Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Zwan

Honestly

Label: Reprise Records Release Date: 24/02/2003

3412
mharflett by Melissa Harflett March 6th, 2003

You can’t hide from it. It is the Smashing Pumpkins, but it’s the Smashing Pumpkins Mark II.

"I believe, I believe, the love you talk about with me, is it true, do I care?"

It’s almost if the Pumpkins have been hanging out with The Polyphonic Spree. Gone is the angst and gone is the depressed Billy Corgan, and here is the happier, older, mellower man who has grown up and fallen in love… since love is the most honest of emotions.

The cover of 'Number of the Beast' is frankly odd, slowed down and mellow. It doesn’t sound like Zwan or, in fact the Pumpkins, covering a metal classic. They have made it into a song of their own. We need more of this when artists cover other songs!

'Freedom Ain’t What it Used To Be', begins like Idlewild’s 'Scottish Fiction', but turns into a guitar strumming song about how life isn’t what it used to be, how we’ve gotta watch our backs and "the company we keep". Normally Billy would be shouting about stuff like this but of course, it ain’t the Pumpkins.

They won’t be able to hide from Pumpkins comparisons because of Billy’s voice but they are definitely trying to become a band all of their own.

  • 8
    Melissa Harflett's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing



Left-arrow

Junior Senior

Move Your Feet

Mobback
3165

The Vines at Camden Electric Ballroom, Camden, Thu 19 Feb

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025

  • 106149
  • news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145

    news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143
  • news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141

    news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139
  • Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138

    Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137
  • Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
MORE


    Column


    Reformations, eh? - Falco on the slight-return ...

  • 97723
  • news


    Become a Patron of DiS

  • 99507

    Interview


    Person of the Year 2014: Meredith Graves - Inte...

  • 98657
  • Playlist


    89 Cover Songs - A Playlist

  • 101433

    Interview


    The ineffable joy of pop: DiS meets Carly Rae J...

  • 101425
  • Interview


    Going Elemental: DiS Meets Sharon Van Etten

  • 106002

    feature


    Kill Your Friends' ten-point guide to making it...

  • 101587
  • news


    Album Stream + Inventions' (Explosions in the S...

  • 95303
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND