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Zeitgeist

Posted on July 27, 2007 at 08:58 PM EST

Zeitgeist

Since the Smashing Pumpkins broke up in 2000, Billy Corgan has hardly been hiding. He formed a short-lived band called Zwan, wrote a book of poetry, and released a solo album TheFutureEmbrace. The same day the album was released, he ran a newspaper-ad in the Chicago Tribune and announced that he wanted to revive the Smashing Pumpkins. Two years later the band’s sixth commercially-released studio album, Zeitgeist, was released.

Tracklist

  1. Doomsday Clock
  2. 7 Shades of Black
  3. Bleeding the Orchid
  4. That’s the Way (My Love Is)
  5. Tarantula
  6. Starz
  7. United States
  8. Neverlost
  9. Bring the Light
  10. (Come On) Let’s Go!
  11. For God and Country
  12. Pomp and Circumstance

Bonus Tracks

  1. Death from Above (Best Buy)
  2. Stellar (iTunes)
  3. Zeitgeist (Target)

Three special edition Zeitgeist albums were released that each contain a unique bonus track. They are exclusive only to Best Buy, iTunes, and Target. It is unclear if this decision was made by the band or record label, Reprise, but it just seems like a lame attempt to increase the overall number of albums that were sold.

The album has received mediocre reviews, which usually cite the lack of two of the original members, James Iha on guitar and D’Arcy Wretzky on bass. Corgan not only fronted the band but also wrote the majority of their songs. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin remained close to Corgan after the band’s breakup and was a member of Zwan and played drums on a few songs for TheFutureEmbrace. While it would have been be great if Iha and Wretzky were involved, it’s great that the Pumpkins are back and that Corgan and Chamberlin are still creating music together.

Zeitgeist has a sound that is familiar to some of their old music, despite the lack of half of the original lineup. Corgan’s razor-sharp solos and grinding chords remain utterly unique, while, Chamberlin thrashes impressively at his drums and continues to have the same enthusiasm of his younger self.

With songs such as “Doomsday Clock” and “God and Country”, along with lyrics like “I want to fight, I want to fight, A revolution tonight” from “United States”, the album’s political focus is extremely evident. It addresses the political and social upheavel that has occured since MACHINA: The Machines of God was released in 2000.

The illustration on the album cover, created by Obey Giant’s Shepard Fairey, is the Statue of Liberty being swallowed by the ocean. This seems to emphasize global warming due to the melting ice caps along with our country’s drowning civil liberties, in the blood of the fallen, no less.

This is the Pumpkins’ most aggressive metal album to date and should be a part of any Smashing Pumpkins’ fans’ collection. If you never liked their music before, then there really isn’t anything groundbreaking on this album that will help change your mind.

Zeitgeist Release Party at the 9:30 Club

Billy Corgan and Jeff Schroeder playing at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC

On July 10, the day Zeitgeist was released, the Smashing Pumpkins had a “surprise” release party at the 9:30 Club. While it may have just been a coincidence, I believe they intended on having the event in Washington DC, since the album has such a strong political focus.

The first hundred people waiting to get into the show were given picketing signs that read, “I said YES to the mighty SP!” in a mock campaign for the Pumpkins’ return. Behind the crowd was a giant black and white Pumpkins flag that hung down from the roof of the 9:30 Club. A barbershop harmony quartet wearing red and white striped jackets sang to those waiting in line and also on stage just before the band came on the stage. Right before the show started, the band drove up in a a couple of antique limousines. I heard they had originally planned to do a video shoot, but decided to cancel it at the last minute.

I noticed something very strange when I got in line. The guy directly in front of me was the exact same guy who was right in front of me at the show that I attended in Asheville, NC. What are the odds? It’s a small world out there.

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Tagged with billycorgan, music, review, smashingpumpkins

Smashing Pumpkins at the Orange Peel

Posted on June 24, 2007 at 11:55 PM EST

Smashing Pumpkins playing at the Orange Peel on June 23, 2007

It’s been almost seven years since the Smashing Pumpkins played a live show since they broke up in December, 2000. Last month, they completed a 15-show tour in Europe and are started off their U.S. Zeitgeist tour with a sold-out 9-show residency at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC, which has been dubbed Smasheville.

I was extremely lucky to have been able to purchase a pair of tickets before TicketWeb’s server crashed right after they went on sale a few weeks ago. A couple days later the tickets went up on Ticketmaster and they ended up selling out in just over two minutes.

My wife and I arrived about two hours before the show started and there was around a hundred people ahead of us in line. We ended up standing about six people back from the stage and had a really great spot.

The band took the stage at 10:00 p.m. during a Japanese music intro and played for nearly three hours. They opened with “United States”, which incorporated the national anthem in the guitar solo, and it sounded amazing. Billy Corgan barely spoke with the crowd then eventually loosened up about a third of the way through the show. He joked about a local offering him some weed about one minute after he arrived in Asheville and also said the local tried to explain that the city was built on a crystal.

Mid-set, the band left the stage and left Billy alone to play an acoustic set that included “Rocket”, “Gish”, “Daydream”, and “It’s a Song I Sing”, a tune he had written the night before the show.

The Orange Peel as well as the city of Asheville were both great locations for the Smashing Pumpkins to host their East Coast residency. I had a great time and feel very fortunate that I was able to make it to their opening show.

Setlist for June 23, 2007

  1. United States
  2. Doomsday Clock
  3. Bleeding the Orchid
  4. Today
  5. Bullet with Butterfly Wings
  6. Glass and the Ghost Children
  7. Home
  8. Hummer
  9. Lucky 13
  10. (Come On) Let’s Go
  11. Blue Skies Bring Tears
  12. For God and Country
  13. Daydream
  14. Rocket
  15. 1979
  16. Question Mark
  17. Translucent
  18. Starla
  19. Tonight, Tonight
  20. Tarantula
  21. Starz
  22. Zero
  23. Disarm
  24. Gossamer

Encore 1

  1. Shame
  2. Silverfuck > The End (tease)

Encore 2

  1. With Every Light

On July 10, their comeback album, Zeitgeist, debuts and I have already pre-ordered it from iTunes.

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Tagged with concert, itunes, music, smashingpumpkins

TheFutureEmbrace

Posted on June 21, 2005 at 08:54 PM EST

TheFutureEmbrace

Billy Corgan’s debut solo album TheFutureEmbrace was released today. It contains 11 songs that were written by Billy as well as a cover of the pre-disco Bee Gees classic “To Love Somebody” with Robert Smith of the Cure on backing vocals. Jimmy Chamberlin, the former drummer of the Smashing Pumpkins and Zwan, also adds electronic percussion to the song “DIA” and it’s good to see that they are still working together.

Tracklist

  1. All Things Change
  2. Mina Loy (M.O.H.)
  3. The CameraEye
  4. ToLoveSomebody
  5. A100
  6. DIA
  7. Now (And Then)
  8. I’m Ready
  9. Walking Shade
  10. Sorrows (in blue)
  11. Pretty, pretty STAR
  12. Strayz

The album contains a nice mix of songs that are similar to the Smashing Pumpkins, which is no surprise since he was the driving musical force behind the band. The majority of the songs have a futuristic, electronic style and a few are sing-songy melodies. My favorites are “Pretty, Pretty Star”, “All Things Change”, “The CameraEye”, and “Walking Shade”. I especially like Walking Shade which was the first single from the album. This song has a lot of meaning because he sings about how his old bandmates from Zwan used him and how he was a “shade” or helping hand for them.

Billy’s really done a lot to help promote his new album. He had a contest which gave away a pair of tickets to any one of his shows on his North American tour for the person who refers the most amount of visitors to his website; he played “Mina Loy (M.O.H.)” on the Late Show with David Letterman last night; he appeared on WGN Morning News this morning; he had a release party for TheFutureEmbrace at the Alder Planetarium in Chicago tonight; and he also ran a full-page ad in today’s Chicago Tribune.

The Smashing Pumpkins have been my favorite band for the past 12 years ever since they released Siamese Dream, which is my favorite album of all-time. I was really disappointed when they broke up back in 2000 then when I heard Billy was putting together a new band, Zwan, I had high hopes for them. They didn’t really come close to the Smashing Pumpkins and had only released one album before they broke up. It’s great to see that Billy is back again and on his own (at least for now). In his ad in the Chicago Tribune today, he stated that he’s made plans to revive the Smashing Pumpkins and is breathing new life into an old dream. What great news!!!

For a year now I have walked around with a secret, a secret I chose to keep. But now I want you to be the first to know that I have made plans to renew and revive The Smashing Pumpkins. I want my band back, and my songs, and my dreams. In this desire I feel I have come home again.

This was a bit of a shocker since he was quoted as saying “you won’t see the four Smashing Pumpkins onstage again” to MTV news about two months ago. Way to go Billy! I could not be happier with his decision and I really look forward to what the future beholds of the Smashing Pumpkins.

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Tagged with billycorgan, music, review, smashingpumpkins

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