10 Rare Smashing Pumpkins Songs You've Probably Never Heard
8. Silverf**k/Over The Rainbow/Jackboot (recorded Live At London Astoria In London, February 24, 1994)
Featured On: Earphoria
The track opens with dreamy guitar tones before launching into a hard, fast, tight guitar and bass, accompanied by punchy percussion. It’s immediately evident why Silverf**k is a live favourite for both the band and their fans. The music lowers to let Corgan’s vocals take centre stage, however, the track retains its pumping ferocity. Silverf**k follows the grunge template of loud-quiet-loud, which works well despite the band’s desire to distance themselves from the scene.
The enthralled crowd join in with the ending ‘bang, bang, you’re dead, hole in your head’ vocals, which takes on a hymn-like quality broken only by rapturous applause. Once silence returns, Corgan improvs into a brief cover of Over The Rainbow but cuts off before it ekes into libel law.
A unique but brief cross over between Old Hollywood and Gen-X rock. Corgan hangs back and lets the rest of the band end the mash-up with the instrumental Jackboot. The music lurches back and forth like the push of a live crowd adding to the listening experience.