Machina: The Machines of God by Smashing Pumpkins (CD, Feb-2000, Virgin Records USA)

The CD didn't have the data one would expect on a label released CD. When put in my computer, it didn't display the track titles, album title, or album artsit. This was especially frustrating when importing the CD onto iTunes. I had to manually enter the titles tracks, album name, and album artist. Everything else, however, went smooth. Easy transaction and fast shipping.

I've always been a lukewarm fan of the pumpkins, but machina is excellent from start to finish, unlike the overrated retro siamese dream and the sprawling half-baked mess that is mellon collie. Kudos to new bassist and hottie melissa auf du marr (love ya missy). Musically, this combines the best aspects of the keyboard dominated adore with the guitar roar of siamese dream. Billy Corgan's jagger/dr.john/lowell george channelled vocals never sounded better. This is the one smashing pumpkins release i can recommend to a newcomer unequivacably.

Yet another Smashing Pumpkins album that took me a while to warm up to. After repeated listens I was able to look deeper than the textures and occasional raw noise into the heart of this project. Once again, Corgan had created a masterpiece. Like I said in another reviews, Machina is far from my favorite Pumpkins album but it is head and shoulders above Zwan and Corgan's S/T release. 4 1/2 Stars.

I'm simply a music idiot. I previously had only limited exposure to Smashing Pumpkins but liked what I'd heard. "Meloncholy" was the only material of theirs I had in my collection and I hadn't even listened to it. Had cable tv music tuned in during recent workout and overheard the last verses of "Perfect" and later sought the internet to relisten. The internet exposed me to "Try, Try, Try" - a most 'perfect' S/P tune and others I hadn't heard. I immediately thought to add more S/P to my collection and researched their discography. "Try" from the Machina release was a must have and I was supremely pleased with the arrangement and selection of the entire work. While I awaited my half-bay purchase, I enquired of a friend if he had any S/P I could listen to. He referenced that he hadn't heard that name (S/P) in years and that he understood how it was when the desire to relisten to a tune hit you outta nowhere. Well, what he didn't understand was that I wasn't relistening, I was discovering. The Smashing Pumpkins are as fresh and new to me as if they'd started the group only a few weeks ago. The power of their music can still galvanize and hypnotize. I'm evidence of that. Haven't heard their latest release and I won't until I purchase and discover the early masterpieces. They are a most excellent grouping and I am vainly pleased with myself for my recent discovery. Hail Pumpkins!