Homeless, and Adore
Quentin Yslas Pueblo, CO, US
This was only a year or so ago, me and my family were homeless staying with family members, we moved in with my grandma for some time. Throughout that time I would get up super early in the morning, before everybody was awake, and I’d listen to Adore using Winamp, those are some of my favourite memories with the album. Thank you Billy Corgan and everybody else who helped you create this album, I’m only a 13 year old, (Yes, I put I was over 18, but I just really want to share this, just in case Corgan does see it.), but you’ve still made a good impact on my life.
Transition
Robert Kimes Jonesboro, IL, US
Adore came out 4 days before my high school graduation. Just as the Pumpkins evolved, so did I, into a college freshman ready for the next phase of my life! 25 years later, SP is STILL my fave band, and I have been for almost 29 years!
J’Adore Adore
Verona London, GB
A die hard Pumpkins fan. I was keen to see how SP could top Mellon Collie. After the death of BC’s mother, the album was sublime. Melodic, melancholic and a wonderful ode to someone. The gig was interesting as the album was released afterwards but the full band was like nothing I had ever seen before! Fab x
SP saved my life
Amanda C Los Angeles, CA, US
I apologize beforehand for any dramatics – haha!
My tale is not new or very good- My family moved to Texas when I entered the 8th grade. I lost all my friends, everything. I desperately tried to fit in to all of the pre-established cliques- jocks, brains, etc. Finally, I tried “country”- boots, hat, you name it!- all to no avail. I still had no real friends and felt alone and misunderstood. By the time I was in 10th grade, I’d become moody, angry, and finally suicidal. (Country music did NOT help this feeling!) I didn’t tell anyone- had no one TO tell!- finally a girl in my homeroom class, Mary Climer (I will NEVER forget her!) must have sensed something was off & I unloaded everything. She then told me 2 things: 1) “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem” and 2) Listen to Smashing Pumpkins’ Adore cd. She was a HUGE Billy fan and loaned me her disc. I went home and listened to the whole thing in one sitting. Then I played it again, and again, and again. I returned hers and made my parents take me to the record store to buy my own copy. For the first time, I felt that my pain and feelings and angst were understood. I found my outlet. I no longer cared about fitting in and very slowly, I found myself. Once I did that- I found people who liked me for me. I’ve been a SP fan ever since. (And Mary was in my group of friends to go to our senior Prom.) I truly credit SP and Mary for saving my life.
Burgeoning Adulthood
David Louisville, KY, US
August ‘98 – Beginning of my freshman year of college at Northern Kentucky University, I was so unsure of life. I had just fallen in love for the first time at the end of high school (listening to The Cure’s ‘Disintegration’ no less!) and had equally fallen in love with Adore. In my dorm room, with a stranger for a roommate, and my girlfriend in Virginia as a long distance relationship bloomed, I went to sleep every night listening to Adore. It was death by romance – and I willingly volunteered! It was my life’s soundtrack that fall, and the memories saturate my mind every time I hear Adore. It was…Perfect.
Billy plays requests at Madame Zuzus 1.0
Marissa Niles, US
Back in September of 2017, Billy played requests to fans at Madame Zuzus 1.0 for series of days. I was fortunate to go on the last day of his performances, having missed the previous few days due to work. I went with my daughter, and the experience was surreal and wonderful to see him perform so up close and personal to just a handful of people! As people named off some SP requests, I requested Daphne Descends from the album Adore, of which he then played! It was such a magical experience, I was so grateful to be able to be in such a small intimate setting seeing such a legendary musician so up close and personal perform in his tea house that I wasn’t even aware existed! He also performed from Adore a fan request for Perfect, which I uploaded here. Adore has always been a top favorite of mine, that comforted and inspired me during very difficult times. I’m forever grateful for having this experience!
How to hear your favorite song
Natalia Weber SantAnna Teresópolis, RJ, BR
Circa 98 I became obsess with the song Ava Adore playing on MTV Brasil. It wasn’t a huge hit but it would play often, but for me, I’d listen all the time, on repeat. So I had to scheame something that would help. I was 12 yo and had no clue on how to buy the CD right that second. If the song was playing on the radio, I would tape it and listen to it non stop. But it wasn’t, just the clip on MTV. The only thing I could think of was to be luck enough to hit record fast on the VHS and get the clip on MTV, than play it loud recording it through a microphone on tape. Then I could listen to the song over and over in my room, with headphones. Kids this days get it so easy, we had to struggle. I love you guys.
Adoration from first listen
James Hamilton, ON, CA
I was working my summer job. At lunch time I hopped in my car and drove to the local mall which had a music store (the now defunct Music World). I bought the album on cassette and CD (I had to special order the vinyl). I immediately put the cassette in my car player and spent the rest of my lunch in my car listening to the entire album. Yes, I was late getting back to work.
From that first listen I was hooked, completely blown away. As expected, the quality of the songwriting was so far above anyone else at the time, and the beauty of the songs immediately made it my favourite TSP album, and to this day, probably the album I still listen to the most.
I saw the tour at Massey Hall, sitting in the front row right in front of D’Arcy. I first saw TSP live in 1991 and I have seen at least one show on every tour but sitting there in 1998 I was mesmerized by how good the band sounded, probably the tightest they had ever been (to my ears). Yes, Jimmy was missed, but Kenny did a fantastic job and having Garson on keys just added an amazing layer to the songs (as a lifelong Bowie fan, his inclusion meant a lot to me). The fullness of the sound and the high-quality of the playing made this show the best they had ever sounded and the friend that I took, who was not a diehard like me, still tells me it was one of the best shows he has ever seen.
I was so disappointed to hear people speak poorly of Adore at the time so I am really glad that it has stood the test of time and is now appreciated. Such a beautiful album. The recent Archive Series release of WPC playing these songs acoustically is a further testament to the quality of the songs on the album.
One additional note: my Mother also loved this album, so much so I had to buy her a copy. Her favourite song was “For Martha” and she would play it regularly. When she passed, that was the song I decided to play at the beginning of her funeral. So, the Adore album is a close association in my life to the death of my Mother which I think is very fitting.
Best. Birthday. Ever.
WendyBatty Vernon, BC, CA
Adore was released on my 18th birthday. I skipped school to wait outside the only record store and buy a copy. Small town, I waited alone. I had to wait for the boxes to be opened to get my copy. I listened to it all day and fell in love. The school called my folks for skipping and I got grounded. Got to keep listening to Adore repeatedly while doing my grounded timed. Best. Birthday. Ever!
To Sheila, Billy ask for help with the lyrics
Miguel Flores guadalajara, MX
My wife learn from a friend of the hotel SP were staying from a friend who saw them in the Wrestling arena in Guadalajara the night before, she went very early to wait for him sitting in a chair in the lobby, and after some hours they came out and she approaches him for a photo and asks him to play “to Sheila” as is her favorite song, we talk about it while making line to enter the concert very early (we wanted to be at the front line) and at the end when they come back for the final encore Billy spoke about meeting someone on the street and being asked for a song that they didn’t play in a long time when he started everyone around us knew she asked for it earlier so it was super exciting! It was truly a night to remember! thanks, Smashing Pumpkins for all these years of good moments, gracias
Wedding song
Alan Rodgers Rhu, Argyll (Scotland), GB
My memory is two fold. The first part is that the B side, “Once in a While” was the first dance at my wedding. A beautiful song. The second part of my memory is me and my best pal dancing, at the Cathouse in Glasgow, to Ava Adore. There was a time we seemed to go out every night and get wasted and dance to this song. Great memories.
To Sheila – Minneapolis
Jimmy Cape Canaveral, US
SP played an outdoor show downtown Minneapolis late 90s. Opened with an electric version of To Sheila. It was one of the most epic, powerful moments of my life. (And I’m a metalhead). “You make me real.”
we must never be apart
Chris Morrisson Hamilton On, CA
Amazing album, what can I say…
A lot of people crapped on it, which I never understood. After three albums of growth, swirling guitars and bone crushing beats- Adore made me introspective in a new way. So many beautiful tunes. I remember making love to this album as a teenager. The girlies loved it too. Happy 25 Adore. I promise will be perfect
Starting the day off right
Ryan Seattle, WA, US
In the summer of ‘98 I lived with some friends in a house just off campus during my first year away from home. I listened to Adore in its entirety every single morning before getting out of bed and heading to work at an ice cream parlor. It defined that moment of life and from the first listen to today, it’s an unquestioned masterpiece.
Till the CD skipped..
Jacob San Marcos, TX, US
1997 – skipping high school, playing Golden Eye and playing the album on repeat. I ended up having to carry around a pillow for my RCA portable player because I scratched the CD from endlessly playing it over and over. Pug always stood out to me and Ava Adore is forever my favorite. I did so much yard work to make the money to buy the CD. Pumpkins Forever.
Adore Lake Michigan HELLO MILWAUKEE!
John V. Riccio Kenosha, WI, US
The day after Independence Day Milwaukee is basically still the 4th, especially at Summerfest. The Pumpkins are playing their first show in town since the epic ‘96 Mellon Collie show at the (massive, old) Bradley Center. Its 1998 and its probably 98 degrees with 98% humidity. This is why this show needs to be released officially… the humidity made the sound of Billy & James’ guitars super smooth and the keys of Mike Garson linger forever… Billy’s screams at the end of Transmission are LEGENDARY… they floated over the lake all the way to Chicago… the 15 minute version of For Martha, the banter about Da Bears from James and the sweat of the crowd during the raucous Bullet With Butterfly Wings… it was a unique time for diehard Pumpkins fans, but it was easy to defend the idea that they were the greatest band in the world this night because even the most pessimistic fans who wanted SD or MCIS 2, got a rock show for the ages. The damp melancholic rage pierced through the night with a groove and a fire that kept every fan in awe as we left the Marcus Amphitheater… more people adored the band after that performance for sure.
Sam TYLER, TX, US
Seeing the Adore tour in Forth Worth in 1998 where they actually opened for themselves. It was such an elegant affair and not like any other Pumpkins concert I’ve been to before or since. To this day when I am asked by my kids what my favorite show is that I have ever seen; I tell them and everyone I speak to, Pumpkins Adore tour. Hands Down.
Adored
Cam Miller Taylor Mill, KY, US
As the 90s were coming to a crashing halt, I wondered post Mellon Collie, and post turbulent times, what we’d get from the Pumpkins musically. With no social media to tell me what to think, I went to Media Play, grabbed the CD, and put it in my cassette-adapted portable CD player in my made-for-the-family Ford Aerostar. I drove nowhere, but everywhere until the disc concluded. It was different. It was bold. It was smashing. And it still is. Happy 25 Adore.
TRUE FRIENDSHIP ALWAYS LEAD TO GOOD THINGS
Miguel Villalpando San Luis Potosí, MX
I was
18yo. My bestfriend in CableTV, recorded a VHS tape with the best of 1998’s MTV.
She got music videos from Perfect & AvaAdore. I was impressed and thrilled
with both songs. Couldn’t keep out of my mind. I bought twice the CD and this
year got Vinyl. Definitely one of my life’s changing records.
The grand re-opening of The Fillmore SF, 04/27/1994
Craig US
I had Primus tickets for the re-opening of the Fillmore for April 28th 1994. Two days before that my buddy gave me a call and told me The Smashing Pumpkins were going to play on the 27th. I was waiting at the ticket booth when it opened and I was the 2nd person in line and the last person to get tickets. The show was great and now I watch it on YouTube all the time. Great night for all except James guitar that got crushed by some falling scaffolding. Epic weekend of rocking hard!
106.5 Single Premiere
Kim Rosas Charlotte, NC, US
Adore was my first new album release as a fan, I was 13. Our local radio station 106.5 announced a time and day for the first single. I vividly recall jumping on the trampoline with an eye on the time, running inside to turn the boom box volume full blast, and hearing Ava Adore’s premiere.