| StoreTags: smashing pumpki, zeigeist
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I finally got my copy of the new pumpkins album "zeitgeist" in the mail today. Since the pumpkins broke up, I've felt an empty space in my gut that used to be filled with RAWK! The first track, doomsday clock, kicks off with the solid wall of guitar tracks that made me fall in love with the pumpkins in the first place, and pretty much maintains momentum for the rest of the album. For those of you who have a soft spot for the smashing pumpkins like I do, corgan does not disappoint. This album got me dreaming again. That said, the mix is a little weird in some spots. Vocals tend to stand out a lot in the mix. Unfortunately 5 of the 12 tracks were produced by corgan and jimmy chamberlain. Dudes can rock hard, but I keep hoping to find some alternate mixes somewhere.
Some of the lyrics take a bit of warming up to as well. I'm not sure if previous albums were filtered through my adolescent brain, or if this album occasionally detours from his usual way with words. All of the songs have a political agenda. I personally think Corgan shines when he's singing about his personal life. Perhaps that accounts for the different feel?
Another derivation seems to be the approach to song structure. Past Pumpkin albums had their fair share of radio hits, but the other tracks tended to develop formally and orchestrationally (which ultimately gave the albums staying power imho). This one feels more like a come back album - variations of older radio hits. The plus side is that each song is fairly head bobby heavy.
All of these grievances sound contradictory to my initial comments. Don't get me wrong, the album is nasty! It's larger than life rock music that makes me feel like there's something to believe in again. Corgan also seems to have been listening to some new stuff. A few of the tracks feature some extended guitar techniques (track 7 "united states") during break down sections.
I can't say that this album will be for everyone. I bet there are a fair amount of people who already hated the pumpkins, and even more who will hate "the new band" because they're not exactly like the old one. However, I'm personally flipping out over this new release. My favorite rock band of all time is back!!! Although this record won't replace mellon collie and the infinite sadness in my book, it has rejuvinated me in ways I can't describe and will likely be a key element in overcoming any sort of creative crisis' I may have bitched about in the last year or so. While the songs are nothing new, they remind me of what it felt like to fall in love with music. | |
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07/16/07
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airliner
I loved this band, and still count several of their albums among my all-time faves, but I couldn't be less interested in this new one. It feels like necrophilia to me.
Have you seen the Open Letter From Billy Corgan? The dude lost it. link
07/16/07
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jdg
that letter was written for 13yr olds.. dont try to read too much into it
07/16/07
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Tripnik
wow! ...although I'm not sure that the jesus complex is anything new. He always felt like he was the rock messiah. I will admit that the letter is a bit douchey (just a bit) and his intent with this album is perhaps even more douchy (something I felt even before I read that), but it still doesn't diminish the fact that it's rocking me pretty hard. I can't explain it. Most of the time I would hate a record like this, and certainly corgan is asking for it in more ways than most people can count, but this album strikes a soft spot for me. I understand, however, why most people will probably share your sentiment.
07/16/07
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airliner
It's probably unfair of me to slag the album, since I haven't heard it (other than Tarantula, which wasn't too bad). If the music's good, that speaks for itself. I just wish he'd be content to let it speak on it's own, and leave all the self-aggrandizing revisionist history out of it.
07/16/07
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minisystem
yikes. doesn't he have a manager to tell him not to write letters like that???
07/16/07
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soft
that letter HAS to be some sort of a joke! no one could write that.
07/16/07
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soft
"plus another chick bassist and some new guitar guy."
come on now?
07/16/07
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Spark
This new album is in the "RocK music will save the world" vein that we will be laughing are asses off over in about 10 months.
Lots of 7th chords and big build ups.
If I have to suffer the 90's again.. bring back the fuckin' techno.
07/16/07
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jogn
I haven't heard it yet, but probably i'll get a copy, if only because it's one of a few things that isn't overtly emo. It has to be better than chocolate rain, which is sticking like a gerbil up a drainpipe.
07/16/07
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Spark
ung that letter is so lame it makes me want to break shit
07/16/07
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mixedtape
hairliner said: "It's probably unfair of me to slag the album, since I haven't heard it"
ya think?
07/16/07
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jogn
i'd like to think he didn't write that 
07/16/07
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minisystem
ah. it may be a prank. i'm so gullible.
07/16/07
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minisystem
silly billy said: "Here is what you must understand: Nothing has changed since 1999, except my budget. And Pro Tools. I am still the same alt-rock messiah I was. You are still my teenage flock."
lol. i didn't even get to the last paragraph.
07/16/07
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mixedtape
of course it's a joke! but hairliner doesn't like it so don't buy it guys.
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