Soot and Stars
I AM SOOT!
The 20th anniversary of Mellon Collie has recently passed so here's my favorite Mellon Collie song with my prior writeup from picking my favorite Pumpkin songs. I don't know if there's ever a number one album for Pumpkin fans. For a band that shifted so much creatively during their career and always aimed for the fences it likely comes down to nostalgia or rating each by your present mood. Siamese Dream would be my favorite for nostalgia reasons and Adore was that dark horse brave turn that I regard as a masterpiece. Mellon Collie though was the epic modern classic that you were so happy to be a part of. I even loved the B-side fest it invoked such as The Aeroplane Flies High boxset. Each of the albums I listed contain my top three favorite songs and Galapagos is the Mellon Collie classic that speaks to me the most.
"Out of all the emotional connections I have to a Pumpkins song this maybe the most specific and personal. The sound musically is soft, exotic and dreamy. It's a realm that we aren't familiar with and the song if we gather any clear theme is largely about change. I hate change with a passion and more than one would like to admit. The character in my eyes is one who's battling with taking his firmly planted feet and taking the step into the abyss. Every time it seems he is offering himself up to change the music swells and strums frantically portraying his fear. The song implies that his change is inspired by another who has their hand out for him. He's afraid as much as anything about this change but willing to jump risking more than ever. He's willing to accept the pains and risk he associates with taking this journey with someone but he's pleading for this person to stay with him to make it worth it. He expects the loss deep inside but he's decided it's a worthy sacrifice. It's a worthy sacrifice in the end. When that chord hits the vocal verse:
"Too late to turn to turn back now, I'm running out of sound
And I'm changing, changing
And if we died right now, this fool you loved somehow
Is here with you"
It's the most goosebump raising vocal sentiment I've ever heard. All the other builds were musically crafted but this one just lets a simple guitar chord chime in and set up the vocals to climax. That declaration and letting go is one of the most moving and inspiring thing I've heard. It's not a struggle anymore. It's a free fall and like he says he can't turn back. I've heard the more ambiguous theory that Billy wrote this about his music evolving and changing and the acceptance between his art and his fan base. I LOVE that angle and it's perfect that way as well. He has evolved bravely in his art and taken gruff. For me though, I connect to this song as a man who's seeing things differently lately but still is toying about dangling his foot off it's perch more than he has. It's a beautiful song about life, love and personal evolution.
Out of all the great lines in the history of music this song throws one of the most beautifully crafted sentiments ever:
"And rescue me from me and all that I believe
I won't deny the change
And should I fall from grace here with you
Will you leave me too"
In one statement Bill has told the dramatic push and pull of love better than anything applied in a two to three hour film. One average person puts in their all, changes their prior persona and dons Supermans cape for the first time. This time the destination is Galapagos."
Galapagos
What are your personal favorites from the album?
