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Jul 4, 2008
COMMENTS
Don't Get My Rating Confused, This is an Excellent Album.
September 2, 2007, 7:12 pm - themadcaplaughs
Zwan was the band I wanted to succed so badly. Having gotten into Smashing Pumpkins late in the game (early part of the Machina days) I was excited to follow Zwan from the beginning. The day Zwan's first (and last) album came out, I rushed to the store to get it.
The only way to say it is that this album is excellent. The songs are catchy, uplifiting, and memorable. Two of the tracks (Desire and Jesus,I/Mary Star of the Sea) make the album worth purchasing by themselves. So why did I give it a three? It simply does not have that raw energy and passion that The Smashing Pumpkins had. Granted this is Zwan, not The Smashing Pumpkins, but I still feel like the band could have put more into this to make it feel like a complete effort. With the exception of the two tracks mentioned above every song on here is great, but disposable.
Also, the album contains some, well, cheesy songs. Baby Let's Rock and Yeah!, although good songs, seem like Zwan purposely sapped things up as if to say, "see, Billy can write happy songs!" What makes it even more frustrating is that there are so many better Zwan songs that could have made the cut. (Right of the top of my head, I am thinking of My Life and Times, For Your Love, God's Gonna Set This World on Fire, and Spilled Milk.)
Still, each musician does a fine job on here. Billy Corgan, David Pajo, and Matt Sweeny's guitars all blend into one beautiful echo of guitar lines. Paz's bass is simply amazing (fact is she is a much better bass player than D'arcy was) and it is needless to say that Jimmy Chamberlin brings his good stuff to this album. Although Corgan's trademark wail is still well in-tact, it seems he has lightened it up a bit, which works well with the Zwan atmosphere.
Over the year 2003 I watched Zwan, the band that was supposed to be the next big thing, slowly implode. David Pajo and Paz went out doing thier own thing, and Matt refused to comment on the band. Finally in October 2003, Billy did what I had expected to happen since that summer. He broke up the band announcing, "My heart is still in The Smashing Pumpkins." I cannot argue with Billy, after hearing Zeitgeist, it is obvious that Smashing Pumpkins is theonly enviroment Billy can truly thrive in. However, I cannot wonder what would have happened if Zwan had stuck it out for another record.
This is a very catchy album that will hold your interest for years to come, just don't expect it to hold a special place in the annals of rock history.
On a side note, if you are lucky enough to find a copy of the album with the "For Your Love" DVD, pick it up! It contains some EXCELLENT performance footage, interviews, and many unreleased songs that by all means deserved to be on the album. I found that over the years, I come back to the DVD more than the album.
The only way to say it is that this album is excellent. The songs are catchy, uplifiting, and memorable. Two of the tracks (Desire and Jesus,I/Mary Star of the Sea) make the album worth purchasing by themselves. So why did I give it a three? It simply does not have that raw energy and passion that The Smashing Pumpkins had. Granted this is Zwan, not The Smashing Pumpkins, but I still feel like the band could have put more into this to make it feel like a complete effort. With the exception of the two tracks mentioned above every song on here is great, but disposable.
Also, the album contains some, well, cheesy songs. Baby Let's Rock and Yeah!, although good songs, seem like Zwan purposely sapped things up as if to say, "see, Billy can write happy songs!" What makes it even more frustrating is that there are so many better Zwan songs that could have made the cut. (Right of the top of my head, I am thinking of My Life and Times, For Your Love, God's Gonna Set This World on Fire, and Spilled Milk.)
Still, each musician does a fine job on here. Billy Corgan, David Pajo, and Matt Sweeny's guitars all blend into one beautiful echo of guitar lines. Paz's bass is simply amazing (fact is she is a much better bass player than D'arcy was) and it is needless to say that Jimmy Chamberlin brings his good stuff to this album. Although Corgan's trademark wail is still well in-tact, it seems he has lightened it up a bit, which works well with the Zwan atmosphere.
Over the year 2003 I watched Zwan, the band that was supposed to be the next big thing, slowly implode. David Pajo and Paz went out doing thier own thing, and Matt refused to comment on the band. Finally in October 2003, Billy did what I had expected to happen since that summer. He broke up the band announcing, "My heart is still in The Smashing Pumpkins." I cannot argue with Billy, after hearing Zeitgeist, it is obvious that Smashing Pumpkins is theonly enviroment Billy can truly thrive in. However, I cannot wonder what would have happened if Zwan had stuck it out for another record.
This is a very catchy album that will hold your interest for years to come, just don't expect it to hold a special place in the annals of rock history.
On a side note, if you are lucky enough to find a copy of the album with the "For Your Love" DVD, pick it up! It contains some EXCELLENT performance footage, interviews, and many unreleased songs that by all means deserved to be on the album. I found that over the years, I come back to the DVD more than the album.