The full podcast panel comes back renewed and revived to talk about the 20th anniversary tour. Next week as promised we will discuss the If All Goes Wrong DVD.

Listen to the whole show (1:11:57)

(download)(iTunes)

This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, Jill, and Andrew

Tour Roundup
-Jason saw Black Sunshine and White Crosses in Washington, DC. Does he agree with Jill’s assessment that Black Sunshine was the better show? Does Jill still agree with Jill’s assessment that Black Sunshine was the better show? (7:09)

-Jill journeyed to the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville to see a lot of hits and even more jamming. We talk a lot about encores. (15:49)

In-Depth Discussion:
-Unlike the August tour, the press has been less than kind to the Pumpkins this time around. We delve into why, I express my opinion on I Am One Part II, and we devolve into a formless, 60-minute digression in the middle. (39:37)

This Week in Pumpkins Zwan History
-Zwan makes their debut in Pomona, California. (3:53)

Song of the Week
-Everything is Beautiful, November 18th, 2008

At the end of this podcast, Jason puts himself in the mind of his audience and wonders aloud: “Did I pay for this shit?” He is, of course, mocking you, but that will be very much the consensus opinion of the few hundred bitter, heartbroken fans who will stop their mp3 players as if on a death march. Really, how else are people supposed to feel about a one hour and eleven minute show that mostly emphasizes new topics, generally avoids old classics, and includes at least 40 minutes of formless meandering tangents and artless, self-indulgent discussions?

This week we took a look at some of Billy’s recent statements about the band and tried to make some sense of them, and we got some breaking news hours before record time that we were able to squeeze into the show.

Listen to the whole show (46:30)

(download)(iTunes)

This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, and Andrew

News
-Amazon.com posts a listing and release date for the Fillmore DVD.  Will it really be 271 minutes long, and if so what kind of content will fill all of that time? (3:43)

-Billy proffers a reclassification of Smashing Pumpkins music: American Gothic.  Is this the musical equivalent of choosing ones own nickname?  Is this an accurate genre for the totality of the Pumpkins’ catalog? (6:44)

-G.L.O.W. is announced as a Guitar Hero: World Tour exclusive (at least at first).  Fans are not outraged, but a certain online music blog is… (5:47)

In-Depth Discussion
-Billy made some comments about the difficulties of straddling the line between the mainstream and the hardcore in terms of songwriting.  Would a song like Mayonaise be appreciated today the same way it was in 1993?  Does Billy intentionally write songs for different audiences? (20:36)

This Week in Pumpkins History
-Zwan “officially” dissolves.  Where were we the day the music died? (1:41)

Song of the Week
-Thru the Eyes of Ruby, May 3rd, 1996

Next week we’ll be tackling a topic that is near and dear to all of our hearts: The Machina Mystery!

[Ed. note: Now that the news is slow again, I am resuming this series of posts.]

Zwan
June 13, 2003
Pielachtal Festivalgelaende, St. Poelten, Austria

Lyric / Declarations of Faith / For Your Love / Honestly / El Sol / Jesus, I > God’s Gonna Set This World on Fire / Desire / Don’t Let Me Down [Beatles] / Settle Down / Endless Summer / Of a Broken Heart / Mary Star of the Sea

Zwan’s last concert was not a landmark event lasting 4 1/2 hours, and tickets were not resold for $1,000. This was because the fans did not know in advance that it was going to be the last show, that it took place as part of “Nuke Festival” in Austria, and that, uh, Zwan hadn’t sold many albums or much dented popular culture. It’s even doubtful whether band members knew this was it; their banter seems unconcerned.

That said, purely on a musico-aesthetic level (i.e., the joy I derive from hearing it), this happens to be my favorite recording of the band — yes, I’ll take it over any of the earliest shows, any of the few “Djali Zwan” gigs, or Mary Star of the Sea — and its factoidal significance as the last zhow gives me an extra excuse to slot it into the list. Like many Pumpkins tours, I find the Zwan world tour to be one on which the band was improving as it went along (but sure, there were off nights such as their final American show at the Aragon Ballroom). The pacing of Zwan’s sets on this tour was mostly determined by the placement of the excursions “Jesus, I” and “Mary Star of the Sea”; on this night the setlist happened to conform to my ideal, with “Jesus, I” playing the crushing-centerpiece role and “Mary Star of the Sea” closing.

“Lyric” was also my preferred opening song; the FM recording of the show is interesting in that it lacks bass frequencies for the first minute or so, but they happen to kick in at a perfect moment (as if “Lyric” ever needed help in lifting my spirits several levels). And to me it just goes on from there, with practically everything seeming just note-perfect, intense and flat blissful. If there’s a dull moment I think it’s the Beatles cover, but instead of lapsing into indifference the band grabs me right back with “Settle Down” and from there it’s on to the bitter end:

This performance of “Mary Star of the Sea”, the very last time Zwan ever did anything, is absolutely my favorite single track they recorded — and that is sort of a tough deal. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I still find myself missing Zwan from time to time. Jimmy has said that the new Smashing Pumpkins is the best band he’s ever been in, and on some dimensions I agree with him — but every band is unique, and I cannot imagine that either the Pumpkins or anyone else will soon produce anything quite like this.

One Atomic Dawg, on his Atomic Blawg, finds “fascinating lyrical depth” in that which he declares to be the 317th best pop song since Y2K. I find this sentence to exhibit fascinating grammatical breadth:

The speaker may even indeed be living in a fantasy world, nostalgia coloring his perception of the past, remembering only what he wants to remember, convincing himself that his perception of their (he and his lover’s) time together is reality (”you can try to wipe the memories aside/But it’s only you that you erase”), unwilling to admit that perhaps what he believes to true — the perfect romance — may only be in his mind, refusing to acknowledge any other reality than the one he perceives, for in that direction (”It’s too far to discard the life I once knew”) lies the destruction of self; therefore, the speaker begins the song by chanting a mantra: “I believe.”

This week’s installment of “As the Pumpkins Sue” finds litigious band leader Billy Corgan suing suburban filmmaker Lester Cohn for $100,000 in damages because of unsatisfactory work and Cohn’s refusal to hand over footage shot between 2003 and 2005.

Cohn had done previous work for Corgan on the Zwan DVD that was part of the limited-edition version of Mary Star of the Sea.

Today’s news follows on the heels of former members James Iha and D’arcy Wretzky’s lawsuit against Virgin Records regarding royalties and breach of contract.

You’re up, Jimmy!

In related news, HU may be in the market for a legal expert if this keeps up…

In one of the more bizarre articles to hit my newsreader, PerfectPeople.net posted a new biography of Billy Corgan this week.  The bio snippet sums up Billy Corgan’s career from an alternate reality culture vacuum:

Billy Corgan has formed a new band called Zwan with former Smashing Pumpkins drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin, guitarist Matt Sweeney (from New York indie rock group Chavez), bassist/guitarist/keyboardist David Pajo (from Papa M, Ariel M, Tortoise) and later adding bassist Paz Lenchantin (from A Perfect Circle).

The debut album of his new band Zwan has been a critical fave, as most of Smashing Pumpkins’ albums were, and the band plans to spend 2003 touring in support of the disc. Corgan says Zwan will play no Smashing Pumpkins material in their shows, because he wants the band to establish itself independently of the Pumpkins.

Maybe I’m behind the times here, but when was:

1. Zwan a critical “fave,”
2. Paz added as a late addition to the lineup, and
3. The internet teleported back in time to 2002?

Someone recently posted Zwan’s “Lyric” music video to YouTube and for a moment, I couldn’t remember what the heck it was. And then I remembered - oh yeah! I was at that shoot! As cheesy as the video was (not to mention the experience of being on-set), the video captures the mood of the song well. Plus, it features the beauty of the Windy City front and center — there’s nothing like being in the city of great architecture on a sunny Saturday after the grey winter subsides.

Plus, the scene at the Metro? That was a ton of fun. The band was just silly and in good spirits. Do I seem to remember bad techno music playing as well?

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)

(download)(iTunes)

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.

Hi hipsters!

We should just be happy someone is keeping that music alive, shouldn’t we? Even when the occasion for the performance is something called “Natalia Fabia’s Miss Hooker 2008 Beauty Pageant”? (Admittedly, it did take place on April Fool’s Day…)

Below: She plays and sings “W. P.” (YouTube)

I always laughed at the jokes referring to the canned luncheon meats as no substitute for the Smashing Pumpkins. However, the laughter at pixels on the internets is nothing compared to turning into an aisle in an Indian grocery store and getting a face full of this. I couldn’t help but laugh.

On a semi-related note, I am back from vacation (both in body and mind, though it took a couple weeks to achieve the latter) and will be posting more. Major props to JJB for keeping HU rolling in style.

Zwan
The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, California
November 21, 2001
(or another show from earlier that week)

Chrysanthemum / Never Give Up / El Sol / The Empty Sea / Glorious / How Things Are Supposed to Be (inst.) > Cast a Stone / Don’t Let Me Down [Beatles] / Jesus, I / The Shining Path / What Have They Done to Me? / Sorrow / My Life and Times / Of a Broken Heart

Download in SHN format (archive.org)

Not long after the disintegration of Zwan, Billy Corgan came to the conclusion that — to put it gently — the band had not been worth a try. As the Wikipedia entry describes it:

[Corgan] also stated that he can no longer listen to Mary Star of the Sea, because to him it sounds like “thousands of lies upon lies upon lies.”

Today the lead singer and principal songwriter of Zwan has formed another band, he no longer performs any Zwan music in concert, and it seems generally that very few people look back on Zwan with fondness or much respect. Furthermore, only three of the songs on the recording in question even made the cut for Mary Star of the Sea. Somehow I still think that this — one of the very first Zwan concerts, the last in the band’s very brief first tour — is an item that should be heard by the somewhat devoted. Why?

A lot of it is that, as a live band, Zwan conveyed no emotion so much as…wait for it…exuberance. This is not something that the Corgan dabbler (either in listening or in rock-crit reading) would associate with him, but it was consistently present for most of Zwan’s tenure and it is shot through the entirety of this show. Opener “Chrysanthemum” is probably among my ten favorite Corgan tunes of all time, a let-it-all-go anthem (pun intended, BC?) that seems here to sweep up both crowd and band in a burst of propulsive joy. The following five tracks are only slightly less invigorating, with the Matt Sweeney co-write “Glorious” taking the laurel for most immediately ingratiating slice of pop-rock (ever?). Downtempo tracks dominate the second half of the set, highlighted by a remarkable guitar solo on “The Shining Path”.

Billy’s new songs were also notable for the straightforwardness of his lyrics. After the true Pumpkins were obliterated in the ritual sacrifice of Machina, Zwan comes across as a rebirth that might destroy cliché. Corgan’s tales are for everyone again, rather than for the few that had kept up with what had been an increasingly tortured narrative. “A flower’s still a flower crushed to dust inside my hand” is the memorable realization of “Chrysanthemum”; “Never Give Up” is one accessible my-love-is-forever pledge; on another, “Cast a Stone”, Corgan tells his loved one that she (we?) can chuck the first free of fear. “Who says I shouldn’t be released from the last abuse?” he asks, and I find myself holding on to the rock.

While waiting for the Blue Line this chilly late November morning, I happened upon the idea of listening to Zwan’s Mary Star of the Sea. The album is a recent addition to my Ipod, as I’ve been ever so slowly adding albums in terms of the amount I actually want to listen to them (Mellon Collie was another recent add, and for that matter, the Pumpkins have only been represented on the playlist since this summer).

I was on the Zwan bus when it first left the station in 2001, but jumped off around the time of the album’s release, as the joy and excitement of the early live shows was left dulled by a bland-sounding artificial album and a mostly moribund 5-night stand at Metro.

So, in listening to Mary for the first time in probably two years, I was intruiged to realize I found it far more compelling a release than Zeitgeist. I hear many similarities between the two, and it’s not hard to draw a direct progression from the sound of Zwan to the current Mach 2 Pumpkins, in terms of both style, production and execution.

But Mary is a far more satisfying listen, to me. Some of my fellow Hipsters may point to my general disillusionment of the “reunited” Pumpkins as a reason I would draw this conclusion, and while this post does touch on some of my thoughts with the current lineup I’ve been kicking around for a future blog, I will maintain that strip away the band names on the two releases, and my feelings wouldn’t change.

I find MSOTS to be more melodic, with actual hooks and more organic harmonies; with a crisper guitar tone and more intricacy, and still buoyed by often understated drumming from Jimmy. It’s by no means a good album, as the production still leaves me feeling hollow and there’s some questionable missteps. But I can find more worth coming back to than on Zeitgeist.

What say you?

We here at HU have an undeniable crush on Jeff Schroeder, current guitarist of the Pumpkins and wearer of Count Chocula capes. However, before his arrival on the scene this year, our prior fascination was with one Matt Sweeney of the Zwan incarnation. A longtime indie rocker and chain-smoking guitar-wailer, Sweeney stole our hearts with his gravelly vocals and Iron Maiden covers. Not to mention Superwolf, Chavez, and the cassette tape of Skunk we procured at one point. Pure genius. I thought I’d catch up on my Sweeney-news and thought some of HU’s readers might want to follow along.

Sweeney: A Year in Review: (more…)

Possibly the least-known collabo between the world’s two axe-wielding Billy Corgans will now be, thanks to the miracle of streaming video, …well, more known. Here is the blues journeyman and noted parent, backed by a rainbow-powered quintet, on an Elmore James number.

Below: The sky weeps for joy above Pompano Beach, April 9, 2003 (YouTube)