BILLY CORGAN SAYS HE WISHES HE HAD CUT FOUR SONGS FROM MELLON COLLIE & THE INFINITE SADNESS
In a new interview with RedEyeChicago, Billy Corgan discussed the reissue of The Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, and what he would change about the album in hindsight if he could:
“I would get rid of some of the songs. If it was four songs shorter, it would be much stronger. It did what it needed to do. I remember arguing with fans at one point who liked “Siamese” better than “Mellon Collie” that if I made a single album instead of a double, they wouldn’t be saying that. A lot of sitting back and being like, “Well if I’d only thrown to the open man in the end zone, I would have won the game.” I don’t know. It’s fun to do that, but it is what it is. There are B-sides we put out that are certainly stronger songs. When something magically works, you just have to accept it. That’s why I left everything the same for the most part. I kept the original mixes except in maybe one case, but that’s about it.”
hmm about to read that article but I’m wondering what the songs were (that he wished he had cut) and also, if the pumpkins had done Mellon collie as a single disc album release, which songs would have been picked for the release?
Guess we’ll have to wait until the next time he opens his mouth to tell us which songs he would have cut.
I wish he would do all of his talking at once and then just stop.
The absolute tightest single disc version I could imagine would be this.
1. Tonight, Tonight
2. Jellybelly
3. Zero
4. Here Is No Why
5. Bullet With Butterfly Wings
6. Porcelina of the Vast Oceans
7. Fuck You (An Ode To No One)
8. X.Y.U.
9. Muzzle
10. 1979
11. Thirty-Three
I’ll bet 20 bucks he would have cut the Iha song (Take Me Down)
Well, the record would be better without some of the songs, but I suppose that each fan would choose different songs to get rid of. I agree with Brett, that Billy would like to cut “Take Me Down” (for obvious reasons) and disagree with Brett’s 11-song choice
Jellybelly, for example, is one of the weakest songs on this album for me. But firstly I would cut “Tales of a Scorched Earth”. The rest is at least bearable, I always have found “Jellybelly” or “X.Y.U.” not so interesting, though.
I cannot imagine this record without:
1. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
2. Tonight, Tonight
3. Zero
4. Here Is No Why
5. Bullet with Butterfly Wings
6. To Forgive
7. Love
8. Cupid de Locke
9. Galapogos
10. Muzzle
11. Porcelina of the Vast Oceans
12. Where Boys Fear to Tread
13. Bodies
14. Thirty-Three
15. In the Arms of Sleep
16. 1979
17. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
18. Stumbleine
19. By Starlight
20. Farewell and Goodnight
There you go, 20 songs overall and I really like some unlisted songs like “We Only Come Out at Night” or “Beautiful”. God, I love this record
Ok, and here’s the standard, 12-songs edition record
1. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
2. Tonight, Tonight
3. Bullet with Butterfly Wings
4. Love
5. Galapogos
6. Porcelina of the Vast Oceans
7. Where Boys Fear to Tread
8. Bodies
9. In the Arms of Sleep
10. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
11. By Starlight
12. Farewell and Goodnight
I wouldn’t cut ANYTHING. If anything I agree some b-sides were stronger than some songs (Say “Mouths of Babes” is better than “Love”) but in the end this album is perfect the way he is. Best album is the history of rock in my opinion, nothing less.
Of and Brett, you would really take “Thru the eyes of Ruby” off? MAAAAAN, best song ever!
no matter what he says, it is the best thing he’s ever done in his whole fucking life and it is THE best album that came out of our generation. sure, there are a dozen of other great songs that didn’t make the cut on the album and were released as B-sides,(Mouths Of Babes, Pennies, Medelia of the Grey Skies, Blank, Believe, …Said Sadly, The Last Song, or just listen to Pastichio Medley and you’ll be blown away)but as a whole that album is a perfect masterpiece. no need to fix anything!!!
I’d cut Tales of a Scorched Earth, Take Me Down, Bullet, & probably F.U. or To Forgive for the 4th song.
The Mellon Collie Single CD Ultimate Track List:
1. Tonight Tonight
2. Jellybelly
3. Zero
4. Bullet with Butterfly Wings
5. Galapogos
6. Muzzle
7. Porcelina of the Vast Oceans
8. Bodies
9. 1979
10. Here is No Why
11. Where Boys Fear to Thread
12. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
13. Thirty-Three
He would have cut Farewell and Goodnight, because it’s the song that proves that everybody in The Smashing Pumpkins is a better singer than Billy.
@Jen
Come on what the hell is that!? If anything this song proves the exact opposite. When Billy comes in at the end singing “And you can tell, as just as well”, it brings the song to another lever and proves he is the only strong voice in the band.
You are not proving any good faith here. Unfair comment.
I would combined Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the album would have come out in 1994.
Lots of filler, Bill at least knows it.
That album maybe has some filler, but it’s such a stong album that I wouldnt change it. I cant compare Siamese with Mellon Collie becasue I think Mellon Collie took the band to different places. They really showed off what they could do in a range of differnt songs, and nearly all of it worked for me.
Ive been killing Gish lately. There are some songs on there that maybe after all these years really hit me differently than at any other time Ive listened. I usually have a song in my head, I’ll listen to it on the computer and be done with it. Having a cd player in my car that actually works now has me digging out old cds. Its great.
of course Billy’s always talking “in hindsight” since he has his head up his ass!
Damn there are a-hole here. Latest one:dakotablue.
Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness is perfect the way it is. Siamese Dream and Gish are classics but Mellon Collie is their masterpiece in my eyes. It ranges from the heavy hitters, acoustics, artsy tracks, and epic anthems.
^ true that
Peacefrog said: “That album maybe has some filler, but it’s such a stong album that I wouldnt change it.”
I agree. I like the album how it is even if there are a few songs that aren’t perfect, the songs that are good are really fucking good so it more than makes up for the few slightly weaker songs, which are still alright. I love the artwork and concept of the album and the fact that Billy had the balls to put it out as a double album despite what some fans and critics might say.
If I absolutely had to trim the album it would look like this:
1. “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” 2:52
2. “Tonight, Tonight” 4:14
3. “Jellybelly” 3:01
4. “Zero” 2:41
5. “Here Is No Why” 3:45
6. “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” 4:18
7. “To Forgive” 4:17
8. “Galapogos”
9. “Muzzle”
10. “Porcelina of the Vast Oceans”
11. “Where Boys Fear to Tread” 4:22
12. “Bodies”
13. “Thirty-Three”
14. “In the Arms of Sleep”
15. “1979″
16. “Thru the Eyes of Ruby”
17. “Stumbleine”
18. “Beautiful”
19. “By Starlight”
20. “Farewell and Goodnight”
But even then I like most of the songs I cut (I do tend to skip Cupid, tales and fuck you though). So yeah don’t change it!
Who else in this era had the balls to release a double album after a multi-platinum album? I don’t think of the weaker songs as filler, as none are terrible (I wouldn’t disagree with you if you thought Take Me Down and T.O.A.S.E. sucked).
This is probably the most diverse album I own, and it’s still a great listen 15+ years later. There are so many different music styles, and none of it sounds out of place. Definitely a rare accomplishment.
The 4 songs to cut: TOASE, Take Me Down, Lily and Fuck You.
Glad he didn’t cut anything! Absolute perfection in album form.
It’s great to agree with almost every post here. No bashing, and we all seem to agree that it’s really one of the great albums that we own.
I would also say its a masterpiece and one of the most diverse albums I own.
Great comments when we are talking about great music. I wish Billy would stick to talking about his music more often. This comment section has been the best one Ive read yet.
Did someone really say “Fuck you” or “Jellybelly” should have been taken off??? Oh. My. God. Crazy people.
I agree with Guns of love disastrous. Perfect as it is. Billy should not say that. I guess though it’s normal he doesn’t view the album the same way we do.
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