This was the fourth studio album from the Smashing Pumpkins and in my view their greatest piece of work despite the fact that Jimmy Chamberlain was missing in making this album due to a drug problem.

Track One - To Sheila

A soothing song with some beautiful light guitar in the back ground. Corgan's voice is clam and relaxingand is a tribute to how far his voice has come. He can clearly sing alot better on this album. There is a slight intrusion by a banjo or something which helps reinforce the atmosphere of a sort of forlorn bliss. The song was written by Corgan for his mother who had died not long previously.

Track two - Ava Adore

This is the techno-rock that is so original to the Pumpkins at the time. The song has rich distorted guitar with a constant drum machine beat. The song is closer to the tone of some of the Pumpkins older stuff: Billy's whiney voice perfecrtly suited to the music he creates and contains a solo that many a Pumpkin fan will recognise as in the same trademark style the Pumpkins always use. The song is gritty with beautiful guitar strokes and a masterpiece in my opinion.

Track Three - Perfect

Considered to be a sequel to 1979 from Mellon Collie by Corgan. There is something rather similar in this song. It has that light hearted guitaring and faster drumming. This is rather an upbeat sounding track which is sung rather solemnly and some how it really works.

Track Four - Daphne Descends

Yet again we have that rich guitaring and if you find my description unsatisfying you only have to this to this music to really appreciate those sporadic chords that are in there that really bring the music so much beauty. This is rather a nice song, beautiful to listen to and sad in its way.

Track Five - Once Upon A Time

Like the title the music to this is song is rather cheery and fairy tale like. A great song, keeps a magical lighthearted feeling throughout and yet again we hear references to Corgan's dead mother.

Track Six - Tear

The opening to this song is played on guitars, violins, violas, what have you. It is a dark yet grand intro inticing you from the beginning. The music stops to only a light drumming and Corgan sings. Then the spoken "I saw you there" opens up the music again in great splendour. A darker, slightly heavier song but only in comparison to most of the other songs on the album. There seems to be alot of feeling in this song and the arrangement of the music is something to be admired.

Track Seven - Crestfallen

Starts with a light slowish piano intro and keeps that slow tempo throughout. If ever a song could define a world this song describes crestfallen, the lyrics portray such a feeling of no self worth and lost hope and the atmosphere is aided by light vocal harmonics during teh chorus. The piano interlude is brilliant and is worth remembering of itself.

Track eight - Appels and Oranjes

Another more techno styled song. Faster tempo in this song and a more upbeat song generally. The vocals are slightly distorted and there is a constant repititiv drumbeat that dominate through out. It is a very original song and very listenable.

Track nine - Pug

When I first bought this album, I listened to this song again and again and again. Even now when I put this album on I have to repeat this song and Tear a couple of times before moving on. This has a very techno beat to it but is also more of a guitar song much similar to the style created in Adore. There are quick guitar riffs in there that are simple and amazing the intro for example is groundbreaking I've never heard music like this album anywhere. If I could find a music like teh music in Pug there'd be no way I wouldn't buy it. It has the harder style of Adore with a strong techno beat but also that lighter, beautiful feeling that the rest of the album possesses. If you do only one thing after reading this review, go look up Pug on youtube or something. You'll be blwon away.

Track ten - The Tale of Dusty and Pistol Pete

"Dusty screams through doors and imaginary floors"

The lyrics in this song are immense, there truly is tale within there. It is a very pretty song with very pretty music; the type of music and vocals that you wouldn't mind listening to separately. Great singing from Corgan.

Track eleven - Annie-Dog

This song is started by short couples of piano chords. Followed by Corgans singing taking on a similar rythm easing in a very light drumming that buildsup slightly to adopt the same loose rythm. An easy listening song. Graet lyrics and extremely listenable.

Track twelve - Shame

A slow song. Maybe not the most rememberable song from the album but nice to listen to. Great background music perhaps. I like it, I'll make that clear; I just don't have too much to say on it.

Track thirteen - Behold! The Nightmare.

Another song with rich lyrics and pretty light melancholy music. It is yet another sad song dedicated to Corgan's mother. There's ashort spoken interlude that is typical of Pumpkins but this one is quite childlike and delicate unlike the screamed Zero interlude. This eases into a short but rather trendy guitar solo before moving back to a faster version of the earlier music before ending with "The nightmare rides on..."

Track fourteen - For Martha

This song starts with a low piano intro that then changes to a lighter piano that is very appealing to listen to and skilful. The drums then break in to open way for the singing which is slow and well planned as it al comes together nicely. This is a rather sad song at parts. The song most clearly dedicated to Corgan's dead mother. There is a great long guitar solo in this song that every pumpkin's fan will enjoy

Track fifteen - Blank Page

Another piano and singing based song. Easy istening greatlyrics and lovely song.

Track 16 - 17

This isn't actually a song, it only lasts 17 seconds.

I love this album it is really original. There is nothing that sounds similar to this album and the Pumpkin's really built on this in Machina but I really think they let themselves down in making Zeitgeist.
It make take awhileto really get into but once you do this album will entrance you forever.