Has awesome drumming. So does United States. Jimmy Rocks!

it's a wonderful acoustic EP and I just love it...
POX..this song is so +aaaaw+ that I can't find more words than this
Once again you can see Billy's and Jimmy's ingenuity and talent...

just as always
luv ya pumpkins!!!

the smashing pumpkins had their original lineup since basically 1998. not 94. jimmy went into rehab for a bit than came back than d'arcy left. melissa was better than her anyways.

From the way I understand things, the old band members aren't even communicating let alone reconciling. I would love to see them all get back together, even if it were just reunion tour of sorts, but I really don't see it happening. And really if we are honest with ourselves, the original lineup has not been together since about 1994.

Okay SP broken up for quite a few years. They make a comeback. You think it's going to be the most amazing album on the face of the earth! It wasn't, it was very good, but SP just isn't the same on this album. It's not a bad thing, nor a good one. The band needs to work out their differences and get back together (D'arcy, James, Billy, Jimmy). I Don't know about the rest of you but i miss the old SP and they need to come back.

I was also wondering, why don't the new members of SP go on the albums, i think it would sound amazing if they did almost like the old Smashing Pumpkins.

billy...why? d'ya remember last show in berlin?A.G.?!?what?!?

I think I'm getting soft because I'm starting to prefer Pumpkins acoustic work to the rest. Since I finally got American Gothic I haven't been able to quite listening to it. I'm particularly fond of The Rose March. For me that has kind of sentimental feel, like saying goodbye to someone you've always been with or hello to someone you haven't seen in very long time.

At any rate, though I really liked Zeitgeist, I have to say I prefer this. Hopefully it not the last of its kind.

I grew up with Smashing Pumpkins, and remember first listening to Siamese Dreams as an early teen and being blown away!! Yes it's been a long wait, but this is a good album. I won't say it's great, i didn't make me want to scream to the world, but it's certainly not bad. Sure D'Arcy and James Iha are gone, I found that hard to get to grips with at first, but Billy and Jimmy have always been the soul and creative genius behind SP, and it's their choice to shape things how they want.

Ok, alot of people have said it's basically a Zwan album, but lets face it, it's not, Billy never put his soul behind Zwan, hence why it disbanded despite doing well. Here you can see his soul back in SP big time. He's always poured his emotions and feelings into the music, and the same is apparent here. He's in his fourties now, so he thinks different, more political things matter to him, he's more emotionally stable and so what affects his life is different, that happens with age as most of us who grew up with SP in the 90's (and will prob be in their late 20's early 30's by now) will know.

It's a good album, and a think a good kicking off point for whatever comes next. It feels more like an album that's reviving something and going somewhere, rather than a sad and regretful goodbye that we heard (or at least i did) in Machina I/II.

SP isn't so much reformed, it's reborn, and it's looking good.

Ah, I love this song! It's such a rough and heavy sounding song. I enjoy the little "revelation" like violin segment which sort of throws you off tilt until you're pulled back into the whirling dizziness of its ending. Great tune, and I love blasting it on my speakers. Probably the best drumming I have ever heard!

When looking at how good/bad you think the new album is, you must really try to ignore any previous albums I feel. This album has to stand on its own away from anything else that Billy and Jimmy have done, and to be honest I cant understand how some actually hate this album. The down point is United States, that aside it has some great moments. To constantly look to the past has to stop, if this was a new band starting up with a debut album what would you all think about Zeitgeist?? And also doesnt American Gothic point to another Pumpkins waiting to reveal itself in "The Rose March"? I saw them in Ireland earlier this year and for me this is their best line up in the 3 times I have seen them. Also remember guys that the original Pumpkins have not been together since Jimmy was asked to leave back in the Mellon Collie era you know. Anyway this is just my 2 cents for today. I look forward to the new songs to come especiall if there is going to be a new album come 2009. Enjoy!

I bought this from Borders, and it sounds pretty sweet. I can't stop listening to Pox though. Let's just say that it's my favorite song off of American Gothic. I give this a respectful 5-star review.

So I guess the smashing pumpkins will be having their so-called 20th anniversary. Truth is that they haven't been around for 20 years. Lets see here .... 1988-2000 and 2007-2008. They have been around for 13. Not 20. I don't know whats with them now adays with their fake reunion tour and fake 20th anniversary. Man wake up everybody! They were good but Zeitgeist has proved to me they're just washed up. Until they make another album thats good I'll continue to believe that.

A major departure for the band in composing its newest album's
release most notably is the greater emphasis on thematic develop-
ment in contrast to previous lyric outings through greater focus of
compression in imagery and form. Rather than a remotely relevant
hodge-podge of ideas connected idiosyncratically in song, time's
"spirit of age" is the relentlessly encompassing concept under which
the Pumpkins' writing is conducted. This marked contrast from all
previous records bases an artistic logic of composition on the idea,
not of a centrally fixed self (& less so, one trying to make sense ob-
jectively of world), but from a fully realized de-centering of one per-
sonality's approach so as to reflect the actuality of a particular instance
in time by repeated use of poetic images in relation to their theme
that develop over its course. The effect is a much more concentrated
and engaging effort musically, but which suffers in any analysis seeking
to detail movement in terms of personal development or logic—a much
more idealogical attempt at crafting verse's record as the whole.

The opening track demonstrates lyrical, the mode of composition
to follow: Jarring juxtaposition of elements unrelated to each which
acquire meaning as images in a series that make a point through
accumulating of statements as expressed. The following song
elaborates on this exemplary application by directing ironical
questions to a specific second-person, rather than an imagined
addressee as before. When the third song amps up and cools from
searing its introduction, enters into a thoroughly metaphorical
chain, again of questions, but are sincere ones designed to elicit
orchestrated response in which develop the themes of ghost, con-
tinuity, ruptures in it and desire; in this case fulfilled through its
declaration of possibility as lack. This theme is picked up in the
single track following, which personal statements of a very poetically
visual nature it replaces by 1st-person expressions of proverbial
affectation, the tune itself provides the real appeal hear and the lyrics,
in stark contrast to what precedes and following, serve instrumentally
as supplement to liveliest song. The theme of personal desire is
further complicated in the next, 'Tarantula', as a metaphysical quest-
ion on the nature of what exists in relation to love (a theme implicit
in track three), but which is now the specific focus of an entire
imaginary argument equating love as life, but only in the event of its
contractual, mutual faith; which reverts back, finally, to the theme
outlined in '7 Shades of Black' that such public curiosity around
these acts can turn them into merely dirty play. 'Stars' of course
develops the idea current to this point on the disc (i.e. that even
personal feelings, whether private or publicized always involve an-
other, often more than one, as that things tend to complicate) by
making implicit the familiar "angsty-celebrity" angle, but animated
with imagery drawn from space in time: Sun, air, breathe—spirit
as life—and concludes by problematic implication on knowledge
as perceived. From there is a subversively patriotic fight song on
the complex of political moment, though traditionally athematic in
statement of sentiment. This leads into a poignant homage-as-
pastiche—most selflessly empathetic tribute to an individual's
legacy (not name)—for an influential author and musician (long-
departed friend). Stars, light, sky operate in the lyrical m ode
following as impetus to hope for cheer or change despite adversity,
stated in the song's opening. 'C'mon Let's Go,' an entirely related
matter in words as theme of violence, fame, death—tears are hu-
man—and love-into-hate appear distractions left aside in time,
nothing to trouble pure soul. 'God and Country,' however, leads
into the more transparent method insincere honesty often provokes
if done unreflectively as mediating attempt to reconcile hopeless-
ness with promise: The album, officially tentative, does end with a
note of hope as the poet emerges from experienced aware these
matters exist in relation, but are also inconceivable at points.

The resulting series of songs to be enjoyed as a whole, in a sitting as p-
art of a contiguous experience in time—a major subject in its unraveling—
is best served when its various parts are looked over in relation to each.
While previous attempts may be interesting to try comparison, the
method of composing its lyrics would innovatively appear enough too little
productive might be found. However, the relentless development of
imagery in theme leaves much room for appreciative analysis in
conversation and suffers when read too literal or reduced to mere
selection, as if it were sampling of its own composition's theme.

Postscript: One need not listen to and think about the whole disk in
sequence; unless you're into that. But considered as a series of songs
whose words comment on each other and develop some very basic,
clearly articulated themes—seeing as how it's one of their more com-
pacted but impressive performances to date technically—this is act-
ually one of the Pumpkins' finer albums. If you just try to treat each
song as isolated units that Billy put there for you as his sovereign
listener to impose your own private judgments of 'suckiness/awe-
some' on while musing on his laser-eye videos, you'll probably find
this CD—and the incomparably well-written, executed, designed,
conceived, pulled-off and out, performed Machina (both of them)—
disappointedly counter-climactic; it's not about the cool cardboard
cut-outs and awardshows anymore: He's actually saying something's—.

Gish = Awesome album
Siamese Dream = awesome album
MCIS = awesome album
Adore = awesome album
Machina I and II - both great albums

However , Zeitgeist is the worst album I've heard in quite some time. To put it lightly. This album is absolutely horrible. The recording process even sounds terrible like it was recorded by a amateur. If thats not enough billy has to write some boring song on "united states" which goes nowhere and he even adds in a nice little "whoo" in the middle. Total fake angst. This is not the smashing pumpkins. This is a piece of crap album. For everyone praising it saying it's great YOU PEOPLE ARE STUPID!!! Billy corgan must know that this album sucked. No wander James Iha decided not to reunite. He probably heard one of the songs and almost puked like I did. The smashing pumpkins have now officially messed up their legacy. If they are making another album like this one I hope they just quit. When they first quit in 2000 I was dissapointed thinking they had more good music to offer. This just says they were at the end of their road. So please Billy , if your making another album at least put some sort of effort into it.

American Gothic;
I love this EP so much. I have to say that it really is a treat, that a band would release some new material while still touring their most recent album (Zeitgeist). It was so exciting and interesting to hear these new songs & maybe get a clue to the next direction that the band will take musically.
There were many rumours prior to this release, but I think most people who had any interest in it would have heard that it was going to be an acoustic interlude from their current more rockier sound. And indeed it was. This is one rock band who really know how to do "acoustic" well. This is such a gem of an EP.
It starts of with what is my favourite of the 4 songs;

1. The Rose March
This is a quiet & emotive song. Billy is singing in 'quiet-mode', something that seems to come so easy to him and is so easy for anyone to listen to. The acoustic guitar on this song seems to be oozing sentiment & really fits the sound of the song. Billy sings this song as if the listener & him are the only 2 people in the world. You would have to be made of stone to not feel for/with Billy while listening to this song. The songs theme is one of love & loss and yes sadness. They played this live in the RDS in Dublin in February and it was one of the best songs of the night. With songs like this, I can see why they released it. One of my all time favourites.

2. Again, Again, Again (The Crux)
Song 2 is a way more uplifting tune, in music & lyrics. There is one thing that I do think about this song & I would love to know if anyone else thinks so? This is the ONLY Smashing Pumpkins song since they got back together that seems to remind me of Zwan? Especially "Come With Me". Everytime I hear this, it always reminds me of that, now I'm not saying its a bad thing, but I cant decide if its a good thing either? Now I loved Zwan, but my heart lies with Smashing Pumpkins-past & present. So maybe this was just something that happened when they began writing acoustically again as Zwan was essentially acoustic. But even so, I really do like this song alot, but I think I like the other 3 more.

3. Pox
This is a great song. It is acoustic but also its rocking! I love the fact that the sound of this song is unmistakably Smashing Pumpkins. Its got a dark-side to the lyrics & the deep sounds of the guitar & drums really work well on this song. This song has attitude & strength and like The Rose March could easily have been included on Zeitgeist. Billy has a message that he wants to get across & does so in his lyrics very well. I could go down that road but I think these things are often best left open to an individuals interpretation and that is something that Billy really has a talent for. He can put a message out there for everyone to hear & think about in their own way. Genius really!

4. Sunkissed
The last of the tracks on this EP and it really is a lovely song. Its a very strong sounding song with some very catchy lyrics. After hearing it once, I was humming "if i'm gonna live,if I'm gonna live without you...." all day! The theme of this song seems to be very along the lines of The Rose March, more of love, Life & loss all mixed in together. I have to say though that I do love the way that Billy can often mix the themes in his songs so seamlessly, in such a way that you dont even realise it. The opening guitar of this song is very powerful, I find myself being "taken away" when I listen to it. It seems to stir up images of a dusky summers evening for some reason and when you hear Billys voice begin, I find it a very powerful image. Its actually quite a simple song but very beautiful and individual. Another favourite, yes he has "saved the best for last"!

All in all, American Gothic is an amazing EP, to me it just seems like its the extra songs that they just couldnt fit on Zeitgeist as all of these songs could easily have been put on the album. Of the four songs, The Rose March is by far my favourite & to hear it live was just amazing. But I also love the fact that as they were touring Zeitgeist, they had wrote & recorded enough new material to release this. It really is inspiring and its a very positive message on the future of the band. They are back & definetly here to stay. I give American Gothic 5 stars.