Judas O is the bonus CD that came with the pumpkins' greatest hits album 'Rotten Apples' for those of you who don't know. It's a collection of B-sides and Rarities, home to 10 unreleased tracks and 5 other B-sides. Even though it is a bonus CD and not much should be expected from it (compared to other smashings calbums), i find it has some of their best tracks on it; such as, 'Aerooplane Flies High', 'Winterlong', and 'Blissed & Gone'.
SONG REVIEWS
Lucky 13 - This is a good opener to the Cd, its doesnt have amazing quality, but it has a catching driving riff, with a full drum line carrying it all the way through. I think this song is looking at the bad things in life and putting a happy sicastic twist on them, hence lines like, "You are so ***ed", and the name lucky 13.
3.5/5
Aeroplane Flies High - This is one of my all time favourite Pumnpkins songs. Driven by a continuous chord progression, made heavier by a full and catchy drum line. Throughout the song there are same somewhat disturbing comments made by unknown persons; such as "I've always been afraid to die, but i think i'm more afraid to live", and "If i knew where i was going i would already be there". These readings give the song this weird eary feeling to it, which is what makes it such a good song i think.
5/5
Because You Are - This is one of ym least favourite tracks on the CD. It has something lacking to it, the lyrics are very repetetive and music is nearly as repetetive. The lyrics in the verses are one highligh of this song, but it isnt much to get excited about.
2/5
Slow Dawn - This is another excellent song. opened with a few nice strums of an acoustic guitar, backed up by a wonderful tune and some great lyrics. Thern out comes one of billy corgans trademark squelching solo's. The only downside is that the msuci overpowers the lyrics at some points in the song.
4/5
Beleieve - This song was written, played and sung by James Iha (rhythm guitarist). It has great feeling in amoungst the plucking of the acoustic guitar and the feeble vocals. This feeling is what keeps this song together, helped by a few violin notes in the choruses.
3.5/5
My Mistake - my mistake is a song that will grow on you. With the song being made up prodominantly of keys, it doesnt really rock out all that much, but it is a nice listen. It has a catchy quality, one of those songs that will get stuck in head for a while. It can get a bit repetetive.
3/5
Marquis In Spades - ..... ***er. is how this song starts. This is one of those rocking out, angry pumpkins songs. Held together by some great guitaring, and some screaming vocals, it keeps your attention the whole way through.
4/5
Here's To The Atom Bomb - One of my least favourite songs on the album, carried by a repetetive, clean guitar riff; and not the best lyrics corgan has ever produced. One highlight is the chorus, where billy screams "here's to the atom bomb!"
2.5/5
Sparrow - Not the best solo effort by corgan. Like all of his other solo songs it has a very personal feel to it, with a great sense of loss and depression, but the chords accompanying the lyrics aren't up to there usual standard.
3/5
Waiting - One of the pumpkins many electronic pleasures. A great start to finish song, held togeether by a nice electronic drum beat, and made better by the paino/guitar combo.
4/5
Saturnine - dark, mysterious and almost sexual this is one of the better songs on the cd. Electronic again, with more emphasis on the lyrics, a bit more to it than the most of the other songs on the cd; but in saying that it can get a bit repetetive.
4/5
Rock On - This is a good song, but it can get a bit repetetive. It's a bit more full on than the rest of the cd, but it can get boring. Not one of my favourites on the cd.
2/5
Set The Ray To Jerry - One of my favourites on the cd. This song is about longing, and love like a lot of the pumpkins songs but it had this mysterious feel to it, created by the weird guitaring in the background. A pleasure to listen to over and over.
4.5/5
Winterlong - Another acoustic/billy song; but this time round it's a lot better. The tachnicallity of the guitaring and the emotion behind the lyrics make this one of the best songs on the cd. I figure this song is about living through the bad times and coming out to realise what you have been through and that its time to move on.
4.5/5
Soot & Stars - This is one of my favourite song by the smashing pumpkins, let alone on the cd. The song is lyrically based, with a repetetive piano riff throughout the whole song; but even with the repetetiveness of this song, the lyrics are some of the best corgan has ever produced, great to get lost in whilst alone in a dark room.
5/5
Blissed & Gone - What a great song to finish with. Opened by an electronic sounding drum beat, then accompanied by billy corgans amazing lyrics and some keys, this is one of the greatest depressive songs the pumpkins have made. Centered around feeling alone, and wanting just one thing....love.
5/5
This isn't an album that is easy to listen to from start to finish, some songs are very easilly skippable, but the good songs on it are up there with some of the best the smashing pumpkins have produced. If you were unlucky and bought the Greatest Hits cd without the bonus cd, i feel sorry for you, because it does have some great songs on it.
