Length of “jam session” doubles in syndicated radio report
November 10th, 2008 by jjbtags: analysis, radio, criticism
Blabbermouth.net, citing United Stations Radio Networks’ “The Pulse of Radio” entertainment news service, has uncritically repeated this claim:
[A] SMASHING PUMPKINS concert in New York City on Thursday night (November 6), the band’s first in the metropolitan area in nine years, was met with a less than enthusiastic reception by the crowd after Billy Corgan led the band through a show that left many hits off the set list and contained a droning, 40-minute jam session in the middle.
To what could this refer? A scan of the track times on the freely available concert recording reveals only three plausible candidates, none of which approach the reported duration:
- “Superchrist” and “United States”, lasting a combined 22 1/2 minutes
- “Heavy Metal Machine” and “Glass’ Theme”, a combined 14 minutes
- “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”, 21 minutes
ALSO: David Lowe-Bianco of Ultimate-Guitar.com (celebrating 10 years online!) is claiming this morning that the Friday night New York gig “eventually ended in a half-hour long jam session”. According to that pesky actual recording of the concert, final cut “I Am One pt. 2″ did not last even 15 minutes.
November 10th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
more like a 55 min jam session LMFAO!
November 10th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Fuck it, they should bring back the cash car star medley, silverfuck and a version of I am one with a 30 minute rant, mix it with these tunes and call it the “Fuck You, You’ll never be happy anyway” tour.
Billy is just huge on bretchian alienation, the critics just haven’t picked up that he has been doing it for his whole career
November 10th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I actually like most of their the really long “jam session” songs. Except Heavy Metal Machine. They need to retire that one.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Heavy Metal Machine and Set the Controls is an easy 35 minutes.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
rhinowing: Heavy Metal Machine and Set the Controls is an easy 35 minutes.
Uhm, actually, added together and including Glass’ Theme they didn’t even quite get to 35 minutes, much less have made it there “easy”. Which you would know if you had looked. But thanks for pretending to know what you are talking about — it added a lot to the discussion.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Ouch.
You’re a real bitch, jjb.
It’s kind of disturbing how often you find these articles or tidbits with such lousy research behind it.
Anyways, I think saying someone is huge on “bretchian alienation” is really lousy justification. Especially, since it makes no real sense. Explain just what Corgan is proving by detaching the audience emotionally from what is going on onstage. Not much.
Verfremdungseffekt had an actual genuine purpose in storytelling and I doubt Corgan has a real grasp on that.
recaptcha: kidnappers write
November 10th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Brain: You’re a real bitch, jjb.
I know it. But come on, when the whole point of the post is to point out that someone didn’t do their research…maybe someone responding to the post should DO THEIR RESEARCH.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
You obviously have figured out how to use wikipedia and then somewhere along the way totaly lost your sense of humour…..
November 10th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Are you saying this post is Not Important?
November 10th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
That’s not really an argument but a lazy deflection and a cruel insult, woman/dude/not important.
And I’ll have you know, I’ve lost my sense of humour long before learning to type….
It was horrible and I don’t wanna talk bout it anymore….
November 10th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
would it really help matters to say that it only felt like 40 minutes? ;)
November 10th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
The jam session was awe-some! It whipped a camel with a belt!
rC: literary slender
November 11th, 2008 at 1:10 am
“# “Heavy Metal Machine” and “Glass’ Theme”, a combined 14 minutes
# “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”, 21 minutes”
you’re right, thats not 35 minutes.
November 11th, 2008 at 1:21 am
Are you seriously defending the value of your comment by claiming that what you were doing was adding together two numbers in my post? That’s not what you were doing, but I suppose that if you were then we would owe you so many thanks for handling that basic arithmetic for us…
The numbers are, of course, rounded up, which is why I (correctly) say the songs didn’t last 35 minutes put together (much less did they get there “easy”, which was your original statement). But nice try, and keep on making noise, man — you’re just like the band!
November 11th, 2008 at 1:25 am
my bad, 34 minutes. its disgusting how you insist on whitewashing any and all criticism. maybe you could guys could write an objective post once in a while…
November 11th, 2008 at 1:37 am
Maybe you could make a criticism. I’m practically begging you to make a substantive point, and to this point you’ve effectively refused. I guess I’ll try again:
Would you think it is accurate to say Heavy Metal Machine, Glass’ Theme, and Set the Controls comprise a single “droning, 34-minute jam session”? If so, please explain what part of Heavy Metal Machine/Glass’ Theme is “droning”.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:24 am
This debate would be more interesting if rhinowing had a point to make.
These “jams” aren’t really jams (Heart of the Sun excepted). They’re pretty well structured. Also, I’m not positive, but I’m pretty sure Glass’ Theme isn’t a jam at all but, rather, a song, with a chorus and verses.
What I’ve been noticing is that critics and certain audience members can’t seem to physically hear music unless it’s something they’ve heard before. It’s kind of like Jurassic Park where the T-Rex can’t see you unless you move.
November 11th, 2008 at 11:26 am
“What I?ve been noticing is that critics and certain audience members can?t seem to physically hear music unless it?s something they?ve heard before.”
absolutely fucking fantastic point my friend!
November 11th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I think the point that jjb is trying to make is that while there could be a point to be made about the shows having too many longer jams with regards to your own personal tastes, the reviewer here couldn’t find a way to make that point without resorting to hyperbole and misrepresentation.
It would be like if I said “rhinowing is a horrible commenter. He or she posted 15 comments to this thread, none of which had any redeeming qualities.”
November 11th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
this all boils down to one thing: SP fans never really know what they want. If there were no jamming, i’m sure many would say that billy wasn’t into it and played without any emotion.
just like how fans criticize machina for being overproduced. what about siamese dream? that shit was produced up the ass. im not saying SD is a bad album. i’m just saying that all this non-appreciation is bullshit. if you’re gonna talk shit, at least provide valid reasons and don’t have a double standard. just be glad SP is touring and enjoy what they have to offer. If you are just going to bitch about everything they do, don’t go to their shows and don’t buy their music. simple enough.