Like most people my age, I loved the Smashing Pumpkins, pretty much up until Billy Corgan went industrial and forgot tunes are usually considered an integral part of songs. But still, I was happy when he announced that he ‘wanted his band back’ and was reforming them. Except, and this here’s a pisser, he didn’t. What he did was get drummer Jimmy Chamberlain – who had been drumming with him in his project Zwan anyway (must be said, it wasn’t horrible) – and some faceless musicians and head out under the Pumpkins banner. Where was James Iha? Where was the stupendously wasted D’arcy? It was a cash-in, pure and simple. The album – which he laughably titled ‘Zeitgeist’ more than a decade after they had been – was, a few bright moments aside, notable for being more in keeping with the Pumpkins latter work, devoid of the nimble beauty of the early stuff.
And yet…and yet, I couldn’t be angry at him for too long. Billy Corgan is a twat. He’s always been a twat. He will always be a twat. You learn to accept that, he’s like the short bloke in the pub over-compensating by making up stories to impress.
Check the latest noise emanating from the Pumpkins camp; They will not, apparently, be releasing any more albums. But fear not! They will be, in the words of a statement on their website, “Although we [Smashing Pumpkins] may not use the album or full-length CD as a format anymore, we will write and record until we are dead.” The self-importance, the suspicion the world is waiting to hear from them, it’s all there. I love that! The Smashing pumpkins are the Dr. Frasier Crane of the rock world – brilliant and pompous. Long may they talk pish. It’s always funny.
Filed under: General Stuff Tagged: | Billy Corgan, Grunge, mp3, music, Smashing Pumpkins
After the shocker of American Gothic at the start of the year, I cannot say that I am surprised.
It truly was awful. He has stopped writing Pumpkins songs IMHO, sticking with this metal/industrial model.