THE SMASHING PUMPKINS R.I.P./LONG LIVE THE SMASHING PUMPKINS

Seeing as I have written two sections this month celebrating the past and present of The Smashing Pumpkins, I wanted to dip way back into my archives and bring out something I wrote back in April 2009, completely in a flurry when Jimmy Chamberlin announced that he would be departing the band for the second time.

I sincerely hope that you enjoy it.

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS R.I.P./LONG LIVE THE SMASHING PUMPKINS

"They don't even know what it is to be a fan...to love some silly little piece of music or some band so much that it HURTS!" -Sapphire the Band-Aid
from the film "Almost Famous" written and directed by Cameron Crowe

I had originally been compelled to compose something very different about The Smashing Pumpkins, this band that I love so much. I had planned to write a note about a piece of music that I have been pouring over recently and I wanted to share it with you. I realize that the music and band in question is not everybody's cup of tea and the song in particular would not be to everyone's liking by any means as it is epic in length and musical complexity. But, this is just like me when I fall in love with some piece of music....I just want to share it with everyone...even when there is the great potential that it will not be appreciated in the same way..if at all. For me, it usually just backfires as the music that chose me just didn't choose the listener I decided to share it with. I am explicitly reminded of a time in college when I was so obsessed with this one particular album.  It was "Chips from the Chocolate Fireball"--a psychedelic parody pastiche album by XTC as their pseudonym The Dukes Of Stratosphear. I brought it over to my best friend's dorm room and we listened to it all--front to back--and the end result was met with an exhausted shrug and a scornful, "Well, those guys are just soooo in love with their own cleverness!" Oh well...but, I couldn't help myself and I wanted to share it anyway. As usual and to give you a better, clearer emotional picture, I digress...

The piece of music by The Smashing Pumpkins in question is entitled "Gossamer" and it does not appear on any released album by the band. It has been performed live in various incarnations since the 2007 reformation and you can easily find versions of it through fan sites yet the best sounding version can be seen and heard in the band's documentary film, Director Jack Gulick's "If All Goes Wrong" (2008). I wanted to take you through this piece which may ultimately be a treatise about war and spiritual decay in the 21st century...or maybe that's not what the song is about at all. But, musically it is a beast. An ever changing beast that somehow flows through it's "Magnificent Seven" styled main theme through organ filled "Pink Floyd-ian" mid-sections, rampaging guitar solos, nearly African--Fela Kuti styled--sounding drum excursions, a creepy portion hanging on the spider webs of a Moog synthesizer and groovy bass line a la The Doors with the repeated phrase "All my dreams are on TV" and of course, the punishing almost '70s era Miles Davis bombastic cacophony of an epic finish. I wanted to talk about the interplay between the original and new members of the band and how well they have coalesced into a unit I strongly feel was even more powerful and dexterous than the original foursome. Yet, if you were reading closely, you would've seen I used the word "was" instead of "is" in describing the state of the band. Here's why and also why the tone and overall content of the piece has changed.

T H E  D R E A M  I S  O V E R

P A S T  A N D  P R E S E N T

Fans of The Smashing Pumpkins were greeted the weekend of March 20, 2009 with an announcement that original member and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin had departed from the band, now leaving only one member remaining--songwriter, singer, guitarist and mastermind Billy Corgan. My jaw dropped open to be sure. But, what I deeply felt was a perfect description of the film quotation that opened this note. The news HURT. I know it may sound very silly to many of you as this is just music made by people I do not know on a personal level in any way, shape or form but nonetheless, it HURT. I felt as if the wind was knocked out of me repeatedly because something that seemed to be so secure, so intact, so driven to press onwards was finished and I couldn't believe that it was over--again.

When Billy Corgan announced the disbandment of the group back in 2000, it HURT so much for me. I couldn't believe that it was all over as I had envisioned many more years of challenging, majestic Pumpkins music for years to come. But, the band of the past had reached its limit or imploded or whatever...it was over and it HURT. Bands break-up. It happens all of the time but this one HURT. Such is life for a fan but over the previous nine years since the break-up, reformation and new break-up/evolution of The Smashing Pumpkins, the nature of being a fan with desired and demanded expectations have changed profoundly. It has moved onwards to a place I find to be very disturbing as there has been an increasing lack of humanity. But first, a little more background information for you...

When The Smashing Pumpkins returned in 2007, things took on an understandably curious turn as fans wondered if all four original members would be present. Message boards were constantly in a buzz as fans wondered if those past tensions could be erased for a continuation of the dream. With their June 2007 premiere performance in Paris, fans around the world discovered that the dream of the past had transformed into something else entirely as former guitarist James Iha and former bassist D'Arcy Wretsky were not present on stage and unknown musicians stood in their places.

The new incarnation of the band introduced guitarist Jeff Schroeder, bassist Ginger Reyes-Pooley and keyboardist Lisa Harriton along with Corgan and Chamberlin. Over the course of the first European tour, two residencies and further tours across the world culminating with a highly controversial 20th Anniversary Tour, many fans that began as skeptics with the new members began to embrace them--myself included--and the cries of "Where's James and D'Arcy?" slowly began to dissipate...to a degree. The push-pull tension of the past and present was not apparent within the band but with the fan community, many were not interested in letting go of what was and for others, there was a newfound security in what had been created with the reformation. Although Corgan and Chamberlin didn't address the band of the past terribly much during interviews, the course of nearly two years of work presented a powerful new live unit to augment the studio creations of the two core members. But that security didn't last long as fans, anxious to see where the band would head next, saw the bottom fall out again with the announcement of Chamberlin's departure.

The dissolved musical relationship between Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin was shocking to me and many fans because it was a partnership that seemed to be so rock solid. While the concepts and songs originated with Corgan, the two men seemed to work as musical "brothers-in-arms," as co-pilots to the vision and direction of The Smashing Pumpkins. Like in a a World War II fighter plane, Corgan stood up front as Chamberlin held the rear intact cushioning the supporting band members in the middle, all leading a musical onslaught to the masses. On a more personal note between the two men, Corgan had also often and repeatedly addressed Chamberlin as "his best friend," a sentiment that was very touching and somehow comforting when thinking of the band's future and on-stage statements that "we aren't going anywhere." But again...maybe that image was solely a dream, perhaps even to both men, despite any truths that existed, and again everything at some point dies.

A U D I E N C E  V S.  A R T I S T

Just as before, life continues onwards. For Chamberlin, he is planning to revive his own alternative rock/jazz fusion group, The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex and serve his personal artistic muse. According to his own statement in explaining the musical divorce, he stated that there is "no bad blood" between himself and Corgan and he just wanted to essentially make his own music. Corgan has announced that he will continue to record as "The Smashing Pumpkins." (On a side note, former guitarist Iha is now a member of the new band Tinted Windows, who are about to release their debut album later this month. And even new bassist Reyes-Pooley has announced that she is pregnant and will depart the Pumpkins herself.)

This should be more than enough for the fan community and music journalists but something strange and ugly has happened over the last few years. It is a refusal to allow artists to be artists--to grow, develop, and change. It is a sense of entitlement on the part of some members of the internet community--a sometimes vile and dark place that only serves to collect and spew vitriol to the supposed objects of affection. It is a disrespect to the past and present members of the band by not allowing them to simply be human beings first and foremost, by having the supposed audacity to serve their own needs in their own lives before keeping a dream alive for listeners. It is a feeling that Corgan and even Chamberlin owe fans something that they haven't been receiving from the band.

These feelings were most seen during the 20th Anniversary Tour last fall, where fans launched many complaints. How could this possibly be a reunion without all four original members? How could this be an anniversary tour with so much unfamiliar music being performed...and how dare you for even doing it in the first place! The fact that this tour consisted of a two night, two part concert, during which the band performed three hours each night with approximately 50 un-repeated songs wasn't good enough. Just play my favorite songs, be my jukebox and go home because your best years are behind you. Admittedly, there was a sense of musical defiance during the shows as it quite possibly was designed to separate the wheat from the chaff as far as fans were concerned. To those who are willing to continue the journey with the band, we invite you to join us. If not, then go away. With the original band, the conflict was internal. Yet now, the conflict is external as what we are seeing is a battle between the audience and artist and over the creative process itself. And in regards to the tour, all I can ask is this: When we are living in a time when a Britney Spears concert, during which she doesn't even sing live is not criticized but expected and accepted, where does a band like The Smashing Pumpkins fit in?

The relationship between artist and audience is a dramatically tricky one as what an audience member may want may not be what they receive and when you are going up against people's memories, you will always lose. When people hear the words “reunion” and “20th Anniversary Tour,” expectations are already made and when they don’t match up to what people perceive those words to mean, then some are disappointed. After the reformation, Corgan made great pains to talk about the audience of the past and the band of the past and how despite "a few shows in 1999, THAT band hasn't shared a stage since '96." But, the image and memory of THAT band remains.

Pumpkins fans tend to be quite possessive so it is understandable that some feel the way that they do. Go to any SP message board and you will still find posts about the whole "James/D'arcy" issue. What is ugly is the tone and tenor of some detracting statements concerning the band's direction. During the most recent tour, so-called fans posted messages claiming how “Billy won’t get one more dime from me!!” or “We had three generations of my family to see your show and you ruined it!!” I cannot understand why some people are taking things so personally as if Billy Corgan sat around and plotted just what he could do to just make people angry and miserable? Of course, Corgan is not the first or the last to be attacked in this way. Think of the reaction from the folk music community to Bob Dylan's electric rock almost 40 years ago, for instance. But still, I cannot help but to wonder what happened to a time when people allowed their artists to evolve? Would The Beatles hold any cultural significance if their audience didn't allow them to move onwards and create works like "Rubber Soul," "Sgt. Pepper," and "Abbey Road"? Beyond that, what is it about our instant gratification obsessed culture that makes no room for possibility, progress and most importantly, the process?

As Chamberlin said in the documentary, "If All Goes Wrong," "As an artist, it's not my job to make you feel comfortable." These growing pains are all part of the artistic process and the audience is an integral part of it. As Chamberlin also said in a recent radio interview, the audience and the band are on this journey together and "we'll move forwards together and we'll move backwards together and we're not going backwards." Unfortunately, it is the worst artistic trap that many have fallen into. If they continue on the path they are currently on, they will lose fans. But, if they just delivered the hits and toured endlessly on a series of songs like The Rolling Stones, The Smashing Pumpkins would be easily dismissed as a novelty act and Billy Corgan would be assassinated with limitless criticism about how he's just in it for the money with nothing new to offer. Prince is a prime example of someone who will never be forgiven by some for not riding "Purple Rain" into oblivion but we would have all dismissed him if he did just that. Billy Corgan can't win and it seems that some just don't even want him to.

I N  D E F E N S E  O F  B I L L Y  C O R G A N

I do not know Billy Corgan. I have never met him, spoken with him or interacted with him. I just love his music and with all of the criticism that flown has way, I just wanted to take a moment to speak in his artistic defense, to do my part to swing the pendulum in the opposite direction, to give the brother some love!

The Smashing Pumpkins have always been a bit out of step. They are a huge band but not really taken that seriously. Billy Corgan wears his heart on his sleeve. His nerve endings are dramatically exposed, and while he sometimes he does play into that image, of course, that makes him a tremendously easy target. But, if he presented himself with some sort of ironic distance then would certain material be evaluated differently? If Wilco or Radiohead released the convoluted and demanding concept piece "MACHINA/the machines of God," (from 2000) it would instantly be hailed as genius. If the Pumpkins released The Flaming Lips' well received "Christmas On Mars" in the exact same way, I guarantee Corgan would be raked over the coals. What if Billy did things in the way Jack White did them? Would he be seen the same way?

Billy Corgan’s work is simply not evaluated in the same way as others. So much ink has been spilled about his superhuman ego, how he’s a tyrannical dictator and Svengali, suppressing the musical talents of any and all collaborators who work with him. There have even been the crueler articles that directly question his sanity. Chicago Sun Times music critic Jim DeRogatis has seemingly made it his mission to post negative blogs and articles about Corgan weekly as if there is some score that needs to be settled. And don't even get me started on that horrible music site Pitchfork! Reviews are often critiquing the persona (which again he does play into often) rather than focusing on the music itself. Why does the music press bash Corgan for having various versions of the current album "Zeitgeist" for sale yet when U2 does the exact same thing, there is no criticism whatsoever. Why no criticism for The Eagles, Guns N' Roses and Prince for having exclusive deals with Wal Mart, Best Buy and Target respectively while Corgan is taken to task for possibly driving the Mom and Pop record stores out of business with his arrangements? Why is the press calling Corgan a "sell-out" for licensing his music to commercials when it is again a common practice? Hell, even Bob Dylan showed up in a Victoria Secret advertisement!

Even the nature of the idea of the Pumpkins returning at all as a functioning musical unit has led to this endless debate about them maybe not being a "real band" or even questioning the integrity of this tour just because James Iha and D'arcy are not involved. But, what is a band? It is a something akin to a gang like The Beatles or U2. Is it something like Steely Dan, The Alan Parsons Project, Queens Of The Stone Age or Nine Inch Nails--a unit that features one or two core members with a revolving cast of musicians? It is a slippery slope but why is Billy Corgan being taken to task for something that is almost a standard? Band members sometimes depart, change, disband and return for the reunion tour all of the time but for Corgan it has been seen as some sort of musical crime. Yet, for Wilco for instance, there have been many lineup changes yet Jeff Tweedy remains the driving force and no one says a thing. How about the aforementioned Guns N' Roses? With all of the hype surrounding the release of "Chinese Democracy," there just hasn't been anything in the music press comparable to the continuous scoffing made towards Corgan in regards to the fact that Axl Rose is the ONLY member of the original band remaining and the album was made by himself and a litany of musicians. Is that a band?

The presence of the new members is also a debatable point and that is also up to the individual. When I hear the new members, I hear musicians that are/were quite possibly in the same musical and emotional place as Corgan and Chamberlin are and without that internal drama, that was a trademark of the original band, perhaps that builds a healthier headspace to be in to create and perform. Maybe a healthier headspace is a major reason as to why Iha and Wretsky chose to not return. Even by the time of the final show in 2000, Iha remarked that while he is proud of the work they did together, he didn’t really get into the whole mythology of the band and the grandness of a finale was a bit much for him. Billy Corgan is now 42 and Jimmy is 44—both middle aged and quite possibly not wanting to deal with any more internal drama or anything they put up with when they were younger. With Chamberlin's departure, perhaps what he said was true and the only reason. He wanted to focus on his music and perhaps being in the Smashing Pumpkins, and moving at the band's trademark rapid and exhaustive pace, the group didn't allow any room for him to express his own musical vision.

They have all moved on just as their original audience and fans have all moved on. Some will remain. Some will leave and that’s how it goes. Pete Townshend spoke of this very issue at length on their new DVD and it was typically eloquent. He spoke of how what the fans may have wanted or needed from the band when they were younger are things they no longer want or need from the band. “They don’t want The Smashing Pumpkins to be anything other than what they were,” Townshend said. If Corgan fell into that trap, his life as a creative person would cease to be and that, I feel, would be highly unfortunate.

It should be understood that after all of this time, Billy Corgan owes his fans absolutely nothing other than to try his best artistically. He has been historically gracious and appreciative of the fans and how people like me have allowed him to continue creating and live the life he leads. After that, he owes us NOTHING.

Even if it is occasionally unpleasant and even if it just doesn't make sense at times, we need bands like The Smashing Pumpkins. We need this level of musicianship. We need this level of songwriting. We need a band willing to take swan dives time after time--to push themselves just as they push us. We will all benefit grandly. It seems obvious to me that "The Smashing Pumpkins" is so much more than a band for Corgan and it is certainly more than a brand name. It is his IDENTITY and it only makes sense for him to continue under that name. Perhaps the departure of Chamberlin will open up his music in a wider fashion, allowing him to conceptualize in ways he may previously had not. Who knows? All I know is that I'll be looking forward to what all of the members come up with as these Pumpkin seeds now have the opportunity to create a vast array of musical gardens for anyone who chooses to listen.