Although it's a given that much of Billy's lyrical content is [at least somewhat] autobiographical in nature, I've been wondering:
How exactly does Billy try to define himself in his music? Who exactly is the character that he calls "Zero" or "Glass"? How can they be described?

I guess it's kind of obvious that Zero/Glass is Billy's own idealized version of himself, but I'd love to hear other people's takes on the questions I asked above. What do people think? And also, do you think "Glass" will be featured in the upcoming album? With another name change perhaps? Are these enough questions yet? Should I stop now?

well personally, i would think billy would credit himself on the next album as william, or "change his name" i dont really care for the "characters" hes created they arent too deep, but "billy corgan" is a terrific character

Though there are multiple songs linked to Glass, there's only one crediting Zero. I never really considered Zero as an alter ego for Billy.

I hope he will continue on the Glass theme, it`s really Billy, sensitive, LOUD, hard and brilliant. Cut like a sword of a samurai

I wish they would finish the cartoon series that was supposed to explain WHO glass is / was.

does "zero" really count? billy said the zero on his zero shirt was supposed to be like his "superhero logo", not a name. all the song says is "i'm you're zero". the cartoon series was just someone else's adaptation of machina, and all the versions of the story that call him Zero were written by fans (if i'm not mistaken). lol i'm not trying to argue or anything, but has billy ever really used Zero as an alt. ego? since the machina story calls him that, i've always wondered if that's something that actually came from billy or if the fans were just pulling it out of their asses

WesJT2006 link=topic=502.msg6835#msg6835 date=1158753079]
does "zero" really count? billy said the zero on his zero shirt was supposed to be like his "superhero logo", not a name.

Yeah, that's what I always thought

Well, Zero is just Glass before he undergoes his transformation, so they're kind of the same person, it's just that Zero isn't mentioned so much, also I believe that GATMOG is not someone else adaption is it? It says Billy Corgan's Glass and the machines of God.

As far as the new album is concerned, I don't think he should continuer with the Glass thing, I don't really like the alter ero thing at all, it's just a load of hoo har IMHO.

No more concept albums.

well at least no more half-assed ones

I agree netphorian, no more concept albums, music is music, not some out of this world gonna change things crap.

However you can't say Machina was half assed, there was loadsa effort put into it !
Cartoons stories, everything.

Anyway gotta be off cya xxx

im not really a fan of machina or of the story- i do like and agree with what its all about though.
if zero is a 'character' i prefer him to glass.

Felix link=topic=502.msg6875#msg6875 date=1158790490]
I agree netphorian, no more concept albums, music is music, not some out of this world gonna change things crap.

However you can't say Machina was half assed, there was loadsa effort put into it !
Cartoons stories, everything.

Anyway gotta be off cya xxx

Machina has it's moments. This Time, I of the Mourning and STIYL tend to be pretty good, but the rest of the album is too over produced.

im just being biased, camparing it to coheed and cambria's over-the-top story
lyrics arent based on the story, they are the story, i dont think billy would ever put a straight up convo in a song...

Take it easy on the marquee scrolls, yteah. You're overdoing it.

yteah link=topic=502.msg6983#msg6983 date=1158875497]
im just being biased, camparing it to coheed and cambria's over-the-top story
lyrics arent based on the story, they are the story, i dont think billy would ever put a straight up convo in a song...


Well, i slightly disagree. A lot of artists will form the story in their mind and create the characters and what is to happen to them and sometimes the song just scrathes the surface of what the artist is really thinking. that's why a lot of Billy's song are hard to decipher. Someone (I believe it was Murder) told me that Annie Dog is about a whore. I didn't get that from the actual song when I heard it but it is probably what Billy had in his head.

yeah, thats what i meant, im being biased expecting the lyrics to be straight forward, you know...