Pisces Iscariot is a compilation album by the Smashing Pumpkins, released in October 4, 1994 through Virgin Records, consisting of B-sides and outtakes. Reaching number 4 in the US upon its 1994 release, Pisces Iscariot was certified platinum by the RIAA on November 23, 1994. The album was re-released by EMI as a deluxe edition CD and LP on July 17, 2012.
Musically, Pisces Iscariot is an alternative rock and grunge album with heavy psychedelic rock influences. The album maintains the band’s characteristic mix of distortion-heavy rock and softer, acoustic-driven moments.
Regarding the album’s visual presentation, Corgan described the artwork as an experimental project, saying:
“I was just jerking around trying to make blurry pictures”.
He recalled feeling pressure to complete the project quickly and approached it as an artistic endeavor. The CD cover features his then-wife, Chris Fabian, captured using a Polaroid camera. He explained that the camera’s close-range limitations contributed to the soft focus effect, stating:
“If you shot too close, it couldn’t focus right.”
Different release formats of the album received their own separate artwork, such as the LP and cassette releases. The liner notes of Pisces Iscariot contain Corgan‘s commentary on each of the album’s 14 tracks. Presented in a typed format, the notes provide background on the songs, though the writing style has been described as difficult to decipher.
Tracklist:
- Soothe
- Frail and Bedazzled
- Plume
- Whir
- Blew Away
- Pissant
- Hello Kitty Kat
- Obscured
- Landslide (Fleetwood Mac cover)
- Starla
- Blue
- Girl Named Sandoz (The Animals cover)
- La Dolly Vita
- Spaced
Credits:
The Smashing Pumpkins
Billy Corgan: vocals, guitar, production (1–4, 6–8, 10–11, 13–14), photography, packaging
James Iha: guitar, vocals, production (5)
Jimmy Chamberlin: drums
D’arcy Wretzky: bass guitar
Technical
Butch Vig: production (2, 4, 6–8, 11, 13–14)
Kerry Brown: production (3, 5, 10) and drums (5)
Dale “Buffin” Griffin: production (12)
Ted de Bono: production (9)
Rachel Gutek: design assistant
Michael Meister: photography, packaging
