Released for free on the Internet (ever heard of it?) in September of 2000, The Smashing Pumpkins' sixth and "final" studio album, MACHINA II/The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music was an unconventional release, born of resistance from the record label to the idea of a grand Machina double album and an instinct to lean into the new phenomenon of digital file sharing rather than fight it. Despite its bootleg nature and sub-Pono audio quality (sorry, Neil) Machina II is chock full of fan favorites and steeped in a retrospective and introspective view on fame. 

In this episode, Frank and Pat delve into the proper, official Machina II album (we'll cover all of the EP tracks in upcoming episodes), discussing everything from Billy’s throwback, child-like coo in "Innosense" to the stone-cold, undeniable spank-ass rock of "Dross." We also get into the the aerial view of the Machina project as a whole and pray to the Almighty Lord Santa for the deluxe reissue.

All that plus Frank embraces a wrestling persona and becomes the heel when talking about "Home," and we answer big questions like: Which song reminds Pat of a clown funeral? Is this version of "Here’s to the Atom Bomb" a subtle nod to Courtney Love? And IS "White Spyder" the Pumpkins’ "Ace of Spades"? 

We say it's natural/magic, kid! 

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