10 Rare Smashing Pumpkins Songs You've Probably Never Heard
4. Isolation (BT 2012 Mix)
Featured On: Mellon Collie and the
Infinite Sadness – 2012 Reissue
The Joy Division cover was recorded by Starchildren, a side project of Billy Corgan which featured the original line up of the Pumpkins. They only released two songs, Isolation being one. This recording was remixed for the reissue by Bjorn Thorsrud, who has been credited as a producer, mixer, and engineer on numerous Smashing Pumpkins albums.
The Pumpkin’s tribute opens with tense music, a cross between a musical baby mobile and a John Carpenter horror score. The attack on the drums and the heavy bass mimic the ticking clock in a school exam. Vocally the song sounds odd without the signature voice of Ian Curtis, but Corgan’s spin has its own seductive appeal. Corgan changes some of the lyrics to play up the romanticism, however, he leaves the iconically miserable verse addressed to Curtis’ mother intact.
Though Joy Division ended with the tragic death of Ian
Curtis, the surviving members formed New Order. They continue to play Isolation
live. Its deceptively joyful music
followed by crushing lyrics has kept the song in the minds of generations of
fans.