My First Time Smashing Pumpkins! "Tonight, Tonight" Vocal ANALYSIS!

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

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[@kennyg823]

Bombas is Awesome. I don't know how many pairs of socks I've given away from them to folks in the Houston area

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

They are freaking amazing. And they have great... other garments too! I'm so super happy they've asked us to sponsor their company.

[@shainemaine1268]

Do you know what KEXP is?

[@YouLoseSir]

Billy would be great for Tea Time, he owns his own Tea Lounge

[@brad_wilson]

@@YouLoseSir Not to mention incredibly smart and well spoken, with lots to talk about in the music industry.

[@JoeyGills]

I think Elizabeth would love Disarm.

[@rqu3-b2m]

Definitely

[@randallpetersen9164]

100%. Much more typical. Also 1979.

[@narunoir9767]

Disarm is probably a better intro into Smashing Pumpkins.

[@thesouthernwake]

Put them on the map - their defining sound; if a simple composition.

[@joemiller7082]

@@thesouthernwakeI think Cherub Rock put em on the map but Disarm took them off.

[@PavelMosko]

Billy Corgan's vocals are like blue cheese. They are sharp and off putting for some, but you develop a taste for it and eventually crave some pumpkin smashing after a while.

[@gillian2325]

Yes! Blue cheese is so on the money for them!

[@danholmesfilm]

@@gillian2325 except i hate blue cheese but love billy lol

[@scottNNJ]

It was last week’s Blondie reaction where Elizabeth asked us to correlate a voice with a food, but I like the trend your setting! (And it’s an accurate choice, too!)

[@CarlGorn]

No. Blue cheese is a vile insult to the palate that tastes like cheese that's been rubbed into the dirt. Billy's vocals are pleasant. I would compare them to pickles made with balsamic vinegar; both sharp and rich, with sweet and sour aspects that blend into an addictive tang.

[@poolhall9632]

I like Dave Matthews and Billy. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@kylestadler8115]

The world is not flat. It's not even round. The world is a vampire.

[@kerianhalcon3557]

Nice!

[@leebonato8253]

Sent to DRAAYYYYAAYYYAYYYYYYN!!!

[@Shinigammi420666]

@@leebonato8253 Secret destroyer!

[@paulrodsted3905]

Yes

[@Chagz_DB]

A Vampearther

[@_emh]

"Today," "1979," "Zero" and "Mayonaise" are Pumpkins must-listens after this.

[@mbii7667]

Bullet with Butterfly Wings

[@samanderson7745]

Cherub Rock, especially the live acoustic version is peak Billy.

[@Driver8takeabreak]

Cherub Rock and Rocket for me.

[@steveh7727]

1979 is 🐐

[@journeytosilius1]

Yes those are all quite good. If then you want to get to a lesser known but equally amazing song, "Untitled" is fantastic. And then perhaps "Panopticon" which is one of the best newer songs.

[@ReivecS]

I can't speak to Billy Corgan's character as a human overall, but I do have 1 extremely positive example. In the 90s a friend of mine who was a massive Smashing Pumpkins fan was in a very bad car wreck and was in the hospital for months. He got wind of her being a fan and being in the hospital for so long and showed up unannounced to spend several hours with her in a town that wasn't exactly a major city, or even SUPER close to one, so it was definitely a detour to make. It was a massive bright spot in a long period of suffering and I have always personally been more of a fan since that incident. Unfortunately I was not aware of this meeting until well after it was over but still a class act move.

[@EveryBodyHz]

He really is a class act. He just doesn't take a lot of shit without speaking up and out about it. Approach him with sincerity and authenticity and he'll def meet you halfway or more, as your story points out. I admire that about him but can also see how it ruffles many feathers along the way cuz y'know, "the World is a Vampire" and all that...

[@akira_kei_]

He's got some quirks for sure, and he had a very tough childhood which led to some issues that he still deals with, but underneath he's a good person. He's mellowed out a lot after starting a family too.

[@Subpopular01]

He strikes me as the kind of public figure that probably does many of kind things like this, but doesnt use it as a chance to get publicity for it.

[@Peavey311]

Corgan is my all-time favorite guitarist/songwriter. I worked for a radio station many years ago and SP was coming through town on the Machina tour. They were doing this very non-traditional meet & greets on that tour. It wasn't filing people to and from the band members in lines. It was like a really cool cocktail party you might find yourself at. I was able to get my credentials for it and went. James was kind of soft spoken like he is in most interviews you've seen. Very unassuming. Jimmy was the kind of guy who never meets a stranger. Super affable. I think Melissa Auf de Maur was playing bass for them on the tour and she wasn't present. Then my moment finally came, I met Billy. I wanted to play it cool, but it was difficult once I was face to face with him. I told him how his music got me to pick up the guitar and how much so many of his songs were weaved into the fabric of my life. He was super genuine and definitely appreciated me expressing that. Once I got that off my chest we just chatted about a lot of different things about Chicago, music, and his favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip.

[@_Delta_P_]

Feel better now?

[@jbrock76]

I'm glad she pointed out the one thing I try to explain to people about singers like Billy Corgan. It's INTENTUONAL. It's on purpose. He doesn't accidentally make those sounds. It's his instrument and he's playing it his own way. And it's a lot harder than it looks! Billy is a master of his craft.

[@paulrodsted3905]

And if you have heard him sing covers of other bands he sings in a more 'normal' tone.... he is a really good singer

[@benharris144]

That's irrelevant to people who aren't into it, though. If they don't like it, they don't like it - they don't care if he's doing it deliberately or not.

[@spencershaw4419]

@@benharris144 it’s an acquired taste, much like Efrim Menuck’s voice in ASMZ

[@jbrock76]

@benharris144 I think you can appreciate the skills and talent it takes to do something without being into it. I'm not into country, but I still appreciate parts of it and the skill.

[@benharris144]

@@jbrock76 Sure, maybe, but I was on about people that "are into it" or not and whether or not the said technique/method used is deliberate or not; if they don't like it, they don't like it. Having the ability to appreciate it even though it isn't for you, is a different thing altogether.

[@aaronclift]

Billy Corgan is a brilliant songwriter whose voice is an acquired taste for sure.

[@EzequielMeilij]

I never quite liked his voice but recently I gained a lot of respect for him basically saying these are my songs and I'm going to sing them, and many great songs he does have.

[@SoulControlla99]

They came along at the perfect time, just as the grunge era made it cool to not care if your voice was classically amazing. Just do it with passion and people will love it.

[@CaffeineNightOwl]

I like his voice too. and as one could see in an recently interview with rick beardo, he is a cool guy too.

[@Johnny_Socko]

Billy's career has been about using his limited vocal ability to unleash a huge variety of impressive music.

[@jeffspangler2367]

I love his voice and he’s one of the greatest songwriters of all time, for me. I love all of his solo stuff too.

[@mistere.chance5970]

This is the wrong album if you're looking for the more grunge era sounds, though even in the earlier albums they were considered Alternative (not grunge). Check out Siamese Dream (album).

[@marksienicki1253]

Yes!

[@neil993]

I do think Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness as an album is the best showcase for Billy's vocals tbf.

[@duckmandm908]

Gish for sure as well

[@dathorndike4908]

@@neil993 agreed, but about as far from grunge as you can get.

[@davidconnolly6690]

Yep. Wrong song wrong album whoever recommended this, sorry.

[@CitizenClark]

What makes your channel special is the combination of (1) undeniable expertise, (2) gentle, humble instruction and explanation, and (3) joyful enthusiasm for music and musicality of all flavors and forms. Thank you!

[@joshuafrahm8778]

Definitely need to do their song "Mayonaise" off of the album Siamese Dream.

[@TippiGordon]

Came here to say this. It's my favorite SP vocal.

[@cassidionline2002]

Everyone needs to upvote this thread

[@toneDef77]

Agreed!

[@jphnx8268]

Thiiiiiiiis

[@rogermortis6583]

Either this or Cherub Rock...full scope of what makes Billy so appealing on display there as well. And it's one of the best grunge songs ever written tbh.

[@metalmark1214]

This won six MTV Video Music Awards: Video of the Year, Breakthrough Video, Best Direction Best Special Effects, Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography. It was also nominated for Viewer's Choice Award and Best Editing

[@Mertaranta]

And it still stands out as a piece of art.

[@jmpmusva]

not a mention.....yet it's beautifully done. The lighting, the clothing, the theater production, the charm. The song fits the video so well. The rolling drums were perfect as they were tumbling down to the strange planet. Kinda Jules Verne like. This is beyond his voice.

[@Sanjuro806]

I don't get it. I love the song but the music video is non-sensical.

[@jaredmitts5203]

@@Sanjuro806 the video is based on old silent films.

[@fadeawayinwestla]

@@Sanjuro806 check out George Melies "A Trip to the Moon" and it'll make more sense.

[@ninevehguitar]

Saw them play this live 3 days ago. The entire stadium sang along, and it was unbelievable how palpable the emotion was throughout the crowd. And this wasn’t even the best they played that night. This is my favorite band. I’ve been a fan since 1992, yet somehow that was my first time ever seeing them in concert, and I was 5000% blown away. Also got to meet James Iha, so that was awesome as well!

[@gemmasuckley3564]

Saw them in Manchester when they toured the UK. They've still got it!!!

[@ninevehguitar]

@@gemmasuckley3564Absolutely they do!! I could hardly believe the energy that night. For a band that’s been around that long and been through what they have, to see them happy and still loving what they do all these years later was just incredible.

[@koseka4]

I don't agree. I've always been a fan of pumpkins. but this is a studio music group. once they came to Moscow, and I had been waiting for this moment all my life. It's hard to convey how disappointed I was with their performance live. and I left about halfway through the show. I have meet a lot of concerts of different bands (bjork muse aerosmith cranberries blur u2 limp bizkit etc), but to leave the concert - this only happened one time and it was SP :(((

[@danholmesfilm]

this song is fairly unique in their catalogue, make sure you hit a heavier one next, and then a soft one... Bullet with Butterfly Wings then 1979 would be my next picks :)

[@rabes1981]

How Tonight, Tonight rings out and fades, then the band explodes into Jellybelly is one of my favorite transitions on any album.

[@mdjestah]

1979 is smashing pumpkins to me good recommendation

[@NicolaCoinMel]

@@rabes1981feel you ❤

[@DavidJacobsvo]

Oh Elizabeth, Pumpkins are a very dynamic and sophisticated band. They have very heavy songs, strange songs and everything in between. You will have to dive deep to fully understand and appreciate. Looking forward to it. Something more punk: Jellybelly. Their quintessential song: Bullet with Butterfly….

[@ekauq2000]

Next song…Tales Of A Scorched Earth

[@Herbalizer28]

Please, not Bullet with a Butterfly...that's the worst of their popular songs..or even less popular songs. Jellybelly, yes..anything from Siamese Dream.

[@jeffspangler2367]

Everlasting Gaze

[@brandbird]

I would argue that "Today" is the quintessential Pumpkins song.

[@contraposto2861]

Thru the eyes of Ruby - live in Germany or London 1996.

[@petethebeat4868]

Your giggling first reaction to Billy Corgans voice was exactly what I expected it would be. I love the combination of almost childlike joy and profound analysis in your reactions.

[@CaffeineNightOwl]

the smashing pumpkins rabbit hole is very rewarding, so many great songs.

[@Cadinho93]

The music video is inspired by the first sci-fi movie in film history: "Le Voyage Dans la Lun" (1902, A Trip to the Moon) by Georges Méliès. Also, everyone needs to take the time to appreciate the drumming in this song.

[@RingScoops]

💯💯💯💯💯

[@Johnny_Socko]

Jimmy Chamberlin is legendary. I'm so glad he made it out the other side of substance abuse.

[@RyTrapp0]

Jimmy is one of my personal top 3 - his jazz-influenced drumming really elevated Billy's songwriting. All the opinions of how the Pumpkins functioned over the years aside... Billy & Jimmy have made quite the song writing duo for a LONG time.

[@DustinHoward-xh9sl]

This deserves two thumbs up

[@coreym0]

Yes, the boat even says S.S. Méliès on it as well. :)

[@Bassdriver]

It's one of the songs which make me cry. I have no idea why, it just does. Every single time.

[@cfletcher6909]

If you really want to hear their grunge influence then this isn't the song in my opinion. Please give a listen to Ava Adore, Zero, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, or Cherub Rock from Smashing Pumpkins to get a better taste of their flavor ...

[@ljwhitmire200]

Agreed. I didn't realize how much the Pumpkins rocked out until I saw them live. This song is kinda the softer side of Pumpkins.

[@AndyViant]

Bullet with Butterfly Wings is more grunge, 100%

[@Datrus969]

yeah I don't ever think they were grunge anyways

[@wtb2612]

Cherub Rock would be a perfect song for analysis.

[@seltonk5136]

Grunge ? In 93 nobody considered them grunge

[@HaswarX]

Well I guess I'll be listening to Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness all weekend now. Thanks! ;)

[@jeffshort9313]

Try the Deluxe Edition... 92 songs, 5 hours 52 minutes of MellonCollie madness. 😎

[@Xean45]

An FYI for all Melon Collie lovers: I got a turn table a few years back and wanted to get the vinyl. Noticed that there is currently a four album set and a three album set for Melon Collie. Digging into why: The three album set was released at the time of Melon Collie's release. What makes it special is that the tracks are arranged by Billy Corgan in the way he envisioned the album to be heard. It's a MUCH better arrangement than the CD or four album set and with the first listen, you'll know why he wanted them in that order. It's worth seeking out, if you're a fan of this album. ~X8

[@HaswarX]

@@Xean45 that's actually really cool to know! I have the 4-set, I've never seen the 3. I'll keep an eye out :)

[@darkvisiongothacked]

@@Xean45 legit good to know. good looking out, to this day one of my favorite albums.

[@gemfyre855]

I think Elizabeth should listen to Cupid De Locke - just because it's so damn PRETTY.

[@GhostlyMess]

i have not heard this song in ages but it still gives me chills! and the last line "believe in me as i believe in you, tonight" always sticks with me, it's so incredible. what a song

[@ayden_sc0tt]

Please understand that this is a band that has SO many different styles and so many different types of songs. They do anything from very soft romantic songs like Luna to straight heavy metal like XYU, but also everything in between. Songs I would recommend to get the full effect of the band are Mayonaise, Cherub Rock, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, Today, maybe even Zero

[@Taintrock]

Yeah, absolutely. Not sure I would have picked this song as the intro to TSP. Also, while they bump up against grunge at times, it isn't really their overall sound, and Billy's musical inspirations are quite different than Chris Cornell or Dave Grohl.

[@redadamearth]

No idea who told her they were "influenced by grunge", that's just absurd. They formed in the late 80's, BEFORE grunge and never fit into that scene. They were directly influenced by classic rock. I continually am just flummoxed by her videos. She's either never listened to a single song by any band in her entire life or she's just pretending not to have. It's bizarre.

[@ayden_sc0tt]

@@redadamearth they sometimes have grunge elements in their songs especially in Mellon Collie but overall I think they're their own genre from album to album. You do have to remember that most of the big grunge bands formed in the late 80s as well though

[@Pennyroyal_tea667]

XYU is my favorite 🙏🙏

[@beefsupreme694]

@redadmearth just recently dove into this "reaction" channel thing and it'll likely be short lived. It's obviously disingenuous. No way these people stayed in their rooms and never heard ANYTHING(one guy acted like he never heard bohemian rhapsody). They are basically profiting from validating the tastes of certain people/fans of older music. Notice they love 99% of the bands they "react" to. It's bizarre. I will say Elizabeth at least gives real musical breakdowns. Some just play the songs and say 2 words. And get thousands of views!

[@SoulControlla99]

Of all the talk of nasally voices, I've been waiting for this one... 🤣

[@SonicImmersion_]

Alanis Morrisette - "Still" is an awesome song with perhaps similar extremes of soft vs more nasal, cutting sound, from a female artist from the same time period.

[@scotty110]

@@SonicImmersion_ Our Lady Peace's Raine Maida is another one that fits

[@jademonolith]

Idk why i find your comment so hilarious. It’s true though, it doesnt get more nasal than BC’s voice.

[@rabes1981]

Billy may never be regarded as one of the greatest singers by critics, but what makes him great, is he gets so much out of his voice. Its raw, haunting, gentle and rough, it just works and the music wouldn't work without it. This band conveys feelings so well and is truly special. Their music is a journey through several genres, lots of wonderful poetic lyrics. Just the Mellon Collie album alone is a journey. Heavy Rock, Soft Rock, pop, lullabies, electronic drum/bass elements. Worth a listen in its entirety. Gish, Siamese Dream and Adore are great as well. I hope you check out a bunch of their stuff. There is a pumpkins song for any mood, guaranteed.

[@autumnvolume4181]

I've heard quite a lot of people say that they enjoy the instrumentation in Smashing Pumpkins songs, but that they can't stand Billy's voice - which is fair. But I've always maintained that his voice is what makes their music work so well, it's what makes it so special. I don't think they would have had nearly the level of success they did if Billy had decided to let someone else do vocals for the band instead.

[@rabes1981]

@@autumnvolume4181I agree. It's why I think not many successful covers exist of their music. There are a few, but not many.

[@warpig4942]

Not mentioning the incredible drums is a crime. They make the entire song for me.

[@Cleromanticon]

Agreed. It’s easy to focus on the strings, but the snare is what makes the song.

[@williamcordle]

Jimmy definitely was a beast on the drums along with James Iha on the guitar

[@Mike-ix5sv]

​@@CleromanticonJimmy's snare makes every pumkins song

[@claremiller9979]

The drums give me goosebumps even today, I loved this song from when it first came out when I was a teen.

[@mcnater]

God Jimmy is so good...make sure everyone checks out his work in Zwan with Billy if you have not. His peak for me.

[@metalmark1214]

Glad you got to Smashing Pumpkins. A nice one to start with. Other songs to check out - 1979, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, Today, Disarm, Thirty-Three, Here Is No Why, Zero,

[@MrChologno]

Perfect

[@joshuajeppesen4455]

Great recommendations

[@BryanHevron]

The only ones I might add are Cherub Rock & Quiet. Siamese Dream had the ‘wall of sound’ Pumpkins sound that made me want to buy the CD.

[@agwats85]

Great recommendations. Definitely need a variety of songs to really get a feel for Smashing Pumpkins

[@stevenmathis5003]

Thirty three is so good.

[@aafpeptoe4209]

The Smashing Pumpkinfs didn't consider themselves to be part of the "grunge" movement. From Chicago area, they were more psychodelic alternative rock with their own sound during the "grunge" period. Tonight Tonight, on the Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness album, was panned because they broke with their harder edge bringing in the orchastra to fill the sound envelope. Most of their music is harder driving guitars completly filling the sound envelope. Listen to Siamese Dream to get the harder side.

[@jaredmitts5203]

Yeah every time she calls them grunge I cringe.

[@fazr6103]

Yes. It's very annoying that she keeps trying to classify every band from the 90s as grunge. She rattled on trying to hear the grunge sound in Bush. BUSH! From London! 🤦‍♂️

[@marcmckee4177]

I'm not interested in trying to make her feel bad for making her way into SP with some uninformed suggestion that they were "influenced by grunge," even though that's nails on a chalkboard to a middle-aged Gen Xer like myself. But getting into what the collective of influences are that get filtered to the specific case Billy Corgan is and his interpretations and creations beyond that just gets into essay with copious footnotes territory. I mean, let's start with Cheap Trick, Fleetwood Mac, I don't know about shoegaze--was it duogenesis?--and I'm a dummy. There's so much more... It's like the more grunge-associated folks just had different lines through classic rock and punk than SP did, where Billy is not going to deny some metal elements, some ELO and other prog, and probably Joni Mitchell tbh. He's truly an example of a postmodern creative who drew on a wide variety of people/bands who moved him and then made his version of what would move the largest amount of people he could within his aesthetic parameters. They were very important to me at a very intense part of my life, and I'm ready to revisit them in my "separate the art from the artist" era.

[@maddo-md4mu]

Definitely not grunge influenced.

[@Erawk]

Tonight, Tonight was not panned. Maybe the people you were around criticized it, but it was critically very successful, and commercially it was top 5 in both major rock charts and top 40 in the hot 100.

[@xanosgfb3925]

Billy Corgan has such a unique voice. So expressive, so passionate you can hear it in EVERY song. It's a beautiful thing.

[@xanosgfb3925]

That's also one of the reasons I love Nick Cave so much. There's just so much passion and emotion in every song he's done. I'd LOVE to see Elizabeth's reaction to O Children (one of my favorites from him). You can hear every emotion the man puts into his music.

[@lonewolf_vr]

yea he has a nice voice to listen to, while also singing in a way where it can be very hard in some songs to know anything he is saying.

[@py_a_thon]

Yeah, his voice is basically inimitable. He can't really be imitated by anyone. AI could probably be more convincing than people tbh.

[@lazermcdanger1370]

I'm sure a cat being shoved into a wood chipper has a "unique" sound too.

[@eqminerva]

This song came out when i was in highschool. We knew it at the time - it really captured, and still does, the feeling of knowing that you are in a specific and magical moment in time where anything is possible, and trying to soak it in and hold onto it forever

[@dailysaga]

Exactly this

[@jthelander]

Would love to hear a vocal analysis of PLACEBO... a band that's been around for 30 years. Something like Nancy Boy, This Picture, Meds, or Special Needs. Please!!!!

[@savanna1980]

Rick Beato did a recent interview with Billy Corgan, where Billy shared that he intentionally sings sharp to produce the subconscious sense of more energy in their music. I think that's pretty impressive, because purposely singing off-key is a difficult feat if you normally do sing in-key.

[@operationrestore3308]

The interview was great!!

[@zenarcher9633]

The interview Rick did with Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain is just as excellent, watching Jimmy just launch into Jellybelly and play the whole song is jawdropping.

[@macktripper556]

Except where be claimed that Butch Vig and Nirvana stole their sound/songs which is ridiculous, as much as I like Billy and the Smashing Pumpkins.

[@Pheeew33]

@@macktripper556 I didn't interpret it that way -- the clickbait articles certainly pushed that narrative, but Billy (as he does) went on long winded monologue about working with Butch Vig on Gish just before Butch went on to work with Nirvana. Billy recognized the sounds and recording methods that he and Butch honed on Gish in what Butch did with Nirvana. He never said Nirvana stole his songs. Just that he worked on that sound that Butch reused to some extent with Nirvana, to great success. Billy sings Butch's and Cobain's praises all the time. Don't fall for the clickbait.

[@daviddunrud9228]

"Mayonnaise" next please. That is literally the song that comes to mind when I think of music as a concept.

[@marksienicki1253]

You are correct!

[@randallpetersen9164]

You now they actually spell it wrong, with 1 'n'. Probably intentional?

[@CAMELFLAM]

I'm up noting anyone that I see asking for Mayonnaise

[@MrPackfan98]

That mayonaise is one of the greatest songs ever is a hill I’m willing to die on.

[@daviddunrud9228]

@@randallpetersen9164 Funny, I thought it looked wrong, so I used spell check. I am sure it is intentional...as in "Mellon Collie."

[@JeffCogswell]

For real, I'm glad you have sponsors. People might scoff, but you deserve the income from having a sponsor.

[@JohnB-nq4js]

Nobody juxtaposes beautiful and ugly better than Billy Corgan

[@DynamiteProd]

Billy Corgan is the best song writer and composer of rock music in the 90s imo. Definitely the most underrated. This song makes me cry everytime.

[@rollingfury]

He and Chris Cornell definitely on the Mount Rushmore.

[@merlinh420]

I love this channel. Songs I've heard countless times are experienced again for the first time and your analysis gives me new things that 've never heard before. I LOVE THIS CHANNNELLL!!!!

[@tpernis23]

The next Smashing Pumpkins song should be heavier one like ZERO or Bullet with Butterfly Wings

[@TheBarefootDrummer]

Tales of a Scorched Earth would be interesting

[@davidebonaveri1360]

XYU

[@landontoney]

Bullet with butterfly wings for sure!!

[@illfate757]

Yes both of these songs honestly

[@IPv6Freely]

So many suggestions for deeper cuts in reply to your comment. Yea, we all love those but "my favorite song" and "the song I would use to introduce somebody to a band" are very different things.

[@davidmorrison893]

Cherub Rock, Disarm, or Today would be great ones to check out too.

[@Xean45]

^ 100% agree with this. For a track similar to Tonight, Tonight, I'd offer up Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans. It's one of my favourite tracks that I think gets overlooked often.

[@JaceCairelli]

So glad you're analysing Smashing Pumpkins/Billy Corgans voice. I've been mesmerised by his singing since I was a teen. My favourite of their songs is 1979, something about that song is so satisfying to me.

[@midkingsteve]

Being a sad, longing, alone-feeling kid in like 8th grade, this song HIT. THE. SPOT. It knew me. It heard me.

[@cmatte82]

Yeah that was me with bullet with butterfly wings. Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage.

[@Philzy610]

Ditto

[@daviddunrud9228]

So many suggestions: Mayonnaise Cherub Rock Hummer Through the Eyes of Ruby Soma Here is no Why and on and on

[@dekimyayyoga2426]

I very much agree with this short list of some of their must hear songs 👍🙏

[@Soco0504]

Ava Adore

[@cmr7854]

Damn it! I'm a 57-year-old man. This song just made me cry like a baby again. Like every time.

[@rockermom0097]

Me too! Well, I'm a 49 year old woman but I cry too when I hear this song.

[@Zireael83]

i´m 41 and this sound reminds me if my youth :) love it!

[@Pheeew33]

My son cried the first time he heard it, at like 5 years old. Not being able to really understand the lyrics, he just absorbed the emotion of it and it still gets to him sometimes 7-8 years later... just thinking about that - it gets to me after I've heard the song 10,000 times!

[@Hangry_Dave]

My brother committed suicide. My interpretation of the lyrics are of someone trying to talk somebody out of suicide. I wish I played this for my brother and it had worked. So yes this song also makes me shed a tear.

[@koseka4]

its ok man

[@Berzhulas]

I hope you do: Today Disarm Bullet w/Butterfly Wings ❤

[@guyfantastico8268]

Yep these three is a good mix

[@danielsundin3669]

Disarm have been my favorite Pumpkins song since release.

[@MarcelNL]

Getting goosebumps by just reading these titles!

[@guyfantastico8268]

@@Berzhulas cherub rock was a beauty too

[@joemiller7082]

My Top 3 SP songs.

[@anthonyvalade2959]

Bullet with butterfly wings and stand inside your love are a must for pumpkins!

[@thirdforest182]

Fantastic analysis, Elizabeth. I grew up on Smashing Pumpkins and this has always been my favorite of theirs. It's truly an emotional journey, speaking to me in both times of despair and hope.

[@dasninjastix]

Pumpkins were definitely not influenced by grunge, their influences are from 60s, 70s, and 80s, bands like Rush and Queen, I know Billy was also a huge fan of Joy Division which might have influenced his later stuff. Had the Pumpkins come from the Seattle area they'd of certainly been labeled as grunge but they were Kings of alternative rock in the mid 90s. Billy's songwriting is unassailable but his voice isnt for everyone. His nasal, cat like whines work on certain songs like Muzzle and Bullet With Butterfly Wings, but his smoother, gentler voice works on things like To Sheila, Mayonnaise, For Martha. He's an incredible guitarist, the wall of fuzz that is Siamese Dream stands as one of the best guitar albums of all time. Melon Collie is front to back double album no skipper. Whatever can be said of his personality or temperament, Billy is a legendary songwriter.

[@anthonybrown9678]

This needs to premiere tonight tonight, not tomorrow tomorrow.

[@metalmark1214]

Or Today 🤔

[@jacobvozzo2934]

This is so 1979

[@amy_grace]

I'm watching this the day after the premiere... call that a Tonite Reprise

[@rich-s6c]

Great video! I love hearing people who know what they're taking about discuss things i love. They can describe something so familiar to me in ways i could never. It makes me see it in a whole new light. It is a very hopeful song and has gotten me through many dark times.

[@gates69]

I never considered the Pumpkins to be grunge. They were part of the alternative music scene but I wouldn’t say they were grunge.

[@gregghelmberger]

I was very heavily into grunge back in the day, and I never knew anyone who thought they were grunge. Everyone I knew got pissed when they were lumped in with Nirvana and Pearl Jame as "the Big Three of Grunge." They were always way too slick and overproduced to be grunge.

[@brad_wilson]

Same (and I feel the same way about Alice In Chains as a doom rock/metal band, not a grunge band)

[@clovu712]

Agreed. Influenced by psychedelic rock, metal, shoegaze, dreampop, rather than grunge. They just happened to start in the same time as grunge.

[@stevenmathis5003]

Mellon Collie was very grunge.

[@brad_wilson]

@@stevenmathis5003 To me, their most raw (and most grunge-like) was their first album Gish, but even that has hints of what was to come in their variety and style.

[@Man-vs-Metal]

I hope you do "Today" as a follow up to Tonight Tonight.

[@auzzieamerican]

The one that got me hooked into the wonderful SP addiction. ❤

[@lawrencejoy2256]

First song of theirs, i remember hearing...

[@rampage6520]

The meaning behind Today adds a another layer of what makes that song so great.

[@dialecticalmonist3405]

I don't know why she didn't start there. That's their signature song. I don't really like this song.

[@Man-vs-Metal]

@@auzzieamerican It's got a great cheery sound that can have a spot on any driving/upbeat playlist.

[@westleymocke9601]

This has to be one of my favourite reactions ever, so glad we have reached Smashing Pumpkins on this fantastic journey. Please react to their other songs, Billy Corgan does not fail to impress and I think you will be blown away with each and every song. Love from South Africa.

[@JohnB-nq4js]

I think you'll find that Smashing Pumpkins are more akin to Electric Light Orchestra than Nirvana or Soundgarden. Very rich, full soundscapes. Beautiful and haunting lyrics - most of their songs are really love songs. Heavy, big, and interesting. In terms of 90s rock, they occupy their own tier.

[@randallpetersen9164]

Post-grunge. Many undersung bands of that era. My favorite is Modest Mouse.

[@Corvid76]

She needs to stop listening to whoever keeps telling her to listen to "grunge" bands, like Foo Fighters, Bush, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. Bands that are absolutely not grunge.

[@vincentbalmori6259]

Fake Plastic Trees next please! Since you're a huge Jeff Buckley fan you will LOVE Radiohead and Thom Yorke!

[@mikewest5796]

I second this. Also, Street Spirit (Fade Out) which is all kinds of awesomeness.

[@stefanosg1432]

I always wondered why she'd never done any Radiohead, then I saw an older video where she reacted to a cover of Creep... In that she said she's a huge Radiohead fan, so I guess that explains why she's never reacted to them on her channel, as she probably already knows all their songs, I guess. Would still love to see her analysis of Thom's voice though. FPT would be cool, There There, Let Down or Nude... there's plenty of options if she wanted to gush over Thom's prowess.

[@vincentbalmori6259]

@@stefanosg1432 Ah makes sense. I would at least love to see her analyze the Live in the Basement performance of "Nude" and/or the live performance of "Street Spirit" at a Japanese mall in the mid 90's. Two absolutely gorgeous vocal performances by Yorke. I personally think FTP is his best vocal performance at least on a studio recording. "Sulk" too is an overlooked gem where his vocals just soar.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

and fake chinese rubber man!

[@stubbzzz]

Yes!

[@DonnachaDeLong]

They weren't so much influenced by grunge as influenced by some of the same things as grunge. They were picked up in the record labels' panic after Nirvana broke to find bands who sounded "similar" (not just the Pumpkins, but everything from White Zombie to Dinosaur Jnr). Their debut was very psychedelic with influences including shoegaze (My Bloody Valentine in particular) and the Pixies - the vocal shifts are very Frank Black. Their sound got more "grungy" with their second album in 93, but it was always mixed with lighter tracks like this.

[@MrChologno]

Yes, finally. Billy Corgan voice is very unique and Smashing Pumpkins in their prime created the most beautiful music in the 90s. Check 1979 or Perfect later.

[@nihildark]

The Pumpkin's are like the Beatles, their music never really holds to any particular genre. Billy's a weird guy, but I bet he'd make for an interesting Tea Time guest.

[@gregm3406]

Rick beatos interview will billy was really interesting

[@kevinkishbaugh2051]

Exactly, he's also a pro wrestling promotor.

[@christianwilliamson9752]

BOrderline genius

[@troikas3353]

Weirds one word for it. Conspiracy theorist whackjob is another way to describe him. I love the pumpkins but Billy’s antics were always pretty grating.

[@MannyBrum]

Billy is definitely a virtuoso when it comes to his voice. He created a sound that nobody else can imitate without sounding terrible, but when he sings it is beautiful. He had a really bad childhood (which deeply resonates with me) and he channels his pain into his music. It's almost like he's crying and singing at the same time. It only works for him because he's actually feeling the emotion.

[@kingsecho3351]

He’s also a virtuoso guitarist

[@christophstahl8169]

When you start a book in the middle it is no wonder if you feel you missed something. The first Smashing Pumpkins album Gish came out in that magic part of 1991 - when in a couple months we got one fantastic album after another. Now that would be the proper starting point: I Am One. The the second album Siamese Dreams really charted them. The first single and album opener Chreub Rock, really summarizes the Pumpkins to that point. Then Today shows how they managed to place songs high up in the charts. And when I say "they" - it really is all Billy Cogan to an extreme, that all other band members were only credited as "performers". If you want to understand Billy Corgan the journey from the early songs to Ava Adore is quite interesting. Biggest songs are from the Mellon Collie album. Tonight Tonight, Bullet With Butterfly Wings and 1979. But as I said, starting with Mellon Collie is skipping alot. They disbanded in 2000 but Corgan started releasing new Smashing Pumkins music in 2006 and is still going, the latest album Aghori Mhori Mei came out this year.

[@ceceliafrench]

The past couple of albums have been made with three of the four original members.

[@williamcordle]

Very good explanation of the pumpkin’s I first found them on the Mellon collie radio times an seen the tour for that album then dug in deep till around the ADORE Album then kinda lost interest but love the early pumpkin’s an used to have all the CDs

[@eboethrasher]

@@williamcordle should have checked out Machina, what a great album.

[@williamcordle]

@@eboethrasher I’ll look into giving it a listen sometime

[@zkeletonz001]

I would say that Jimmy Chamberlin was/is more than just a performer. He's the one member Billy couldn't fill in for when recording Siamese Dream.

[@sawyer33]

Cherub Rock gets no love? 😢

[@disky01]

My friend, just because one song is presented doesn't mean another will never be, or that it is less good, or less loved.

[@Johnny_Socko]

I'm pretty sure OP was referring to all of the other comments NOT suggesting Cherub Rock, and he is right to be upset. 😄 That is one of my favorite rock songs -- period.

[@JB-un2iv]

One of the best rock riffs ever

[@disky01]

@@Johnny_Socko Then it doesn't track, because if it's not in direct response to a comment, it's far more logical to assume that it was directed at the channel. If it's meant to address the comments in general, it should be worded more like "I can't believe nobody has asked for Cherub Rock" or "Why is everybody asking for Today or 1979 but nobody has said anything about Cherub Rock?"

[@tinocontreras5105]

it should, its a great song

[@triadxtechnologies]

"Disarm" and "Stand Inside Your Love" are a couple of my favorite Smashing Pumpkins songs. Of course Tonight Tonight is a staple...

[@cantometric]

I particularly enjoy when you do polarizing voices like Billy's. Many people can't hang with his tone. However, I find it is much like some of his lead guitar tones(which I am quite fond of) in that much of what makes it ugly and piercing makes it distinct and engaging.

[@Jimizneutron]

Mayonnaise is one of my favorites.

[@arnaudfoucart3188]

Mellon collie and the infinite sadness. The whole album is a masterpiece

[@monsterhouseenjoyer]

IM GOING TO SEE THEM LIVE TONIGHT TONIGHT LOL I CANT WAITTTT

[@carlos_herrera]

Their set was OK in NYC this summer, opening for Green Day. Last year as headliners it was amazing.

[@Stringer13ell]

​@@carlos_herrerathey opened for Green day? Haha that's just wrong

[@carlos_herrera]

@@Stringer13ell they've been touring with Green Day all summer...

[@AKNeal81]

Update?

[@monsterhouseenjoyer]

@@AKNeal81 i was on the barricade!! it was awesome! They also played Mayonaise which is one of my favorite SP songs oat. 😁 also dead center stage

[@polydactylproductions6787]

Trivia: The main character in the video is played by Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) .

[@ronponce8238]

..and his real life wife, Jill Talley (also a voice actor on SpongeBob).

[@AlderPeak]

@@ronponce8238 Both Tom and Jill were working on Mr. Show with Bob Odenkirk and David Cross when they did this video.

[@Petteriks]

I always thought Billy Corgans nose was just naturally stuck and thus the voice.. I love anything original and his tone and style is definitely one of a kind - and reminds me of my childhood 💜

[@seancollins3106]

Smashing Pumpkins isn't really grunge (maybe the album Gish), they're 90s alternative. Their catalog is so diverse musically, but this is a good place to start. DEFINITELY go back to their work from Siamese Dream!! They're one of my favorite bands, and my kids love them, too!!

[@mercurymachines4311]

lol Gish is definitely not Grunge. Siamese Dream is the only Album close to the whole grunge thing but it’s really not at all.

[@PristineTX]

Gish is a hard rock/hippie/psychedelic/stoner rock record more than a grunge record, IMO.

[@mercurymachines4311]

@@PristineTX Billy calls it psyc rock and that’s good enough for me.

[@whatdothlife4660]

Corgan was influenced by Cheap Trick, Black Sabbath, and Boston.

[@mercurymachines4311]

@@whatdothlife4660 and The Cure, Joy Division and Cocteau Twins, and that’s why their music is so varied and unique compared the grunge bands.

[@auzzieamerican]

I’m a huge SP fan for now (sadly) over 30 years but I took a breath when I got this notification because I realize Billy’s voice isn’t for everyone but I’m SO glad it grew on you so much! And this is the album where they went with less production on the vocals. So I’m greatly anticipating your thoughts on the songs from Siamese Dream and Gish. I hope you take a listen to “Today” or “Snail”. Anyway THANK YOU so much for doing this & keep on helping us to increase music appreciation!

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

You’re the first person I’ve seen to offer up a song from Gish. Seems like most of her viewers haven’t heard anything other than Melancholy😞

[@auzzieamerican]

@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192I really hope that anyone who likes their more well known stuff would listen to Gish because they won’t be disappointed. And don’t sleep on Pisces Iscariot either! 😃 The variety of songs delivered with so much skill & passion is staggering imo. 14-16 y/o me was straight up spoiled.

[@stanleyetienne8353]

The Smashing Pumpkins like many other great bands, have very diverse sounds in their catalog.

[@joergojschaefer3521]

Elizabeth starts the Pumpkin Season with a smashing Pumpkin Reaction 🎃 #letsgettoit

[@cretan320j]

I can't listen to this song without tears coming to my eyes. It just touches me that deeply.

[@protrudingranyt]

tears and tissues this entire analysis. Like you said, this song just does that to you.

[@woodpeckerfm5033]

Thank you for reminding me why I love this song so much. Really enjoyed that.

[@Jimizneutron]

I would consider this is one of their softer songs.

[@russellmingus2590]

I see this album as a book, where each song is a chapter. Tonight, Tonight is in the beginning, the hopeful part Act 1.

[@thomasabbottjr]

I love the Pumpkins and Billy’s voice. They were my favorite band throughout high school. I hope you listen to some more of their songs.

[@docrob2236]

Lightning Crashes by the Band Live is another one

[@Man-vs-Metal]

That and "I Alone" are both fantastic songs.

[@docrob2236]

Throwing Copper is a criminally underrated album.

[@nickdanger108]

Yes throwing copper is one of my favorite albums from this era. And Mental Jewelry is criminally overrated underrated

[@thatoneguy_889]

This song is special to me because it was the first music video I ever watched after my cousin changed the channel to MTV during an X-Files commercial break. The imagery of the video is so vivid and it really sticks with you.

[@danieldasilva3068]

Her first impression of Billy’s voice was priceless

[@EnriqueAviles]

I love this video inspired by Georges Méliès' A Trip to the Moon, allegedly the first Science Fiction movie (inspired by Jules Verne' "From the Earth to the Moon"). There are many gems like this by Smashing Pumpkins. Love this song, the drums are a killer too

[@jtillman8251]

Tonight Tonight is the second track on Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness and always felt like a statement of intent, and request for the audience to abandon pretense (and perhaps forgive Billy's pretensions) and come on an emotional journey over the course of the double album. Modest Mouse's Float On (another second track if I remember correctly) feels similarly to me in that regard, and you should definitely check them out if you want to hear a great lyricist with a totally different and wildly non-traditional vocal styling.

[@LuStrangerIV]

Billy is a Brilliant lyricist and song writer... I've often told people whom have not listened to the Pumpkins, that He has written all the Love songs that you would have wanted to write. Definitely one of my personal favourite Bands of All-Time.

[@Mertaranta]

This music video is still an absolute piece of art.

[@Littlewing1977]

Smashing Pumpkins is not "grunge". They were placed in the straight up "alternative" genre of rock.

[@kyndred2008]

Exactly

[@ferrouswheel2677]

Yep. Alternative and if you wanted to get specific then shoegaze. Nobody considered them grunge.

[@Taintrock]

Agreed. They were from Chicago and formed in 1988, which predated all but the earliest roots of Grunge. Their overall run was concurrent to Grunge, but a different thing. Alternative rock, yes. Grunge, nah.

[@andrewberlin4193]

@@Taintrock Alternative was grunge for a few years there...

[@Taintrock]

@andrewberlin4193 Grunge was lumped into alternative when it first came out, until it became distinctly its own thing. TSP was never grunge.

[@electrothinkin7250]

the mad genius of Billy fucking Corgan.

[@AkelaTalamasca]

If you wanted grunge-level Smashing Pumpkins, this is probably the worst song you could've picked.

[@Kaddywompous]

The B side ‘Plume’ is the only thing I’ve ever heard from them that sounds grunge.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

It's the best unexpected dive in!

[@AkelaTalamasca]

@@Kaddywompous I hadn't heard that one before you mentioned it, took a listen, and I'd have to agree!

[@spacedjg]

​@@KaddywompousReally true

[@howieumland9805]

This is a great introduction to Smashing Pumpkins

[@dialecticalmonist3405]

It's not a good song though. Terrible way to start.

[@thelongerrun]

SP is such a part of my childhood and adolescence that I have a hard time comprehending not hearing them until now. Their albums were experiences to a young teenaged me. One night, driving across rural Oregon in the back of a van, watching the darkened world pass by and listening to Twilight to Starlight in its entirety, the album transformed from simply music to a part of who I am. I hope you get to review more of their catalog, and I'm glad you enjoyed this small part.

[@TR-cy5fg]

Next 2 Smashing Pumpkins songs should be: -Disarm -1979

[@TheGoobingGoose]

And bullet with butterfly wings

[@electrictwilight]

I would love a reaction to Disarm and then a follow up reaction to the Civil Wars version

[@TR-cy5fg]

@@electrictwilight a civil wars reaction would be great!

[@Diegopenha41]

1979❤

[@nebulonwarrior]

Cherub Rock, Zero, Today, 1979 so many

[@smez4967]

Now that you've done Tonight, Tonight, you should do Today! Also can't understate how amazing Billy's lyrics are. You definitely need to have Thru the Eyes of Ruby and Muzzle on your list. Edit to add you should listen to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (track 1) on the album... beautiful instrumental piece.

[@endriego]

PLEASE DO TODAY

[@malix11gaming10]

Smashing Pumpkins is one of those bands that reminds me of my childhood growing up, every time I listen to them I am flooded with memories and are easily one of my all time favorite bands. Disarm, Cherub Rock, 1979, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Today, so many good songs.

[@slackerlitgeek]

It cracks me up that it took you all of TWENTY MINUTES just to get through the first verse and chorus. I love your analysis, but as someone who adores the dramatic swell of the chorus of this song, you kept teasing me by rolling it back over and over AND OVER AND OVER AND GOOD GRIEF JUST LET BILLY SING!!! :-) As always, great analysis. Thanks!

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

I sometimes think she must do it on purpose🤣

[@jmpmusva]

plus two commercials.....

[@GoDrex]

seriously I don't think you can experience the melody if you don't let it flow a little

[@craigdarby9533]

Music interruptus

[@genghisgalahad8465]

I Disagree! You get to experience the song and insights as EZ does go back to the beginning of the verse, as you would enjoy a song, you know? It's not like interrupting and THEN moving along! It's re-experiencing. so it's not disruptive, nor shorting of the experience! It's experiencing the moments within the song like the toppings of a pie, instead of gulping it down, taste it a little bit and the parts, like the crust and cream and topping and edges, and then a cross section bite rather than gobbling it in one go! Yeah?

[@anonymous15432]

That ending build up needs recognition as one of the most epic and beautiful crescendoes in rock.

[@Man-vs-Metal]

I agree

[@mart_en]

How did she manage to have never heard that song before, that is weird. It has been on the radio all over the place in the last 29 years.

[@CandymanJrMint]

I’m dubious as well. She’s teasing the vocals at the exact moment they’re about to start. I respect the grift I suppose 🤷

[@UMfan21]

Your first comments were so spot on! Billy Corgan (singer of the Pumpkins) has said in interviews that the band HATED behind lumped in with Grunge. They did not see themselves as a grunge band and did not like how the record labels wanted them to start writing grunge music. So this song (and most of the songs on this album) were intentionally made as an "anti-grunge" sound to show what Smashing Pumpkins were about and to not push them into a genre that was popular at the time. He specifically wanted the orchestra to help emphasize that distinction.

[@condemned1982]

They definitely chose the right producer for that goal (Flood), who was part of so many landmark albums for important artists (NIN, Depeche Mode, U2).

[@bgon01]

Smashing pumpkins like many bands had an evolving sound. First 2 albums would sound more like what you were expecting as grunge-adjacent

[@Dunybrook]

One of the most amazing songs ever. Still gives me chills every time.

[@ReelImitation]

I suggest QUIET from Smashing Pumpkins. Not a huge famous hit, but an incredible song. That opening.

[@bystarlite33]

Looove this one

[@rqu3-b2m]

Please check out “Disarm” !! It’s my favorite smashing pumpkins song. A little more grungy but still with the strings backing up the way you like it

[@cmr7854]

The soaring orchestral instruments with the rolling drums... moves me to tears when I am listening to this alone.