This isn’t necessarily a “collaboration” but, it did happen and it was pretty magical. A couple years ago, The Smashing Pumpkins did a few shows to celebrate them being a band for 30 years. They invited a few people to come join them on stage, Chino Moreno of Deftones fame being one of them. They performed two classic Pumpkins songs that evening, “Bodies” from Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness and “Snail” from “Gish.” It’s almost like Chino was meant to sing “Bodies” and “Snail”when you listen to him sing them. I’d love to hear the soundboard audio of these songs but, these versions are pretty good.
For quite a while now, I’ve been delving deeper and deeper into The Smashing Pumpkins and Billy Corgan catalog. Along the way, I’ve discovered a plethora of songs that I forgot about and rediscovered my love of this band and what a truly great songwriter Billy is. One of the songs that I’ve really obsessed over is “Stand Inside Your Love” from the Machina album. Every time I come across a different version of this song, I get chills and find myself lost in a trance. This is truly an amazing song. Here’s a live solo acoustic version of it that I absolutely adore.
I’m not really a fan of “pop” music but, I can recognize a good song when I hear it. The song “Wrecking Ball” is one of those songs that are so well written and put together. Every now and then when I hear it, I can’t help but stop and listen. While on a recent deep dive into The Smashing Pumpkins and all things related to William Patrick Corgan, I came across a few live performances of him covering “Wrecking Ball” and I couldn’t help but listen to them all. His voice and arrangements really fit perfectly with this song. When you listen, you could almost get the sense that this is something he could have written in the early to mid 2000’s, around the time of Zwan. So, here it is for you to enjoy.
Tony Iommi is the riff master. That’s undeniable. Back in 2000 (There’s that damn year again), Tony released his first “solo” album featuring many guest vocalists like Phil Anselmo, Dave Grohl, Henry Rollins, Peter Steele, Ozzy, Billy Idol, Billy Corgan and a few others. There were a couple songs on the album that always stood out to me, the one with Phil and the one with Billy Corgan. The latter of which “Black Oblivion” is one of the coolest songs on the record and it’s pretty epic too. It’s also interesting to note too that, Billy and Tony wrote two songs for the album but, only one was picked. I know I’d be very interested to hear the other one.
Way back in the year 2000, The Smashing Pumpkins, released the second part of their (then) swan song, Machina II: The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music. This album never fully got the proper release and instead released for free on the internet on September 5, 2000. Plans for a standard physical release, bundled with the first part Machina I: The Machines of God, was supposed to happen in 2013 but was postponed due to legal setbacks. In a recent Q&A on Instagram, Billy Corgan revealed that all legal issues had been resolved. The two albums are said to be remastered and released as one in 2020. That being said, The Smashing Pumpkins did do some promotion for the album back in 2000 with a very memorable performance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, which also ended up being the band’s final television appearance until their 2007 revival.
The Smashing Pumpkins- Cash Car Star (on Tonight Show with Jay Leno):
Yesterday while I was at work, I had a song pop into my head and it sent me on a dive back to an album I hadn’t listened to in a minute. The song was “Stand Inside Your Love” by The Smashing Pumpkins from their highly underrated album Machina. It’s always been one of those songs in the bands catalog that has given me chills. I was sort of daydreaming while listening to the song and letting it take me away. It’s truly a beautiful song and one of Billy Corgan’s best too. It’s been said that the song was written about a then girlfriend. Billy once said in an interview about the track “‘Stand Inside Your Love’ is one of those rare songs that seems to write itself really quickly… As far as the song goes, it’s sort of a love song that rocks, which is pretty rare, even for me. And I even got my girlfriend dancing in the video, so it’s all a tribute to my girlfriend, I guess.”
The video itself is pretty stunning. It’s a tribute to the play Salome by Oscar Wilde. The look of the video is heavily influenced by the original Salome illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley. You might recognize Ken Davitian (from Borat) in the video. Billy’s then girlfriend also appears in the video.
Something else that I find interesting is that “Stand Inside Your Love” was originally supposed to be the first single from Machina but, at the last minute it was changed to “The Everlasting Gaze.” Either way, “Stand Inside Your Love” is one hell of a great song and the video is interesting, intriguing and artful.
The Smashing Pumpkins came back in 2018 with a vengeance. Their “reunion” tour was outstanding. The 3 hour set of nothing but songs from the beginning of their career till Machina was something special. Everything about it was spectacular. William Patrick Corgan sounded marvelous and having Jimmy Chamberlain and James Iha back with him along with long time cohort, Jeff Schroeder and new comers Jack Bates and Katie Cole added to the truly great experience. When it was announced that the Pumpkins were coming back, WPC, mentioned that there would be new music, and that day is upon us. Shiny and Oh So Bright Volume I is here and it’s a delight. It’s everything you’ve ever loved about The Smashing Pumpkins and more.
Starting the album off with “Knights Of Malta” was a superb choice. The song not only sets a tone but it features a groove and melody that will have you swaying and singing along in no time. I have a feeling that this song will fast become a fan favorite and a live staple for years to come. “Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)” is a pure classic Pumpkins song. Parts of it hark back to the Siamese Dream era but, it’s modern and current without relying so much on nostalgia. WPC sounds dreamy on this song, and Jimmy Chamberlain’s playing is subtle yet commanding. The riff and melody to this song is something that will stay in your head for years to come. “Travels” is a sweet mid tempo song with introspective lyrics. The guitar melodies on this song have a warming and calm tone which gives this song more depth. “Solara” is another classic Pumpkins song. This track is a beast and live it kicks even more ass. “Alienation” is one of those “deep cut” songs that will have audiences wanting for it live. It’s a beautiful song through and through. “Marchin’ On” kicks the moment it comes in. It’s got an anger and urgency to it just as “Zero” did when that song was first released. This is another that is sure to be a fan favorite. “With Sympathy” has a delicate nature to it. The guitars glisten along with WPC’s vibrant vocals and words. Closing out this volume is “Seek and You Shall Destroy.” This track has a very cool mid 90’s Pumpkins vibe to it but, again isn’t retreating to the nostalgia of it all. Seek sounds like the band in today’s world without losing the roots of what the band is about.
All in all Shiny and Oh So Bright Volume I is a terrific collection of songs. I wouldn’t say it’s an “album” per say but, it was sequenced in a way that does flow in a way as an album. Having Jimmy and James back in the band is a welcome return. The songs sound like Pumpkins songs because of how they play and treat the songs. Over the years Jeff Schroeder has been able to tap into that “style” and on this album, he’s right there along with James and WPC to make the songs even bigger. This is a welcome return to form for WPC and company. Shiny and Oh So Bright is full of songs that as I mentioned will become fan favorites and live staples for years to come. The Smashing Pumpkins have never been a band that has needed to resort to rehashing the past and this album solidifies that. I can’t wait for the next tour they do so I can hear these songs live. If you ever gave up on The Smashing Pumpkins, Shiny and Oh So Bright Volume I, will bring you back into the fold and you’ll fall in love with the band all over again.
The Smashing Pumpkins are a few weeks away from releasing their new album, Shiny and Oh So Bright Volume I (out November 16). This first collection of songs is the first in over 19 years with William Patrick Corgan (he has stopped going by Billy), Jimmy Chamberlain and James Iha. The first two songs released so far, “Solara” and “Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)” are fantastic songs that sound modern but still hark back to the bands heyday. There is a planned Volume II that is supposed to be released later on next year along with a full length tour.
The Smashing Pumpkins- Solara:
The Smashing Pumpkins- Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts):
Way back in 2001 after the break up of The Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlain formed a new band called Zwan. There was two sides to the band and the more acoustic based side was called The Djali Zwan. Then in 2002, Billy was approached by visionary director Jonas Akerlund to create the music for his upcoming film Spun. A slew of original songs were written by Billy, as well as different approaches to a variety of other songs like a very stripped down version of Iron Maiden’s “The Number Of The Beast.” The film would go on to become a sort of cult movie but, the soundtrack is one of those sought after items for many fans of Corgan’s. These songs have taken on a life of their own and really helped to give a vibe to the film.
The year is 1992 and the Seattle music scene is exploding. Director Cameron Crowe has made a film that tries to encapsulate that era of Seattle with his film Singles. While the film is a bit hit and miss, there is one thing about the film that stands out, it’s soundtrack.
We all know about the inclusion of Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and Chris Cornell. There is one song in particular on the soundtrack that has always stood out to me. That song is “Drown” by The Smashing Pumpkins. The song debuted during the tour for their debut album and was written not long after that record was released. “Drown” became a moderate radio hit in mid-1992 and gave the band significant exposure just before work commenced on their follow up album Siamese Dream. It’s worth noting that the song was also released on the band’s official greatest hits compilation album Rotten Apples but, only the abridged version was included. “Drown” was considered for the Pisces Iscariot album but William Patrick Corgan decided to not include it. The other night, when I saw the Pumpkins live, I finally got to hear this masterful song in its entirety and it left me in awe.
The Smashing Pumpkins came back in 2018 with a vengeance. Their “reunion” tour was outstanding. The 3 hour set of nothing but songs from the beginning of their career till Machina was something special. Everything about it was spectacular. William Patrick Corgan sounded marvelous and having Jimmy Chamberlain and James Iha back with him along with long time cohort, Jeff Schroeder and new comers Jack Bates and Katie Cole added to the truly great experience. When it was announced that the Pumpkins were coming back, WPC, mentioned that there would be new music, and that day is upon us. Shiny and Oh So Bright Volume I is here and it’s a delight. It’s everything you’ve ever loved about The Smashing Pumpkins and more.
