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Faceplams: Excellent interview. I need to give SP more of a try past their first two albums, which I love. I've only listened to some of their other stuff in bits and pieces.
Active Member
Excellent interview. I need to give SP more of a try past their first two albums, which I love. I've only listened to some of their other stuff in bits and pieces.
Hairy Member
Thanks a lot for posting that. I agree 100%, great interview.
It's nice to see Corgan open up about his process like this, especially acknowledging the importance of influences and collaborators (Butch Vig, Flood, Alan Moulder, Jimmy Chamberlain). Hearing and seeing his reaction to some of the old music really underscored the fact that underneath the inflated caricature we often see is someone who poured everything he had into making great music, shaping and executing a vision. It's cool to me that he's clearly still so emotionally connected to that time. I feel like I get him a little more now, where just weeks ago (that Paz interview, etc.), I couldn't really muster up anything like that... to say the least.
Personal context: they were my first favourite band - my dad bought me Mellon Collie on cassette when I was 10, and to go from my parents' record collection (Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Christian music, etc.) and FM radio to that tape blew my fucking mind overnight. It really was like another world, but something about it clicked and resonated with the ten-year old me. Maybe that just points to some of the stuff they talk about in the video: those intuitive, gut-level feelings and the artist trying to stay true to those feelings through all the little choices and details involved in actually making them real. It's cool to get a generous inside view of it that actually lets other people's contributions shine through.
Even now, that clip of Jellybelly... that is some crazy shit, and it's kinda endearing somehow to see that Corgan feels it too, hearing it again. Like, it's bigger than him.
Throbbing Member
"His head glows in the dark" made me laugh big time.
I think this vid should be a contractually obligated post every year:
bastard from blue city
Insta post about studio time recording the followup to ATUM.
#wherethefuckismachina
Unintelligible Whispering
These sessions are for the 'psychedelic' follow up album which is Shiny Vol. 3, comprised of 10 tracks which will be included with the Deluxe version of Atum and then released seperately later.
I know I'm not the only one who found them charging $300+ partially for songs they haven't recorded yet off-putting.
Active Member
Oh so it's like a Kickstarter except in this case you actually have a chance to receive the product you paid for?
Unintelligible Whispering
That's a way of looking at it, I suppose, but hey, I was happy with my copy of Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night. :POriginally Posted by allegate
I suppose the thing that bugs me is how calculated the whole thing is. "We're going to put out another album, Atum, in the vein of Cyr. People are going to hate it so right afterward we're going to go and quickly push out a follow-up record that gives people the kind of sound they expect from us."
I don't lack faith they'll deliver an album. I just doubt that album's going to be particularly interesting because it seems like something rolled off a factory line, as opposed to put out by an artist with something to say.
Unintelligible Whispering
As for Atum itself it befuddles me. It's a constant cycle of "one of the best tracks out of Corgan's pen in ages", "mildly un/interesting" and "what the actual fuck is this?"
Active Member
I'm still salty about that one. I had the Vita version backed and when they dropped it said they could only offer a PS4 version as recompense and it didn't matter that I didn't have a PS4.
Active Member
I can’t link to it because it’s set to private but there’s going to be a Two Minutes to Late Night cover of “1979” go live tomorrow.
Daniel Tracy on drums, Jeremy Bolm on vocals, Hunter Burgan on bass, Wade MacNeil on guitar. And of course Gwarsenio also on guitar.
Active Member
can't edit the post (see tech forum) so a new post it is!
This cover features:
Jeremy Bolm: Touché Amoré, Hesitation Wounds
Wade MacNeil:Alexisonfire, Gallows
Hunter Burgan: AFI
Daniel Tracy: Deafheaven
Throbbing Member
Atum Act 2 is up.
https://www.stereogum.com/2212070/sm...ond-act/music/
Hollywood Butt Double
I like this second batch of songs a lot better
Hairy Member
Me too. Which is not saying much as the first batch was really bad. There really is nothing here to really dig into. It's all very.....meh...
Throbbing Member
It's alright.
Active Member
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I feel like there's more to like than not like. I think Atum is a considerable improvement on Cyr and we still haven't heard a third of it.
Throbbing Member
Oh yeah overall this is way more up my alley than CYR but part 1 was just eh it’s fine part 2 is a solid it’s alright/not bad
theres hope!
bastard from blue city
The Culling is pretty awesome. Only song since the title track that caused this response for me, though.
Administrator
not listening until all three acts are out. but I like all the response I'm reading online
Throbbing Member
"Moss" fucking RULES
EDIT: Meow meow meow meow
Liking this overall.
Last edited by Zimbo; 02-01-2023 at 12:52 PM.
Active Member
I really liked it when it was debuted on the podcast, but yeah, it's probably my favorite of the Act II songs and I've had it stuck in my head all day.
Unintelligible Whispering
2/3 in and there's maybe 8-9 songs total I'd say grab me much. I'm really not feeling most of this, but what's good is great.
The news about a Zwan reissue being readied both intrigues and alarms me.
Throbbing Member
God help me but I think I really like this whole thing so far. First 1/3 release has really grown on me. If he'd stop using the twinkly-sounding synths in so many songs it would make a world of difference. Nevertheless, Billy can write some ear-wormy pop-songs. His studio voice--versus the vocal cords he saves for live shows--is maybe not as pop-radio?
Active Member
Glad you guys are liking this, but I'm not sure how!
Stubby Member
Personally, I really like ATUM, and feel satisfied with it thus far. But, I have a pretty long track record of embracing beloved bands when they change their sound. My biggest complaint about ATUM is that it lacks a certain urgency? A lot of the songs feel sort of like this big, plodding morass. And I like nearly every song well enough individually, but when you have a bunch of songs that all in a row, it's hard to establish a sort of ebb and flow, or a sense of dynamism. It's better here than on Cyr, at least, although I do think it is important to note that this is clearly a deliberate choice on the part of the band-- it suits the production trends of popular music these days, at least from what I can tell.
Act 2 is a step up from 1, for sure. The only song on here I'm not sold on being at least decent is Night Waves, and compared to some of the songs on the last 3-4 albums, I know it can be much, much worse. I have been going back and messing around with the sequencing on Act 1 a bit, and cut out a few songs, just to make it feel a little more lively urgent. This is what I've got, and I've been enjoying it. It makes Act 1 feel slightly more energetic, imo:
ATUM
Good in Goodbye
Embracer
With Ado I Do
Steps in Time
Beyond the Vale
Where Rain Must Fall
Gold Mask
Avalanche.... and the rest of act 2 in intended sequence.
I don't dislike Butterfly Suite or Hooligan entirely, but they sap the energy with their weird stop/start structures. I feel like both of those tracks needed to be worked over like Avalanche. It does something similar with the stopping and starting, but it's WAY more cohesive and just so much better. And then by putting Good in Goodbye right after ATUM, it makes that intro feel like somewhat less of a bait and switch. Steps in Time being right next to Beyond the Veil amplifies the strong rock elements in both, as having Where Rain Must Fall wedged between them kind of flattened the effect of Beyond the Veil especially. Where Rain Must Fall works way better as a lead in to an energetic closing track anyway.
As far as the best stuff on Act 2, I think I'm willing to say I really love it as much as some of the band's best material. Avalanche can totally hang with some of the best songs on MCIS in terms of how it makes me feel and how well written I think it is. Gives me that big swelling in my chest feeling that I love about SP. I can find something I love in pretty much every song, but Avalanche gets that as a whole. Great song.
Stubby Member
Was listening to part 2 high last night. Some of the songs really grabbed my attention and not exactly in a good or bad way, but in a “is this really the SP now?” way. Mostly Neophyte was doing this. I do agree with the lack of urgency on this record. Empires could really have been a kickass song in the Machina era or in the same vein as XYU, but it just seems flat and any raw edges have been filed down. Aren’t they recording an extra record that’s supposed to be face melting rock songs?
My other observation is I could’ve used a whole album full of songs like ATUM, The Culling, and Springtime. Sure, they sound like Pink Floyd ripoffs, but they certainly would’ve have been the first to do this and it would’ve sounded great.
I don’t like anything between Moss and Beguiled. Songs sound mailed in, but won’t rule out they could grow on me.
Throbbing Member
It's the voice. Save for Machin' On, which I swear he did as a "I can do it if I want to" he saves his voice for live performances, and to be fair, his voice is still there live.
Stubby Member
Shiny Vol 1 is such an underrated work for a supposed throw away album.
Throbbing Member
Of all the SP songs I have heard, this is definitely the newest...
Matador de Froot Loops
So yes, i'm going "Today" (Pun Intended) to watch Deafheaven,Hooky, Turnstile and some guys called The Smashing Pumpkins, last hour decision, but i'm glad i'm going!Corgan is organizing a festival called "The World is a Vampire", cartel looks ok, i'm considering going...
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