From a music lover's perspective, the best part about this great CD is that it's not the same instruments or same style/rythm throughout the entire CD. Every song has a different sound, and in my humble opinion it's about time for the music industry to look for new, different and above all, ORIGINAL music.

I'm finding that plenty of new artists are just using a style previous "greats" before them originated. (I'm not praising nor bashing them, but take for example, the new kids on the block...nsync...98degrees....back street boys...britney spears...cristina aguilera...all these teen idols produce the same thing....and it gets old FAST.)

To be a great band, it is essential that you bring new ideas and concepts to make you stand out from every one else. It's only logical right? To me, The Smashing Pumpkins do it every time they release a new album. And without a doubt, Adore certainly meets this expectation. So if you're tired of the same ol same ol give this CD a try. The greatest thing about this band is that you grow to like and maybe appreciate their music. The more you listen the more you'll enjoy their originality. DEFINETLY check them out.


Lilting Adoration   October 11, 2003
 10 out of 16 found this review helpful

Since the days of Gish,I've always had a love/hate thing with The Pumpkins.My biggest gripes are a)the lyric try too hard to sound relevent & clever all at once& b)Uncle Fester..er I mean Billy Corgan nasally whiny vocals.
Since Adore is a more introspective and quiet album ,those two points come front & center.With previous albums,it was easy to overlook both due to the fact their signature buzzsaw guitars & crafty hooks prevail.But with this album,many of the lyrics just don't do justice for these beautifully arranged songs.On To Sheila the scattered lyrics mar a very beautiful acoustic ballad,and Pistol Pete & Dusty sounds like vault material from Elton's Tumbleweed Connection.
But what Corgan lacks in words he makes up for it in his composition & production genius.Theres no denying the man's talent.The music he visualise in his head ,onto our digitally encoded piece of aluminum is amazing.He can write hard rock & pretty ballads with a sense of balance according to each songs needs,and that what makes Adore such a beautifully crafted album.It seem that he has more clarity in expressing himself in his music than his lyrics.


Will you "Adore"?   September 11, 2004
 10 out of 10 found this review helpful

"Twilight fades/through blistered Avalon," is the ethereally dismal line that opens "Adore"'s first song, and sets the mood for the Smashing Pumpkins' quietest album, with the hard-rock guitars and percussion giving way to a gentler sound and some swippy electronica. It's not what you expect from the Pumpkins, but it's still enticing.

It opens with the lullaby-like "To Sheila," a shimmering little composition. Then Corgan stretches his music to include some symphonic, raw electronica in "Ava Adore," the fast "Appels + Oranjes," and the darkly shimmering "Daphne Descends." The saddening "Once Upon A Time" even sounds whimsical if you don't listen to the words, with that light melody and those bells.

Don't worry, the Pumpkins sound is retained in songs like the guitar-driven "Perfect," the hollow-sounding "Tear," and the balladic "Crestfallen." The second half sounds a little more acoustic and less electronic, with some lingering piano kicking off some of the songs. But lurking in the back is a hint of electronica that seeps in from time to time. One example is the haunting sounds at the back of "For Martha," a wrenching tribute to Corgan's late mother.

"Adore" is one of the most controversial Smashing Pumpkins albums -- rather than merely sticking to what he had already done, Corgan experimented with electronic music and melded it in. But the core of the music is the same -- pain and anger from the losses of life, the struggle with one's emotions, and finally letting go of that pain and anger.

Don't expect the Chemical Brothers in here -- Corgan's take on electronic music is dark, melancholy, almost gothic at times. Corgan's hard techno has its painful angles and corners, but in songs like "Crestfallen," he lets the smooth melody be carried off by sweeps of trip-hop. It adds a velvety sound to Corgan's already exceptional music.

It's saddening that the excellent Jimmy Chamberlin was not involved in "Adore," instead of the electric drumbeats. The guitar is still there, but it's a cloaked presence in most songs. Corgan's high voice is softened by the low-key songs he sings here. And his songwriting remains exceptional, vivid and emotional, like a poem set to music: "I can't go on, digging roses from you grave/to linger on, beyond the beyond/where the willows weep/ and whirlpools sleep, you'll find me..."

"Adore" is a dark, moody work that took quite some time to be fully appreciated by many fans. But despite its difference from other Pumpkins albums, it still strikes at the heart with its raw emotion. Rich and epic.