Smashing Pumpkins - Adore (1998)

[Alternative Rock]

The firing of drummer Jimmy Chamberlain from Smashing Pumpkins had played out publicly, and it was made clear by that band that for at least the short-term they would be drummer-less - and using a drum machine. Throughout the leadup to a new album frontman Billy Corgan warned fans that this wouldn't be a heavy album, the band would be taking risks and trying new things, and this would not be an album anyone expected. When the album eventually materialised as Adore, it was certainly different - and it divided fans. There was little here that connected the sounds with the prior works of the band, creating a polarising experience. The album opens gently with the acoustic 'To Shiela'. Although it is simple, it's ethereal softness makes it a wonderful opener, and one of the standouts on the album. Things immediately shift gears at this point with the goth-like anthem 'Ava Adore'. Is it the loudest and heaviest point on the album, and although it is catchy it is also soaked in digital effects, something previously used vary sparingly by the band. It is a great song, and one of the best on the album, but sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb, as it is totally disconnected with the other music on the album. 'Perfect' has a great song buried under a driving pop drum beat that sours the song from potentially being great to instead coming across as limp and insipid. Most listeners by this point have realised they weren't going to get another 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings from this album. 'Daphne Decends' presents as another simple song with a pop like beat, but soon after reveals this is something far deeper. Under the thick production is a classic Pumpkins song on the edge of bursting free, only really held back by the expectations the listener has on what they are hoping to hear. The two songs side by side are the epitome of where this album restrains itself. Throughout its lengthy runtime it reveals songs that with some slight patience and open-mindedness are wonderful examples of the band at its peak, but they are often overshadowed by the pop beats and digital wizardry that soaks many of the lesser tracks. 'Tear' has a great chorus, but a verse that sounds like Billy's 1986 Casio keyboard is proving backing. 'Crestfallen' is just plain dull, even with a horrid drum-machine provided back-beat, and 'Appels + Oranges' holds nothing of interest due to being so over-produced it is barely recognisable as a song. 'Pug' is a dark masterpiece that showcases more of what the album could have been, and it is followed by one of the most wonderful songs composed by Billy during the period - the floating 'The Tale Of Dusty And Pistol Pete'. Removing the instrumentation and reimagined as a simple acoustic ballad, this could have been perfect with a chorus that is for the ages. It is the albums best example of where restraint in production could (and should) have been applied. The whole listen totally loses steam at this point and trails off with a number of slow ballads that hold no aural or lyrical interest. 'For Matha' even lets itself drone on for over 8 minutes. It actually has a catchy main piano refrain, but it isn't enough to carry the song above mediocrity. Adore certainly has its fair share of fans, and like many divisive albums, it has gained followers over the years upon re-evaluation. For others though, it will always be an album of missing opportunity. There is a good album, possibly even a great one, somewhere buried in here, but it hidden and hindered by dense overproduction and poor sequencing and track choice. Its biggest weakness is without a doubt it's length. With so many slower songs, it suffers from tempo fatigue, especially by the second half. Shelved tracks like the punchy 'Let Me Give The World To You' and 'Cash Car Star' or the dark and moody 'Do You Close Your Eyes?' if included would have added punch to the album when it suffered lulls. These could have easy replaced some of the starker songs like 'Annie-Dog' or 'Shame'. At no time in the future will the world decide this is one of the great lost albums of rock and roll, but at the same time it does deserve its place in the band's discography. It nothing else, it shows a greater dimensional capacity for songwriting than Billy Corgan had ever had the opportunity to present previously - and every great song writing deserves that chance. Adversely, it also shows where some slight production restraint can make a good set of songs much better.