The Smashing Pumpkins

[implanted_microchip]

I'm pretty sure their plan with the reissues was to eventually remix/remaster Zeitgeist, so that should be happening. If it does I'm all for it; a lot of that album has great songwriting that's just killed by the production levels. Neverlost is a strong favorite of mine from SP, and one of the few tracks on that album that doesn't feel all too hurt by production quality, so I can only imagine how so much of it would sound done right. Like everyone's said, the live versions of songs from that era were all good to great.

A studio version of Gossamer would be cool for a reissue but it would take up half of a disc, so there's that. I personally like it having that live-only charm.

[Shadaloo]

Bill indeed mentioned plans to remix Zeitgeist as well. I share the opinion there's a really great album buried somewhere, and my bet is its reissue will go a long way to proving that.

Fuck yeah Neverlost.

[Piko]

That's great news! And I agree, there's probably a great album trapped in that atrocious mix. It'll probably be awhile though. Still waiting on the Machina reissue. Who knows when that will happen though. Who even knows when the Adore reissue is even coming out...?

[ZeroSum]

Listening to Zeitgeist for the first time in at least a year right now. This definitely isn't all bad. Everything up through Neverlost is honestly just fine. That last third of the album though... holy shit. Mostly terrible. Billy really failed at determining which songs from the Zeitgeist sessions deserved relegation to the b-sides more than anything. Stellar is.... stellar. Zeitgeist? A fine acoustic track. Gossamer? Hell yes. Ma Belle and Death From Above were better than Bring the Light and Come on Let's go, too. I don't understand what went wrong in the creative process. No, there was never really the potential for Zeitgeist to have the quality of their best work, but I think people would have accepted them a bit more warmly if some of these other tracks were used. Also, For God and Country has some pretty fucking awesome live recordings where they did it acoustically... why couldn't that have been on the album? Billy was too much about "rocking out" or some shit. Fuck, a couple of songs from American Gothic could have made it even better. I still don't get it.

At least Oceania was good...

[LaneSax]

looks like Tommy Lee is recording for new Pumpkins material

[allegro]

Holy crap, THAT'S Billy's "secret mission" that he's been talking about (and flying to LA for)????

http://www.smashingpumpkinsnexus.com...E-0C301E6591DA

[barkhammer]

Wonder if he'll be providing any "steakhouse"...

[Mantra]

The contrast between the recent drummers is so weird. From that suburban mall teenager to...Tommy Lee?

This band is so insane.

[LaneSax]

I am really interested to hear how Tommy Lee fits into a Pumpkins album. Take away his controversies and antics, he is a good drummer.

[neorev]

forget the Tommy Lee news...

so wait... "Monument To An Elegy" is only gonna be 9 tracks? please tell me this isn't true.

and there's two albums being worked on, right?
why even have two releases?
does that mean the other album will be short at well? another 9 tracker.
it could pretty much be one album...

let's say the other album has the same amount of tracks, it would then only be 18 tracks in total in the end.

i hate crap like that... milking it across two releases when it could really be one with the bloat cut out.

just another way of double dipping on fans.

less than ten tracks piss me off, just my opinion of course. almost don't wanna even call it an album. might as well be an EP.
but if they come out with two short 9 track albums, just feels like a double dip. especially releasing them separately.

unless these are 8 minute plus opuses or something.
guess we'll see, but hope the track list grows for "Monument To An Elegy."

[jmtd]

Thanks for spelling out 9 + 9 = 18 😄

If each album has a distinct ethos and flow, I'd rather they be separate than grafted together.

[fillow]

Maybe one or two of those songs are Gossamer-like 30-minute mammoths. No use starting bitching just yet.
And Billy didn't even posted the second album tracklist/length yet.

One more thought: once upon a time Billy announced a 44-track 11-CD album/project. So yeah, two new albums in 2015? I'll believe it when I see it.

[neorev]

Thanks for spelling out 9 + 9 = 18 

If each album has a distinct ethos and flow, I'd rather they be separate than grafted together.

Relax dude, you're one of those folks that has to berate someone first before joining in the actual conversation?
Billy's going on and on about how they have a ton of tracks in the running...
Wasn't he going on about working on thirty something tunes just for this one album?
But then comes with a 9 track album?
Mellon Collie was one of the most diverse albums and they made the different vibes flow... I can't see that being an issue.
As long as it's not his Siddhartha modular synth noodling.

Maybe one or two of those songs are Gossamer-like 30-minute mammoths. No use starting bitching just yet.
And Billy didn't even posted the second album tracklist/length yet.

One more thought: once upon a time Billy announced a 44-track 11-CD album/project. So yeah, two new albums in 2015? I'll believe it when I see it.

Agreed so true about the 44 track album lol... yeah gotta wait and see what's really going to be released in the end. But I did mention in my previous post that he could have some opuses on there that can take up time and explain the short track list. Ever seen an album by The Orb? They got a lot of 10 minute plus tunes and only like 6-7 tracks in the end. It would just bug me if in the end the two CDs actually could have fit on one is all I was trying to say.

Billy and co. write a TON of music... when I heard about them coming out with two albums, I was super excited... more music, the merrier.
Loving the reissues.
Hearing one was only going to be 9 tracks kinda diminished by excitement a little bit is all.
Again, just my opinion. Not trying to piss folks off.

I've seen bands come out with double albums when all of the tracks could have perfectly fit on one just so they could upcharge fans.
Hell, NIN just did that with "Hesitation Marks" by tacking on a few crappy remixes on an unnecessary second disc... all fit on one CD.
Don't get me wrong, loved the digibook art and design... but no need or two discs and just a way to boost the price for fans to pay.

All marketing and moneymaking in the end.

The whole regular versus deluxe edition has become the norm these days. Usually when you got an expanded edition, it was some time after an album's release.
Then the time in between releases kept shrinking and shrinking...
And now these days, it's both editions are released simultaneously... guess it's the casual fan versus the hardcore fan.

[GulDukat]

RE: Zeitgeist- I've always loved that album. At the time of its release it seemed to have gotten a semi-warm response, but over the years people seem to view it as their worst album. I've always dug it though. I always viewed it as their "hard rock/AOR" album as opposed to their more, traditional dream-pop material.

I wouldn't mind seeing Tommy Lee join, or work with the Pumpkins. It would seem a bit odd, but he's one hell of a drummer.

[GulDukat]

http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/0...s-to-an-elegy/

Billy Corgan nearly finished with new Smashing Pumpkins album, Monuments To An Elegy BY ALEX YOUNGON APRIL 29, 2014, 9:30AM

As previously reported, Billy Corgan plans to release two new Smashing Pumpkins albums in 2015 under a new record deal with Sony BMG. In a new posting on the band’s website, Corgan revealed that he’s nearly complete with the first of these records, Monuments To An Elegy, and has shared the tentative tracklist.
“Thrilled to report that we now have our album in total, as top songs are arranged and set for drum tracking,” Corgan wrote. “So over the next 3 days I’ll be focusing on vocal arrangements, lyrics, and tweaking the overall aesthetics of the record as I hope it shall be. At least then I’ll be able to share a different narrative for a spell, and get off this merry-go-round we’ve all been on.”
Corgan previously described the two albums’ sound, saying, “think: ‘guitars, guitars, guitars, and more guitars;’ but more so on the epic side of things than say, grossly metallic.” He said the lead single should arrive by year’s end.
(Read: Dissected: Smashing Pumpkins)
That’s not all Corgan has on tap, however: he also recently announced the limited-edition release of an experimental album called AEGEA. Yesterday, he offered an update via Smashing Pumpkins’ website, revealing that pre-orders will begin in three weeks. He also attached a photo of an archaic medallion, which could be the album’s artwork
Corgan is also planning a listening party and live performance for AEGEA to be held his Madame Zuzu’s Teahouse in Highland Park, IL.
Monuments To An Elegy Tracklist:
01. Being Beige (World’s on Fire)
02. Anti-Hero
03. Tiberius
04. Run to Me
05. One and All
06. Drum and Life
07. Dorian
08. Monuments
09. Anaise

According to Pitchfork, Tommy Lee plays drums on all nine tracks:
http://pitchfork.com/news/55101-motl...ns-next-album/

[GulDukat]

forget the Tommy Lee news...

so wait... "Monument To An Elegy" is only gonna be 9 tracks? please tell me this isn't true.

and there's two albums being worked on, right?
why even have two releases?
does that mean the other album will be short at well? another 9 tracker.
it could pretty much be one album...

let's say the other album has the same amount of tracks, it would then only be 18 tracks in total in the end.

i hate crap like that... milking it across two releases when it could really be one with the bloat cut out.

just another way of double dipping on fans.

less than ten tracks piss me off, just my opinion of course. almost don't wanna even call it an album. might as well be an EP.
but if they come out with two short 9 track albums, just feels like a double dip. especially releasing them separately.

unless these are 8 minute plus opuses or something.
guess we'll see, but hope the track list grows for "Monument To An Elegy."

I have no problem with the album only being nine tracks. If you look at albums from the 60s-80s, they were shorter. A record would hold less music so fewer songs were recorded for it. If a band had enough strong material, a double album would be recorded. A problem with the compact disc age is that sometimes an artist will tend to fill up all 80 minutes of a CD--and the result is often a lot of filler. Look at Tori Amos' albums from the 00s--most of them are very good, but there's just too many songs on them. About 1/4 of the songs aren't great--not "bad," per se, just sub-par. Those later-day albums would have sounded better and been better received if the fat had been trimmed a little.

If each album has a distinct ethos and flow, I'd rather they be separate than grafted together.

Agreed. Plus, if both albums are separate, I think that listeners will sit down and get to know each album, individually. If all of the songs were released as a double, some of the tracks might get buried.

[imail724]

Wait, so what the hell is AEGEA? Is it a Pumpkins thing or just a Billy thing? All it says is it's "experimental", which means absolutely nothing.

[jmtd]

Relax dude, you're one of those folks that has to berate someone first before joining in the actual conversation?

I'm not berating anyone, I'm sorry you see it that way. Take it easy! My conversation contribution was in the second sentence.

[Piko]

If it's a 50 minute album, I'll have no problem. If these nine songs have some meat to them, I really don't see the problem. And knowing Billy, there's probably a 10+ minute song somewhere in there.

[neorev]

wonder if "Monuments To An Elegy" is gonna be the harder of the two albums.
i would think with Tommy Lee on drums, he would bring some heaviness with him.
the heavier, darker "Mellon Collie" era stuff like "Jellybelly," "Bodies," "Tales Of A Scorched Earth," "Aeroplane Flies High," etc.
though i prefer "Adore" era type vibe, Pumpkins with electronic beats... "Appels + Oranjes," "Eye," "Waiting," "Blissed And Gone," etc.

[GulDukat]

I wonder if Mike will play drums on the other album?

[Piko]

I get this feeling that he'll at least play them live. Has it ever been made official that he left? Maybe Billy simply started the albums without the "band". And when it comes time to tour, he'll call them up?

[Mantra]

Pretty sure Billy's just making this up as he goes along and has no idea what he'll feel like doing 6 months from now.

[Piko]

I'm betting that the second album will be delayed. I have a hard time believing that he'll release two full albums in one year. Then again, who knows how far along these albums are.

[GulDukat]

If Monuments To An Elegy is almost complete, maybe Billy will just go ahead and release it this year and put the other album on hold.

[implanted_microchip]

This wouldn't be the first time a band released two albums within the same year; also, considering just a year or so ago he said he was interested in potentially a triple album, and they played a couple new songs on the Oceania tour, and this is the same guy who wrote all of Mellon Collie and then the Aeroplane Flies High b-sides and other various songs within like, what, a two year period? I don't think it's remotely unreasonable for him to make a double-album's worth of content, especially if he's putting in as many hours as the blog posts are claiming.

He's the kind of guy who makes a lot of promises but whenever he's really focused on something, it tends to come out pretty well. This whole project doesn't seem like an on a whim type of thing whatsoever, and I'm certainly hopeful/excited.

[GulDukat]

http://www.alternativenation.net/?p=47105

Billy Corgan discussed Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee drumming on the new Smashing Pumpkins album in a new blog:

The notion to reach out to T Lee came from The Shredder, who in hearing me say ‘we really need to get someone like Tommy to play on this song’ said, “well, why don’t we reach out to him?” And let me tell you something: I’ve had the fortune of being in the room with some of the all-time greats, and when you’re that close to someone who is the best at what they do you gain insight into the way they are able to communicate to so many. Let’s call it a universal language (which music is, obviously), and in applying it with heart/soul they present intangibles that give dimension and depth to a composition which otherwise would not be as kaleidoscopic.So on flying out a few weeks ago I presented T Lee with the idea, played him all the songs that I’d worked hard to finish, and discussed the way we’d be most comfortable finding common ground in the studio. Which explains the rush to prepare the arrangements for him to drum on, and also our keeping the work under wraps; so that nothing and nobody could influence the process.I’m also happy to report that not only did we have a blast, but the 9 ‘MONUMENTS’ songs sound epic in a way that is indescribable. I guess I could toss off hyperbole after pronoun, but it would sell short what I like to call ‘Supersonic Pumpkins’; which is a descriptor in itself. Tommy hits the drums in a crushing manner, but as many fans know this is not without nuance or reaction; as he has a fantastic ear for music and plays with the songs in a means that only enhances excitement. The only other place I’ve heard this phenomena is with John Bonham of Led Zeppelin: where heavy drums can sound soft and expressive. Good company indeed!As for the connection, I first met Tommy way back in 1991 when he came to one of our shows, and through the years we’ve run into each other many times at various places. So the coupling is not as odd as some might assume, as he, like I, has pushed into embracing new technologies, electronics, etc where it pertains to making new sounds. He is a wonderful, warm person to be around, and I wouldn’t have come to him with this proposition if I didn’t trust that this was something we’d both be proud of. So we expect to finish up the drums in a few weeks, seeing as we’re in a rush to get this stuff out and oh yeah, Tommy’s got this mega-Crue tour to do.Let me also add on a personal and public level that I’m truly excited, for there’s an excitement in the music that is vital and necessary; especially when you consider what’s dying on the vine out there. I believe this is soul music we’re making, and I’m proud of who I’m stuck in the foxhole with. Attack, attack, attack…W.P.C.

[Lerxto]

Siddhartha all again...
looplooplooploop

[Reznor2112]

Damn…all 500 copies of the AEGEA vinyl are sold out.

[implanted_microchip]

Siddhartha all again...
looplooplooploop

Yeah but then at 1:34 there's a whale