula," and "Starz" really keep the album (along with many of my days) rolling on. This album is fantastic, and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who has ever liked the Smashing Pumpkins before.

I just don't understand the negativity, one of my favorite SP albums.

J.F. · March 15, 2014

It's not Siamese Dream or Mellon Collie, it's a different album, get over it.....now that's cleared up, on to my short review.I love and appreciate it when other people get all meticulous and go through the track list etc., but I don't do it myself!This is a great album, if it was their first release instead of Gish, it would still not be as big as or loved as much as the a fore mentioned albums, but it would be appreciated and given the credit it deserves, I'm pretty sure. There are a lot of reasons people like to pooh on this newer, (not newest), version of the SP's, both the fans and critics, but the fact of the matter is, that if you take away all the moronic, pointless comparisons and negativity, and just let the album speak for it's self, it more than stands up with most of the SP's back catalog. Music is personal, so of course everyone can't and won't feel the same, but I believe some of the negativity towards Zeitgeist is jumping on the bandwagon stuff, also it's a grower, it makes you work a bit for your reward, that being, a very interesting, haunting in places, record, the production isn't bad, it's different and makes the album less, not more bland, it just takes a bit of time to peel this onion. In reality it's a 4-4.5 star review, but I feel like defending this album a bit, sticking up for it against the jock bullies, that being said, Bolo is the place were it seems to have the highest amount of acceptance, Billy should have called it, "Listen without Prejudice"

this is the first time I have ever listened to ...

e.s.p. · August 29, 2017

this is the first time I have ever listened to this album and so far I have been enjoying it.

Gran Edición

s. · April 12, 2016

Gran CD que mejora a la versión standard. Incluye tres canciones extra que para mi gusto son las mejores del CD. También viene un DVD. Muy recomendable a este precio.

Danke!!!

G. · July 7, 2007

Für mich legt dieses Album einen sehr guten dritten Platz hinter "Siamese Dream" und "Mellon Collie" hin. Endlich wird wieder richtig gerockt!"Doomsdays Clock" und danach dann "7 Shades of Black" geht ab wie...zumindest keine andere Band. Es gibt kaum Schwachstellen auf dem Album, vielleicht hier und da mal ein bisschen, trotzdem die 5 Sterne sind mehr als verdient. "United States" ist einer der besten Songs der Pumpkins seit 10 Jahren.Durch das Album zieht sich, im Gegensatz zu "Machina" ein roter Faden, es wird nie langweilig, höchstens anstrengend, aber das war schon immer so. Ich hätte mir etwas mehr Songs gewünscht und auch mal eine bodenständige Ballade wie "To Sheila" oder "Disarm". Auf Schluss zu gehts in Richtung Billy Corgan Soloalbum, was mich aber absolut nicht abschreckt.Meine Erwartungen wurden mehr als erfüllt. OK, an "Mellon Collie" oder "Siamese Dream" reichts nicht ganz heran. Ich würde es qualitativ in Richtung "Gish" ansiedeln. Keine totaler Überflieger aber eine 1-.Die Pumpkins können nur an sich selbst gemessen werden, deswegen kann ich mir gut vorstellen, dass die Meinungen zu "Zeitgeist" weit auseinander gehen, aber eine Klasse besser als alle anderen neuen Bands oder alten Hasen sind sie ohne Frage.

Album fantastico

L. · November 19, 2024

Fuori catalogo, se li trovate e’ un occasione