Twenty Three

#23 - Adore (Smashing Pumpkins) - 1998

While I wouldn’t hesitate to bet Brandon’s Chicago-style Taco Town pizza that the Pumpkins make it into the top 25 on someone else’s list, I can all but hear someone saying (during the same meal) something like, “hey kid, sure you have the right album?” Yes! While “1979” will always be my favorite Corgan croon, “Adore” has to be the most entertaining SP album and the closest to my music heart. Adore is truly a collection of love letters, though not all Eros. It’s the equivalent of Clive’s Four Loves put to somewhat synthesized post-grunge sing-a-long music. There is dark stuff here (“Pug”, “Shame”, “The Night Mare”), which is fantastic. Feels almost medieval-brilliant (“You’ll always be my whore”; “You’ll pull your crooked teeth and you’ll be perfect just like me”). This is the secret tree-dungeon album I’d play right before torturing Wesley on that strange wooden water machine. Prepare to die.

Best Song: Ava Adore