GAMES: GameSpot | GameFAQs | SportsGamer MUSIC: Last.fm | MP3.com MOVIES: Metacritic | Movietome TV: TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Music

Upcoming Release Calendar
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Music In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

74 Absentee
69 AC/DC
72 Ryan Adams
66 Trace Adkins
67 The Aliens
66 All That Remains
93 Amadou & Mariam
80 Amon Amarth
66 Anastacia
46 Brett Anderson
75 Theresa Andersson
66 Annuals
79 Antony And The Johnsons
76 Apollo Sunshine
58 David Archuleta
76 Aterciopelados
72 Attic Lights
75 Joan Baez
80 Belle & Sebastian
61 Beyonce
80 Blitzen Trapper
69 Bloc Party
83 Bound Stems
73 Brightblack Morning Light
64 The Broken West
64 The Bronx
74 Ane Brun
50 Buckcherry
77 Lindsey Buckingham
92 Buena Vista Social Club
78 Calexico
73 Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
64 Castanets
69 Catfish Haven
66 Chairlift
63 Tracy Chapman
73 The Chemical Brothers
60 Kenny Chesney
66 Tony Christie
82 The Clash
66 Cold War Kids
69 Coldplay
67 David Cook
70 Nikka Costa
51 Cradle Of Filth
60 Crooked Fingers
78 Rodney Crowell
75 Crystal Stilts
77 Rivers Cuomo
70 The Cure
59 Kimya Dawson
72 Dead Confederate
72 The Dears
81 Deerhoof
81 Deerhunter
70 Brett Dennen
78 Department Of Eagles
73 Angela Desveaux
68 Devin The Dude
73 Dido
79 Ani DiFranco
58 DJ Khaled
82 DJ/rupture
66 The Donkeys
54 Dr. Dooom
61 Dragonette
79 Dungen
86 Bob Dylan
82 Eagles Of Death Metal
78 El Guincho
57 Electric Six
74 Brian Eno + David Byrne
64 Everlast
75 The Fireman
62 Ben Folds
69 Free Blood
74 Friendly Fires
84 Fucked Up
71 Fujiya & Miyagi
77 Gang Gang Dance
78 Morgan Geist
74 Giant Sand
79 Girl Talk
69 Girls Aloud
82 Glasvegas
67 Gojira
83 Grails
61 Growing
67 Guns N' Roses
67 Gym Class Heroes
76 Hauschka
65 Her Space Holiday
75 High Places
49 Hinder
71 Jolie Holland
79 David Holmes
81 Horse Feathers
64 Howling Hex
58 Jennifer Hudson
78 Hush Arbors
70 I'm From Barcelona
68 Jack's Mannequin
72 Jake One
73 James
59 Japanese Motors
64 Jem
80 The Jesus And Mary Chain
81 Johann Johannsson
68 Grace Jones
60 Tom Jones
75 Damien Jurado
69 Kaiser Chiefs
64 Keane
76 Toby Keith
70 The Killers
63 Kings Of Leon
79 The Knux
78 Koushik
74 Lady GaGa
72 Ladyhawke
75 Lambchop
73 Ray LaMontagne
74 Land Of Talk
68 John Legend
75 Jenny Lewis
71 Little Joy
60 The Little Ones
57 LL Cool J
81 Los Campesinos!
76 Love Is All
81 Patty Loveless
73 Ludacris
79 Luomo
73 Madlib
65 Margot & The Nuclear So And So's
68 Mercury Rev
78 Metallica
70 Metronomy
57 Ingrid Michaelson
76 Mogwai
77 Juana Molina
67 Monkey
79 Mount Eerie
46 Mudvayne
73 Murs
61 Nelly
51 New Kids On The Block
77 The New Year
79 Ne-Yo
51 Nickelback
57 Nightmares On Wax
60 The Nightwatchman
62 Noah And The Whale
66 Oasis
68 O'Death
70 Of Montreal
79 Okkervil River
77 Old Crow Medicine Show
54 The Organ
65 Joan Osborne
77 Brad Paisley
82 Pale Young Gentlemen
78 Amanda Palmer
65 Parenthetical Girls
76 Parts & Labor
74 Passion Pit
67 Peter Bjorn And John
66 The Peth
51 Kellie Pickler
69 Pink
73 Benoît Pioulard
70 Pivot
54 Plain White T's
40 Daniel Powter
74 The Pretenders
51 Pussycat Dolls
84 Q-Tip
42 Queen + Paul Rodgers
71 Rafter
74 Raglani
57 Razorlight
69 Lou Reed
74 Religious Knives
62 Rex The Dog
65 Rise Against
76 Roots Manuva
74 The Rosebuds
66 Darius Rucker
83 Arthur Russell
80 Raphael Saadiq
60 Sam Champion
68 School of Seven Bells
75 The Sea And Cake
60 Seal
69 Seasick Steve
65 Secret Machines
81 Pete Seeger
71 Serena-Maneesh
68 The Shaky Hands
72 Blake Shelton
58 Jessica Simpson
89 The Smiths
72 Todd Snider
68 Snow Patrol
62 Spinto Band
68 Squarepusher
65 Starfucker
82 Marnie Stern
62 The Streets
73 The Subways
81 Taylor Swift
74 T.I.
66 Talkdemonic
64 James Taylor
66 Ten Kens
72 Robin Thicke
67 Thievery Corporation
79 Tindersticks
88 Shugo Tokumaru
75 Emiliana Torrini
70 T-Pain
65 Travis
70 Tricky
66 Trivium
88 TV On The Radio
92 Underoath
56 UNKLE
74 Chad VanGaalen
76 Vivian Girls
78 Volcano!
84 Butch Walker
57 Scott Weiland
73 Kanye West
73 White Denim
78 Wild Beasts
78 Wilderness
71 Hank Williams III
72 Lucinda Williams
67 Michelle Williams
70 Brian Wilson
73 Lee Ann Womack
75 Women
63 XX Teens
72 Rachael Yamagata
60 Yo Majesty
72 Young Jeezy

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

 



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums

TheFutureEmbrace
by Billy Corgan

Billy Corgan reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 59 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.4 out of 10
based on 24 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 74 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

The Smashing Pumpkins/Zwan leader's solo debut includes a cover of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody." Jimmy Chamberlin and Robert Smith guest.

LABEL: Warner Brothers
RELEASE DATE: 21 June 2005
DISCS: 1 disc
GENRE(S): Alternative, Rock

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
Alternative Press
Some of the most engaging music of his career. [Aug 2005, p.172]
80
The Guardian
The unthinkable has been achieved: a Billy Corgan album for anyone who always hated Billy Corgan.
Read Full Review
75
Los Angeles Times
There's a moment or two of alarm and urgency, but less of the rage that colored the Pumpkins' music. In its place, Corgan summons a liturgical grandeur that makes this an almost religious embrace. [19 Jun 2005]
70
musicOMH.com
If you like Billy Corgan for his knack of writing a radio-friendly song with a heavy dose of angst, then you may not enjoy TheFutureEmbrace. Yet give the man credit for moving on and signalling a clear break with his past.
Read Full Review
70
Mojo
Corgan allows a surprisingly vulnerable side to appear. [Jul 2005, p.96]
70
The Onion (A.V. Club)
TheFutureEmbrace is a bit colder than what's expected of Corgan, especially after Zwan's celebratory Mary Star Of The Sea, and it goes without saying that he's handed in his trendsetter badge. But the fact remains that he's a pop showman, and regardless of the vehicle, he's going to continue writing transcendent sing-along rock songs from the heart.
Read Full Review
70
Billboard
While the lyrics are more introspective and the music more electronic than what we've come to expect from the Pumpkins or his most recent project, Zwan, thankfully Corgan's distinctive vocals and grungy guitar riffs are ubiquitous.
Read Full Review
70
New Musical Express
The thing that's not missing here is songs. [18 Jun 2005]
64
Pitchfork
So, forgive Corgan his infinite lyrical badness, but know that infinity's a lot to forgive.
Read Full Review
60
Q Magazine
There's nothing as heroic as Smashing Pumpkins' Tonight Tonight, but Now (And Then) is a surprisingly successful attempt at emotion. [Jul 2005, p.113]
60
Dot Music
Corgan is slowly swamped by the style he's adopted.
Read Full Review
60
All Music Guide
Musically, it's closest to Adore, yet it's a distant cousin: if that album hinted at '80s synth rock and goth, this re-creates the spirit and sound of 1986, right down to the robotic pulse of the rhythms, the cold, slick surface of the production, and the brooding, self-absorbed atmosphere.
Read Full Review
58
Stylus Magazine
What The Future Embrace lacks in terms of consistency, it makes up for with the feeling that Corgan has turned a corner, that his return to musical credibility is well underway, and isn’t nearly as inconceivable as it was one year ago.
Read Full Review
55
Neumu.net
The gear is buffed to such a productional sheen that its every sound seems like a reflective surface, the compositional complexity leading to an album as confusing -- and, ultimately, distancing -- as a hall of mirrors.
Read Full Review
50
Rolling Stone
Future mostly sounds like a bunch of so-so Smashing Pumpkins songs, stripped of everything except Corgan's adenoidal vocals, and then set to a chorus of synths and electronic drumbeats.
Read Full Review
50
E! Online
For the most part, the vitality is gone.
Read Full Review
50
Under The Radar
Only on the more solid "rock" tracks does he get it right. [#10, p.109]
42
Entertainment Weekly
Flim-flammy beats, tinny guitars, and Corgan's nasal moan predominate as he mopes like it's 1984 and his mom forgot to renew his Sisters of Mercy fanclub membership. [24 Jun 2005, p.164]
40
Blender
We're left with the immutable Corgan sans ambition: his narrow whine, melodies not quite predictable but dull anyway and a misty worldview with collegiate airs. [Jul 2005, p.116]
40
Uncut
Not hopeless, but hopelessly self-indulgent. [Jul 2005, p.94]
40
Drowned In Sound
It sounds like Corgan wanted to make a classic eighties 4AD-style shoegazing record, but instead of offering us something swirling and beautiful, we end up with an experience that is simply flat and grey.
Read Full Review
30
Village Voice
Corgan does his level best to make the whole affair as joyless as possible.
Read Full Review
30
cokemachineglow
The tragedy here is not that this is a mid-nineties retread, though, as much as Corgan’s songwriting is Machina level unmemorable.
Read Full Review
30
PopMatters
It's not that any of the songs are horrible; it's just that they are so shamelessly middle-of-the-road that you become sickened by the ambivalence that they instill.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this album is 7.4 (out of 10) based on 74 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Leandro R gave it a9:
muito bom!

Fernando R gave it a9:
Just beatiful

squall gave it a10:
oo. this album is one of the best albums ive ever listned to. but this wasnt my first opinion. to be honest, ive always been a huge pumpkins fan, since gish. i heard he had a solo album but i never got around to getting up and looking for it. well one day my sister called me up and said that she just bought 2 tickets to see billy in hollywood. we went, on the way she played me the future embrace cd. i was like. hmm. billy sounds awesome, but im not sure if this is all that great. we got there, and when billy walked out on stage it was incredible. you can tell he knew what he was doing. this is the same man whjo created to awesome band, the smashing pumpkins. when he started playing and i saw that all that "synth" and "electronica" was actually comming out of his guitr and not 10 sets of keyboards, i was flabbergasted. this is the real deal! this is amazing, this is BRAND NEW! this has never been done before, this is absolutly incredible music. those disrespecting the machina album have no idea what he was doing in that album. machina and future embrace are my favorite cds o this day. people said machina was all "synth" blah blah blah, this is new, individual style music with a new rock and roll sound. with a meaning! does anyone relize what machina was about? does anyone realize there was a concept to the entire album? well there was and its incredible. im not going to ruin it for you but ill give u a clue. glass is billy. we are the ghost children. the machines of god were a band. june is a woman. billy is not stupid, he knows what hes doing. something that was never done before, something thats not fake and done over and over again. this is the future embrace. it wil grow on you like a really awesome tumour- that wont kill you.

Alan R gave it a0:
One of the greatest CD's Corgan has ever produced solo!

Paul S gave it a10:
One of the greatest CD's Corgan has ever produced!

Allan gave it a3:
Minus A100, DIA and to Love Somebody, pointless dribble. Wow, what a mess, Bill.

No Name gave it an8:
Some say that if it wasn't for his fame, no one would even pay this album attention. I say, that if it wasn't for his fame, no one would be nearly as harsh on this album. The fact of the matter is that it is pretty good, but we hold him up to himself in comparison, so it looks 'lame.' Well, what doesn't look lame when compared to Siamese Dream, Melancholy, and Adore? Only the best stuff out there, that's what! Unfortunately, this is not the best. But it is still well worth listening to multiple times. Forget it's Billy Corgan for a minute and let the star bashing go, 'cause it's probably better than you let yourself think.

Read more user comments...

Discuss this album in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: MLB | Spore | iPhone 3G | Paris Hilton | Antivirus Software | GPS | Recipes | Shwayze | NFL

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2008 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use