The CD, LP, and cassette issues were each released with unique cover artwork. The US vinyl release was pressed on amber vinyl, and the first 2,000 copies included a bonus 7-inch single with "Not Worth Asking" from the original "I Am One" 7-inch, backed with "Honeyspider II". The UK LP has identical artwork to its US counterpart, although the printing is much lighter and the inner sleeve is a heavier stock.
According to a December 1, 1994, review by Al Weisel, writing for Rolling Stone, "Pisces Iscariot doesn't really sound like the compilation of rejects it actually is. In fact, it's better than a lot of albums that bands labored hard to put together. Although definitely not the Pumpkins' best album, it's more varied, if less cohesive, than Gish or Siamese Dream." Rolling Stone gave 3 out of 5 stars to the album.[12]
In 2012, EMI released a "Deluxe Edition" that included a cassette tape with the first Smashing Pumpkins demo tape on it.[13] The deluxe version of Pisces Iscariot is listed by Spotify under the band's main "album" section (along with its studio albums), rather than in the "compilations" section.[14] According to Ian Cohen, writing for Pitchfork, "Pisces Iscariot is painstakingly sequenced to maintain a concept record's sonic peaks and valleys, favoring stylistic cohesion over protracted diversity. Its ratio of sweet acoustic strummers, barnstorming riff-rockers, and expansive guitar freakouts is balanced almost exactly akin to that of Siamese Dream or Gish. It still works as an album if you want it to, meaning it's not exactly Incesticide or Masterplan as far as alt-rock cash-ins go."[15]
In July 2014, Guitar World placed Pisces Iscariot among its "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list.[16] For the 20th anniversary of the album, Ryan Leas, writing for Stereogum, commented that "[e]very now and then, a band releases a collection of B-sides and outtakes and otherwise semi-available material that transcends the notion of an artist emptying the vaults to buy a bit of time between full-fledged albums, or simply trying to cash in a bit.... Of the already anomalous nature of these odds-and-ends turned important touchstones in an artist’s catalog, Pisces Iscariot is amongst an even rarer category: the very early vault emptying that results in a shockingly strong collection of lesser or entirely unknown songs. So shockingly strong, in fact, that an album like Pisces Iscariot is often placed head and shoulders above almost anything Billy Corgan did after, save the following year's monolithic Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness."[17]
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Pisces Iscariot track listingTitle | Writer(s) | Single |
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1. | "Soothe" | | "Disarm" | 2:36 |
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2. | "Frail and Bedazzled" | | Siamese Dream outtake | 3:17 |
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3. | "Plume" | Billy Corgan, James Iha | "I Am One" 1992 single release | 3:38 |
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4. | "Whir" | | Siamese Dream outtake | 4:10 |
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5. | "Blew Away" | James Iha | "Disarm" | 3:32 |
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6. | "Pissant" | | "Cherub Rock" | 2:31 |
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7. | "Hello Kitty Kat" | | "Today" | 4:33 |
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8. | "Obscured" | | Gish outtake, "Today" | 5:22 |
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9. | "Landslide" (Fleetwood Mac cover) | Stevie Nicks | "Disarm" | 3:11 |
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10. | "Starla" | | "I Am One" 1992 single release | 11:01 |
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11. | "Blue" | | Lull EP | 3:20 |
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12. | "Girl Named Sandoz" (The Animals cover) | Eric Burdon, Vic Briggs, John Weider, Barry Jenkins, Danny McCulloch (The Animals) | Peel Sessions EP | 3:35 |
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13. | "La Dolly Vita" | | "Tristessa" | 4:16 |
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14. | "Spaced" | | Siamese Dream outtake | 2:25 |
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All tracks are written by Billy Corgan, unless stated otherwise
A limited pressing of 2,000 copies of Pisces Iscariot included a free 7-inch single.
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Bonus singleTitle | Single |
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1. | "Not Worth Asking" | "I Am One" 1989 7-inch | 4:01 |
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2. | "Honey Spider II" | Moon demo tape | 2:29 |
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2012 Reissue bonus CDTitle | Writer(s) |
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1. | "By June" (Ignoffo Sessions/2012 Mix) | | 2:08 |
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2. | "My Dahlia" (Ignoffo Sessions/2012 Mix) | | 3:46 |
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3. | "Jesus Loves His Babies" (Gish Sessions Rough Mix) | | 2:57 |
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4. | "Cinnamon Girl" (Ignoffo Sessions/2012 Mix) | Neil Young | 2:40 |
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5. | "Glynis" (2012 Mix) | | 4:54 |
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6. | "Crawl" (Gish Sessions outtake) | | 6:54 |
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7. | "Cinder Open" (Eddy St. demo/2012 Mix) | | 3:36 |
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8. | "Blissed" (Sadlands demo/2012 Mix) | | 3:12 |
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9. | "Slunk" (live; 2012 remaster) | | 2:36 |
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10. | "Jackie Blue" | Steve Cash, Larry Lee (Ozark Mountain Daredevils) | 3:55 |
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11. | "Venus in Furs" (live) | Lou Reed (The Velvet Underground) | 4:35 |
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12. | "Translucent" (Sadlands demo/2012 mix) | | 3:46 |
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13. | "French Movie Theme" (Siamese Sessions outtake) | | 1:55 |
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14. | "Purr Snickety" (Gish B-sides session outtake) | | 2:49 |
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15. | "There It Goes" (demo/2012 Mix) | | 5:17 |
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16. | "Vanilla" (Ignoffo Sessions) | | 2:49 |
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17. | "Why Am I So Tired" (live in studio demo) | | 15:13 |
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More information No., Title ...
2012 Reissue bonus DVDTitle |
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1. | "Intro by Billy Corgan" | |
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2. | "Pulse Cable Show Introduction by Lou Hinkhouse" | |
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3. | "There It Goes" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago) | |
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4. | "She" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago) | |
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5. | "Under Your Spell" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago) | |
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6. | "My Eternity" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago) | |
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7. | "Bleed" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago) | |
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8. | "Nothing and Everything" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago) | |
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9. | "Jennifer Ever" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago) | |
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10. | "Death of a Mind" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago) | |
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11. | "Spiteface" (Pulse Basement Jam – Chicago) | |
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12. | "Blue" | |
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13. | "Offer Up" | |
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14. | "The Joker" | |
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15. | "Slunk" | |
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16. | "Dancing in the Moonlight" | |
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17. | "Snap" | |
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18. | "Hello Kitty Kat" | |
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More information No., Title ...
2012 Reissue bonus tapeTitle |
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1. | "A1: Jennifer Ever" | 3:44 |
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2. | "A2: East" | 4:11 |
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3. | "A3: Nothing and Everything" | 6:04 |
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4. | "B1: Sun" (remix) | 5:30 |
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5. | "B2: She" (live) | 4:16 |
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6. | "B3: Spiteface" | 4:39 |
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Production
- Kerry Brown – production and drums on "Blew Away"
- Dale "Buffin" Griffin – production
- Ted de Bono – production
- Rachel Gutek – design assistant
- Michael Meister – photography, packaging
- Butch Vig – production
More information Chart (1994–1996), Peak position ...
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Single
More information Single, Chart (1994) ...
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More information Region, Certification ...
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More information Region, Date ...
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