Pisces Iscariot

1994 compilation album by the Smashing Pumpkins

Pisces Iscariot

Compilation album of B-side singles and outtakes by

the Smashing Pumpkins

Released| October 4, 1994 (1994-10-04)
Genre| Alternative rock
Length| 57:26
Label| Virgin
Producer| Kerry Brown, Billy Corgan, Ted de Bono, Dale "Buffin" Griffin, James Iha, and Butch Vig
The Smashing Pumpkins chronology
| Siamese Dream
(1993)  | Pisces Iscariot
(1994)  | Vieuphoria
(1994)

|
|

Alternative covers

12-inch vinyl cover

Alternative cover

Cassette cover

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AbsolutePunk| 79%[1]
AllMusic| [2]
Entertainment Weekly| B+[3]
NME| 8/10[4]
Pitchfork| 8.1/10[5]
PopMatters|  (Rating)
(Extras Rating)[6]
Q| [4]
The Quietus| (favorable)[7]
Rolling Stone| [8]

Pisces Iscariot is a compilation album by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, released in 1994 through Virgin Records, consisting of B-sides and outtakes. Reaching number 4 in the US upon its 1994 release,[9] Pisces Iscariot was certified platinum by the RIAA on November 23, 1994.[10] The album was initially to be called Neptulius.[11]

The album was re-released by EMI as a deluxe edition CD and LP on July 17, 2012.

## Packaging[edit]

The CD, LP, and cassette issues were each released with unique cover artwork. The US vinyl release was pressed on amber vinyl, and the first 2,000 copies included a bonus 7-inch single with "Not Worth Asking" from the original "I Am One" 7-inch, backed with "Honeyspider II". The UK LP has identical artwork to its US counterpart, although the printing is much lighter and the inner sleeve is a heavier stock.

## Reception[edit]

According to a December 1, 1994, review by Al Weisel, writing for Rolling Stone, "Pisces Iscariot doesn't really sound like the compilation of rejects it actually is. In fact, it's better than a lot of albums that bands labored hard to put together. Although definitely not the Pumpkins' best album, it's more varied, if less cohesive, than Gish or Siamese Dream." Rolling Stone gave 3 out of 5 stars to the album.[12]

## Deluxe release[edit]

In 2012, EMI released a "Deluxe Edition" that included a cassette tape with the first Smashing Pumpkins demo tape on it.[13] The deluxe version of Pisces Iscariot is listed by Spotify under the band's main "album" section (along with its studio albums), rather than in the "compilations" section.[14] According to Ian Cohen, writing for Pitchfork, "Pisces Iscariot is painstakingly sequenced to maintain a concept record's sonic peaks and valleys, favoring stylistic cohesion over protracted diversity. Its ratio of sweet acoustic strummers, barnstorming riff-rockers, and expansive guitar freakouts is balanced almost exactly akin to that of Siamese Dream or Gish. It still works as an album if you want it to, meaning it's not exactly Incesticide or Masterplan as far as alt-rock cash-ins go."[15]

## Legacy[edit]

In July 2014, Guitar World placed Pisces Iscariot among its "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list.[16] For the 20th anniversary of the album, Ryan Leas, writing for Stereogum, commented that "[e]very now and then, a band releases a collection of B-sides and outtakes and otherwise semi-available material that transcends the notion of an artist emptying the vaults to buy a bit of time between full-fledged albums, or simply trying to cash in a bit.... Of the already anomalous nature of these odds-and-ends turned important touchstones in an artist’s catalog, Pisces Iscariot is amongst an even rarer category: the very early vault emptying that results in a shockingly strong collection of lesser or entirely unknown songs. So shockingly strong, in fact, that an album like Pisces Iscariot is often placed head and shoulders above almost anything Billy Corgan did after, save the following year's monolithic Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness."[17]

## Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Billy Corgan, unless stated otherwise

Pisces Iscariot track listingNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Single| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Soothe"|  | "Disarm"| 2:36
2.| "Frail and Bedazzled"|  | Siamese Dream outtake| 3:17
3.| "Plume"| Billy Corgan, James Iha| "I Am One" 1992 single release| 3:38
4.| "Whir"|  | Siamese Dream outtake| 4:10
5.| "Blew Away"| James Iha| "Disarm"| 3:32
6.| "Pissant"|  | "Cherub Rock"| 2:31
7.| "Hello Kitty Kat"|  | "Today"| 4:33
8.| "Obscured"|  | Gish outtake, "Today"| 5:22
9.| "Landslide" (Fleetwood Mac cover)| Stevie Nicks| "Disarm"| 3:11
10.| "Starla"|  | "I Am One" 1992 single release| 11:01
11.| "Blue"|  | Lull EP| 3:20
12.| "Girl Named Sandoz" (The Animals cover)| Eric Burdon, Vic Briggs, John Weider, Barry Jenkins, Danny McCulloch (The Animals)| Peel Sessions EP| 3:35
13.| "La Dolly Vita"|  | "Tristessa"| 4:16
14.| "Spaced"|  | Siamese Dream outtake| 2:25

A limited pressing of 2,000 copies of Pisces Iscariot included a free 7-inch single.

Bonus singleNo.| Title| Single| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Not Worth Asking"| "I Am One" 1989 7-inch| 4:01
2.| "Honey Spider II"| Moon demo tape| 2:29

2012 Reissue bonus CDNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "By June" (Ignoffo Sessions/2012 Mix)|  | 2:08
2.| "My Dahlia" (Ignoffo Sessions/2012 Mix)|  | 3:46
3.| "Jesus Loves His Babies" (Gish Sessions Rough Mix)|  | 2:57
4.| "Cinnamon Girl" (Ignoffo Sessions/2012 Mix)| Neil Young| 2:40
5.| "Glynis" (2012 Mix)|  | 4:54
6.| "Crawl" (Gish Sessions outtake)|  | 6:54
7.| "Cinder Open" (Eddy St. demo/2012 Mix)|  | 3:36
8.| "Blissed" (Sadlands demo/2012 Mix)|  | 3:12
9.| "Slunk" (live; 2012 remaster)|  | 2:36
10.| "Jackie Blue"| Steve Cash, Larry Lee (Ozark Mountain Daredevils)| 3:55
11.| "Venus in Furs" (live)| Lou Reed (The Velvet Underground)| 4:35
12.| "Translucent" (Sadlands demo/2012 mix)|  | 3:46
13.| "French Movie Theme" (Siamese Sessions outtake)|  | 1:55
14.| "Purr Snickety" (Gish B-sides session outtake)|  | 2:49
15.| "There It Goes" (demo/2012 Mix)|  | 5:17
16.| "Vanilla" (Ignoffo Sessions)|  | 2:49
17.| "Why Am I So Tired" (live in studio demo)|  | 15:13

2012 Reissue bonus DVDNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Intro by Billy Corgan"|
2.| "Pulse Cable Show Introduction by Lou Hinkhouse"|
3.| "There It Goes" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago)|
4.| "She" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago)|
5.| "Under Your Spell" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago)|
6.| "My Eternity" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago)|
7.| "Bleed" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago)|
8.| "Nothing and Everything" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago)|
9.| "Jennifer Ever" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago)|
10.| "Death of a Mind" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago)|
11.| "Spiteface" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago)|
12.| "Blue"|
13.| "Offer Up"|
14.| "The Joker"|
15.| "Slunk"|
16.| "Dancing in the Moonlight"|
17.| "Snap"|
18.| "Hello Kitty Kat"|

2012 Reissue bonus tapeNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "A1: Jennifer Ever"| 3:44
2.| "A2: East"| 4:11
3.| "A3: Nothing and Everything"| 6:04
4.| "B1: Sun" (remix)| 5:30
5.| "B2: She" (live)| 4:16
6.| "B3: Spiteface"| 4:39

## Personnel[edit]

### The Smashing Pumpkins[edit]

* Jimmy Chamberlin – drums
* Billy Corgan – vocals, guitar, production, photography, packaging
* James Iha – guitar, vocals, production
* D'arcy Wretzky – bass guitar

### Production[edit]

* Kerry Brown – production and drums on "Blew Away"
* Dale "Buffin" Griffin – production
* Ted de Bono – production
* Rachel Gutek – design assistant
* Michael Meister – photography, packaging
* Butch Vig – production

## Charts[edit]

### Weekly charts[edit]

Weekly chart performance of Pisces Iscariot | Chart (1994–1996)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[18] | 17
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[19] | 16
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[20] | 2
UK Albums (OCC)[21] | 96
US Billboard 200[9] | 4

### Year-end charts[edit]

Year-end chart performance of Pisces Iscariot | Chart (1995)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[22] | 147

### Single[edit]

Chart performance of singles from Pisces Iscariot Single  | Chart (1994)  | Peak
position

|
|

"Landslide"  | Modern Rock Tracks[23] | 3

## Certifications[edit]

Certifications for Pisces Iscariot Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Canada (Music Canada)[24] | Platinum  | 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[25] | Gold  | 7,500^
United States (RIAA)[10] | Platinum  | 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## Release history[edit]

Region  | Date  | Label  | Format  | Catalog

|
|
|
|

United States  | October 4, 1994 | Caroline | LP | 1767
United States  | October 4, 1994 | Virgin | Cassette tape | 39834
Compact disc | 7243 8 39834 2 1
United Kingdom  | October 21, 1996 | Hut | Compact disc  | CDHUT 41

## References[edit]

1. ^ "chorus.fm". chorus.fm. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
2. ^ "Pisces Iscariot - The Smashing Pumpkins | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
3. ^ "Album Review: 'Pisces Iscariot'". EW.com. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
4. ^ a b "Smashing Pumpkins - Pisces Iscariot CD Album Remastered". www.cduniverse.com. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
5. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins: Pisces Iscariot". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
6. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins: Pisces Iscariot (Deluxe Edition)". PopMatters. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
7. ^ "The Quietus | Reviews | Smashing Pumpkins". The Quietus. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
8. ^ Weisel, Al (December 1, 1994). "Pisces Iscariot". Retrieved November 2, 2019.
9. ^ a b "The Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
10. ^ a b "American album certifications – Smashing Pumpkins – Pisces Iscariot". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
11. ^ Corgan, Billy. Twitter: Billy Corgan. 2011-04-07.
12. ^ "Pisces Iscariot". Rolling Stone. December 1, 1994. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
13. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins: Pisces Iscariot (Deluxe Edition)". PopMatters. August 1, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
14. ^ "Spotify - The Smashing Pumpkins". Spotify. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
15. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins - Pisces Iscariot". Pitchfork. July 19, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
16. ^ "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994". GuitarWorld.com. July 14, 2014. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
17. ^ "Pisces Iscariot Turns 20". Stereogum. October 3, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
18. ^ "Australiancharts.com – The Smashing Pumpkins – Pisces Iscariot". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
19. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2633". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
20. ^ "Charts.nz – The Smashing Pumpkins – Pisces Iscariot". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
21. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
22. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
23. ^ Allmusic "Charts and Awards (singles)
24. ^ "Canadian album certifications – The Smashing Pumpkins – Pisces Iscariot". Music Canada. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
25. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – The Smashing Pumpkins – Pisces Iscariot". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved June 16, 2020.

## External links[edit]

* Pisces Iscariot at AllMusic
* Pisces Iscariot at MusicBrainz

* v
* t
* e

The Smashing Pumpkins

* Jimmy Chamberlin
* Billy Corgan
* James Iha

* D'arcy Wretzky
* Melissa Auf der Maur
* Jeff Schroeder
* Nicole Fiorentino
* Mike Byrne

Studio albums|

* Gish
* Siamese Dream
* Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
* Adore
* Machina/The Machines of God
* Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music
* Zeitgeist
* Oceania
* Monuments to an Elegy
* Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun.
* Cyr
* Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts

Extended plays|

* Lull
* Peel Sessions
* American Gothic

Live albums|

* Earphoria

Compilation albums|

* Pisces Iscariot
* Rotten Apples

Box sets|

* The Aeroplane Flies High

Singles|

* "I Am One"
* "Tristessa"
* "Siva"
* "Cherub Rock"
* "Today"
* "Disarm"
* "Rocket"
* "Bullet with Butterfly Wings"
* "1979"
* "Zero"
* "Tonight, Tonight"
* "Thirty-Three"
* "The End Is the Beginning Is the End"
* "Ava Adore"
* "Perfect"
* "The Everlasting Gaze"
* "Stand Inside Your Love"
* "Try, Try, Try"
* "Untitled"
* "Tarantula"
* "That's the Way (My Love Is)"
* "G.L.O.W."
* "Freak"
* "The Celestials"
* "Panopticon"
* "Being Beige"
* "Drum + Fife"
* "Run2me"
* "Solara"
* "Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)"
* "Cyr/The Colour of Love"
* "Beguiled"
* "Spellbinding"
* "Mayonaise"

Promotional singles|

* "Rhinoceros"
* "Drown"
* "Muzzle"
* "Eye"
* "Crestfallen"
* "Doomsday Clock"
* "Widow Wake My Mind"
* "Owata"
* "One and All"

Other songs|

* "Soma"
* "Landslide"
* "Let Me Give the World to You"
* "FOL"
* "A Song for a Son"
* "Quasar"

Promotional releases|

* The Smashing Pumpkins 1991–1998

Videos|

* Vieuphoria
* Greatest Hits Video Collection (1991–2000)
* If All Goes Wrong

Tours|

* The End Times Tour
* Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour

Touring personnel|

* Katie Cole
* Dennis Flemion
* Lisa Harriton
* Jonathan Melvoin
* Sierra Swan
* Mark Stoermer
* Mark Tulin
* Matt Walker

Related articles|

| Bands|

* Catherine
* The Frogs
* Starchildren
* Zwan
* A Perfect Circle

|

Albums|

* Let It Come Down
* Life Begins Again
* TheFutureEmbrace
* Teargarden by Kaleidyscope
* Look to the Sky
* Ogilala
* The Parable
* Cotillions

Other|

* Discography
* Songs
* Band members
* Awards and nominations
* Constantinople Records

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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