Rotten Apples (The Smashing Pumpkins – Greatest Hits as titled on the album's cover) is a greatest hits compilation album by The Smashing Pumpkins. It was released in November 2001, and in limited quantities with a bonus disc of B-sides and outtakes titled Judas O. The album's concluding track, "Untitled", was the Pumpkins' final recording before their breakup.[1] Completed in the days leading up to the band's farewell concert at the Metro in Chicago, it was also released as a single. Another notable track is "Real Love"; while previously released on Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music, this was taken from the factory master tapes and, as a result, lacks the pops and clicks inherent in all copies of Machina II (which is vinyl sourced).
The title of the album is the namesake of a B-side that was released on the "Tonight, Tonight" single. Peaking at number 31 in the US,[2] the album sold 77,000 units in its first week of being released.[3]
According to Dan Tallis, writing for BBC, this album was "[a] rare pleasure these days, a collection of tracks that span a band's career that can actually justify the Greatest Hits title."[7]NME gave the compilation 4 out of 5 stars, declaring it "defies normal Greatest Hits logic to actually sound like a proper, coherent album."[5]
The cover photo was taken by Lisa Johnson in 1991. In an interview with Alternative Press, she recounted:
“
The funniest story about [this photo] is when we were doing it, I don’t think they knew the sign was there. At the end of the shoot, I was like, “And look, the ‘End’ sign so when you guys break up and get back together after 20 years, you can use this picture for your album cover!” Billy [Corgan] and I laughed hysterically. We thought it was funny. James [Iha] and D’arcy [Wretzky] didn’t think it was as funny, but Billy and Jimmy [Chamberlin] were laughing. True story. So when it was time for that Greatest Hits record, Billy called me up and was like, “We’ve got to get that photo and it’s got to be the cover,” and I was like, “Okay.” I love that photo. It really captures that early time. They were still in a van. It was a very—you could feel that energy. Something was going to happen.
There exists two versions of Rotten Apples; one is exclusive to North America and includes the song "Landslide", which is replaced by "Try, Try, Try" in the international version.
All tracks are written by Billy Corgan, except where noted.
"Rhinoceros" is misprinted as "Rhinocerous" on the back cover and the disc. Also, the version on the compilation is the version off the Lull EP where the last 30 seconds of the original recording (some guitar noise) is cut off.
The last half of "Drown" is also cut, getting rid of the extended guitar solo.
Bon Harris – additional programming on "Ava Adore" and "Perfect"
Butch Vig – production on "Siva", "Rhinoceros", "Drown", "Cherub Rock", "Today", and "Disarm"
Flood – production and mixing on "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", "1979", "Zero", "Tonight, Tonight", "Perfect", "The Everlasting Gaze", "Stand Inside Your Love", "Real Love", "Untitled", and "Try, Try, Try"; additional production and mixing on "Ava Adore" and "Perfect"
Roger Lian – digital editing
Alan Moulder – production and mixing on "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", "1979", "Zero", and "Tonight, Tonight"; mixing on "The Everlasting Gaze", "Stand Inside Your Love" and "Real Love"
Jennifer Quinn-Richardson – production coordination
Judas O (also known as Judas Ø) is a collection of B-sides and rarities by The Smashing Pumpkins. Initially released as free downloadable tracks by the band, it was ultimately packaged as a bonus disc in a limited-edition printing of the greatest hits collection Rotten Apples. The songs are largely from the Mellon Collie, Adore, and Machina recording sessions, and some tracks can be found on The Aeroplane Flies High, and Machina II. Judas Ø is considered to be the sister album to Pisces Iscariot, a collection of B-sides and rarities from the Gish and Siamese Dream era.
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