Customer Reviews

Teargarden By Kaleidyscope 1: Songs for a Sailor

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

They say a fool and his money will soon be parted, and that sadly is the case with me and this box set. I've been foolishly in love with the Smashing Pumpkins since their self-titled Cassette in the days when they opened for Big Hat posing as The Star Children. Billy has given us a freighter-load of great music over the years, so I was game when he proposed giving away his new music for free - and making it available in a decadent box set for a pricey sum. I'm all for saving the music industry, so I ponied up my $25 and waited for the shipment like a kid on Christmas Eve.

There's no sense in reviewing the 4-track EP, go get the songs for free at Smashing [...]. They're great. Here's a review of what's in the box:

EXTERIOR BOX: A stunning wood box with the design you see in the photo. It is faux-blue velvet lined - at the base, a square cut-out for the CD, above that, a circle cut-out for the vinyl single, beside the two, a small rectangle cut out for the obelisk.

CD: Comes in a cheap cardboard liner - no jewel case. The liner has a lovely "all seeing eye" ink-drawn design on front, and a "sun behind the clouds" ink-drawn design on back with the track listing. The CD itself marries a yellow and white "circle within triangle" design with no lettering.

"Hand-carved leopard stone obelisk, about 2 tall, similar to marble" - I had no idea what an obelisk was, turns out, it is a miniature Washington Monument shaped piece of marble - cute but utterly useless.

"7 vinyl single containing one NEW song plus b-side" - here is the big LIE of the package. This is a cheaply made piece of marble-printed vinyl - the pressing even bubbles in a few places - it looks more like a cheap magazine promo than a real record. Since there is no sleeve, it arrives dusty. There is no lettering either. Side A: The Teargarden Theme is an instrumental - perhaps the worst song in the Pumpkins canon. Think the old timey background organ music you hear when waiting for an old timey circus or silent movie to begin (in the theaters with old timey live organs). A nice, contemplative guitar line meanders through the last half of the mix which is the only redeeming element in the song. It is short and sounds awful thanks to the cheap pressing.

Most importantly - there is NO "song" PLUS a B-side. Side B is blank.

And so, there you have it. A noble experiment that ultimately falls short on execution.

First of all I've gotta say I really like and approve of the way this album is being released. Billy Corgan decided to gradually release it online for free a song at a time and while some are complaining due to the lenght between song releases, it gives the listener some time to let each song soak in. In my case there were a couple songs I was unsure of at first listen but over time I've started to warm up to them and must say I enjoy all four songs on this EP. The way the music is packaged is truly unique and the box it comes in is beautiful and made specifically for the collector. It looks good on display and is a real eyecatcher to anyone that sees it. I really hope the other 10 ep's are done just as well as this one. As for the music, the album opens with A Song for a Son which is a pretty good song and a good opener. The song does drag at times but you can't ignore the guitar work by Corgan, the solos are excellent. Astral Planes is one of my favorites off the EP and its a fairly trippy kinda song. Some are complaining for the lack of lyrics but this song really isn't meant to be about lyrics. Its about all the sounds and again the guitar work. Widow Wake my Mind is one of the songs I wasn't to sure about at first. Lyrically its similar to Astral Planes because there isn't much being said but again its about the music. Over a period of time I have grown to like this song pretty well and it is kinda catchy. One cool thing about this song as well as Astral Planes is the way they both end. They have extended kinda trippy sounding endings like something you would have heard off Gish or Simease Dream. The Last song off the EP is A Stitch in Time and its a good song as well. I must say I find it somewhat bland at times and its probably my least favorite of the four but its still not a bad listen. This EP deserves 4 stars musically and 5 stars for the packaging. There is no smash hit on this cd but all four songs are good and anyone giving this a bad rating just hasn't listened enough or understand what is unfolding here. There are also those "fans" that just can't accept the fact that Corgan no longer wants to write music that makes you wanna go jump off a cliff so those few may be disappointed by this effort. This album will be the biggest, most artistic thing created under the Smashing Pumpkins name and I believe this could be a masterpiece that will stand the test of time. My only fear is Corgan may get frustrated for whatever reason or sidetracked and scrap it before its finished like he has done on a few other projects. I really hope he follows through with this one...

I'm a little pathetic where the Smashing Pumpkins are concerned -- I scrabble to get my hands even on their lesser works, like the EPs and singles. And the latest thing I scrabble after is "Teargarden by Kaleidyscope Volume 1: Songs for a Sailor," the first part of a vast megasized concept album based on four phases of the Tarot. Don't ask me -- I don't know the first thing about it.

Apparently Billy Corgan's idea is to create a vast 44-song collection that is going to be dribbled out slowly over the next few years, one song at a time (and apparently it will eventually be collected in one big set when Corgan's done with the project). And while the limited-edition EP is WAY expensive for the casual collector (an obelisk?), the songs here are definitely promising.

"A Song for a Son" is a mellow, expansive piece that rings with melancholy. While the electric guitars start to rise over the piano-led melody, Corgan wails about dead doves, stars, children and "a tailor/Who stitched up my old heart." Having spent that song revving up, Corgan switches into the sputtery, energetic "Widow Take My Mind."

"Astral Planes" sees the band switching over into a blaring, supernova of a rock song, with plenty of simmering bass and sprawling proggy riffs. Somehow it just didn't connect with me. And finally there's "A Stitch in Time," which is the complete opposite of the song before it -- a sparkly shimmery pop melody that undulates with what sounds like sitar.

Apparently the whole idea behind the "Teargarden by Kaleidyscope" mega-album is that rather than cobbling together a conventional album, Corgan will create it as he goes along, polishing each song until it shines. Maybe it'll work, and maybe it won't -- but the first of eleven EPs is promising.

And as befits an art-rock concept album, the music is brilliant -- stately piano, wild drums by Mike Byrne, and some simmering basslines from Mark Tulin. Corgan's guitar skills are amazing here, with sprawling riffs that can be proggy, razor-edged, shredding or twisting wild things. The lyrics have spurts of lameness, though -- "Widow" is oversaturated with "ohs!" and "Astral Plane's" lyrics are oversimple. But "Stitch's" warm psychedelic lyrics are lovely ("You're everywhere at once, and you can't catch me, watch out!").

Apparently this limited EP version also comes with a two-song vinyl single (which I can't even play!), a stone obelisk (I'm not sure why) and a wooden box. Way too ovepriced, in my humble opinion -- my impoverished self will have to wait for the full collection.

There are still forty songs to go before we know how good the complete "Teargarden by Kaleidyscope" will be. Volume 1 isn't perfect, but Corgan's passion shines brightly.

Make no bones about it, this EP was made with hardcore pumpkins fans in mind. The packaging is solid, although I feel like it lacks a bit of pop. The box is a lot lighter than you think it is when you look at it. It's sturdy enough though, despite how rough I tend to be it hasn't betrayed a scratch or nick. I find the lid a bit awkward to remove, requiring a bit of surprising finger dexterity. Upon opening the box you'll see the blue marble vinyl on top (or if you're one of the lucky 99 a special "fool's gold" variation, although no one who might have one has come forward with details yet). The color is nice but the marbling effect (mixed with other shades of color) doesn't catch my eye too much. Next to the vinyl in it's own little niche, you have the "leopard stone obelisk (special version comes with a spangled fool's gold obelisk which I've seen - pretty neat). It's a tad small and light although I find the pattern to be pretty cool. At the bottom we have the CD sleeve containing the disc. I think the design on the sleeve is great and does the best job of conveying the theme of these songs along with the wood box. The designs on the front and back are very well done and really evoke a "classic SP feel" somewhere between the whimsy of Mellon Collie and the strong mystical themes of Machina. I do have to admit my disappoint in a lack of any kind of lyric booklet. With such a fancy release I'd figure they'd include the lyrics ~somewhere~, but alas they are nowhere to be found.....

Now for the songs themselves...
One of my favorite aspects of Smashing Pumpkins is how unafraid the band is with reinventing their sound. Alot of people have taken issue with Corgan being the only original member left, and the new drummer being 19 (as of the recording,) not to mention the absence of the the other 3 original members, has many fans skeptical of any new sonic territory the band treads. Corgan since reforming the band, has stated multiple times that he and Jimmy Chamberlain (original drummer) carried the workload on most of the albums. I heard there were quite a few mishaps with studio equipment during the recording of this EP that bogged down the process, coupling that with just a fresh drummer and the bold decision to self produce and I can understand why the songs on this EP seem so weak (by SP standards, which if you're not aware, are VERY high). First of all I don't have ready access to a record player so my experience with the songs pretty much all come from the compact disc. Adding to my growing sense that this EP was pushed through the creation process despite lots of technical difficulties (the release date was also pushed back multiple times for reasons never clearly stated)is the fact that the track list as shown on Window Media Player is definitely out of order. The track list is actually as follows: A Song For a Son, Astral Planes, Widow Wake My Mind, and A Stitch in Time. There is also a bonus B-Side advertised with the EP "Teargarden Theme" but for reasons beyond my comprehension they included it on the vinyl ~only~ which is a real downer for those of us without a turntable.

1)A Song for a Son - debuted during the 2008 20th Anniversary Tour, I saw it live and I absolutely fell in love with it. How does it fair on the EP? Well, it definitely evolved during the recording process. A modest piano intro barely hints at the dynamic guitar work that lays ahead in this track. The solo is excellent and I find it very energizing, followed buy some whimsical keyboard, more soaring guitar work and a somber keyboard ending. A very strong classic rock aesthetic overall, broken down into movements to create a feeling of rock and roll epicness. It has it's moments, but the slightly jumbled dynamic movements (especially coming from a band so renowned for it's dynamism) and the overall length of the song come off a bit forced. Solid track overall.

2)Astral Planes- is an interesting little number, different from the bands norms in most respects. This track is chock full of energetic, smokey guitar riffs, and pulsing drum/conga beats. Broken by earlier pumpkins style psychedelic jet-engine guitar solos and a very pretty bridge near the end. The downside? The lyrics are VERY repetitive. I like the song progression enough where this doesn't bother ME, but I know this will drive a lot of people nuts. Although on a positive note the drumming on this track is probably the most solid of the EP. A very love it/hate it kind of track.

3)Widow Wake My Mind - let me be upfront, I find this to be the weakest song on the EP and one of THE weakest SP tracks to be released. Corgan has lots of things going on in this song, and he tries to include different movements as in ASFA to convey the notion of journey tied into this album, but it just doesn't add up. It begins with a nice rocking guitar intro and (some might call "slightly grating") "oh, oh-oh"s and dives into a whole mess of keyboard, guitar and drums before building up to a magical little climax, into a heartfelt piano section (I do like the lyrics here...)before turning the volume back up to 11 on the chaotically mixed chorus for the end. At this point I'd like to point out that new "instrumental intros" were advertised but sadly, the only thing remotely in that vein is the extended outro of this track (about 30 or so seconds) featuring an extended keyboard note or two and (I doubted for a moment that the CD was still playing correctly) a jarring ending that I found amusing and self deferential.

4)A Stitch In Time - probably one of the most all-around enjoyable tracks on the EP. As famous as SP is for their crunching beast of a guitar signature, their acoustic work has always been a highlight Poignant and packing a lot of strong emotion, the same holds true for this rousing little number. It begins on a very modest note compared to the other tracks, just Billy's magical acoustic strumming and an equally magical keyboard arrangement (no drums, you might be relieved to know). While many fans have found Corgan's lyrical tone lacking since the 2007 reformation, they might be pleased to know that he definitely packs his signature melancholy in this song. It's this simple, classic pumpkins style understated (compared to the rest of this EP) kind of song writing that makes this track shine. It's here where Corgan simply opens his heart without trying to juggle the metaphorical kitchen sink in the song composition department that he has produced what I feel is this volumes hidden gem of a track.

5)Teargarden Theme - despite not having access to a record player I was able to find a nice little recording of this song on the internet. A pretty and reflecting instrumental number that harkens back to the first track off Mellon Collie. Very cool 70's drive-in cinema interlude kinda vibe, with a vaguely asian guitar rhythm, nostalgic keyboard arrangements, and an uplifting bit of guitar work towards the end. When I hear this song I visualize a long forgotten music box being rediscovered in a dusty, sunlit attic.

Final thoughts:
As far as packaging goes I would say it's solid. For something meant to be a special edition I really would have expected more out of this box set. It really seems to me like they ~tried~ to make it special, but I can't help feeling they fell short of this goal (no lyric booklets or anything??). Musically this EP isn't exactly a paragon of the Smashing Pumpkins sound. Chalk it up to whatever excuse you feel is applicable (I think Corgan works best within a band atmosphere, although not necessarily the original band) but I wouldn't call it "up to par". Corgan is reaching for a lot here with the concept of this album. A tale of spiritual journey conveyed through an unconventional sounding, 44-track, 4 at-a-time mega project. I can hear the potential and visualize when listening to this album what he's going for, but the muddy mixing, the debatable lyrics, and the not quite epic nature of some of the tracks really hold this release back. At the original asking price of $40, I would definitely recommend this for the hardcore Smashing Pumpkins fan/music collector only. It's clear this is but a small part of a much more grander and intriguing project, so unless you're a fanatic pumpkinhead who wants to have a cool physical representation of the albums construction at the end (like me),I recommend skipping this release. Besides if all you want is to listen to the songs, Corgan has decided to release the tracks (minus B sides, but you're not missing a WHOLE lot with Teargarden Theme) for free on the bands website one at a time, as he records the individual EPs. So if you're a fan who is interested in checking out this project, but not happy with my description of this package it's still very much a win-win situation.

As a long time, and unwaivering, fan of The Smashing Pumpkins, I was more then happy when the UPS guy showed up with my package. The packaging is very well done, the vinyl is very nice and colorful, and the obelisk was a nice addition. I had previously downloaded the songs for free, but I think this style of distribution is much better then the "old" style.

Worth it for the real fan, bandwagon jumpers stay away.

Nearly every review that exists for the new Smashing Pumpkins EP is a load of garbage (most internet smacktalkers will say this about my own review aswell).

The reviews are basic, boring, reticent of all bad press read over the last 20 years of the Smashinng Pumpkins, touching base on Billy Corgan's supposed rampant ego (a judgement made by most without having ever met the person), how the songs compare to the past (not heavy or depressive enough) and the total calculated cost for the 11 EP's that will go into Teargarden By Kaleidyscope (a price that anyone who idolizes ex-band members will moan about).

I am sure most people did not read or take notice of the announcement Billy Corgan made about the upcoming Teargarden by Kaleidyscope project. You can read it here...[...]

The announcement explicitly states - all of the songs can be downloaded for free.

It goes on to say "We will however sell highly limited edition EP's...the EP's will be more like collectors items for the discerning fan who will want the art itself, along with the highest possible audio quality available. The EP's will be more like mini-box sets rather than your normal cd single."

If people have a problem paying for the LIMITED EDITION EP, they maybe... i
dunno... should download it for free, instead of buying the product and then denouncing it for their own personal gratification?

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The music marks something different for The Smashing Pumpkins, existing less as a band now and more as a collective mentality for Corgan and likeminded contributors, such as the new drummer Mike Byrne, iconic 60's bassist Mark Tulin and other Spirits in the Sky members Linda Strawberry (backing vocals), Ysanne Spevack (violin).

For those who followed Corgans creative transformation from the Zeitgeist album, through the If All Goes Wrong residencies, through the 20th Anniversary tour in 2008 and then with the small shows by "friend bands", Spirits in the Sky and The Backwards Clock Society to the gradual release of first four Teargarden By Kaleidyscope tracks, it is important to note a rejuvenation in Corgan's songwriting.

Maybe it doesn't fit into alt radio, or sound like Pumpkins of old, or that it sounds like Zwan or whatever peoples gripes are - it is easy and cowardly to insult a songwriter on the internet for bringing you into their musical transformation and pissing all over the first signs of it.

"A Song for a Son" builds gradually from folk hymn, transformed by psychedelic harmonized lead guitars bottlenecking into a freakish two-section solo that feels like a purging of the old, traversing back to the psychedelic and folkish hues of the beginning.

"Astral Planes" and "Widow Wake My Mind" are both filled with vocal melodies that are more like mantra's, with "Astral Planes" conjuring the most of the psychedelic rock on the EP, with evil sonics, trippy guitar work, whilst "Widow Wake My Mind" owes more to the 60's pop era, floating through the Pumpkins-famed song dynamic turns of loud-quiet, but instead of stomping on or off the fuzz pedal, piano, keyboards and organs are creating a more beautiful shine to the songs.

Out of all the songs, "A Stitch In Time", sounds the most like a "Song for a Sailor". The strum pattern and organ propel the song with a momentus, nautical feel - with the sitar adding a nice lead flavour to the song.

The bonus track, on the vinyl, is the "Teargarden Theme". Beginning with a tortured harpischord, the song moves forward slowly with pastoral guitar until the organ and bass take it to a more fantastical level, with sly, lingering languid references to the music of "Widow Wake My Mind" (see if you can spot it). It is an interesting track.

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Teargarden By Kaleidyscope Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor is an ambitious step into the future for Corgan and the new incarnation of the Smashing Pumpkins, who have been slowly building back up into the lineup of Billy Corgan, Mike Byrne, Jeff Schroeder and Nicole Fiorentino.

This EP is only for a die-hard fan of the Smashing Pumpkins of NEW, and they should only buy it if they enjoy the music and have something positive to say about it, rather than for blind-as-a-bat collector purposes, you know the ones where the fan feels self-important enough to totally justify "why they don't have to put up with spending this amount of money on all of the EP's and any further releases".

Ok so I have been a fan since the beginning. With SP there have been highs and lows. Still it was always interesting. I have had most of these songs since they were released free on the official SP website so I knew what I was getting music wise except for the bonus on the vinyl 7". I could go into each song but even better I would just suggest you go download them and listen. All I will say is that I think they are pretty good and have a more psychedelic feel to them. I will go into more detail on the limited box now since why else buy this? Ok so I got mine a few days ago. The box is supposed to be a silk screened wooden box. It might be wood or it might be plastic. I have not been able to really tell which should give you an idea of the quality if it is wood. Inside is lined in fake blue velvet. There is the cd with the 4 songs on it in a cheap cardboard sleeve. I mean I could live without a jewel box but this sleeve is just cheap and flimsy. Then you have the 7" vinyl. It is a marbled vinyl 7" but it is garbage as far as quality. It has bubbles in it and no label at all. I love vinyl and buy a lot of new vinyl. Some of my vinyl is from tiny record companies who only release like 200 copies of their records and they are run out of some dudes living room. Their vinyl is 100 times better quality than this 7". This is the porest excuse for a vinyl release I have ever seen and they should recall it and send everyone a quality one to replace it. Billy I know you won't read this but if you do you should be ashamed of this vinyl. To top it off there is nothing on side B of this vinyl. So anyway I hope the next release will be better quality. So I give this 4 stars for the music and 2 stars for the package and vinyl.

Like many fans of Gish, Siamese Dream and Melancholy I've listened to each subsequent Pumpkin's release with a sense of anticipation only to find again and again that Corgan will in fact release anything he sets to tape and call it a record, regardless of how god-awful-bad it is.

It's with a pleasant surprise that the four songs from Kaleidoscope play out, and although lossy mp3 version are available for free, the CD provides a clarity and power they lack. The four tracks, while not capturing the power of the original three Pumpkins albums, does maintain the standards and the results are four solid songs right out of the late sixties psychedelic-pop scene. The issue, musically, is where with this go? If the next 40 songs are like these the result will be a long, boring, tedious album. At some point Corgan will have to unleash some power and give this work more than spit and polish, it will need to actually rock.

The package here is a wood-grained plastic box with the 4-song ep in a paper sleeve under the (let me clarify since Amazon got it wrong) 1-sided 7" vinyl 45 that contains a rather casio-keyboard sounding instrumental with short guitar solo that should, theoretically lead the CD but is not available digitally. You also get a kinda-ok-cool replica of the Washington monument carved from stone that feels mysteriously like plastic.

The songs are okay, a good start but nothing outstanding. The packaging screams that there will be something awesome inside, but is also a let-down and the instrumental is quickly forgettable. If every-4-songs is released like this it will cost another $250.00 for the entire work and you won't even have all the songs on vinyl. This is okay, but who wants 11 of these boxes taking up space on their shelves? And the only vinyl is not protected in the box and has no sleeve to take it out, and how often are your really going to spin that instrumental.

Here's to hoping the rest of the music lives up to the theater of the packaging.

Out of Chuck Brown post break up band. Comes the seconding coming. A new start and sound of the band. Not the same old SP. But a new chapter. Kind of like The Cure. Went through alot of line up changes over the years, as well. The picture disk is great on the turn table. Gives back on the old classic days.

Others have pretty much summed up the review of this release. I love the music but I was surprised to see that someone else ALSO received a defected press of the vinyl. Mine was bubbled up in the center around the hole with a slight crack. It plays, so I kept it rather than returning it. But by Far, the worst quality of materials ever used and put out by SP. I'm hoping TBK II is better, if not, this Big Pumpkin Fan will wait to find the remaining nine releases on an auction site after another disappointed fan decides to sell cheap. Definitely not worth the $20-$26 but I suppose us huge fans are spreading the wealth to allow the rest of the world to download for free.