The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music

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The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music
Bootleg of
ReleasedApril 16, 2000
Recorded1998 – 1999
StudioChicago Recording Company, Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
Length61:01

The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music is a Smashing Pumpkins non-commercial compilation album derived from a 60-minute cassette that Billy Corgan gave to a fan in April 2000, five months prior to the band's official release with the same subtitle, Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music. The fan was instructed by Corgan to circulate the album. The title for the compilation was based on a conversation they had.[1]

Composition and distribution[edit | edit source]

In April 2000 while touring in support of the first Machina album, Billy Corgan gave Smashing Pumpkins Fan Collaborative creator Eric Agnew a 60-minute cassette with explicit instructions to circulate the recordings. The songs overran the end of each side of the cassette, so "Here's to the Atom Bomb" and an untitled instrumental (later revealed to be "Cinder Open") are cut short.[2] The tape was received without a verified track list labeled, so Agnew was forced to form one himself based on his knowledge of previous releases and performances.[3]

The online distribution was so successful that when Virgin Records refused to release the follow-up to Machina due to that album's poor sales, Corgan made the decision to follow the previous route of the original Friends & Enemies and released Machina II in a similar manner.

Compilation[edit | edit source]

With the exception of "The Everlasting Gaze", alternate versions of the songs from the entire first side of the tape would surface on Machina II. "The Everlasting Gaze" is an alternate version of the song that appeared on Machina. "Le Deux Machina" was used in portions in the middle section of "Glass and the Ghost Children" from Machina. A full-length and uncut version of "Here's to the Atom Bomb" would appear as a B-side to the "Try, Try, Try" single. "Real Love" would appear on Machina II and Rotten Apples. "X.Y.U." and "Where Boys Fear to Tread" are live performances of the songs that appeared on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. "The Ethers Tragic" is a live performance of the song that appeared as a B-side to "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" single. "Once Upon a Time" and "Crestfallen" are Sadlands demos from the Adore era, the former appearing on the 2014 deluxe re-issue along with the live tracks "Money (That's What I Want)" and the "X.Y.U. medley".

Track listing[edit | edit source]

The cassette did not include a track listing, leading confusion as to the title of the final track. The title for "Cinder Open" was not revealed until its official release on the 2012 deluxe reissue of Pisces Iscariot.

All tracks are written by Billy Corgan, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)SourceLength
1."Glass' Theme" Machina sessions1:57
2."Disco King" (The Everlasting Gaze demo) Machina sessions4:33
3."Dross" Machina sessions3:23
4."Blue Skies Bring Tears" (Arising! version) Machina sessions4:09
5."If There Is a God" Machina sessions2:15
6."Le Deux Machina" (version with Mike Garson) Machina sessions5:44
7."Heavy Metal Machine" (version I) Machina sessions5:51
8."Here's to the Atom Bomb" (cut, appears full-length on "Try, Try, Try" single) Machina sessions2:20
9."Real Love" Machina sessions4:07
10."Money (That's What I Want)" (live Barret Strong cover)Janie Bradford, Berry Gordy1998-10-31 – Dodger Stadium3:21
11."X.Y.U." (live medley) 1998-10-31 – Dodger Stadium12:02
11a."The Ethers Tragic" (tease)   
11b."Never Say Never" (tease, Romeo Void cover)Debora Iyall, Peter Woods, Frank Zincavage, Benjamin Bossi, Larry Carter  
11c."Where Boys Fear to Tread" (tease)   
12."Once Upon a Time"  4:22
13."Crestfallen"  5:18
14."Cinder Open" (cut) Fall 1989 – Eddy Street1:39

Release history[edit | edit source]

Released Label Catalog ID Format Country External sites
April 16, 2000 Cassette US MusicBrainz [1]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/friends-and-enemies-mw0001156849
  2. "Friends & Enemies of Modern Music". The Smashing Pumpkins Fan Collaborative Bootlist (SPFC.org). Retrieved 2007-03-04.
  3. Smashing Pumpkins dot com "Interview with Eric Agnew"

External links[edit | edit source]