Track Listing

1. Sinfony
2. Quite
3. Disarm
4. Cherub Rock
5. Today
6. Bugg Superstar
7. I Am One
8. Pulsceczar
9. Soma
10. Slunk
11. French Movie Theme
12. Geek USA
13. Mayonaise
14. Silverfuck
15. Why Am I So Tired

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #133467 in Music
• Released on: 2002-11-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Earphoria is something of a head-scratcher. A sprawling, mostly live collection of tracks recorded in concert and during television performances, the disc stops short of the Smashing Pumpkins mid-1990s' commercial peak, with the latest offering culled from 1994. What's more, there's a roughness to the edits, suggesting a quick turnaround or possibly a lack of involvement from infamous perfectionist and Pumpkin head Billy Corgan. "Soma", for instance, fades abruptly, mid-applause. Better-known tracks such as "Disarm" and "Today"--recorded on English TV and in Chicago, respectively--offer negligible changes over their studio siblings. Collectors will appreciate "French Movie Theme" and the rambling, unhinged--and quarter-hour-long--"Why Am I So Tired". But really, this one is for die-hards only and a pale companion to 2001's comprehensive greatest-hits collection, Rotten Apples. --Kim Hughes

CD Description
First released in 1994 in VHS format as VIEUPHORIA, this collection of pre-MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS live tracks finds the groundbreaking Chicago quartet captured live during their marathon 1993-4 world tour in a variety of international settings, from London and Chicago to Spain and Japan. In addition to the original 10 live tracks featured onthe video, including a half-time version of "Disarm" from British TV, and an unplugged "Cherub Rock" from a European MTV show, EARPHORIA features snippets of demos dotted throughout the proceedings, such as the opening "Sinfony" and the intriguing "Bugg Superstar", while the anthemic (and self-descriptive) closing instrumental jam "Why Am I So Tired" is something of a percussive tour-de-force for ace drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. Also available in DVD format, the set will be an education for those who wish to delve a little deeper into the Pumpkins' oeuvre, as well as an obvious must-have for Pumpkins completists.

Customer Reviews

A LIVE ALBUM!?
Earphoria is the soundtrack to the Vieuphoria home video first released in 1994. This really is quite a good piece of work, it contains some suprising interpretations of the pumpkins songs such as the rock version of Disarm. Indeed in some places the songs are even better than the originals, the instrument playing especially is of a higher quality. However been as it is only a live album it is not worth getting unless you really are a fan, as the hard to find material on this cd doesn't really stand out as the pumpkins best material.

Fascinating Little Jewel
As a companion to the 'Viewphoria' DVD, this CD is a worthwhile thing to have. While many of these live versions are not as good as the studio takes, certain tracks really shine out. The live version of Cherub Rock is really great.

I specifically bought this CD for the live recording of 'I Am One' which, on the DVD, is a blisteringly exciting performance. Billy's seemgly effortless and violent guitar is mind blowingly well matched with Jimmy Chamberlin's super-tight drumming.

But whereas the sound for this performance is good on the DVD, the CD version sounds rather flat and that's a real shame. It really should knock your head off.

It gets 4 stars from me because I like the Pumpkins and this collection is a fascinating glimpse of the band. The whole 'Phoria' package is quite an interesting one. It's rough but very well constructed but for those who are getting into the Pumpkins it would be better to start with the DVD. The 'in-between' videos are unintentionally revealing.