'The Aeroplane Flies High' review *** on a scale between * (poor) and **** (essential)
(Thanks to Leigh Doran for typing this out)
Chicago Sun-Times – November 24, 1996
By Chicago Sun-Times staff writer Jae-Ha Kim
With so many cuts from "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" being played on the radio, it's easy to forget how many memorable songs the Smashing Pumpkins have that are almost never heard. The five-CD singles/rarities box set "The Aeroplane Flies High" helps give many unheard gems a chance to shine. The set is a must for any die-hard fan who has to have everything Pumpkins.
The 33-song CD set includes five singles from "Mellon Collie" - "Bullet with Butterfly Wings," "1979," "Zero," "Tonight, Tonight" and "Thirty-Three - as well as obscure B-sides, some of which were only released in Europe.
But the best part of the package is hearing the Pumpkins cover some of their favorite tunes, including a gorgeous version of Blondie's "Dreaming" and a kitschy rendition of Missing Persons' "Destination Unknown." There, they sound not like a superstar group, but a bar band having a great, raucous time.