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Corgan repeatedly buries his threadbare melodies beneath squeals of guitar that are too processed to either soar or sear. More than anything, it's this digitally dulled sound that saps Zeitgeist from any impact it may have.
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Overall, Corgan's captivating effort to mine both the spirit of these turbulent times and the soul of his defining band is a smashing success.
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It's still a mess, though an ambitious and grandiose one.
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Zeitgeist’s orgy of avalanche rhythms, cascading riffs and sky-licking guitar is as grandiose as ever (the solo on "Tarantula" sounds like a nuke hitting a Guitar Center), but the bombast is softened as Corgan reaches out for shame-sharing community.
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Zeitgeist isn't a good record, but it is good work.
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This record is easily on par with Corgan's solo record as one of the worst things he has ever done.
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Zeitgeist may not boast any platinum-plated singles of the kind that typified their peak, but it's mercifully far less flatulent than latter-day Pumpkins.
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Zeitgeist sounds like a watered-down version of the best bits from Mellon Collie…, meaning it just ends up being too similar to Machina… for its own good.
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If you're nostalgic for the '90s, Zeitgeist is like curling up with a warm Marshall stack.
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Zeitgeist is mostly a grinding, straightforward affair that demonstrates none of the innovation and vision of the band’s previous efforts.
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The title of the Smashing Pumpkins' new album seems like wishful thinking. So does the music, for that matter
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The best you can offer is that it’s not a disaster – now do you want to tell Billy or should I?
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A record which stares back at you with the appeal of an ex you'd rather not have bumped into.
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It's best treated as a curio in the Smashing Pumpkins' legacy; and for those who grew up on 'Today', '1979' and 'Ava Adore', you're better left with your memories.
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This is no-frills rawk that's been dumbed down for mass consumption.
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Far more aggressive than any other record in their catalog - perhaps a preemptive response to charges of getting old and mellow. Unfortunately, that leaves the record rather homogenous.
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The sort of vocal layering Freddy Mercury would be proud of, chord progressions that convey triumph as often as they do disenchantment, and the use of marimbas and orchestras (and is that a gong in “Pomp and Circumstance”?) all indicate a willingness to go beyond the formula even as they spend most of their time sticking to it like glue.
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The best thing about Zeitgeist is that Corgan is back to what he does best: hard-rock architecture.
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Zeitgeist is the Pumpkins' most aggressively metal album to date. But heaps of guitars, vocal overdubs, and ridiculous effects don't mask a lack of inventiveness or even plain ol' quality songwriting.
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In the end, this is a loud, almost triumphant statement .
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While not enough to stand among the best the Pumpkins have to offer, Zeigeist nonetheless stands fairly well on it's own
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It’s all just too "over-" - overcooked, overheated, whatever you want to call it.
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Zeitgeist ends up sounding like a Corgan career retrospective in B-side form.
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If you remember the unconsciously naff hilarity of late-period Suede, you will recognise that there's some fun to be had from Zeitgeist, albeit in small quantities.
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The album is surprisingly effective in musical terms: drone-laden and distortion-jacked, it sounds about as tough as anything this band has produced.
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And the mixing problems extend far beyond Corgan’s voice. The Band of a Hundred Murderous Guitars has turned into a modern-radio-rock band.
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Zeitgeist comes on with a vicious energy, a jugular-grabbing intensity.
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Under The RadarZeitgeist fails to capture not just the spirit of the cultural times, but of the true Smashing Pumpkins. [Summer 2007, p.84]
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Thanks in part to the presence of Pantera producer Terry Date, this is the Pumpkins' hardest-rocking record ever.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 234 out of 306
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Mixed: 38 out of 306
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Negative: 34 out of 306
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robg.Jul 16, 2007
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May 15, 2012
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Jun 6, 2011