I think the bottom line here is that some people just plain DON'T like Zeitgeist. And that's fine. But Billy Corgan did not bring back The Smashing Pumpkins name to recreate what he did earlier in his career.

"I found that my heart is in Chicago...my heart is in The Smashing Pumpkins."

That's straight from the news article about the reunion. Billy clearly states throughout the article that the journey to reunite his old band was essentially a way to cure HIMSELF. Most reunions are about the fans, and that's fine. But this reunion was more about Billy finding his soul again, and discovering once again what makes him whole. He did not say "I'm bringing back the band so I can give the fans what they want and relive the past." He's moving forward with HIS band the way HE wants to. It's all right for us to disagree with the music, but to say that we feel cheated because he brought back the SP name is a bit selfish when, in the beginning, it was all about Billy. And, if it weren't for his decision, we wouldn't have the pleasure of discussing this.

Now, it does remain that the Zeitgeist era is not the end-all be-all. There have certainly been some questionable choices made by Billy (most notable for me, that lame Superchrist video). But, I love Zeitgeist and I listen to it every day because I love the music. And if you don't, I respect that. But as far as saying Billy does not have any emotion in what he's done so far, I believe, is unfair. Some of you are questioning Billy because he does not possess the same angst, agression, beauty, heart, and soul that went into his earlier music. But you have to remember one thing: he grew up.

We're coming up on the 15-year anniversary for Mellon Collie in a couple of years. He's 40 damn years old. He has changed, and so has his music. And don't give me that junk about a decline in lyrics, as if he's any less of a poet than he was years ago. Listen to "Sunkissed" one more time and then we'll talk. He just doesn't write about the same stuff anymore. Maybe he DOES have the same emotion in his music this time around, it's just shown in a different way. And yes, his vocal style has changed, at least in the studio. He overdubs his voice, rarely uses backups (even when it would sound better), doesn't really scream, and his range has declined a bit. This is all just personal preference, and is not an accurate gauge for his emotion. If you think just because he didn't scream enough during the "DIE" lyric in the studio version of United States that he's lost his flare, you clearly have not seen or heard this song performed live.

Anyone who's disappointed with Zeitgeist or the reunion can have their opinion and it's likely more than accurate and can be supported with many points. But I'm tired of all this crap about how Billy doesn't care about his music anymore just because the name he's using doesn't live up to what he's done in previous years. Or that he should not be allowed to use the SP name just because it doesn't live up to "our standards." It's his band, and it always has been. He brought it back on his terms. I do hope his music gets better. There are plenty of things during this era that are easy to criticize and rightfully so. But don't act like just because you've listened to Siamese Dream more times than you can count that you automatically know when Billy puts his all into something or not. I'm not asking anyone to love Zeitgeist, but at least look at it in perspective and understand this is a new era of music, and a new era of Billy.

Man, Corgasm, I wish everyone here could be as eloquent as you and not resort to pretty tirades. Thanks for posting this. I don't necessarily agree with you 100%, but you conveyed your opinion very well. Cheers!

yeah corgasm, you made your point very well. i find it very polite when you say, that everybody can decide if zeitgeist is a good reunion-album or not. and so everybody can decide all the other things concerning that.

i know it's hard for fans who grew up with siamese dream. i explained it in many threads. when you grow up and the level is so high, it's hard to top it. but otherwise... it's kinda schizo because billy grew older and we all grew older. i've been to so many concerts, saw so many bands and these days i am harder to convince than back in 1995 when MCIS topped everything. and still when you think that in your teenage years you're so easy to get convinced and find everything cool - i think the older albums of SP are better than zeitgeist. that's my personal opinion.

the fact is, that it is hard to enjoy an album like zeitgeist and to understand that billy got older when you're used to get amazing stuff of him (also this is a personal opinion).

you're right. it's his band. he's living for that. it's all he has and he's making it, because it's giving him absolution.

the hardest part is to accept that billy always makes what he wants. he leads the band wherever he wants to and even if he makes another album that doesn't even gets near the old albums... it's smashing pumpkins. it's what he wanted to do.

Incredible post, Corgasm. Best written post I've read in a while.




chriswolf wrote:
the hardest part is to accept that billy always makes what he wants. he leads the band wherever he wants to and even if he makes another album that doesn't even gets near the old albums... it's smashing pumpkins. it's what he wanted to do.

How is it hard to accept that Billy makes what he wants and leads the band wherever he wants? That's how it's always been. When has anybody other than Billy really been in charge?

How is it hard to accept that Billy makes what he wants and leads the band wherever he wants? That's how it's always been. When has anybody other than Billy really been in charge?

maybe i explained it wrong. i just wanted to say that i wouldn't be surprised if his ideas get more and more weird concerning future works...

i will say i was impressed corgasm and agree fully. nice work.

Well, chriswolf, that's kind of how a band works.

Geek N.Z. wrote:
Well, chriswolf, that's kind of how a band works.

well, not with david hasselhoff. "limbo dance" rocked as good as "lookin for freedom"

im a little concern for billy hanging with pornstars and skanky nurses from the superchrist video, i just hope he remembers protection or he'll get an S.T.D hell maybe that will give him the inspriration to write a better album about his recent S.T.D.

I think he's trying to be cool.

Meh, sometimes I think so but I just don't see him doing that.

He's possibly trying to connect with the new generation of Pumpkins fans... The Generation Z...