Album Review: Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania

Before I get into this, I must point out that I am a huuuge Smashing Pumpkins fan. So with that comes a highly critical opinion.

Smashing Pumpkins' newest album, Oceania, is a mish mosh of classic Pumpkin sounds put to meaningless lyrics and forgettable tunes. There is hardly a single identifiable melody on the entire album making it only passable as background noise. The opening track, Quasar, sounds like a desperate attempt at bringing back the Smashing Pumpkins sound, but the result is rushed and crammed with noise.

The songs are choppy and unbalanced. Many of them sound as if they were recorded in isolation, with different instruments played at different times, and the vocals added well after. Unfortunately, the nostalgic sounds of Billy Corgan's voice are lost into what feels like bad karaoke.

While there are a few redeemable songs, nearly all of them lack commitment. There are too many switches in melody, mood, tempo, volume, and even instrumental effects. Not the kind of classic Pumpkins music that people will be rushing to imitate or cover. Still, somehow the album has its place on the great Pumpkin mantle.

I was surprised to see that many of the early reviews on iTunes were highly enthusiastic, with people giving really five stars and stellar comments. Many claimed that the new album signaled a long awaited return of the Pumpkins and that the original Smashing Pumpkins sound was back. One reviewer went so far as to point out how 'it wasn't the train wreck that Zeitgeist was'. This couldn't be more opposite the truth in my opinion. In many ways Zeitgeist was one of their best albums ever and what it had going for it was it actually had real melodies and memorable tracks - songs that people will remember and want to emulate. Oceania, sadly, is mostly forgettable.

Still, as a die hard Pumpkins fan, I bought it and will continue to give it a chance, but mostly in support of the band and everything they've ever done. I hope other Pumpkin fans will do the same.

Skate Sharpening

If you already know all about skate sharpening, you can probably stop reading now. If not, read on for some advice.

Where to Sharpen Skates
The most convenient place to have skates sharpened is right inside the Pro Shop of our home ice, Sharks Ice. But there are plenty of options around the Bay Area:
- Sharks Ice San Jose
- East West Skate Sharpening (Across the street from Sharks Ice)
- Power Play Hockey
- Other ice rinks:
- Sharks Ice Fremont
- Oakland Ice Center
- Ice Center Cupertino
- Ice Center San Mateo
- Nazareth Ice Oasis Redwood City
- Belmont Iceland
- Yerba Buena San Francisco
- Dublin Iceland

When to Sharpen Skates
Its not always easy to know when and how often to sharpen skates, but here are some general rules of thumb:
- When skates have rust spots
- When there are obvious chips, dents, or other damage to the blade
- If the blade edges clearly look uneven or rounded

Here's what a sharp skate should look like: [link]

- The 'Fingernail Test:

This classic test is to carefully and lightly run the edge of your fingernail across different parts of the blade. If it scrapes off, its probably plenty sharp. If it doesn't, its definitely time for a sharpening.

- Lastly, just ask your little hockey player how their skates feel

I hope this helps.