Jump to content
aberdeen-music

smashing pumpkins recording new album


french_disko

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 92
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

OK this is probably a stupid question, but why are you calling him B0lly? I've never seen that before.

Back in the olden days when there was an official Smashing Pumpkins message board (The O-Board), Billy used to occasionally post a message which always led to hysterical replies of "OMG B0Llly?!!!~~!@@!! I LOVE YOUuu!!!''1!@''!" for about 14 pages. So, calling Mr. Corgan "B0lly" was a reference to the typos uber geek fans would make.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back in the olden days when there was an official Smashing Pumpkins message board (The O-Board), Billy used to occasionally post a message which always led to hysterical replies of "OMG B0Llly?!!!~~!@@!! I LOVE YOUuu!!!''1!@''!" for about 14 pages. So, calling Mr. Corgan "B0lly" was a reference to the typos uber geek fans would make.

That explains a lot. My name is actually Fristy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What Linda Strawberry (associate of B0lly, played keyboards on his solo tour) said about the new album:

i want to gush. i dont usually gush. but this gushing is well earned.

you could say that im biased since billy is one of my favorite people on the

planet..

but...

im not exaggerrating..

the other night after we had been shooting a video for a friend of ours

(glittercop//sonic justice league...more on this later)... billy pulled a cd out of his pocket.. the just

mastered new pumpkins record and asked if we wanted to hear it.. um..

yes...i guess so.. :) OF COURSE.

i hadn't heard anything since i would visit them last year in rehearsals.

and im really glad i waited to hear anything because it was such a brilliant

surprise.

we were all tired and i was sitting comfortably on the couch but somehow a

few seconds after the music started assaulting the speakers i was up in

front in the middle dancing my ass off. its ballsy.. its dark.. its some of

the best drumming ive ever heard.. its wild. its on fire. its everything ive

been asking the music world to give me.... something to rock my brains out

to... something gorgeous.. something inspired.. something well

written....and well played.. and complete. its majestic.

they didnt hold back anything. its violently beautiful. the vocal

arrangements make me wild.. its passionate.

i promised to not be specific.

i can't say anything specific. and i know this is going to be annoying to

alot of pumpkins fans dying for specifics.. im sorry.. this is such a

tease... but i dont care

i rocked so hard that i got whiplash and a sore calf.

im soooo excited...

and i can't wait to see it live.

and im so fucking proud of them.

its an achievement. the bar has been raised.

on that note,....

im going to go do some practicing. :)

<3

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist (Reprise)

Release Date: 07/07/07

Tracklisting:

1. Doomsday Clock [3:41]

2. 7 Shades Of Black [3:15]

3. Orchid [3:58]

4. That's The Way [3:44] <- KEY TRACK

5. Tarantula [3:47]

6. Starz [3:41]

7. United States [9:50]

8. Never Lost [4:13] <- KEY TRACK

9. Bring The Light [3:35]

10. Come On (Let's Go) [3:15]

11. For God And Country [4:51]

12. Pomp And Circumstance [4:18]

Background:

* Produced by Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin, with Roy Thomas Baker and Terry Date working separately on various tracks.

* Billed as a "reunion", though only Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin are present.

* It's the first Smashing Pumpkins album since 2000's Machina suite. In the interm Corgan has done one Zwan album and one solo album.

First Impressions:

* Tracks #1 thru #7 are all aggresive, up-tempo guitar rock except for #4, "That's The Way", which is our guess for 1st single as it's the most "pop" track with a catchy verse and chorus.

* "Never Lost" is one of the only ballad-y tracks. Like many of the Pumpkins' classics, it is low-key, but still driven by its composition and melodies. Plus there are strings.

* The last two tracks are the only ones which are keyboard driven, with "Pomp And Circumstance" sporting timpani drums, choir-like vocals and squelching guitar.

* Corgan's signature guitar tone is still as rich and forceful as it ever was.

* As we have seen with the new lineup, Corgan's voice is what (supposedly) defines the Smashing Pumpkins as a band. But, much like in Zwan, here it seems that his natural angst is somewhat artificial and his screaming seems mellow in comparison the Pumpkins of the past.

Prediction:

* With the recent commercial success of new bands like Silversun Pickups, it's uncertain whether or not the those outside the core SP fanbase will feel the need to reacquaint themselves with Smashing Pumpkins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The reason to be potentially wary about the new record is that is seems for his last 3 records (Machina, Mary Star of the Sea, TheFutureEmbrace) Mr. Corgan didn't pick his best songs, or best arrangements, for the album. For example, Machina could potentially have been a super rawk record if he had included some of the songs from Machina II on it and removed bizarre Doors/80's U2 pastiches like Glass and the Ghost Children. Of course that would have ruined the ever so pretentious "concept" behind the album.

MSTOS had possibly the worst Zwan songs on it. Zwan had performed around 40 different songs before the release of their album, most of which were vastly superior to what he decided should be on the album. God knows what he was thinking for his solo record, it has 2 bearable songs on it.

As for D'Arcy and James not playing on the albums, this only really happened on Siamese Dream. It was mostly down to the pair having just split up and B0lly knowing that the record would be made alot quicker if he recorded all the bass and guitar himself. Although he does play bass on Age of Innoncence (last song on Machina) and Untitled (the supposed last Pumpkins song) as D'Arcy had left.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Review of Zeitgeist from uncut.co.uk Link:

Billy Corgan is not an easy man to like, but from time to time in his career he's made some pretty good records. I should make it clear from the start that I'm hardly a Smashing Pumpkins obsessive: I liked the psych-grunge of "Gish" a lot, and I was distinctly impressed by the translation of ambition into a new kind of stadium rock on "Siamese Dream".

But I've always disliked the goth/industrial/Depeche Mode strain that rises to the surface from time to time in Corgan's songs. Consequently, I found 2005's solo album, "TheFutureEmbrace", to be fairly grim going - especially after the shiny power pop of Zwan. Zwan, I think, represented Corgan at his best: ironically, for an artist whose default mode was one of doomy portentousness, the relatively sunny disposition he displayed on many Zwan songs oddly suited him.

There are echoes of this on "Zeitgeist", the sixth album to be released under the name of The Smashing Pumpkins. "Tarantula", "That's The Way (My Love Is)" and "(Come On) Let's Go!" have the same kind of brash sweetness that made those Zwan songs so punchy and impressive. They're probably the highlights of this calculated but surprisingly enjoyable record.

Many, of course, will argue that "Zeitgeist" is not a "proper" Pumpkins album, since only Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin figure on it (Chamberlin has stayed loyally at his master's side through Zwan and the solo fiasco, it should be noted). The argument against this, I guess, is that Corgan is free to call any record he likes a Pumpkins record, since he ran the band like a dictator and did most of the work on all their records anyway.

What Corgan has done here is, I suppose, pretty cynical, reviving his most successful brand name for a steely-eyed return to the sort of eager, bounding stadium rock that established his reputation. It's hard to like Corgan - all that ego and pretension, the pervasive whiff of naffness - but it is easier at times like this to admire him. There's a sort of likeably ruthless shamelessness about this whole endeavour, epitomised by the moment in the excellent "Bring The Light" when Corgan (perhaps inspired by the presence of old Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker on his team) turns into Brian May. It's not ideal, but rather that than the weird Dave Gahan/Uncle Fester hybrid he rocks on less enjoyable records.

The goth instincts this time, it seems, have been channelled into some creaky lyrics that allude vaguely to the general crapness of contemporary geopolitics in the language of adolescent apocalypse-fear - the first song is called "Doomsday Clock", the second is "7 Shades Of Black", you get the idea. "United States", meanwhile, is an epic thrasher that allows Chamberlin to flex his muscles and suggest that drumming is some kind of extreme athletic pursuit.

What "Zeitgeist" proves, ultimately, is that Corgan is at his best when he follows his sunniest, crassest and most commercial instincts. When he tries to express himself as a serious artist and make profound statements, he comes a cropper. When he lets his ambition run rampant, Corgan makes good, exuberant, stadium-ready albums like this one. Come on. let's go!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chamberlin is one of my favourite drummers so I'm glad he's (allegedly) allowed to flex his muscles like he hasn't done since Mellon Collie. I lost all interest in Smashing Pumpkins after that album. Although I consider them one of my favourite bands this is only based on Gish, Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and the Euphoria video that I watched to death as a teenager. I bought Zwan for 3 on a whim and thought it was pretty average. I have 4 songs by James Iha that I rather enjoy but think I'm alone there.

I don't think I'll be rushing out to buy this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...