RN...

Smashing Pumpkins - Pisces Iscariot LP (Virgin) 2012 RE of 1994 OG



^While there are plenty of vinyl reissues that I regret buying, this is definitely not one of them. Apparently Billy Corgan himself had a hand in making sure all of these fairly recent official reissues visually stayed as true to the original as possible, and likewise the audio pressing had to be comparable to the original as well.

I do not have the OG of this so I can't compare it to that, but in this case especially, you can tell when the artist had a say in the caliber of the final output.

I really can't imagine this pressing sounding much better. On this they figured out how to make 180 gram vinyl sound like it's supposed to, and he even did high quality archival quality inner sleeves to protect the records from years of sleeve wear and tear.

I am glad I bought this comp, along with his other classic albums...

That said... Uh oh, here comes the

...given the recent work I've bought from this band, I'm sad to say it, but I highly doubt the Smashing Pumpkins will ever even touch this decade's level of self actualization ever again. Like a lot of legendary bands, their midlife crisis incarnation version of the band is a far cry from their rookie selves. It's too bad, I want a return to form, and they tried, but the same players aren't in the band, the chemistry is not there, and too much time has passed.

I saw Billy Corgan on CNN in a suit recently debating politics with a bunch of news squares, I think he might have given up.

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“Lesser artists borrow... great artists steal.” - Igor Stravinsky
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@Rchecka, that is the one reissue by the band that I've thought about picking up but haven't yet. I have the old CD version. I read somewhere that this new reissue actually has different mixes so they aren't the same.

Now I do have CD and LP reissues of Siamese Dream and Gish, and those are great. Really well done.

I also agree the band is never going to go back to their heyday. Corgan's voice was never really the group's strong point, but he sounds terrible now. The songs just aren't there either IMHO, or they're in a style I simply don't care for.

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Wipers - Youth Of America



Recorded in 1981, 2007 repress - Zeno Records on Jackpot imprint

I'll join in - here's another quality repress - purchased direct from the artist's label. Zeno Records is run by Greg Sage (The Wipers pretty much is Greg Sage - writer, producer, etc.) so it's clear why so much care was taken with this issue. Dead quiet, great sounding, no extra bullshit, just a perfect pressing on medium weight vinyl. Startlingly good early post-punk. My favorite track:

When It's Over

The first 3 Wipers albums are absolutely essential, and I agree about buying direct from Zeno. YOM was actually my introduction to the band, but I like the albums that bookend it more. I do not know the later stuff all that well, but I do have Silver Sail on vinyl and that is a great album. I also like that Zeno/Greg Sage essentially keeps the whole catalog in print by offering affordable CD-Rs of the OOP stuff. Of those, his solo album "Straight Ahead" is a must IMHO if you like the slower, moodier side of the Wipers.

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I know nothing of the Wipers but I saw those reissues recently at Dustygroove so I figured they might be cool. Now I know they are.

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“Lesser artists borrow... great artists steal.” - Igor Stravinsky
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