| 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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EsromCole
nice to see a good review, i had little hope for the album. i was really into em as a teenager, i think ill pick this one up.
07/16/07
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Tripnik
it's not as bleeding heart as the previous pumpkins albums are, but it's refreshingly big and rocky. Last time I checked, their myspace page had "doomsday clock" on it. Now that the album is out, there may be more?
07/16/07
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astroid
lol that letter is funny
07/16/07
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astroid
"trust me, i've read hegel."
comedy gold
07/17/07
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thehydrax
wow, that letter made me LOL so much. Champagne comedy, all of it.
07/17/07
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madeofoak
fuck 'em.
in the marketing campaign for this thing they offered three bonus tracks on different versions of the album: one if you buy it at target, one if you buy it at best buy, and one if you buy it on itunes. the only way you can buy the album with NO bonus tracks is to buy it at an indie store. what is the message here? i'll tell you what it is: "fuck you, indie stores that made us a hit in the first place".
you have to go to target just to get the version that has the title track on it, for fuck's sake!
07/17/07
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reehc
im not into it. all their new stuff sounds like they're trying too hard & everythings overblown.
It looks pretty false.
07/17/07
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slp
i havent heard it yet, but, tbh, my expectations are not that great. when was the last time i enjoyed a new record by an 'old' indie rock band that i used to enjoy in the 90ies ? i can't think of a single case. mabe this is an exception, but i kinda doubt it. the list of disappointments is long... pavement, sebadoh, dinosaur, etc etc.. ok, sonic youth is an exception. but they actually moved on, during the years....
actually, this 'never trust a new record by an old favourite' rule i had to learn very early in life, when guns n' roses released their shitty 'use your illusion' crap , after the "appetite for destruction" masterpiece, which is - to this day - one of the f*** best rock records ever. haha. im actually serious. ok, axel gets on my nerves even on that one nowadays too, but that doesnt change the fact that i has the probably greatest rock guitars ever recorded.
ok, im getting off topic here, ha. the coffee was a bit too strong probably
07/17/07
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bb01
sure that letter was a joke
he's just undermining all the criticism that will hit the new album/group.
if it sounds cliché , then its because mainstream media outlets like trl and the like , will have this to say about him.
its just a game of how many he can predict.
07/17/07
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Unknownforce
nosferatu is back, i'm not sure whether to laugh or cry
they were my favourite band once
how things change
for the better
07/17/07
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djugel
"when was the last time i enjoyed a new record by an 'old' indie rock band that i used to enjoy in the 90ies ?"
Yo .. La .. Tengo? ,,, maybe?
07/17/07
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tantan
damn I wish he'd written that letter, it had me convinced to buy the album
07/17/07
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ejectorset
i love smashing pumpkins. i have since the week siamese dream came out. i like the softer songs though. any of those on the new one?
i didnt like the tarantula single.
07/17/07
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mlbot
tantan said: "damn I wish he'd written that letter, it had me convinced to buy the album"
yeah, totally.
Have you ever read band bio's? They are ALL like that, only they try to sound like its coming from the third person.
Sadly, I am more of a gish and siamese dream SP fan, so this possibly fake letter says I wont "get" the new album. rats.
07/17/07
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tantan
well yeah, we wrote a bunch of them a loooong time ago, I seem to remember saying things like "reinventing electronic music" and crap like that
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