Smashing Pumpkins Greatest Hits + DVD (1 Viewer)

[Jay W]

Didn't see a thread on this, and the search function doesn't seem to be working so forgive me if this has been posted before.

I picked this up last night, being a big SP fan I already had the material on Disc 1 {Rotten Apples}, but the B-sides from Mellon Collie found on Disc 2 {Judas-O} were pretty neat. I had a few of the tracks in bootleg form but it was great that they released these. The second disc looks like a "CDR" and has that bootleg feel to it. Great sound quality on both discs. Haven't had a chance to look at the new DVD yet.

Anyone else pick this up?

 

[Carlo_M]

Well, I passed by this, but now it looks like I'm gonna have to stop and pick it up.

Is it more reminiscent of their early days (before, and up to Mellon Collie) or their later stuff?

 

[Matt Birchall]

Big Pumpkins fan here. Picked up both the 2-disc Greatest Hits and the DVD last week. The CD set is generally great--for the most part, I agree with the track listing of Disc 1. I had heard most of the songs on Judas O, but there were a couple of new ones on there which I like for the most part. For $12, I couldn't pass it up, even if I already had 3/4 of the material. I love the photos in the liner notes.
Recieved the DVD last week and it definitely exceeded my expectations. Here's the track listing:
1. Siva
2. Rhinoceros
3. Cherub Rock
4. Today
5. Disarm
6. Rocket
7. Bullet with Butterfly Wings
8. 1979
9. Zero
10. Tonight, Tonight
11. Thirty-Three
12. Ava Adore
13. Perfect
14. The Everlasting Gaze
15. Stand Inside Your Love
16. Try, Try, Try
17. Geek USA (live) - October 1993 Seattle
18. (Fuck You) An Ode to No One (live at final Metro show)
19. I Am One (previously unreleased)
20. Try - A Short Film (around 14 minutes long)
21. Untitled
I would consider this disc to basically be a "Criterion Collection Beastie Boys Video Anthology Lite":
Each of the videos features a commentary by the "band" (actually mostly Billy, James, and Jimmy). Most of the videos have documentary footage or outtake footage you can watch instead of the video--on some tracks, they've even recorded a commentary to go along with the documentary or outtake footage. I don't have it handy, but I don't believe that the different video versions are multi-angle (like the Beastie Boys DVD was), but I believe that the audio tracks are switch-on-the-fly.
Rocket includes an alternate performance cut (just of the band playing in their silver space jumpsuits) which you can select instead of the regular video. Untitled is actually an Easter Egg--a neat little video of them in the studio in November 2000, recording that song right before their final concerts. Geek USA is probably my favorite part of the disc--It's a live video of one of my favorite songs from my favorite Pumpkins era. It's meant to be played loud. And I mean loud. There's even a funny little Pop-Up Video style bubble that pops up toward the beginning of the song, saying "Decibel level in club: 121 db--please adjust your volume accordingly" or something like that. And you'll have to love their on-stage guests for the song. Let me just say: Send in the clowns. . .
As far as picture quality, well, I'm not much of a critic, and I don't think that's what the Pumpkins' videos were about. Generally I would say that the picture quality is as good as the source material. I don't think anything's anamorphic.
The sound is "only" 2.0, not DD 5.1, but that's not an issue with me. I thought everything sounded fine.
The only negatives I can think of are really minor:
The video for "The End is the Beginning is the End" isn't included, most likely due to the Batman and Robin footage. I don't remember thinking very much of that video, but I wish it would have been included.
And the lack of switching angles and audio on-the-fly is another minor complaint.
Those complaints aren't really that big of a deal for me, though.
I could go on, but I've already gone on longer than I probably should have. Suffice it to say, for Pumpkin fans, the DVD is a definite must-buy. Makes me realize what a special band they were, and makes me kind of sad that they're not around anymore. Looking forward to Billy & Jimmy's project, which I have forgotten the name of, though (Z-something). This disc makes me really eager for the eventual final Metro show DVD.
-mwb-

 

[Jeremy_Z]

The different video footage is accessible through the angle button.

 

[Pete_S]

And audio can be changed on the fly as well.

The DVD is pretty great, as far as I'm concerned, but I just hope that the "Fuck You" video clip from the final Metro show isn't any indication of the kind of editing we'll be seeing when the full Metro show (hopefully) comes to DVD.