I wish Billy the very best with this new project and I am extremely anxious to hear teh results. But, my small complaint is to the writer of this piece who expressed that Billy Corgan is not saying anything about whom is recording with him. Well,only minor digging needed to be done for any answers. For any fans out there who may not know, I will direct you to a blog entitled “Ain’t No Sleep When You’re Living The Dream”(just place that title into your search engine). It is a blog written by Kerry Brown, a drummer and longtime friend of Billy’s (and D’Arcy’s ex-husband) who is working with him as a producer on this project. He has been updating this blog very frequently, giving tidbits on the recording process as well as who is in the studio with Billy at given times. The first four songs, of which the titles have not been revealed yet, are almost finished and they have been recording since September.

I’d rather pay for 12-15 really great songs, than download 44 mediocre ones for free.

Yup. Rock on. Billy. There are many out. There that need a. True. SP album more. Infinite Sadness

I like how he says he says “I want no limitations on what I can, and will do”.

How do you free yourself of limitations? Announce that you will be releasing exactly 11 EPs of exactly 4 songs each.

This guy is nutzo! Although you do have to appreciate that he’s giving his music away to fans for free.

Anonymous – then you’re not a true fan of music or SP.

If they switched it now and said they were making everyone pay for those 12-15 “really good” songs, wouldn’t you be curious to hear what you’re missing? And who decides what are “really great songs” anyhow? Hopefully not eh radio or your Sirius satellite…

That’s great for millionaires like Billy Corgan but I feel badly for new bands coming out who can’t afford to record and album and give it away for free. Sure anybody can get Garageband, Pro Tools or Logic and make a ‘record’ but very few people can make a GOOD sounding record with that. So bands can record on the cheap and give it away but I’ll miss the days when great songs were recorded in a great way. Sure we’ll still see it, but an amateur recording of a great song can totally ruin its potential and further degrade sonic expectations of the music consuming public. Billy Corgan, Chris Martin, Thom Yorke etc. all have enough money to have a first class studio, pay a first class producer and give it away for the fans. Better up and coming bands don’t have that luxury and will never be able to compete with it.

I wouldn’t pay anything for his music to begin with. I like after he sells all those albums, now there so restrictive.

44 songs over 2 years equals 11 songs per 6 months. How many bands spend 6 months recording an album? It’s pretty obvious that with the extra songs there will be extra time. It’s not like hes making 44 songs in the span that people usually make one 12 song album in.

As for the limitations comment, I’d say that making a 44 song album is well outside label limitations and exactly what Corgan wants to do. Obviously he doesn’t mean that he will never make any commitment to a body of work past one single song at a time

Well, Billy, it’s pretty easy to say this now that you’re a rich, rich man. Half of Infinite Sadness was great, half horrible. That great half was the last good music you recorded.

Pete, you know you’re really wrong, MCIS is awesone in its whole (+ b-sides), even if my favorite album is Adore.

Now, waiting till the new track is out. It’ll be great to hear new good music and not indie crap.

Stick a fork in this guy…he’s done. done since Infinite Sadness

wow scott, you didn’t even prove your point as much as bore the shit out of me. you pretty much wrote a book. by the way thye pumpkins may as well give there muysic away for free cause no one will pay for that whiny bullshit.

Hey “Smiling Politely”: what I meant by the limitations comment is that one minute Billy is talking about how difficult it is to write 15 songs for an album. Then, he dictates an exact size and scope of a project he’s not even done with yet- why 44? Why 11 discs of 4 songs each? It’s the exact same type of limitation you would give to an album, just distributed differently.

Billy Corgan is a douche-bag. It’s funny that when he was selling tons or records, the album format wasn’t so restrictive, now that he’s rich and not even selling half of what he used to, he declares the album format dead. Why not just concentrate on making good music again and stop acting like a pretentious ass.

If you think Mellon Collie was the last ‘good’ thing he recorded, you likely haven’t heard the great halfs of Machina I and II and Adore. Also, this band ROCKS live…and they used to be waaay dodgy in that area.

I suppose everyone is entitled to an opinion, but sometimes there is only to listen, and be grateful for one person’s truth. The man doesn’t need amplified sounds from the audience when he plays….sometimes even applause gets in the way and is distracting..you get that?

I’m sorry, but people that say Infinite Sadness was the last great thing the guy did either A). heard a couple of radio singles they didn’t like and panned the albums without ever giving them a chance or B). simply have way different music tastes than I do. For myself, Adore was the best thing the guy ever did!

I dont know why, but something tells me that this new album will be unlike anything SP has ever done, sonically-speaking. And Id like to go on the record for saying that this album WILL blow Mellon Collie out of the water.

I’ve always liked the roughly 4-song ep format more then the album format.

seems with each year passing he sinks further and further into denial.

Anyone who says anything negative about anyone giving away everything for free is severely emotionally damaged and likely sits in their room all day, alone, and ranting in forums. I adore the Pumpkins and can’t wait to hear the new music. And if the songs are awesome and the artwork is heavenly (a lost art form in itself), then I will pony up my bucks for the CDs. Supply and demand people.

To god: As someone who feels that “no one will pay for their whiny bullshit,” it’s nice that you took the time to not only read the article AND my response but to respond to it as well. How do you feel about the bands you hate? Who held the gun to your head and forced you to read about a band you obviously despise? Why waste your time?

If you only know their radio singles then please do not comment on their music. What makes the pumpkins great is their extensive back catalog and instrumental epics that would never be classified as radio material. If you are not familiar with what they have done since melon collie then please look up the song “Gossamer”. If you tell me that is bad then i give up. I think this is a great idea for how to release his music. It means that he can take all the time he wants and put all his effort into each song without a time limit. What is wrong with that?

I for one am excited…there is no doubt the smashing pumpkins popularity peaked in the 90’s and Billy has financial security as a result but this is a top way for him to have control over the music he is creating and allow the true fans to enjoy it without paying a cent…the way i figure it’s a definite win-win and people have no reason to be cynical about this…the haters can go f**k themselves and go back to listening to their shitty unoriginal Nickelback albums…the pumpkins are true innovators

Boo urns to Billy Corgan. He’s devaluing music for other musicians and reinforcing the precedent that it is worthless and should be free. Thanks for nothing.

PS The current “Smashing Pumpkins” thing you have going is a joke. Move on buddy.

I, for one, am incredibly excited for the new album and songs. I really don’t care who’s making Smashing Pumpkins’ music as long as it’s good. 98% of SP’s music is BC/JC, and Mike isn’t Jimmy, but he has some serious chops. The new songs so far are AMAZING and sound like Gish and MCIS wrapped up in a new package and sound. Also EPs trump albums. Seriously. I would rather have four songs that have a similar vibe together than an album that’s all over the place.

This work is not time constricted. I don’t think we will be getting songs EVERY two or three weeks. I think it will go more like a song a week or every other week for a month, the next month maybe nothing. Who knows when and how it will happen? Maybe further down the road the whole EP will go up for download and sale.

Billy, you have my support. I will be buying all the EPs and the boxset and the documentary.

No, hes simply realizing that society has decided they don’t want to pay for music. Very few people actually buy music these days, and those that do will buy the hard copy anyway. He can do whatever he wants with his own music, who the hell are you to tell him he can’t give HIS OWN music away?

The sound that Billy makes when he pisses in a toilet is better music than anything that any of you people slamming him will ever make.

he’s a genious because he knows many people don’t want to pay, but on the other hand there are people who will pay a premium price for something special and unique..the four song eps

man, nothing like a bunch of angry pumpkins fans who sit at home all day looking for any negative thing said about billy corgan out in the internet universe so they can pick a useless fight with people smarter than them!!

anyone seen a picture of corgotron lately? he’s a fatty.

Hey people bagging on Billy saying he’s hurting other bands.

1. That is not his problem.

2. Nobody buys music anymore so these new bands will have to make money on tour like everyone else has to these days.

I used to like the pumpkins but Bill is such an egomaniac and maybe if he would just shut up and write a decent song for a change….he always ruins everything in retrospect..I LOVED Zwan but then he turns around and says it was all busllshit…well..I won’t get fooled again

I gotta call GREAT out on this one. The whole reason that studios are part and parcel closing at manic rates ARE because of things like PT’s and Logic because it puts an excellent recording package in the hands of musicians who aren’t getting GOUGED by studios. And when you’re an up and coming band with a little wherewithall to learn how to engineer something yourself, you can easily make a good sounding record and push it yourself. Whereas I’ve recorded a bunch of indie albums with bands since I was 15 where the results were less than stellar and we spent copious amounts of money for someone to influence the way it sounds, and not in a good way. I applaud Billy’s bravery. This could implode, but he did this before. My guess is everybody forgot Machina II. THat was an internet only release via the SP website well before anybody thought of releasing an entier realized work that way (that was 2001).

I don’t know I still like getting the full album and buying it at a store or online. It just means more to me and some songs are meant to grow on the listener. I feel when you are able to get one song at a time you just play it safe with the ones you like on first listen rather then taking chances on all the songs.

Desr, Billy Corgan. i met you once and thought people are wrong this guy is not a douche he’s just a tormented artist but alas this article made you sound like a pretencious dick. im still a fan regardless…well…of your old music that is.

this is great, we will be constantly fed Pumpkins over a period of time instead of fed a few songs for a long period of time.

God Bless Smashing Pumpkins.

“Well, Billy, it’s pretty easy to say this now that you’re a rich, rich man. Half of Infinite Sadness was great, half horrible. That great half was the last good music you recorded.”

I pretty much agree with you, although part of me still thinks that Adore had a handful of good songs.

I don’t care what anyone says, but I think Billy Corgan has gotten better with age. I know so many people say this but I don’t know where I would be today with out his music, I always found it strange when people slag off artist on blogs, I dislike so many bands but never feel the urge to go on to a blog and say shit about em. Each to there own we all get what we want out of our fav bands and if you have to go on the net to say shit about anyone then I suggest you find something better to do with your lives it’s to short.

Hey Billy, I actually paid for my copy of Zeitgest. Any chance of a refund? That album is a turd, and I have zero interest in anything ‘new’ you have to offer.

Wow.

I feel nothing but “Infinite Sadness” for this washed-up ego maniac.

At least they din’t do patethic Target deal.

Billy is a crazy person, but he is the most talented song writer of his generation. I’m always interested in what he is doing. I hope he churns out some good stuff. With Zeitgeist, none of the songs were bad, but none of them were “great” either. I hope there are some truly “great” songs among the 44. Billy doesn’t write bad songs, so I know there will be 44 decent songs, but if there are no really “great” songs, it will simply amount to a collection for hard core fans, rather than music lovers. The album format is actually an excellent way to package a substantial, yet tastefully limited musical work. 44 songs could get boring if there aren’t enough highlights, like one per EP. It could be really great, if he does have 11 “hits” in the mix, and by “hits” I mean songs that are recognizable as really “good” on the first listen, and possibly “great” on further listenings. For all intents and purposes, he needs this thing to contain a few hit single quality tracks for it to be something that people will listen to, and he needs those “hits” to get people to listen to the less accessible songs next to them. That’s how songs that are not instantly recognizable as “good” get a chance to grow on people. Like I said I’m interested. He just has to deliver.

hey j. iha,

if you were a pumpkins fan, you would know that they released their last album ever for free on the internet back in 2000, before anyone was doing it. they, like radiohead, have a solid fanbase that will always buy their studio albums. they have nothing to lose.

Billy Corgan is an artist and a TRUE artist at that. 11 eps with 4 songs on is ART and I will happily buy each one regardless of the songs being released for free.

Supporting freedom.

@Great | 10/15/2009, 1:14 pm EST

I always wonder what amazing music I am missing out on because of such monetary constraints on independent artists. $25-$50 an hour for a cheap studio gets expensive very quickly and learning recording skills is tedious and an art in itself.

I hope the tunes turn out on the Gish/Siamese Dream side. Siamese Dream is my all time favorite album!

@Jon Martin | 10/15/2009, 7:09 pm EST

Yes releasing music for free devalues it and makes it harder for smaller artists to be taken seriously when they ask for $5 to replenish their bank accounts after studio expenses, CD pressing expenses, and even practice room rent or gas to get to the show they are selling their CD’s. But sooner or later when all music is free only the truly great artists will be left because they make music not for monetary gain but enlightenment. It will come full circle.

@LOL | 10/16/2009, 1:46 am EST

Tours cost money they don’t make money.

I hope it will sounds like “bullet with butterfly wings”.
The end of “zeitgest” was tragic…

You can’t say they are gonna be 44 mediocre songs because you have not heard them yet. Now, just shut up.

Look, say whatever you want, and no matter how much some people think Adore is great Smashing Pumpkins, truth is the album tanked and caused the split-up of the band. Billy now throws the Smashing Pumpkins name on some new stuff now and then, but Smashing Pumpkins, the “band” ended years ago for me and lots of SP fans. Zeitgeist was a (failed) attempt to get back to the true, classic sound, but it didn’t work. IMHO.
Excuse me, I’m going to listen to Gish.

Giving his music away for free is like an apology to all the people who pissed away their money on his worthless music over the last dozen years. Keep on kissing ass you are over. You had it and blew it. You should have been more appreciative of your fans when you had the chance. Your music has been irrelevant for a dozen years now. You have made more bad music than good and giving it away for free now won’t cause sudden memory loss. YOU SUCK YOU BALD HEADED GOOF!

What’s next? ex-Soundgarden doing a album with Timbaland?… wait!

I love that the album is some sort of evil “economic decision,” but that doling out 11 EP’s is a magical concept. I’m seriously doubting that Corgan will give those physical EP’s away for free, and even if he charged three or four dollars for one the total cost would still vastly outweight the purchase of even a double album. I used to love everything this guy did when I was a kid. Now I wish he would just go away. It’s over, dude. Pete Townsend you ain’t. Be a painter.

he should write songs for others cos he can write well but his voice gets to me after a bit

Use to love the Pumpkins. Actually liked all of MCIS. Thought Adore was an overall worthy effort that was ahead of its time. Since Adore they have been very hit and miss (often on the same album). But after having seen them a year ago, I am not so sure that this project will do much more than completely suck. They made phsychedelic noise (bird chirps and all) for almost an hour straight to close out the concert. It was absolutely unlistenable crap. I am glad he will be giving this away for free. I am hoping it will be good, but would not want to put my money on the line to find out. Chances are there will be a few gold nuggets mixed in with some lesser crap (similar to Machina II).

@ Pashing Smumkins: Your comment made me lol. It is so fucking true! How could anyone take Billy Corgan seriously after years of fooling SP fans with mediocre releases? Only a masochist would still give this egomaniac a chance!

Excellent. I’m glad to hear Billy is doing this. Do it YOUR way. They are always going to be those who instantly go negative about what Corgan is doing, like he owes them some kind of personal favor. Maybe with this new approach we can finally get rid of the half-assed SP fans.

Where were all these “critics” when other bands and singers do exclusive distribution deals with Wal_Mart?
Its Billy’s music, he can do whatever he wants. He is going to give away for free and people still bitch. Just don’t DL it, idiots.

Meanwhile, Billy Corgan’s head has now officially entered his own asshole.

I feel like a genius here watching these intellectually-defunct SP-bashing navel-gazers crawl out of their holes to whine about a man who is exponentially more brilliant by comparison. It amuses me, I’ll admit. Now I’ll try the best I can to explain this simple point to all of you dull-wits: Billy Corgan does not make bad music. Mellon Collie was the pinnacle of ’90’s rock and I believe it to be the greatest album ever made. Zeitgeist wasn’t the best SP has to offer but remains an outstanding work on it’s own merits and is worthy of bearing the coveted SP name. He has now decided to release a 44-track album, song by song, for free. The SP fanbase is large enough and dedicated enough to ensure that any of Billy’s albums would at least go Gold and yet he’s handing his songs out regardless. There’s nothing wrong with not liking this band if you choose–or any band, for that matter–but don’t make the rest of humanity look bad by using your wordholes to denigrate the art and means of distribution of one who is, for all intents and purposes, a better person than yourself. To conclude, I too am extremely excited to see what becomes of this new endeavor! Halloween can’t come soon enough!

Im not talking about smaller bands making money, im talking about people, like most here, who feel that music is worthless and peoples time and creative efforts are worth nothing and should be free because they have an internet connection.

Current music is disposable because people like Billy Corgan are not confident enough to face the reality of bad sales. After the slump of his last shit record, hes trying to avoid the reality that hes not significant anymore.

Billy Corgans time has long past and this is his attempt to stay current in his own mind.

No one has mentioned the American Gothic ep he has released a while ago and how surprisingly well done it was. Songs were stellar and if that is the direction this new material is heading in everyone will be pleasantly surprised. And if it sucks atleast it was free.

adore went platinum…..it only “tanked” because it wasn’t as big as mellon collie (which was impossible to begin with_ it is actually an excellent album

i love the comments you get on rollingstone, people put some much weight into the success of an album = how much it sold.

truth be told yes, the pumpkins are past their peak in popularity. but there are still plenty of people who enjoy corgan’s music. I for one am interested in this release. i just hope he can keep up with it. I think it would be better to release 4 songs as a time as a free EP download over a year period. but whatever. i’ll definitely give it a listen

as for the free thing. let’s be honest…every album is free today, let’s not kid ourselves. corgan did release a free ablum WAY before radiohead or NIN did and never got credit for it. release your music for free, get people to listen to it, make money off touring.

“Nothin’ ain’t worth nothin’, but it’s free”. I have free swampland in Florida for you to download. Hey, Whiny Corgan, no one cares.

This is going to be pretty good. I think that when he’s talking about limitations, he’s talking about limitations that others, such as record labels, set upon him in the past. Look at most albums, they’re set in a very specific format, which then has specific songs taken from it and marketed to you on the radio for a specific amount of time.

My take on it is that he’s saying that all of the new work matters to him, and that he’s able to put it out in a way that means more to him than the antiquated record label album system. Say what you will about the guy, I’ve always appreciated that he tries to do things he own way, and I’m looking forward to the new stuff.

Billy Corgan went from being a good songwriter to being a crappy one. Hence any new album from SP is guaranteed to suck.

This isn’t a Smashing Pumpkins record; it’s a Billy Corgan solo project. Smashing Pumpkins are Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlain, D’ Arcy and James Iha. Corgan managed to scare away all three, much like Axl Rose did with G N’ R. I’m a fan no more. Totally irrelevant.

I;m guessing Billy has rubbed enough people the wrong way(apparently some of you on this site)that even giving away his music pisses you off. Any of you that assume these songs will be crap don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know if they’ll be any good, but trust me-neither do you. It’s one thing to say you don’t like Billy Corgan-I happen to think he’s a self-absorbed whiny little prick-but you can’t say that giving away 44 songs is a bad thing. As far as up-and-coming bands, if their music is good people will want it, doesn’t matter what fucking Billy Corgan does.
Unfortunately, with all the Three Doors Downs, Shinedowns, and the other mediocre crap that passes as rock these days makes me think a band with some ingenuity will have trouble bbreaking anyway. It’s not Billy Corgan’s fault that so many of the people that buy music chosse to waste it on Daughtry, for example.

Smashing Pumpkins’ albums have always been Billy Corgan albums, with help from Jimmy. Really have you ever heard Darcy and James on their own? Right. The only thing irrelevant is these uneducated opinions. An entire album for free, and people manage to still complain.

Here is a guideline for you: Wait till the songs come out. Give them a try, if you like them cool. Don’t like them? At least you didn’t lose any money. Don’t download anymore and quit your bitching.

Angel, I could not have said it better.

Get the original band back together. Make nice. Get back in the studio with Butch Vig. Record 25 great songs. Put the best 12 on a CD and release it.

PLEASE!!!

This article illustrates the reality of that basic economic law of supply and demand.Today there is so much rock music you can’t even give alot of it away for free.

Billy was fortunate to have some hits in the Grunge sales bonanza
period.Sure the record companies made a pile of dough off him but that’s show biz.Life was different before everyone was on the net.

It’s a shame Corgan has shoved his foot in his mouth so many times becasue he really is an amazing songwriter. I for one am looking forward to hearing his new material

Oh Mr Corgan does have a high opinion of himself doesnt he!?
What next, I am bigger than jesus? Somone’s having an Axl moment me thinks!

Buttocks

He’s always had a high opinion of himself! That’s no news. I do hope in his new “album-free” recordings he goes back to burying his vocals in the mix. Good music, but since Mellon Collie I can’t listen to him sing…

Great: “Sure anybody can get Garageband, Pro Tools or Logic and make a ‘record’ but very few people can make a GOOD sounding record with that.”

Please don’t make the mistaken assumption that a big expensive major label funded studio is required for a good sounding record. All you need is a good producer/engineer working with good material (the artist/song.)
When the producer/artist are one and the same, ALL THE BETTER!

Well Hell, it sounds like Billy Corgan’s brain is slowly turning into a bowl of Progresso Soup! I hate all this whiny,artsy-fartsy blabber. Billy is just another bald headed geek in the land of burned-out musicians. I liked him better when he had a full head of hair. Maybe he can talk his way into the Pixies current lineup? I bet he would feel right at home with them.

Wow, I think you can stick a fork in this dude, cause he is just about over-cooked! I used to really like the Smashing Pumpkins, but now they are as worn out as Great White. maybe VH-1 will put Billy Corgan on the “where are they now?” series. Or maybe he can be a guest judge on American Idiot(I mean Idol).

44 songs and 3 years later… Billy Corgan decides the song format is outdated and plans to release 100 under 30 second tidbits of studio noise- Absolutely Free!

5 bucks says 34 of these songs suck. I want the old pumpkins back.

Dear Mr. Corgan,

Good morning.

Is it true that you intend to release one song at a time from your new “record” culminating with 11 4 track EP’s? Methinks you’ve been sipping the sweet nectar of depression… a heady mix that you spike with desperation and balls out insanity.

Just release the fucking record, you’re not fucking JWT… “let’s release one song at a time, that should keep the proles clamouring for more!!!”

Are you so desperate to generate interest in your record that you have to resort to cheap manipulative pseudo marketing-logistical gimmicks to grab peoples attention?

There’s a reason your last record didn’t sell; it was rubbish.

In closing… go fuck yourself.

Sincerely,

The Whole World

wait so six months for 15 tracks is to draining. but 44 tracks on 11 EPs isn’t?

Wow, I did that in my garage once.

I see where some of the complaints come from though. None of the readers of this article have bothered to read what BC has to actually say. In no way is he coming off like this is all for publicity and money. Quite the contrary he is recognizing what the music industry is coming down to, and offering EVERYBODY another album for absolutely no cost. This means you DO NOT have to buy anything, you can download it all and never buy the eps or the set.

For this hes been called: Pretentious, greedy, a kiss ass?, Axl Rose and…pretentious by pseudo intellectuals. All these non Billy Corgan people know exactly what Billy Corgan should be doing. Or they want to relive losing their virginity to 1979, in either case they are irrelevant to the man.

So many things to say…but let’s keep it simple. Check out the good Spirits In The Sky footage on Youtube. The hatorade won’t taste as good when you hear how beautiful those songs are. When is the last time your favorite musician crammed a nine piece group into a coffee house and shredded everyone’s face of with Dave Navarro? Really, bashing Billy Corgan, a proven, driven artist–only reveals how pathetic the basher is. Go read up on bands and artists you like. Your apparent addiction to negativity is a problem for our culture.

how long must we suffer the fool that is Billy Corgan? he obviously cant write anything close to a hit w/o iha and d’arcy (go ahead, name the last SP *hit*: Perfect? please.) it’s draining to record 15 songs- then how’s 44 feel? walking talking hypocrite. aint rich? today sold just fine, sell Hummer to the truck company. of course he has to give away his music, it’s shite. nobody talks louder and says less than corgan. he’s no genius, he’s like the guy who was cool in college in the 90s, who cant do anything right in real life. all he can do now is drum up RS press by announcing his next stupid idea, or explaining his latest faux paus, or rationalizing his latest biz decision. he’s as about exciting and current as your parents. at least your parents can sing.

mikemLBI

cancel the apocalypse, you hit the nail right on the head! Good to know I’m not the only one having to fend off these Billy-bashing 10 year-olds.

“he obviously cant write anything close to a hit w/o iha and d’arcy”

funniest shit i have heard in a long time. thanks for the laughs.