The Greatest Band of the '90s, Vol. III: The Impossible Is Possible

Artist Song
The Smashing Pumpkins  Pissant [B-side of Cherub Rock single (UK)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Girl Named Sandoz [Eric Burdon and the Animals cover] [Peel Sessions EP (UK)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Daphne Descends (Kerry B mix) [Perfect single (US)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Ugly [1979 single (DE)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  The Ethers Tragic [The End is the Beginning is the End single (AU)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Never Let Me Down [Depeche Mode cover] [Rocket single (AU)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Blank [Tonight, Tonight (UK)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Once in a While [Ava Adore single (AU)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Blew Away [Disarm single (UK)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Dancing in the Moonlight [Thin Lizzy cover] [Disarm single (UK)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Tonite (Reprise) [Tonight, Tonight single (UK)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Czarina [Ava Adore single (US)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Bullet Train to Osaka [I Am One 10-inch (NL)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Meladori Magpie [Tonight, Tonight single (US)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Landslide [Fleetwood Mac cover] [Disarm single (UK)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  The Bells [Thirty-Three single (Japan)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Pennies [Zero single (US)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  French Movie Theme [Today single (Japan)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  Obscured [Today single (US)] 
The Smashing Pumpkins  My Blue Heaven [cover, standard) [Thirty-Three single (NL)] 

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This volume of the box set examines some of the Pumpkins' numerous B-sides. In many cases, these songs are good enough to have been A-sides for other bands.
The Greatest Band of the '90s, Vol. III: The Impossible Is Possible

"Pissant" [B-side of "Cherub Rock" single (UK)]

A high-octane thrasher more rawk than cherub, "Pissant" was recorded live. As Billy Corgan writes in the liner notes of "Pisces Iscariot," "Pissant" found its way to tape "during the Siamese Dream sessions late at night and full of teenage pain."

"Girl Named Sandoz" [Eric Burdon and the Animals cover] ["Peel Sessions" EP (UK)]

Sandoz Laboratories of Switzerland invented LSD in the late 1930s, which, of course, became popular as a recreational drug in the '60s. This accounts for the lyrics "My mind has wings" and "It was hot, but the snow lay on the ground."

The Pumpkins surely were familiar with such sensations. In his online quasi-diary Confessions, he addressed as much: "Occasionally, we take (in various combos, sometimes 2, sometimes all 4 of us) LSD and try to practice...this seems like a good idea for about the first hour, until either the strychnine or the acid itself creep into your brain and melt all your senses and prog-metal suddenly seems way too hard...this drugging loosens the uptight barriers between us, and seem to clear the air without anyone saying anything...somebody starts laughing, and we are kids again, forgetting all this nonsense about topping the charts and changing the world..."

The Pumpkins played this cover, along with "Siva" and "Smiley," for the Peel Sessions. According to Amy Hanson's book "Tales of a Scorched Earth," several misunderstandings piled up, resulting in the band showing up late, not meeting John Peel and being cut off after only three songs. Plus, Corgan didn't trust the microphones producer Dale Griffin (of Mott The Hoople) had set up for the session. Corgan has dubbed this gig "probably number one on our all time worst experiences list," though that seems hard to believe, given their lengthy career.

"Daphne Descends (Kerry B mix)" ["Perfect" single (US)]

Kerry Brown, a good friend of Corgan's (in part because they had dated the same girl years ago), hooked up with D'Arcy Wretzky after she and James Iha broke up. Brown and Wretzky later married, then divorced. Brown drummed for the band Catherine and had a studio they called The Barn.

Some fans and critics complained about the electronica leanings of "Adore," so they really wouldn't have liked this cut. With this remix, Brown pushes the song further in that direction.

To read the rest of the liner notes for Volume III, please follow this link to the miscellaneous forum.

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