666 – The Smashing Pumpkins

A classic instance of somebody knowing somebody else led to the surfacing of this particular bootleg, which isn't very strong in terms of sound but is still an interesting look at the Pumpkins' live approach. Literally a look -- the audio itself is taken from a videotape of the Pumpkins doing a live rehearsal previous to the initial touring for Mellon Collie. Said videotape was done by and for MTV as part of a larger news special, not in terms of any formal release and never fully broadcast and, thus, possibly explaining in part why the sonic quality is fairly muddy throughout. Corgan and what might be either of the Mellon Collie producers Flood or Alan Moulder (at least, whoever it is has an English accent) talk about sound quality and other random incidents in between various songs. During the songs themselves, various technical comments from the soundboard and videotape crew also surface. While there aren't any great revelations it does at least make for a document as to what tour rehearsals are like for acts, with the overall mood being somewhere between loose fun and seriousness. Chamberlin's expulsion from the group was still some months off, and his drumming generally comes through the best of all in the mix, as does D'Arcy's bass. Iha's and Corgan's guitar playing surfaces best in the quieter moments when the bleed in the mix isn't so distorted. Three unreleased rarities appear among the various tracks, all of which appeared in fragmentary form on the Zero EP's "Pistachio Medley." "The Viper" is a rushed rocker, "Black Rider" is even more upfront and balls-out at points, and "V-8" also kicks along at a strong pace. If none are deathless, they do show the band's chops pretty well, especially "V-8." A lengthy, powerful rip through the dreamy epic "Porcelina of the Vast Ocean" stands out, as does both an instrumental and vocal take on "XYU." "Zero" itself appears four times, twice as bass and drums-only takes for sound level check purposes. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide