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Smashing Pumpkins: Still Relevant, Or Just Rotten Apples?

by Tom Brooks
17 September 2011 9 Comments

As the 90s king of teen angst Billy Corgan prepares for a tour almost 23 years after the Smashing Pumpkins were formed, has his music become irrelevant, or is it just as powerful as ever?

With new UK tour dates announced, 90s giants the Smashing Pumpkins are experiencing something of a mini revival. Egomaniac front man Billy Corgan and his band will play seven shows in the UK between the 11th and 19th November this year. The shows are expected to sell out, which raises the question in my mind of whether the Pumpkins can still be relevant after all this time?

Formed in 1988, the band originally consisted of Corgan, guitarist James Iha and a drum machine. Corgan then met D’arcy Wretzky when the two had a disagreement about a band they were both watching and he recruited her on bass, because who wants to be in a band with people they like? Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin completed the line up and the band went on to massive success with albums including Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

The tour on which the will embark in early October comes more or less 23 years after they were formed. Of the original band members, only Corgan remains to play what he refers to as, “My music. Yes, MY music.”

Songs like Cherub Rock, Zero, 1979 and Bullet with Butterfly Wings all remain brilliant songs. The Pumpkins had a sound like no other and their songs are still instantly recognisable thanks to Corgan’s grating, unique vocal, Chamberlin’s driving drums and some incredible guitar riffs.

The real question is, how seriously can you take a 44 year old bald man singing songs that he wrote in his early 20s, songs about teen angst, alienation, and feeling separate, isolated from the rest of the world? Take the song Today, for example. Corgan captured perfectly the emotions of feeling like there is no point, the moment of realisation when it finally dawns that nothing really matters. The problem is, if that day ever came for Billy Corgan, and I imagine it did, it came at least 25 years ago.

Does this make the song itself any less relevant to people who might be experiencing similar feelings now? No. What it does mean is that Billy Corgan is no longer relevant. Since reforming in 2005, the Pumpkins have had almost universally bad reviews for the new music they have produced. He is no longer the dark, misunderstood twentysomething he was when most of the band’s best work was written and released. The music speaks for itself, but it no longer tells the story of what life is like for Billy Corgan. Rather it describes what used to be.

The real question is, how seriously can you take a 44 year old bald man singing songs that he wrote in his early 20s, songs about teen angst, alienation, and feeling separate, isolated from the rest of the world?

Along with the tour, it was announced that the entire back catalogue of the band would be remastered and rereleased over the next three years. While this could easily be seen as simply a money-spinning exercise designed to get fans going out and buying Pumpkins records again, I would like to think it’s something more than that.

In contrast to the tour, which I think is a misguided act to which Corgan has been driven by his ego and his inability to let his music speak for itself, the reissuing of the band’s back catalogue is something I completely understand. Forgetting the tour for just a minute, it can be seen as Corgan not wanting his work to pass a new generation of teens by unnoticed.

I wasn’t there when the Smashing Pumpkins were first successful, but I was close enough that I heard about the band from friends. There is currently a generation of teenagers being fooled into believing that the likes of Jared Leto and his band 30 Seconds to Mars, and My Chemical Romance are the closest music will get to understand them. I would like to think that Corgan has noticed this too and that, rather than just hoping to earn some extra cash of nostalgic ex-teens and their memories, he wants to offer his music to the teens of today to claim as their soundtrack, just like those before them did.

But that’s just my opinion.

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image descriptionCOMMENTS

Leightwinst 9:24 am, 17-Sep-2011

I saw the Pumpkins on the Mellon Collie tour in 1996 in the NEC in Birmingham and never realised that they were as big as they were (giveaway was in the venue). The concert was tremendous, the (original) band were tight, loud and seemed to be having fun. The shit started to hit the fan when they fired Jimmy Chamberlain, who is one of if not the greatest rock drummer of the last 20 years. They seemed to lose a lot of spark. Adore (first album without JC) is not a bad album, far from it, but it's difficult to think of it sounding the same with JC on drums given his dynamic style. And it ultimately boils down to Billy Corgan doing the worse thing he could have done; believe in his own ego. Such a shame. I still think Sharon Osbourne said it best about Corgan; "He's a baldy twat in a dress."

darren 2:57 pm, 18-Sep-2011

Let's get one thing clear - The Smashing Pumpkins have never been 'relevant'. '1979' would of been, for example, had it of been made in 1979, but it wasn't. The band have never changed and shaped music in anyway, so therefore can be deemed superfluous. There are many older bands that deserve a few hundred words written about them, but the Smashing Pumpkins are not one of them.

Dwayne 3:46 am, 19-Sep-2011

You're all wrong. The Smashing Pumpkins were and still are relevant. This article is completely wrong and was obviously written by someone who has no clue about what SP represent and the genius that is Billy Corgan. Bottom line is that the band is on-tour and the tickets are selling well. A new album is on the horizon and a release of old material as well. As long as these types of activities surround a band then they are still relevant and strong. If this was not true then nobody would invest money and resources in the band and there would be no tours, new albums, etc. Write about something you know and leave SP alone. Long live Billy and long live The Smashing Pumpkins!

neverthehero 6:26 am, 19-Sep-2011

Have never been relevant? Smashing Pumpkins have been one of the most talked about and listened to Rock bands ever since Siamese Dream was released. They might have tarnished their legacy for over-staying their welcome but from 93-97 they were the most relevant Rock Band alive.

Fuzz 11:03 am, 19-Sep-2011

I think the Pumpkins are still relevant... Sure his latest effort that was released for free was a disapointment... But the music he's released throughout his career still resonates with people on a huge level. The Pumpkins have one of the the most unique large back catalogues of any band imaginable, and its still getting discovered by kids all the time today. Its a beautiful thing. Lets just hope Corgan bounces back with an awesome new album \m/

geo folkers 11:42 am, 19-Sep-2011

Another uneducated write up.

Noblegeorge 9:04 pm, 19-Sep-2011

Terrible article....just terrible. Take this gem for instance, the new music "no longer tells the story of what life is like for Billy Corgan. Rather it describes what used to be." While alot of the new music has been pretty dodgy, it is a complete change from what billy did before and that alone should be applauded. It in no way tries to capture the spirit of billy from the 90's. Billy is all about moving forward. I dont mind an objective criticism of the pumpkins, but this sounds like the work of someone who is just plain ignorant.

ZeroHero 8:58 am, 23-Sep-2011

The sound of The Smashing Pumpkins has evolved over time. Each album sounds different than the last one, musically and lyrically. As far as angsty teenagers go from the 90s, they are no longer relevant, but that isn't who he's writing music for any more. If you've listened to any songs from Teargarden, or even Adore or Machina (albums from over 10 years ago), you would realise that The Smashing Pumpkins aren't all about teen angst like so many 90s grunge bands were. And the music since they reunited has not received "universally bad reviews." At best, they are mixed. Not everyone liked Zeitgeist, but I have read a lot of major publications reviewing Teargarden by Kaleidyscope extremely well. Bad article, the author should consider listening to the Pumpkins other albums that aren't Siamese Dream or Mellon Collie, then perhaps he would have a slightly better formed opinion.

Joe 3:11 am, 28-Sep-2011

This article is not relevant. It's a new world out there. Broaden your horizons like the SP did.

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