Smashing Pumpkins Don't Reunite... Yet? (several exclamation points, question marks)

[Curtis]

http://www.undercover.com.au/news/2006/jan06/20060120_smashingpumpkins.html

One of my favorite Alt Rock bands I hope they stay together for awhile.

[kupomog]

I really, really, really loved them. But somehow I'm apathetic to this news. I have nothing bad to really say about it, I guess...'cept that it'd be nice of James and D'arcy came out of hiding...

[pat]

Smashing Pumpkins Reunite$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[jwbph]

after my recent purchase of Gish, they've quickly rocketed into my "all time top 5 desert island" recording artists.

i dont see confirmation of this anywhere, only rumors

[law'n]

Siamese Dream=Perfection

glad I saw them in their prime so I don't have to care about this.

[Andy]

it's still only a rumor

lord god, i hope it's only a rumor... this time.

i think you may know where i'm going here

[sean]

nobody cars exceptr the folk th care about the thing tht hae been to th ething that have beee n to so much and so litrtle and let usd say soem thign thing and to that affet and thnwe gp ahead and be himsledr fth tttt tand be himslef anmd that;s that okay? how abiot this son and liek that soen of ay whio cares and sheo cares to that ffet.

are you drunk?

[blueguy]

Rumors are going WILD right now, and the image below isn't helping matters (possibly the cause of the wild rumors). I'm about as big of a Pumpkin fan as there is, but I just think it's all BS. With James Iha joining America (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060118/music_nm/america_dc) for an album and tour, I seriously doubt we'll see the Pumpkins with Iha or D'arcy.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/5237/coachella20065sb.jpg


Gotta add, the "big surprise" that was mentioned in Dec is expected to be the final Metro show finally being released on DVD. It's expected to be April, although I kinda get the feeling that if that was the case that it would have been announced by now.

[Andy]

america? "a horse with no name" america?

wow, that's a bizarre stretch. but still oddly cool

[Talking Pie]

I seriously doubt D'Arcy will be there since she's too drugged up, unfortunately.

[blueguy]

Melissa Auf der Mar probably wouldn't hesitate to rejoin. Big question is, who'd fill in for James?

[Andy]

http://it.geocities.com/axl_rose84/Band/buckethead.jpg

ok, yeah, i already made this joke like, twice

[Wasteland]

If they are getting back together, it must mean they need cash.

[Curtis]

I hope they dont go back to that techo wierd shit (I know its not techno but I dont know what else to call it). It would be awesome if they would get back to stuff like there Siamese Dream stuff or Gish. Then again good bands are always chaning and reinventing their sound but I prefer the classic Pumpkins sound a bit more.

[Rowdy]

I own every album, the DVDs, the boxed set........

That said, I'm not sure whether or not the "reunion" would be a good thing. Would love to hear Billy doing these songs live though, no doubt.

[kuje]

Didn't this exact thread and every reply in it happen this time last year?

[Jane Velez-Mitchell]

except this reply:

the smashing pumpkins are forever tainted and ruined by curtis liking them. i feel dirty.

[Postmaster]

Didn't this exact thread and every reply in it happen this time last year?

I just remember Billy saying he wanted to re-form that band he said something like "I want my band back"

After they split didn't they release an online only album to get back at the record company or something. did anyone ever get that?

[blueguy]

After they split didn't they release an online only album to get back at the record company or something. did anyone ever get that?

They released "Machina II: Friends and Enemies of Modern Music" before they split. Their label wouldn't support them for an official release, so they printed the album on 3 10" and 2 LP vinyls and only 25 or so copies. Billy gave those copies away with instructions to share the music online. A lot of it is different versions of songs we've already heard, demos, and a few songs that'd be worthy to be on their own album like Dross, Here's to the Atom Bomb, and Go (which is actually a good song sung by James).

You can download it all here (http://rspaa.niluje.net/data/Miscellaneous/Machina%20II/).
There's a ton of other Pumpkins downloads on that site as well. Bunch of live stuff, demos, covers, unlreased stuff, etc....

[Rowdy]

Machina II > Machina I by a mile, btw.

[Talking Pie]

They released "Machina II: Friends and Enemies of Modern Music" before they split. Their label wouldn't support them for an official release, so they printed the album on 3 10" and 2 LP vinyls and only 25 or so copies. Billy gave those copies away with instructions to share the music online. A lot of it is different versions of songs we've already heard, demos, and a few songs that'd be worthy to be on their own album like Dross, Here's to the Atom Bomb, and Go (which is actually a good song sung by James).

You can download it all here (http://rspaa.niluje.net/data/Miscellaneous/Machina%20II/).
There's a ton of other Pumpkins downloads on that site as well. Bunch of live stuff, demos, covers, unlreased stuff, etc....
I downloaded it there last October. It could have done without some revisions of some songs (Heavy Metal Machine) but there are some good ones (Home,Cash Car Star). I finally got all the b-sides/rarities off of iTunes this week since buying them song by song last Spring skipping the stuff I already had (Pisces,Judas O,Rotten Apples) and remixes (1979,Daphne,Perfect) since I have no interest in those.

[Samuel L Bronkowitz]

I really, really, really loved them. But somehow I'm apathetic to this news. I have nothing bad to really say about it, I guess...'cept that it'd be nice of James and D'arcy came out of hiding...

that pretty much sums up my feelings. I've had a bland taste in my mouth ever since Zwan's shit-awful performance on SNL...I remember thinking "who are you gonna blame now, Billy?". Although admittedly, I still pop in Viewphoria from time to time.

I thought Melissa Auf der Mar & Billy Corgan don't get along anymore? Or maybe it was Courtney Love....shit, I can't keep up with whoever Corgan's enemy of the week is.

[blueguy]

They're on good terms. Billy appeared on her latest CD or something.

[kuje]

He's helping Courtney Love write some stuff for her new album.

[Kamerica]

Reason not to take this seriously:
The last time Billy Corgan announced this, it was in an ad

Reason to take this seriously:
he's probably broke by now

[Jane Velez-Mitchell]

considering he's not a druggy and was the songwriter for one of the best selling artists of all time, he is never going to be worried about money ever again. i assure you, he's worth more than any of us will ever know.

[Curtis]

DNS how can you say the Pumpkins are ruing by me liking them, didnt a certain someone send me 1979 Acoustic!

[Jane Velez-Mitchell]

after what you managed to do to a mediocre band like the foo fighters, i fear dearly for what you are capable of unleashing upon a great band like the pumpkins. yes, they are tainted by you because your obsessiveness, combined with your generally shitty music taste means that i am forever going to have to associate something so good with something...not so good

[Jane Velez-Mitchell]

http://www.smashingpumpkins.soluko.com/

everyone can shut up now. and by everyone, i mean curtis

[George]

i only have siamese dream and mellon collie and the infinite sadness. they seem really good musicians, but i'm indifferent to whether they're getting back together or not.

[Andy]

http://www.smashingpumpkins.soluko.com/billy521.jpg

lolpwnt

*crosses fingers for lollapalooza*

[DKsimpson2]

i like the pumpkins alot. but i wana see another band reunite before looks like they may at the grammys on the 8th....Sly and the Family Stone that would be so cool.

[blueguy]

It never stops.

according to MTV News
Smashing Pumpkins Reunion Is Under Way, According To Sources
02.02.2006 5:52 PM EST

However, only half of group's lineup is on board.
The Smashing Pumpkins' Jimmy Chamberlin and Billy Corgan
Photo: Warner Bros

Rumors of a Smashing Pumpkins reunion have been rife ever since bandleader Billy Corgan took out a full-page ad in a Chicago newspaper saying he wants the group to re-form. And according to onetime Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur as well as a source close to the situation, the rumors are true.

In fact, Auf Der Maur said Corgan has been working on material that will, at some point, surface in the form of a new Smashing Pumpkins album.

"From what I understand, Billy [will be] making a Pumpkins record over the next little while," Auf Der Maur told MTV News last week. "Everyone knows Billy doesn't need too many people to make a Pumpkins record, other than Jimmy [Chamberlin, longtime Pumpkins drummer] — who he has [on board]."

A spokesperson for Azoff Management confirmed Thursday (February 2) that Corgan and Chamberlin have signed on with the firm as Smashing Pumpkins, and that the two are writing new music. A source close to the situation told MTV News that the duo plan to record over the summer and that the new Pumpkins could surface before the end of the year — however, no definitive plans are set.

Auf Der Maur said she's not sure whether Corgan has reached out to guitarist James Iha or bassist D'Arcy Wretzky to complete the band's original lineup, but she said she's told Corgan that she'd be happy to pitch in if he needs her; Auf Der Maur replaced Wretzky in 1999 and worked with the group until it disbanded in 2000 (see "Pumpkins Circus Folds Up With Epic Show").

"My services are there for him whenever he needs them," she said. "Assuming I'm not on tour — but even then, we can cross paths. I love the Pumpkins, and to play those songs again would be nothing but fun for me. It was a big part of my life."

Still, Auf Der Maur said it wouldn't be a true Pumpkins reunion without D'Arcy's bass. "The coolest thing would be if D'Arcy was around, but I don't know where she's at and I don't think [Corgan or Chamberlin] do either," she said. "But I feel very comfortable being second best."

The bassist worked with Corgan several months ago on a track called "Took Me Apart" that's slated to appear on her forthcoming, as-yet-untitled second solo disc, which is tentatively scheduled to come out late this year. Since Corgan's proclamation in June that he'd re-form the group (see "Billy Corgan Says He Wants To Re-Form Smashing Pumpkins"), there's been little in the way of actual confirmed news. But that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from cranking, nor has it deterred the dissemination of misinformation.

Last week, for instance, a Web site popped up that claimed the band's forthcoming disc would be out in April, that it would be called Drawn and would feature backing vocals from Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard. Of course, the site was a hoax — and its timing couldn't have been better, coming after weeks of online speculation that had the Pumpkins reuniting for a headlining spot on this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Speculation that Corgan's seminal rock troupe would be taking Coachella's stage in late April was at least partially quashed on Wednesday, when the event's organizers released the two-day concert's Pumpkin-less official bill (see "Tool And Franz Ferdinand Will Rock Coachella"). That same afternoon, rumors began circulating that the Pumpkins would be headlining Lollapalooza this summer. However, according to the source, if Lolla does come back, "You can take it to the bank [that the Pumpkins] won't be on it."

Corgan's reunion plans were first revealed in June via an ad printed in his hometown's newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, which contained no information on what form the band would take or which members would be involved; his relationships with Iha and Wretzky have been reported as strained. Corgan has remained mum since taking out the ad, posting only occasional (and nebulous) messages on his MySpace blog. The last, dated December 12, promised, "The surprise I have in store for you all will be announced soon enough. Hold on to your horses. After all, good things surely come to those who wait. Don't you just love the suspense?"

Whether or not she's involved, Auf Der Maur says she just wants the band's reunion to be done right. "I hope they don't rush it, 'cause the record should be the absolute best it can be. [And they should] then strategize, because as we know, grunge is about to come back: The '80s trend is almost done and we're about to hit 1990 again. It's scary to think, but very true."

Corgan, Chamberlin, Iha and Wretzky could not be reached for comment at press time.

— Chris Harris, with additional reporting by Rodrigo Perez

[Andy]

ok, wow, this is the first i've heard of lollapalooza probably being on for 06, so i'm really more happy for that than anything.

i won't get my hopes up for the pumpkins, but who knows?

[Curtis]

as we know, grunge is about to come back: The '80s trend is almost done and we're about to hit 1990 again. It's scary to think, but very true

Oh god I hope so..

also stoked if this speculation on a new Pumpkins album is true.

[Talking Pie]

I'll believe it when I see it. In the meantime, I'll equate this with Axl Rose's (I REFUSE to call it GnR's) looooooong delayed Chinese Demorcacy album. Although the SP reunion is more likely for sure.

[blueguy]

More news from credible sources.

Corgan, Chamberlin revive Smashing Pumpkins

04.02.06

NEW YORK - In the clearest sign yet that Billy Corgan is reviving seminal alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins, sources say he and Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin are set to begin work on a new studio album.

Original members James Iha (guitar) and D'arcy Wretzky (bass), recent targets of Corgan's venom, are not participating in the reunion at this point. But sources say multi-instrumentalist Billy Mohler will be involved in some fashion. Mohler formerly played bass in pop/rock act the Calling and contributed to Chamberlin's 2005 solo album, "Life Begins Again."

"As long as Billy has Jimmy, he can make the essential Pumpkins record, I'm sure," former Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur told Billboard.com, adding that while she is not involved in any reunion plans, "my services are always there to play my favorite songs. If D'arcy is not available, I'm always happy to be second in line."

When asked for comment, a Corgan spokesperson said there was no information to report at present.

Corgan has also signed a new management deal with rock impresario Irving Azoff's Front Line Management. He broke up the band at the end of 2000, the year the band released its final album, "MACHINA/the machines of god."

The Pumpkins are expected to hit the road at some point this year, although a rumored appearance at southern California's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in late April will not materialize. The group's name is already being kicked around as a possible headliner for Lollapalooza, which is set for August 4-6 in its Chicago hometown.

Corgan stunned fans last June when he took out a full-page ad in the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times announcing his intentions to "renew and "revive" the Pumpkins. In 2004, he broke his silence about why the band dissolved, lashing out at Iha and Wretzky for walking away from an endeavor he described as "essentially my entire life... a dream I still believe in."

Corgan's newspaper ads came out the same day as his Reprise solo debut, "The Future Embrace," which met with a chilly reception at retail. The album debuted at No. 31 on The Billboard 200 and has sold just 69,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In the past few weeks, the URL http://www.SmashingPumpkins.com has begun redirecting to Corgan's own home page. In December, he teased fans on his Myspace.com site with the promise of a surprise, saying that it "all will be announced soon enough. Hold on to your horses. After all, good things surely (come) to those who wait. Don't you just love the suspense?"

- REUTERS/Billboard


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=100&ObjectID=10366847

[pat]

corgan and chamberlain never really seperated after the pumpkins broke up

james and d'arcy aren't with the reunion at this point, so the only thing they'd be reuniting is the name itself and not the actual band

so who gives a shit about this

[blueguy]

A lot of Pumpkins fans. Not all, but many. Billy and Jimmy are the heart and soul of the Pumpkins. James did have his influence, but it's minor. D'Arcy can be replaced with a chimp and no one would notice.

[Andy]

true. (pat's comment)

corgan + chamberlin + other non-iha or wreztky people = zwan

you know how well that worked out. calling this "smashing pumpkins" would be ludicrous

imeandidimentionjamesihawenttomyhighschoolandall

[Curtis]

I think at least Iha or Wreztky or Auf Der Mar would have to join before calling it Smashing Pumpkins

[Jane Velez-Mitchell]

chamberlin and corgan were the center pieces, but the band doesn't have the same feel without the other two who gave the band alot of its unique image. chamberlin and corgan never really split, so this is all nothing new. i could settle down and be fairly content with auf der maur if she joins though...then it's just like late-era pumpkins, which is better than no pumpkins.

[blueguy]

Really. I mean, when's the last time James has contributed anything? Even then, his songs usually suck. I think there may be 2 songs of his I actually like (Go and Said Sadly)
Was Zwan really all that different from the Pumpkins? Every album they changed their tone and sound. Billy even tried to NOT be the Pumpkins, but there were moments it sounded like it could just as easily been another Pumpkins CD + another guitarist.

[pat]

i dunno. it just wouldn't feel the same without the original members getting back together (or at the least, melissa on bass like dns said). it's really not a pumpkins reunion if all this is going to be is another zwan.

[sean]

Really. I mean, when's the last time James has contributed anything? Even then, his songs usually suck. I think there may be 2 songs of his I actually like (Go and Said Sadly)
Was Zwan really all that different from the Pumpkins? Every album they changed their tone and sound. Billy even tried to NOT be the Pumpkins, but there were moments it sounded like it could just as easily been another Pumpkins CD + another guitarist.


first of all, no matter what you think of james and d'arcy's contribution, it aint the pumpkins if it's just billy and jimmy. secondly, i happen to think some of james' songs are among the pumpkins best (blew away is top five for me).

but, yeah. he shouldn't call it the smashing pumpkins and not have at least james or d'arcy and if he does, then it's merely a marketing tool and nothing more.

[Wonderboy]

Let's make it official. (http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell]

something tells me it's still just billy and jimmy, ie: zwan

[blueguy]

Billy made Zwan different from the Pumpkins. Of course, every album of the Pumpkins was quite a departure from what they were previously, so what is the Pumpkins really? Billy + Jimmy.

Besides. we get to hear them play their old stuff live again.

[Jane Velez-Mitchell]

yeah, but what are the pumpkins without a confrontational asian guy and a shitty sometimes-ugly, sometimes-hot bassist?

not the pumpkins i want to know, that's for sure.

[rachel]

I stopped myself like, 5 times from even going into this thread...*sigh*

Edit: D'Arcy was pretty cute for a chick with a big schnazz, Logan.

[Jane Velez-Mitchell]

yes, but she had more than her share of pseudo-goth off days.

either way, no one's gonna remember her for her bass skills.

[blueguy]

and I got fairly close to her back in the Adore era when she was wearing the see-thru mesh tops. Good times. Beyond that, in many ways I like Melissa much more then D'Arcy and hope she returns to the band as well.

[law'n]

I think I am one of the few people that actually loves Adore.. yeah, it could have had 2-4 songs trimmed off since it was 70 minutes long, but I think it is pretty solid and a worthy followup to MC&TIS...

Hated Machina and the Zwan album though...

[Curtis]

Melissa Auf der Maur is hot and a better bassist than crack whore D'Arcy

[Jane Velez-Mitchell]

thank you for your 1 billionth attempt at pretending to have been absorbed in the 90s pop culture scene.

[rachel]

Part of me wants to type up a 500-word response, and part of me just doesn't want to make the effort. The latter wins.

I want to remember the Pumpkins as they were in the mid-nineties. The first time I saw them on Saturday night live, playing "Cherub Rock" and "Today," and how I instantly fell in love with their music and style. I was very young at the time, but music has played an important role in my life since as long as I can remember (thanks to my Pops, and all the band rehearsals I was dragged to as a toddler!). Corgan pretty much taught me how to play guitar i the 90s. I'll always remember my typical angsty teenage years, and how much this band meant to me. Uh...huh? I'm drinking, overwhelmed with nostalgia, and definitely getting waaaay off track here. I knew they'd eventually reunite, ($$$ and egos) and I could care less. Nothing could ever feel the same as rocking out to "starla" in my bedroom.
Also, I loved/love Adore. I usually skipped the first few tracks, but the later songs are amazing. Crestfallen is one of my favorite songs of all time. Okay...I'm done for the night.

[sean]

look, Curtis. the dynamics of a band are hard to understand. just because she wasn't the best bassist in the world and didn't write the songs doesn't mean she didn't bring something to the table that helped make the pumpkins the pumpkins. it is not the smashing pumpkins without both D'arcy and James. i'm sorry. i could care less who everyone thinks is the most talented member or whatever. it's a band. if you remove half of the band and replace them, it's not the same band.

besides, pumpkins w/ darcy > pumpkins without.

you wanna argue that?

[blueguy]

Just in case you don't have them.

Cherub Rock on SNL (http://rapidshare.de/files/15331334/tsp1993-10-30_-_Cherub_Rock__Saturday_Night_Live_.mpg.html)

I did have a link to Today, but it got deleted. will see if I can get it up again.

and just a general response to penny. I totally understand how you feel. Early/mid 90s kicked ass, especially for the Pumpkins. But let's face it. People get older, the angst goes away. It isn't going to come back. It fueled so many kick ass songs. I wish he could harness that energy again and rock out like that, but I just don't see it happening. Hopefully we can still get some good songs out of it. As much as I disliked his solo stuff at first, some of it did eventually grow on me. Still wish it didn't have a drum machine though.


besides, pumpkins w/ darcy > pumpkins without.

you wanna argue that?
Not really capable since there's VERY little material out there that D'Arcy didn't play on, but there's some. The only song I know of that was written post-D'Arcy departure was Untitled and I thought that was a very good song. For all we know it was D'Arcy's and James' bad attitude that was dragging the band down near the end. Watch some of the documentaries and you'll see they didn't want to work on the album.

[Rowdy]

If Melissa's involved, I'm all for it. That's three of the four members from the 2000-era Pumpkins.......so it's basically like they've continued onward since then. Hell, since Corgan claims that Iha broke up the band, you can just sort of pretend that Iha simply decided to leave and they continued on without him.......James wasn't really contributing anything much post-MCIS, and D'arcy isn't that important (I'd rather have Melissa involved since she's more enthusiastic about the band, and...uh, life).......

....however, I'm against the new album because it will surely suck. Corgan lost most of his creative talent after Adore. Fact.

[sean]

Not really capable since there's VERY little material out there that D'Arcy didn't play on, but there's some. The only song I know of that was written post-D'Arcy departure was Untitled and I thought that was a very good song. For all we know it was D'Arcy's and James' bad attitude that was dragging the band down near the end. Watch some of the documentaries and you'll see they didn't want to work on the album.


D'arcy wasn't involved with Machina was she? i could be confused because i lost interest in this band a while ago, but i thought she was gone after Adore.

[George]

If Melissa's involved, I'm all for it. That's three of the four members from the 2000-era Pumpkins.......so it's basically like they've continued onward since then. Hell, since Corgan claims that Iha broke up the band, you can just sort of pretend that Iha simply decided to leave and they continued on without him.......James wasn't really contributing anything much post-MCIS, and D'arcy isn't that important (I'd rather have Melissa involved since she's more enthusiastic about the band, and...uh, life).......

....however, I'm against the new album because it will surely suck. Corgan lost most of his creative talent after Adore. Fact.
I agree. Even by reading this whole thread I see how Melissa will contribute much more effectively than D'Arcy. I guess they would do WITHOUT D'Arcy, but Iha not being part of this somehow seems unfulfilling.

I guess I agree with you on the quality of the new album, too. My favourites are Gish and MCatIS. I still might check out the new album though.

Reading this thread, I see that only Melissa has addressed the press. I hope the original line-up says something too, I want to know their thoughts on the whole affair.

[blueguy]

D'arcy wasn't involved with Machina was she? i could be confused because i lost interest in this band a while ago, but i thought she was gone after Adore.
Naw, she left after they were done recording Machina or near the end of the recording. Melissa came in for the tour and did do a song or two for Machina II, and I'd assume Untitled as well.


Reading this thread, I see that only Melissa has addressed the press. I hope the original line-up says something too, I want to know their thoughts on the whole affair.
Jimmy said publically a day or two after Billy's newspaper ad that he'll be there. Melissa said she wants to be, but last I've heard hasn't discussed it with Billy yet. She had planned on touring this summer for her new CD, but would drop it if Billy wanted her for the Pumpkins.

[Jane Velez-Mitchell]

melissa was in the video for everlasting gaze, so i have a feeling that she was involved in more than just touring for machina, but then again that could also mean absolutely nothing.

[blueguy]

Leaning towards meaning nothing. From what I can piece together, I think D'Arcy left late Oct/early Nov of 99 and appeared on all songs on Machina except Age of Innocence which was recorded in Nov in a different studio. I'm pretty sure Billy did the bass for that song himself.
Melissa apparently came in after all the recording was done, but early enough for the filming of the video for Everlasting Gaze, which probably was released before the album on Feb 29th, 2000.

As far as I can confirm, she was only officially the bass player for "Rock On" on the Judas O disk of Greatest Hits, but I suspect she played on Untitled as well. I'll check the DVD when I get home to see if she shows up on the video for that.

edit: It was reported on Oct 9th, 1999 that D'Arcy left. and Melissa joined "late Nov"
Oddly, Everlasting Gaze video came first, but I'm pretty sure Melissa was not in the video for Stand Inside Your Love.

[sean]

i thought Melissa's comments were along the lines of "they should get D'Arcy for this." i mean, i'm sure she'd do it but that doesn't exactly seem too enthusiastic about the project.

also, i wouldn't mind so much if it were Melissa as long as James was there, because like i said, having only half the members just isn't the Smashing Pumpkins. although, i'm pretty sure it will suck no matter who's involved.

[blueguy]

The one article I can find right now says "The one thing that'll keep her from the road, she said, is if Corgan needs her for his reborn Smashing Pumpkins" but doesn't actually quote her saying that.
I do recall her saying D'Arcy should be there, but if Billy needed her, she'd do it.

[Lounge Fly]

they sucked beyond belief after melancolie..he could never sing anyway

[Jane Velez-Mitchell]

what an insightful comment. 95% of rock singer can't sing worth a shit. the lead singer for "clap your hands say yeah!" is one of the worst singers i have heard in my life. does that mean the band is bad? hell no. billy corgan has one of the most genre-fitting vocals of that generation of music. billy is notably worse as a singer than most, but that means absolutely nothing...especially when it meshes with his brand of music so well.

[sean]

"all my favorite singers couldn't sing"

-David Berman

[blueguy]

It's funny. looking back at the old reviews of Gish and Siamese Dream, people complained about the guitars and seemed to like his singing. Over the years, it seems to have flip floped.

[George]

yes, it has. I agree with DNS, if someone's lead singer doesn't have a perfect voice, doesn't mean the music they make is bad, as long as it fits in.

[Jane Velez-Mitchell]

It's funny. looking back at the old reviews of Gish and Siamese Dream, people complained about the guitars and seemed to like his singing. Over the years, it seems to have flip floped.which actually seems even more odd since some of the most memorable guitar work came off of tracks like 'rhinocerous' or 'cherub rock'.

[blueguy]

yep. I vividly remember people saying Billy can't play and hides behind the distortion. heh.

[George]

IMO, the guitar for Bury Me is by far the best.

Also, does anyone know what guitar Billy's playing in the BWbW video?

[blueguy]

I always figured it was a Gibson Les Paul, but I figured I better look first to be sure. It isn't a Les Paul, but it is a Gibson of some kind. Far as I can tell it looks like an ES of some kind. Did some digging around the Gibson site and the only thing I can find is 2 models in the discontinued product section. Billy's guitar seems to have bits of both.

ES-135 Gothic
http://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/Limited/img/GothicES-135.jpg

ES-335 Gothic
http://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/Limited/img/GothicES-335.jpg


I dug through the video and it was very hard to get a good shot since it always looked black. I figure it's because of the filters used on the cameras.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y205/dumahim/PDVD_064.jpg

But later in the video I got a couple shots that may be a truer image of what it really looks like.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y205/dumahim/PDVD_065.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y205/dumahim/PDVD_066.jpg

So I'm guessing it's an ES of some kind, but I could only find the 2 above. I think the Gibson site only showed discontinued models back to 98, so it's possible it's an older model or a custom one.