this is exactly why i don’t buy rolling stone they falsey speak “on behal of the people”. zeitgeist isn’t the pumpkins best album but its still got that essence that made them so great ten years ago and i hope they bring out some more albums so they can better like they did with siamese dream and then mellon collie stay with us pumpkins

stay outta antlanta vampire

this article is a good example why I canceled my subscription to RS about ten years ago. SP, Billy Corgan, whatever you want to call the band, is incredible. Why does Trent Reznor not get all this negative press? How many original “band memebers” are around in his current form of NIN? He still delivers. Billy delivers and then some. All you who want to say that Zeitgeist is “no Mellon C or Siamese D or whatever”…no, its not. You have those cd’s, go listen to them. I do. This is a new collection of songs and better than anything on the radio right now to say the least. Complain about the different versions? The last SP album was completely free..and oh yeah, it was more than a single cd of work.
If you get it, then you get it. If you don’t, I feel sorry you are missing out on some great music. Rock On Smashing Pumpkins!

I have to admit that 10 years ago, the smashing pumpkins were my favorite band… but as some people say… “…time will tell…”
And in the case of the ego which is Billy Corgan, it most certainly has. Tarantula is an absolute piece of shit. I jumble of crap so devoid of essence that it actually wears on the brain. Not to mention that Mr. Corgan’s little bitter outbursts during the Live Earth show was, if anything, completely inappropriate and tacky and best. Illegal downloaders!!! I bought every album that retard ever released, at least up until the point that his music began to take a back seat to his own personal fucking agenda. Did you get upset that the crowd wasn’t cheering for you as much as other bands, Mr. Corgan? Perhaps next time you do a benefit concert, it should be because you want to help, and not to shamelessly plug your own fucking career you new-media whore.
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS HAVE LEFT THE BUILDING!!!
Let the illegal downloading begin!

Ha, Ha, Ha, HA, HA! Tarantula song is awful. Tarantula video is even worse. And this is their big single release? Keep on loving your washed-up, useless little mini god, you fools.
Nothing personal, Billy, but you got to deliver the goods to get some respect.
We will always have Gish.

Yes it is really horrid of the band to allow the shows to be taped. THE SHOCK AND HORROR!

I’m glad people are posting defending the pumpkins. i really haven’t wanted to read a rolling stone in 3 years because of articles like this. the best part about rolling stone is their review of Tarantula last issue. Apparently it sounds nu-metal. I must have been mistaken in assuming that nu metal didn’t really have solos, or that nu metal songs had several songs put together (Tarantula’s structure is similar to Geek USA…best song ever). What do you have against the Pumpkins Rolling Stone?!? This article is just manipulated words, nothing more.

wow, such a creative article, haven’t read anything that good in a long time,…..

I wanna say this article does look familiar,

oh, but this is rollingstone, so they must have thought of this all by themselves.

Why don’t you guys write an article on the spice girls reunion, I’m sure you can’t wait.

;)

A few things I want to add

1. The Pumpkins are one of the few active bands that can actually compose and perform complex music these days. Turn on the radio, most other bands sound like shit and don’t even play instruments. What music act out there is more talented than the Pumpkins right now? Taylor Hicks? Akon? Carrie Underwear? Linkin Park?

None of these people play their own instruments while they sing. None of these acts have had the success that the Pumpkins have had.

2. even if they sell 4 different versions of Zeitgeist, SO WHAT? SP’s last album, MACHINA II, was given away for free! It was entirely legally available for download. If Billy is doing it to make extra money, good for him. He deserves it. Those who oppose are just jealous that they don’t have a cd that will sell like this one will.

Billy Corgan is amazing, he started the most uniqe and influecal band ever. You guys should listen to the new songs, and the amazing shows they are putting on right now before you talk so much crap.

Yeah, so you’ve hopped on the bash the SP band wagon eh guys?

For a start, this is how the band/Billy has been since before Mellon Collie. An album which normally ends up in your flaccid greatest album lists. They have always had an aura of attempted spirituality and pomp. You’re basically joining in with all the other preppy magazines out there panning the current revival of the band. I think it says it all when one of the most critical fan communities around is being generally very supportive of the new band. Then quite ironically, 90% of the music industry magazine veterans choose to slate it. Talk about being out of touch with the scene.

As for the bootlegger comment, that’s just what any band would say. They don’t want people profiting off the work. They want people to hear it, but they don’t want them to pay for it. You’re talking about a band that released a whole album PLUS an entire set of B-sides. Again, you’re entirely out of touch with the community on this one, since the Bootlegs are coming, and thus far have been of a very high quality.

4 albums? Psh, it’s the music industry. That’s what the labels do; take songs that the band didn’t think made the final cut and put them on limited editions. It happens with all bands. Don’t give the band grief for what the labels are doing. Most of it will go online quicker anyway because of this anyway, so ultimately, we’re the ones winning because only the most ardent fans will be buying all of the versions. Even then, if they’ve got the money, and they care about the band, who really cares? They like collecting. That’s no big thing.

The Mighty SP? Again with the Pumpkins pomp. It’s what they do. Get over it.

Wow…Isn’t this the same magazine establishment that posted the Smashing Pumpkins on the cover of an issue back in the 90’s? “Hrmmm, I suppose they’re not popular anymore, maybe we should completely disown them because we’re hypocritical bastards .” Heh, and you say the Pumpkins have contradictory statements, you don’t even take a dip at the music! The reason you don’t is because you know there’s nothing to complain about!

The Smashing Pumpkins have been and still are one of the most influential rock bands ever. You don’t have to like them but this article is, in my opinion, a load of crap.
Whatever Billy Corgan, or anyone from SP for that matter says, is always going to be turned around and manipulated to make them look bad. This article makes it seem like they are telling people to come and support them… The fact of the matter is, the Pumpkins will be there playing with or without our support.
And of course with the residency shows they’re going to reserve the right to take recordings off of certain fans. How about people accept this as an act of good faith that the band are allowing bootleggers to openly record their sets?

“They refer to themselves as “the Mighty SP.”

- They did win several awards, are a critically acclaimed band and pretty much anything they do goes platinum. I’d personally say that warrants being able to call yourself mighty, even if it is in a joking way like it seems to be.

And plus, who cares if there’s more than one version of the album? The more the merrier? And honestly, what difference does it make if the title track is only featured on one of those versions?

This article seems to be written by some chump who doesn’t like the band’s music and just wants to have their opinion heard by a large number of people. I’ll admit I may be a biased fan, but even someone who isn’t a listener of the Pumpkins would see this article is just taking words of the band and trying to turn them against them.

Flight to Asheville, NC: $330
Hotel Room for 3 Nights: $200
Rental Car for 4 Days: $188
Tickets for 2 Pumpkins shows: $48.80

Billy Crogan & Co. melting your face off: PRICELESS.

Say what you want, this man is doing what he’s doing for US. the FANS. not the people who “kinda dug Butterfly With Bullet Wings” (ha!), but for those of us who know every word of every song.

$20 to see the pumpkins at a venue that holds 942 people total? That’s something that even Pearl Jam wouldn’t do.

Corgan may be deluded but I still like the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Smashing Pumpkins albums.

Corgan may be deluded but I still like the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Pumpkins albums.

and how many of you saying “Billy Corgan is self-absorbed/hypocritical/con tradictory/etc. bastard”, have actually met the man?

“the band reserves the right to totally change its mind about this for whatever reason”

so? they should let people bootleg then sell for a profit, i.e. make a business off Billy’s business?
bunch of hippies
losers who can’t handle the commerical influence in music

This is all diversionary. Billy has long ago been painted out to be a rock n’ roll caricature to the point where the dude can’t scratch his ass without being called an asshole. Nevermind that he has written some of the most amazing, and yes even poetic (Muzzle, To Sheila), songs of the past twenty years. Let’s all just throw stones at the guy and completely ignore the fact taht his musical output has been far more fascinating and substantive than Nirvana, STP, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden combined. Next to Robtert Smith he’s probably the most influential artist as far as EMO is concerned, which isn’t a good thing, but it’s at least worth being mentioned.

“Everything I’ve read on Corgan mainly deals with his looks or personality. Shame an artist can’t be judged by his art.”

The Smashing Pumpkins don’t exactly make art.

It’s just that Billy Corgan has an ego bigger than his talent… It’s true, Billy Corgan thinks he was god’s gift to music in the 1990s & that the Smashing Pumpkins are more legendary than they are…

They aren’t, I don’t even see anyone wearing SP shirts, or SP bumper stickers or anything.. People liked them ok, but they WERE NOT all that great…

And Billy Corgan has consistantly written some of the worst lyrics by any rock frontman of his time, he makes Trent Reznor look like Bob Dylan in comparison, & Billys singing is just terrible.

Someone made a good comment further down about the fact that many magazines (including one whose website I am currently posting on) sometimes put out “tribute” covers, usually roughly, oh, FOUR, in order to “commemorate” certain bands, events, etc. These are put out at the same time as “collector editions” - now, how is that any different? Considering the cost of a magazine, I think that sounds like “inflat(ing) their sales figures”. And usually these magazines are so terribly unaltruistic that they don’t even offer special features, just a different cover (with Kurt Cobain or something)

also Warner Bros. probably chose to sell 4 different versions, not Billy Corgan or the band.

Soooo, Billy has an ego…I think that’s established. They are “mighty” in millions of peoples’ eyes. I can’t wait until your zeitgeist review where you talk about how grunge is over blah blah blah yet rolling stone practically messes all over their keyboard when some new fad-indie emo group makes a record that embodies how you feel. Stop blatantly bashing billy corgan just because you believe he has an ego problem (he’s got an ego but it sure isn’t a problem) and start looking/listening to things in an objective manner, one that ignores all the stuff that has happened to SP over the years. Just write an appropriate review about the MUSIC; NOT the artist.

Billy corgan is a pretentious douchebag and in my opinion hasn’t released anything good since siamese dream (brilliant) and a few songs off that monstrosity melancholy and the infinite sadness. he has a horrible voice as well. that being said its clear rolling stone is just pickin’ on him and is trying to get a reaction from fans which it has succeeded in doing. By the way lets be honest, the new SP single is horrible.

Also, to make people buy bonus tracks from big stupid stores like Target is a cheap ploy, just like getting their representatives to pose as “fans” on this website who are upset about Rolling Stone telling it like it is. SP ain’t “might” since James and Darcy aren’t even in the band anymore. It might as well be that crappy Zwan band.

“Every time this magazine criticizes Billy Corgan for supposed money grubbing, it loses more credibility. I’m not a fanatic. I’m not on all the Pumpkins’s message boards. Billy Corgan is not one of my MySpace friends. The simple evidence over the years shows that Billy is sincere (albeit cryptic and a bit silly at times) and cares about the fans and his music more than money”

Then why release 4 of the same fucking album?

Answer: BECAUSE HE’S BLATANTLY RIPPING OFF HIS FANS.

Billy Corgan is a $ell-Out Punk. It’s too bad I still kinda like his music - looks like I’m gonna have to steal it!

i must admit that billy’s gone a bit crazy lately but who the hell cares if the music is better than all this stupid retro shit! SP always brought rock a few steps forward

smashing pumpkins shows are now available at www.archive.org

knock yourselves out, folks. free and legal. and billy corgan says it’s ok.

Why is it such a big deal the title track isn’t on the main album? What extra relevance does a track bring just because it’s got the same name as the album?
So of they named the same track “Cow” it would be less of a deal?
Constructive criticism about THE MUSIC, fine by me. Ignorant rambling about personalities or side issues is a whole different story. RS seems to be a perfect example of the way the music industry works and what actually seems to matter in the end. It surely isn’t music.

Heheheh…agreed.

What do you think of Billy’s MUSIC…I just hope your opinion of him doesn’t affect what you think of his music…

Of course, this article mentions nothing about “Tarantula” or “Doomsday Clock”, two great new SP singles.

It has become obvious that SP is getting smashed in the press. What, was the Police reunion the only one RS cared about?

And Saturnine should be ashamed to post here as some random fan when you are actually a plant from the record company!

I don’t think anyone who has promoted artists like Britney Spears / Idol Winners / Pink etc over the years with numerour cover photos can accuse someone like Billy Corgan of absolutely anything without any credibility.

You can download hundreds of readily available Pumpkin’s concerts off the Internet along with their album Machina II. You can even download most the new songs that have been played live (and in great quality) - Billy Corgan is promoting this. All he is saying is that you cannot sell your bootlegs on Ebay, and put up big video tri-pods when bootlegging that block fans’ views of the concert.

You shouldn’t take anything literally too when someone blogs a few lines - he’s not a journalist. We know he’s abit fruity and spiritual but atleast he’s not having his comments vetted be record executives (like the artists RS adore).

what about the music? the billy corgan bashing needs to end or atleast stop being as bs as this… hos is it contradictory to be tounge and cheek? why can’t allow 90% of fans to record and not refuse one jackass trying to make a buck the right to record a show (the thing about the resturant sums this point up greatly)? And why can’t a band have special editions with bonus tracks? I mean i have a funny feeling billy corgan wasn’t like lets go to each major retail chain and give them there own version (just like every other band is now) so we can make more money, i mean don’t forget the guy gave away an entire album… Dam, I’ve really been getting aggravated by this magazine lately

The first one is contradictory because of the idea of risk taking, and MUTUAL community… If something is so mutual it’s probably not much of a risk.

They’re no Pearl Jam…. long live PJ.

umm, has anyone actually heard tarantula? that is one hideous song. the lead guitar at the end is pompous and embarrassing.

haha, $ma$hing pumpkin$ fans are just as whiny and bitchy as corgan himself. long live geeks!!!

hey guys, i just checked my calendar, and its not the 90’s anymore. someone should tell badly, oops i mean billy, this fact.

1. How is the first one contradictory to anything?
2. It is not good for a taper to benefit from someone elses performance.
3. No they dont.
4. They are bonus tracks, genius. BONUS. The title track is a big deal to you, eh? What if it didnt even come with a bonus track? Would all hell break lose?

Way to kiss Pitchforks ass.

Every time this magazine criticizes Billy Corgan for supposed money grubbing, it loses more credibility. I’m not a fanatic. I’m not on all the Pumpkins’s message boards. Billy Corgan is not one of my MySpace friends. The simple evidence over the years shows that Billy is sincere (albeit cryptic and a bit silly at times) and cares about the fans and his music more than money.

I’m just confused as to how this is a Smashing Pumpkins reunion as opposed to another Corgan side project?

Everything I’ve read on Corgan mainly deals with his looks or personality. Shame an artist can’t be judged by his art.

What a silly blog. first of “they” don’t refer to themselves as “the mighty sp” Only Corgan has said that.

who doesn’t have reserve when they allow people to do taping. You can eve look at any government or restaurant that reserves the right to refuse service. You have the right to eat here, but reserve the right to not serve you.

as for the creativity remark.. meh

The bonus songs are just that. Bonuses. It’s not like you have to buy all the editions to get the full album. The 12 main tracks are on each one so why all the pissing and moaning?

This little blurb has what to do with Smashing Pumpkins music? Oh yes nothing to do with it at all. It’s a perfect example of someone complaining and criticising just for the sake of complaining and criticising. What a joke

Heaven forbid an artist embraces spirituality. Just another reason for the ultra-left RS to bash Billy. What whiners you are. This new album will be good, 4 versions or not. Soon as the 90’s resurface, you’ll be kissing his ass so much for starting all the “band of the moment” trends. Not Nirvana.

What the hell is this journalist talking about? There is absolutely nothing contradictory to anything Billy has said. And by the way, Pumpkin residency tickets are what like $20? Let’s see, how much for some of those other bands that reunited JUST for the money. The Pumpkins are making new music fans and supplying the fans with fresh B-sides. This from a band who’s B-sides are better than any other band’s singles. Set the Ray to Jerry. I rest my case.

What is the big deal here? Any true SP fan knows where to go to get the b-sides and music. The man gives away his music for free. That is the label he is under. And RS, you should be ashamed. You know how this business works:(

Like Billy and the Pumpkins and will buy their new one for sure. He however has lost his mind. he has however always done things for the effect they will cause more than believing in them.

Like Billy and the Pumpkins and will buy their new one for sure. he however has lost his mind. he has however always done things for the effect they will cause more than believing in them.

OMG,that is so selfish of them, selling tickets for $20 and letting fans tape and download the shows on line. And can you believe, they even promote sharing of the live shows at www.smashingpumpkins.com - the nerve of some people, GOSH.

WOW, it seems like Corgan is koo-koo for Cocoa Puffs!

What a massive decline. Just think back: Siamese Dream was an album of pure sincerity and guitar-heaven, and now, on top of generic cheese hooks, he sings, “I don’t want to fight / every single night / Everything I want is in your eyes”….ppfffffff LAME! Transparent ( and creepily unapologetic ) posturing, and nothing more. So lame. And sad, really.

And to think, people were always attack that dude from STP ( Scotty ) and calling him a poser… well, they had it wrong….

So what if the Pumpkins release 4 different album types. After almost every single album they release a album of rarities and b-sides. In the end it won’t be hard to aquire the 3 bonus songs.

Did anyone see his appearance on Howard Stern in the late 90’s when he pretty much blamed Ava Adore’s album sales on the fans, not because of the quality of the album? Yeah, he’s pretty much a dick in my book.

Has-beens…

When did Dr. Evil form a band?!? Was the record contract 1 Billion dollars?

Can people PLEASE STOP WHINING ABOUT BILLY CORGAN? I feel like vomiting everytime some lazy journalist holds a cynical referendum on BC just because the mere name of the Pumpkins comes up.

The criticisms here, besides Billy being a fruit (which hardly breaking news), are hardly valid. The band simply doesn’t want some a-hole making a profit on bootlegs, and the four album versions is a record label thing. It’s not something the band should have to apoligize for even if they gave it the ok! It’s just an album, if you don’t want to buy it, download it.

20 bucks a ticket to see the band in an intimate venue for a two in a half hour career spanning set, how’s that for alturism?

Sure, you can slam Corgan since he had to have had some form of approval over how the album would be released, but why bother? This is nothing new. I had already bought 3 of the Melon Collie cd singles before “The Aeroplane Flies High” came out. The vinyl version of Mellon Collie had an extra track, “The Infinite Sadness” on it. The mono Adore vinyl featured some different mixes (particularly “Ava Adore”, and SP has even clogged up cd singles which had 1 non-album track with lame remixes. So what? Corgan has generally treated SP fans very well by releasing tapes for fan circulation (Gravity Demos,Friends and Enemies), not to mention Machina II and the Machina II ep’s. He also has allowed the taping of shows since Zwan, and he will actually respond to people on his Myspace at times. The diehard SP fans will hunt down the extra tracks. The casual fan won’t care.

That last thought in the story is fantastic…so right on. Billy Coregan is a self-absorbed, hypocritical ass.

Nobody is making anybody buy 4 different versions of the album. If your a crazed fan who is dumb enough not to download the extra tracks for free when they are uploaded to the internet deserves to pay for all 4 albums.

Who cares if they’re releasing 4 different versions. It takes us back to the old days when you actually had to seek out all of the rarities of a band, rather than just sitting at your computer and downloading them all. So what.

It’s the same as a magazine having multiple covers of the same issue to sell more.

Billy would of sold his soul to get the original band back together. Hes such a cry baby. Hes mad cause his solo effort along with the short live Zwan didnt go anywhere. Sounds like a quick way to get a buck if you ask me…

write*

spelling error

Yea, because the Pumpkins made that decision right? Not Warner Bros. right?

Maybe you should right an article on how the record business works.

Oh, and stop bumping ass with Pitchfork. Hey Zeus Christos!

It sounds like Corgan’s mind is ketching up with his nutty appearance. I wouldn’t care if he started selling new aged bibles door to door as long as his album ROCKs ass.
All praise cult leader Corgan and his church of SP!

its better to burn out than to fade away…