We deviated from talking purely about the Pumpkins’ music this week to have a special themed show about former band members.  I didn’t mention it in this week’s show, but our next show review will be of the June 5th, 2007 secret show at Zitadelle Spandau.  This will either be in episode 5 or 6 depending on what pops up in the news.

Listen to the whole show (1:01:45)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, Jill, and an uncredited Andrew

We welcome back Jill by grilling her on the topics that she missed. (3:54)

News
-Cherub Rock has now been included in virtually every video game released in the past year.  We talk about what’s with all the cross-promotion. (5:02)

-David Pajo makes some snarky comments about Billy, and Jason and Jill swoop in with talons sharpened. (14:05)

In-Depth Discussion
-Pajo wasn’t the only former band member in the news this week.  We tackle last year’s controversy over whether it’s really The Smashing Pumpkins without James and D’Arcy.  Plus, Jason makes a comparison between Billy and Michael Jordan that doesn’t have to do with both of them being bald, and I make references to a Marked song. (28:16)

This Week in Pumpkins History
-The first official Smashing Pumpkins release, the Limited Potential I Am One single, is delivered to the masses.  Plus, I promise giveaways on which we can’t possibly follow through.

Song of the Week
-Farewell and Goodnight, April 5th, 1996

In the course of shuffling his iPod for The A.V. Club, longtime indie stalwart and current Dead Child metalhead Dave Pajo talks not too much shit about Billy Corgan and what he’s previously termed “the Zwan eggsperience”:

[Dave Pajo:] When I was in Zwan, Billy got so mad at me when he found out I didn’t know any Smashing Pumpkins songs. He would say, “You haven’t heard ‘1979′?” But I didn’t listen to any of that shit when it was breaking. Delta blues was way more exciting to me than the Pumpkins and that whiny voice. [Laughs.] I knew that one “rat in a cage” lyric, but that was the only Pumpkins I could recognize for the longest time. But, yeah, Billy would get really mad about that: “How can you not know ‘Tonight, Tonight’?” [Laughs.]

AVC: But Zwan didn’t even play Smashing Pumpkins songs, right?

DP: No! But that’s one of the reasons I initially liked the guy—he was so arrogant, it cracked me up. He would constantly bring up the fact that he sold 25 million records, or that his hit song was played at the Super Bowl or something. It just made me laugh. You know that character Alan Partridge, the one Steve Coogan played? Billy reminds me of Alan Partridge if he’d made a hit record. But after a while, the joke wears off.

Not wanting to let a good dustup settle down too soon, A.V. Club interviewer Jason Heller brought it back a few paragraphs later:

DP: [Playing bass for Early Man for a couple months] reminded me of that enthusiasm I had for playing metal when I was younger. I totally know this is part of my midlife crisis.

AVC: Do you think reverting to metal was also a reaction against your experience in Zwan?

DP: Yeah. Zwan really did put a sour taste in my mouth, as far as music goes. I don’t want to talk too much shit about Billy, but… He really does know how to beat the sound and life out of music. I just wanted to do something that wasn’t money-oriented or art-oriented. With Dead Child, we’re not trying to make poetry. We just want to play a party and knock the windows out.