Artist: The Smashing Pumpkins 
Title: Adore 
Label: Virgin Records 1998, Released June 2nd 1998 

TRACKS 
1.To Sheila 4:40 
2.Ava Adore 4:20 
3.Perfect 3:23 
4.Daphne Descents 4:38 
5.Once Upon a Time 4:06 
6.Tear 5:52 
7.Crestfallen 4:09 
8.Apples & Oranjes 3:44 
9.Pug 4:46 
10.The Tale of Dusty and Pistol Pete 4:33 
11.Annie-Dog 3:36 
12.Shame 6:37 
13.Behold! The Nightmare 5:12 
14.For Martha 8:17 
15.Blank Page 
16.17 :17 

      I was like most people, the first I ever heard of the Smashing Pumpkins was when there second album called Siamese Dream was breaking with such songs as "Today", "Disarm", and "Mayonnaise" invaded the radio and the pop charts. So me being convinced, I bought their album only to be amazed at what hard rockers the Pumpkins were and soon they were among my favorites.  

       Take away their heavy guitar sound, the hard hitting natural drum sounds there electric bass, add lots of acoustic guitars, synthesizers, drum machines and you get there latest "effort" called Adore. The Album is chuck full of ballads and Techno sounding songs. Although there's some great song writing in the album I would have to say that Adore is a big disappointment. 

     The album starts off with a great song called To Sheila which is a ballad with a feel similar to ballads off of the Pink Floyd album The Wall. Its a very emotional love song with has Billy Corgan's Voice in all its glory. The track is Ava Adore which starts off with a techno/pop feel (no rock guitars). It is the first single off this album which I'm sure will be a hit only because of Corgans catchy vocal style and their typical Smashing Pumpkins vampire lyrics. "Your the one I adore, you will always be my whore...". Perfect is a song with a good groove and good vocals. Other than these tracks and a few more spread around the album like Shame, Pug, Appels and Oranjes, and For Martha the album is not very catchy.  

      All in all I would have to say the album Adore is worth buying if your a fan of Billy Corgans ballads or you already have all of their albums and you want to complete you collection but as a long time fan why does the word "Sell-out" keep coming to mind. I guess all their success just wasn't enough. 
 
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