Teargarden By Kaleidoscope Review

Released: Starting Dec 8, 2009
Genre: Alternative rock
Label: Martha's Music / Rocket Science
Number Of Tracks: 44
"Teargarden by Kaleidoscope" is the newest Smashing Pumpkins album, all of the 44 tracks will be released for free.

Sound:	9
Lyrics:	8.5
Impression:	9.5
Overall rating:	8.3
Reviewer rating:	9
Users rating:	7.5
Votes:	29

Reviewed by: unregistered, on april 13, 2010

Sound: "Teargarden bY Kaleidoscope" is The Smashing Pumpkin's new album, which will have a finished product of 44 tracks, all released free on their website. They are also releasing the songs in groups of 4 as EP's. This review is of their first EP, "Songs For A Sailor." It can be easily said that these few songs are a return to the band's early endeavors such as the album "Gish", but as I listened carefully you can tell that Billy Corgan was trying this 1960's sound in the production of it all. "Song For A Son" sounds like something you've heard on your classic rock station. Corgan is also trying to state something with the two solos that ride the song by clouds of Nostalgia, that he is quite the "Guitar Hero." "Widow Wake My Mind" is the obvious, playful single with floaty keys and wonky "OHs." It wants to be a punk song I fricken swear, but it becomes, again, this 60's-ish song that glides us into the next and probably best track on the EP, "A Stitch In Time." This track is probably the most amazing thing that TSP has put out in quite some years. Corgan plays the sitar wonderfully, yet... // 9

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics of the song is like some Bob Dylan b-side. Kind of like a protest song. "A Stitch In Time" lyrically takes me on a journey by sailboat, disapproving of... Something haha. Corgan is trying to be, well, Corgan. WTF lyrics touching you somehow, on the verge of not even making sense, yet, being something you've been wanting to hear for years. I gotta say I love it. Even though "Song For A Son's" lyrics are kinda stupid, Corgan's conviction in what he is singing is what grabs you. He STILL sounds all nasally and all like he did in 1995, and he don't give a hoot. Its Billy. Being Billy. And he is on his A-game. // 7

Impression: If your not going back to listen to "Song For A Son" for its solos, you've put "A Stitch In Time" on your iPod and it grew on you. I love this new Corgan, re-filled with a sense of adventure. I can't wait for the next 41 releases. "Willow Wake My Mind," meh. I suggest you go download these songs, they are amazing in every sense and may make you forget the Pumpkins of the 90s for just 10 minutes. // 9

overall: 9.7

Reviewed by: Ir a+infinitive, on april 09, 2010

Sound: "Teargarden by Kaleidoscope" is the newest Smashing Pumpkins album, all of the 44 tracks will be released for free at www.smashingpumpkins.com over the next few years at four week intervals. My impression of the new album is that it could be the revival of the Smashing Pumpkins, with songs like "Song For a Son" "Widow Wake my Mind" and "A Stich In Time" the Pumpkins return to their roots. The album is based on the idea of the journey of life, base through four characters. Most of the album has an alternative rock sound to it with some touches of phychedelia. In my opinion this is going to be one of the greatest albums of all time. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics return to a very 90's Pumpkins style and are touching and inspiring like almost all of Corgan's literary works. The lyrics fit the music like almost nothing else I've ever heared and reassure me that the Pumpkins will never die. Corgans singing skills are incredible to say the least and everything he does ends up being a work of art. // 10

Impression: This album competes with earlier Pumpkins albums such as Gish and Siamese Dream because it sounds very authentic and spacey, almost like you floating on clouds made of the genius behind Corgan's art. The most impressive songs so far would have to be "A Song For a Song" and "Widow Wake My Mind" because the venture into a style that sounds completely fresh and against the grain of the top 40 world that we live in. So far I love this album and cannot wait for more songs. If I lost thi album I would go back on the site and get it for free, I wouldn't have to buy it, thanks billy. // 10

Comments

[EpiExplorer]

44 tracks...? Delving into grindcore, lulz.

[mr_metal121]

so far the songs released kick ass, definitely some of the best material Pumpkins have released in years, very hopeful for this

[Aidy Damage]

You can't possibly review a 44 track album that you've heard 3 tracks of.

[Raysaaark]

Alright, Now the Smashing Pumpkins are one of my Favorite bands of all time. And I find it hard to say anything bad about Billy, But he is not the smashing pumpkins. Sorry, But Yes, what has been released thus far has been stellar! But I don't think that I am the only one who is missing D'arcys driving bass.

And 44 tracks? not so unusual for TSP. Considering that Mellon Collie had almost 60 written songs for it.

[Aliens-exist182]

song for a son is a masterpiece, i LOVE IT it takes me bak to the 90's (when i was in pre school) lol im not a huge fan of the other 2 songs but yeah, hopefully there wil b a few more gems to come

[pwninator123]

I absolutely adore what's been released before, I'm hardcore excited for what's to come.

I miss D'arcy as well, but more than anything I miss her singing voice, it was gorgeous and highly underused...

[crazysam23_Atax]

Did anyone else cringe at the article's grammar, or lack thereof? Nonetheless, I'm excited to hear the tracks.

[Anacrusis12]

But I don't think that I am the only one who is missing D'arcys driving bass.

You do know that Billy wrote almost all of D'arcy's bass lines, right?

[EpiExplorer]

crazysam23_Atax wrote:

Did anyone else cringe at the article's grammar, or lack thereof? Nonetheless, I'm excited to hear the tracks.

Call the anus patrol, we have a grammar communist!

[barden1069]

EpiExplorer wrote:

crazysam23_Atax wrote:

Did anyone else cringe at the article's grammar, or lack thereof? Nonetheless, I'm excited to hear the tracks.

Call the anus patrol, we have a grammar communist!

So he wants everyone to have control over the grammar and grammatical classes abolished?

[EpiExplorer]

barden1069 wrote:

EpiExplorer wrote:

crazysam23_Atax wrote:

Did anyone else cringe at the article's grammar, or lack thereof? Nonetheless, I'm excited to hear the tracks.

Call the anus patrol, we have a grammar communist!

So he wants everyone to have control over the grammar and grammatical classes abolished?

...I need to think this through o.0 and yes, comrade, we shall succeed!

[Horlicks]

I love spoiling a perfect user rating.

[geblackiv]

Anacrusis12 wrote:

But I don't think that I am the only one who is missing D'arcys driving bass.

You do know that Billy wrote almost all of D'arcy's bass lines, right?

i'm glad i'm not the only one who knows this.

Billy Corgan is and has always been the Smashing Pumpkins...almost everything on their recorded albums is him (sans the drums of course).

[andrewjp123]

Aidy Damage wrote:

You can't possibly review a 44 track album that you've heard 3 tracks of.

i agree

[lefthandman9876]

Anacrusis12 wrote:

But I don't think that I am the only one who is missing D'arcys driving bass.

You do know that Billy wrote almost all of D'arcy's bass lines, right?

he played them all on the recordings too, and virtually all of the guitar too, billy is smashing pumpkins. i miss jimmy though, he can really kick ass.

[[x]Huffy[x]]

Reviewing a 44 track album you've heard about 3 songs from?

Smart.

[medoda]

Billy is rock,It will be decades before people come to see the very important roll he"s had on most music from the 90"s on

[GetOnTheSnake]

he played them all on the recordings too, and virtually all of the guitar too, billy is smashing pumpkins. i miss jimmy though, he can really kick ass.

I agree. Him leaving was like neutering the pumpkins.

[pwninator123]

geblackiv wrote:

Anacrusis12 wrote:

But I don't think that I am the only one who is missing D'arcys driving bass.

You do know that Billy wrote almost all of D'arcy's bass lines, right?

i'm glad i'm not the only one who knows this.

Billy Corgan is and has always been the Smashing Pumpkins...almost everything on their recorded albums is him (sans the drums of course).

Actually, their magnum opus, Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, was all equal input, because they almost broke up over his Stalinism on Siamese Dream.

[Forkman]

Terrible fanboy review of an album three songs through forty four. WTF.

[perilouspete]

I'm totally fine with calling Billy and Jimmy the Smashing Pumpkins. Without Jimmy on drums, it's just kind of weird and still has to grow on me. Jimmy's drumming has been one of the things that most interested me about the Pumpkins. Whether it was really fast stuff like on "Silver****," or really slow, simple stuff like on "In My Body," I've always enjoyed what he added to the music. I wish they could have worked everything out and stayed together. I'm a Megadeth fan though, and obviously Dave has seen more band members come and go then Billy (hopefully) ever will and Megadeth is still a great band (and better now then they were ten or fifteen years ago). So I guess if the Smashing Pumpkins get big again with this album, I can look back on this and see it as just another chapter of the Pumpkins, with Billy at the center as he always has been but with a totally new band. Here's to the future of the Pumpkins.

[Rubixcuba]

You can't possibly review a 44 track album that you've heard 3 tracks of.

This.

[Jamie_W]

A Song for a Son is good. The other ones are atrocious. What the hell is Billy doing? The music he's making is nothing like what he described in his vision of the project.

[BassFishin]

What others said...this album is 3/44ths complete. How can you review it?

[smashyourguitar]

am i the only one who loved zeitgeist?

[Delucinat]

smashyourguitar wrote:

am i the only one who loved zeitgeist?

Yes! You are!

[Metallichemical]

smashyourguitar wrote:

am i the only one who loved zeitgeist?

Yes! You are!

No he's not, actually.

Anyway, like other people said, you really can't review an album of 44 songs that you've only heard three of, but I love those three songs so far and I went to the official Smashing Pumpkins website to download all of them.

If all of the songs after this ar as good, this will be a great album.I can't wait to hear more!

[ambivalent615]

kind of a biased review. almost reads like corgan himself wrote it. anywho, i'll have to check this out.

[andrewjp123]

ambivalent615 wrote:

kind of a biased review. almost reads like corgan himself wrote it. anywho, i'll have to check this out.

so true

[One-FISH-]

Huge Pumpkins fan. Teargarden is not Pumpkins. Also, all three songs sucked. All of them. Completely.

[EJSrocket]

What the **** is this review? There's three songs out of FORTY-FOUR. Please allow me to shit on your shallow words.
"Most of the album has an alternative rock sound to it with some touches of phychedelia. In my opinion this is going to be one of the greatest albums of all time."
Dude, "most of the album" = 3 songs from the album? Also, you must have low ****ing standards for this to be one of the greatest albums of all time.
"The lyrics fit the music like almost nothing else I've ever heared and reassure me that the Pumpkins will never die."
Too bad they already died.
"The most impressive songs so far would have to be "A Song For a Song" and "Widow Wake My Mind" because..."
...two of the three are the most impressive?

Fuck it, why am I repeating myself. Delete your shallow review of a three-song album and suppress your ass-kissing until it's all released.

[Teej212]

you shouldnt put reviews up if you dont even know the name of one of the songs, its widow wake my mind, not willow

[onthelongview]

So far I love whats been put out, Song for a son is amazing. Widow I think has been getting a bit of unfair criticism if Billy had released the album as a whole...well like 12 song wholes, I think people would have liked it more and would have been more willing to let the song grow on them. Stitch in time is okay, teargarden theme interesting...and astral planes uhhh...could have been great, major lack in lyrics and a bit repetitive

[Fatally Sick101]

Tom Tom is pretty good and I like freak...alot better and has their old sound with a twist.

[FenderMaster]

Raysaaark wrote:

Alright, Now the Smashing Pumpkins are one of my Favorite bands of all time. And I find it hard to say anything bad about Billy, But he is not the smashing pumpkins. Sorry, But Yes, what has been released thus far has been stellar! But I don't think that I am the only one who is missing D'arcys driving bass.

And 44 tracks? not so unusual for TSP. Considering that Mellon Collie had almost 60 written songs for it.

Well actually, Billy is the Smashing Pumpkins, didn't he record all the guitar and bass parts for Siamese Dream himself? So really it's Billy and Jimmy, but yeah, Billy Corgan can make a Smashing Pumpkins album on his own, no doubt, and the new tracks are great, I really wish there ws a CD release!