by fil manley
posted November 19, 2007
Billy Corgan, the self-proclaimed “Zero,” recently shed the mantle of iconoclast when he re-formed his band, the Smashing Pumpkins. Their sixth and newest LP, Zeitgeist, released in July, was the spearhead for a new tour.
I decided to give the new album a listen, and follow up by catching them at my favorite venue, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. I really wanted to like Zeitgeist. I’ve had a long love/indifference relationship with the Pumpkins work. Billy Corgan has at times left me stunned with displays of what amounts to sheer genius, and at other times left me looking for the skip button.
I listened to Zeitgeist repeatedly. The single “Tarantula” left me feeling a bit empty as did most of the album. To be fair, I spent a lot of time talking to other, younger fans, asking what they thought of the new album. My unscientific survey of 20 or so people, many of them at the show, was almost universally met with a shoulder shrug. A few people really did like the song “Tarantula,” but I didn’t talk to a single person who was more than moderately impressed with this album.
While the album has grown on me, it seems over-produced, straining to reach the quixotic highs of some of their earlier work. The guitar grind is there. Corgan’s three humbucker riffs are well done, but that’s part of the problem. It all fits together seamlessly, but Corgan’s muse seems to have had one foot out the door.
Zeitgeist is not a bad album; it’s just not one of their best. Corgan’s voice has always been a little overshadowed by the Pumpkin’s signature guitar-heavy sound, but in this album he’s hard to hear and his unique nasal voice which resonated so well in songs like “Disarm” and “1979” feels lost to me.
The one bright spot is the song “United States,” the longest and hardest hitting on the album. Corgan’s voice is there, but it doesn’t take center stage. The guitar in this song is hard and the song features one of the best examples of Jimmy Chamberlin’s drumming.
This recent show in Nashville was my first chance to hear the Pumpkins live. Some would argue that this isn’t really the Pumpkins. The unceasing turbulence which has surrounded this band has resulted in a new lineup, sans original bassist D’Arcy Wretzky and guitarist James Iha. The new roster includes original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, guitarist Jeff Schroeder (The Lassie Foundation), bassist Ginger Reyes (Halo Friendlies), and Lisa Harriton on keyboards. The addition of Harriton to the live show was an excellent choice. Corgan’s leads are well complimented by Harriton’s melodic and thoughtful keyboard strains.
The new Pumpkins put on a smashing show at the Ryman. Corgan commented on how much he enjoys the venue. The Ryman is essentially an enormous solid oak tuning fork. The beautiful, aged white oak has been curing in place for over 130 years. Hearing a band like the Smashing Pumpkins is equivalent to strapping yourself to the rear of a dragster as it screams down the quarter mile. Nothing is lost in the Ryman and the Pumpkins state of the art equipment takes full advantage of the Ryman’s phenomenal acoustics.
Corgan opened up with an unusual three song acoustic set, comprised of “I Don’t Mind,” “The Leaving Lament,” and “The Rose March.” The solo acoustic intro by Corgan set the stage for a non-stop show which seemed to build steadily until it reached a frenetic boil. The physical sensation of thousands of fans pounding their feet and hands on Tennessee oak added to a Pink Floyd-esque atmosphere which was unique and solid. The light show, which included 37 computer controlled lights, was better than good.
Bands tend to win or lose fans with their live shows and this Smashing Pumpkins show was no exception. Billy Corgan is the centerpiece of what has always been an angst ridden band, but with this new live show, he seems to have finally let go of the Pumpkins’ past. His musicianship spoke for itself on November 11th.
Corgan is a consummate guitar player. He alternates between a customized Fender Strat with three humbuckers and a Gibson SG. At one point, Corgan pulled off a flawless twenty second tap-on, pull-off lead, a la Eddie Van Halen. His experience with the bleeding edge, red hot tube, rock and roll guitar was evident throughout the show. His leads are melodious and effortless. He achieves the hardcore grind while at the same time coaxing subtle and elegant tones.
As a group, this newly re-assembled band seemed to have lost nothing from the original lineup. Whether they achieved it because of exhaustive practice, long experience, or both, I can’t imagine Iha and Wretzky improving on the playing of this group. The tour has been going on for months now, with the Pumpkins selling out “residency” shows at medium to large venues all over the country.
In their promotional material, Corgan is credited as saying “When I said ‘I want my band back,’ I realized that I’d taken the best, proudest thing that I’d ever done and chucked it out a window and tried to build a new castle to live in. And in doing so, I took away every advantage of the one that I had built. Fundamentally, I asked myself, ‘Why build a new persona when Pumpkins was meant to include all the personas?’ No matter what, I had to explain myself versus the Titanic symbol of what the band represented even if it wasn’t realistic. So I just thought I want my Superman costume outfit back, my Zero outfit or whatever, and just going back to being that person that I’m at peace with.”
Corgan’s castle is indeed once again inhabited by Zero. He proved that at the Ryman last weekend, reclaiming his ownership of what is undoubtedly one of the most unique and definitive pieces of real estate in the landscape of rock and roll.
fil manley
Setlist
November 11, 2007 – Ryman Theatre, Nashville
I Don't Mind (Billy solo)
The Leaving Lament (Billy solo)
The Rose March (Billy solo)
United States
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Drown
Bring the Light
Tonight, Tonight
Tarantula
That's the Way (My Love Is)
Lucky 13
Hummer
Glass + The Ghost Children
1979
Perfect
To Sheila
Today
Superchrist
Heavy Metal Machine
I Love Rock N' Roll [The Arrows] (tease)
Encore:
Pomp and Circumstances
Cherub Rock
Edited By: Hollie Daugherty
filmanley@gmail.com
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