MACHINA/The Machines of God

The album, `Siamese Dream' was ruling the airwaves and MTV with songs like "Disarm", "Today", "Rocket" and even "Mayonaise". I liked the whole album and declared it to be good music. Then came `Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness' and I was instantly attracted to two songs my first listen: "1979" and "Tonight, Tonight". Although Billy Corgan can scream with the rest of the rockers, I prefer his softer voice - it's a unique style of singing that blends well with the band - and I think that's what made `Siamese Dream' such an enjoyable listen.

But you want to know about `Machina: The Machines Of God'. Well after a few listens, I hereby declare this album a worthy buy. Is it a `Siamese Dream' in my opinion? No, but it demonstrates musical growth. The album opens up on a strong note with "Everlasting Gaze", a rock track not unlike "Bullet With Butterfly Wings". Lyrically, "Stand Inside Your Love", is the album's most intense statement with lines like `Who wouldn't be the one you love and live for, who wouldn't stand inside your love and die for?". Sonically, "I of the Mourning" makes for a great listen and so does "Try, Try, Try" and "This Time". The other great rock track on here is "Heavy Metal Machine" with its furious, stomping bass line. One of my favorite songs on this album is "Wound". It has a folk music influence you can really hear when Corgan sings, `Last night I turned around and thought I saw myself turning'...it's a melody that borrows heavily from Gordon Lightfoot's 1970 classic, "If You Could Read My Mind". Despite the similarity, I love the song. My other favorite is "Sacred and Profane" because it is musically, the closest track to `Siamese Dream'. Incidentally, the name of the Pumpkins' tour is `The Sacred and Profane' so it is probably going to be a single.

Lastly, some say the album is too long and yes, there are some tracks that probably did not need to be on here. In my opinion, `Machina' could have ended with "With Every Light". The album cover artwork is mind-boggling to say the least, and warrants further study. What Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins have achieved with this album is artistry to be respected. This isn't necessarily hit music. Rather, `Machina' is an artistic statement by a band, and an artistic statement that I can appreciate - how about you?

The album rocks. The opening track, "The Everlasting Gaze", is a stunningly brutal and powerful Pumpkins track, and one of their most straight-ahead rock songs. The spoken word segue in the middle is excellent and unexpected. "Raindrops + Sunshowers" reminds me a little of Adore but more rock-oriented, very nice. "Stand Inside Your Love" is a brilliant, uplifting song. "I of the Mourning" is superb and catchy. "The Sacred and Profane" is beautiful and almost hypnotic. "Try, Try, Try" is slower and more peaceful.

"Heavy Metal Machine" is a firestorm of guitar thunder and fury, yet it remains very melodic and has some truly great lyrics. "This Time" is one of the album's highlights. "The Imploding Voice", from which the title of this review is taken, is one of my favorite songs on the album, and a bit different. "Glass and the Ghost Children" is truly haunting (kind of in the vein of the Pixies "Where is my Mind?"). "Wound" is a bit calmer, very good. "The Crying Tree of Mercury" is also haunting and reminds me of "Tear" from Adore. "With Every Light" is very catchy and a great song. "Blue Skies Bring Tears" is one of the album's oddest songs, being slower and more distorted. "The Age of Innocence" is very very good and has similarities to "1979."

A big improvement here is the amazing drumming of Jimmy Chamberlain, who is one of the best modern rock drummers alive. Also the album often reminded me of My Bloody Valentine (which, by the way, is one of Billy and the other Pumpkins' favorite bands), what with the layered guitar texture, which sometime takes precedence over lyrics.

To close, Machina is an amazing, powerful album and there is no reason why you should not own it.

There is a big difference from this and Siamese Dream, Gish, Pisces Iscariot and Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness.
But it's still brilliant. It starts off with The Everlasting Gaze, which I think is one of their best ever songs. Raindrops + Sunshowers is a wierd Electro-Feeling song, which doesn't reallt fit in with the album. Stand Inside YOur Love deserves the reviews that it got, that song is brilliant. I of the morning is also really good, although Sacred and Profane doesn't really fit.
Try, Try, Try has to be one of the best, most beautiful songs of all time. It's soothing piano, sweet vocals and lovely lyrics makes this album unmisable.

People say from track 7 onwards the album goes downhill, i'd say the other way. Heavy Metal Machine is a little overproduced, but it's a great rocking song with a great chorus. This Time is one of my favourites from Machina. Glass and the ghost children - would a pumpkins album be complete without an epic 'long' song, i think not. THis song is really good. its strange but still reccomended.s Imploding Voice is a rocky song that is another favourite with wierd guitars.

Wound, With every light, and blue skies bring tears are really nice songs. BSBT is a wierder more electro song, which i like, until it goes repetitive. Crying Tree Of Mercury is a song you either like or hate. its one of the worst on the album, but is still pretty decent.

Age Of Innocence is a brilliant way to end the album. It's mix of acoustic and distorted guitars make this classic song a great end to pumpkins' albums you can buy.

Despite about 3 songs, this is a brilliant album

End.

Machina II - Available for download, Has great songs like Glass, Cash Car Star, Dross, Real Love, Go, Let Me Give The World To You, If There is a god, here's to the atom bomb, slow dawn and Home.

The first half of that whole ablum is more-or-less (...) (the first 3 vinyls). There is a terrible remix of Heavy Metal Machine, well Demo anyway. Try, Try, Try alt.version is quite nice along with Slow Dawn and If there is a god alt.

Machina II/The Friends And Enemies Of Modern Music:
Glass' Theme
Cash Car Star
Dross
Real Love
Go
Let Me Give The World To You
Innosense
Home
Blue Skies Bring Tears (Alt.)
Whyte Spider
In My Body

If There Is A God (Full Band)
Le Deux Machina (Synth)
Here's To The Atom Bomb (Alt.)

JUST DOWNLOAD THIS ANY WHERE

(...) MACHINA RULES!

I'd give that 4/5 stars.

BOth Machina and Machina II are fabulous. i think they're as good as the Pumpkin's have ever done. If you like Stand Inside Your Love, you'll love Real Love.

Both are heavily recommended.

End.