The next album....what do you hope?

[Cherub Angel]

You know, it's never too early to talk about this. It's clear from the residencies that new songs are being written already and that we don't want the band to go away. I don't think they will, but I will be sad if they take the U2 route and release a similar album.

I said this in another thread, but as much as I like Zeitgeist I wish they would have been a bit more adventurous and pushed it more instrumentally. This is my wish for the next record. While this one is hard hitting, I hope there is more guitar craziness on the next record. I like when they let the shit fly and just jam. I'd love to hear stuff like Gossamer.

That aside, I'd like some acoustic stuff. I've maintained that Corgan has a good stripped down acoustic record in his future, further more I think it would be really good.

thoughts and/or complaints about how I'm asking questions about the next record too early?

[brillo998]

needs to be less poppy and more relaxing and hearty.

[caliphornia]

Originally Posted by brillo998

needs to be less poppy and more relaxing and hearty.

perfect.

[Corganist]

Originally Posted by brillo998

needs to be less poppy and more relaxing and hearty.

"Relaxing" is not an adjective that I want attached any Smashing Pumpkins album. It seems to me that what one person finds "relaxing," I'm probably going to find "boring."

That said, I wouldn't be too broken up if Billy dialed things down a little and mixed things up on the next record. I'm not sure I'm quite ready to completely give up the return to rocking that Zeitgeist represents just yet, but a couple of slower, acoustic-y numbers thrown into the mix for variety's sake wouldn't hurt my feelings.

[BlissedandGone2]

needs to be thoughtful like adore and creative like mcis. should probably rock like sd too. yea not gonna happen.

[Eiki]

definitely think it needs to be more diverse sounding. the only song that sounds noticeably different than the others is pomp and circumstance. needs more "fun" songs too. like someone (i believe it was gossamer) said in another thread, the band seems to be lacking some of the whimsy that it used to have.

[Cherub Angel]

Originally Posted by Eiki

definitely think it needs to be more diverse sounding. the only song that sounds noticeably different than the others is pomp and circumstance. needs more "fun" songs too. like someone (i believe it was gossamer) said in another thread, the band seems to be lacking some of the whimsy that it used to have.

I think some of that "whimsy" is still there in the live performances though with stuff like "Gossamer".....and for some reason I got that same feeling on "Stellar" too.

[dasuitekilla]

The residency songs need more time to evolve and develop their own characteristics but they show great potential. I don't know how many of these songs will actually be recording but if Billy and the gang keep on wrighting at this rate we'll defenitly have lots of good b-sides.

[Eiki]

Originally Posted by Cherub Angel

I think some of that "whimsy" is still there in the live performances though with stuff like "Gossamer".....and for some reason I got that same feeling on "Stellar" too.

you're probably right. i haven't really been listening to any recordings of the recent shows.

and it was boseph who made the comment about the band being more whimsical in the past and not so much anymore (just to give credit where it's due).

[The Trashbirds]

Originally Posted by Eiki

definitely think it needs to be more diverse sounding. the only song that sounds noticeably different than the others is pomp and circumstance.

Yeah, I was just thinking about how much 7 Shades of Black sounds like Neverlost!

[Eiki]

Originally Posted by The Trashbirds

Yeah, I was just thinking about how much 7 Shades of Black sounds like Neverlost!

ok so neverlost has some xylophones and synths but it still doesn't sound as noticeably different from the other songs on the album in terms of feel. sure, it's a bit more mellow but definitely not as out there as pomp.

way to miss the point completely, asshat.

[The Trashbirds]

Originally Posted by Eiki

ok so neverlost has some xylophones and synths but it still doesn't sound as noticeably different from the other songs on the album in terms of feel. sure, it's a bit more mellow but definitely not as out there as pomp.

way to miss the point completely, asshat.

No, I get your point. I just disagree with it, "asshat." Some songs on the album are similar, but some sound nothing alike. There is a huge difference between 7 Shades of Black, Bleeding the Orchid, Neverlost, God & Country, Bring the Light, and Pomp & Circumstances (that's 6 of the 12 main songs).

The bonus tracks also differ a lot from the main album (though there are some similarites between DFA and Bring the Light in terms of attitude and feel).

Originally Posted by Eiki

ok so neverlost has some xylophones and synths but it still doesn't sound as noticeably different from the other songs on the album in terms of feel.

That's because it's an album, not a random collection of songs. There is obviously a thematic/stylistic element that brings these songs together as the LP known as Zeitgeist, despite the fact that some of them are very different from one another. I'd say that "feel" is present in P + C as well.

Adore, Machina, and indeed every Pumpkins album suffers this same "flaw" relative to a similar "feel" running throughout the album. The only "LP" that doesn't really fall to this criticism is Pisces Iscariot because, as we know, it's a collection of B-Sides and demos, not a cohesive artistic statement.

What you seem to be asking for is an album without cohesion. Otherwise, even you have to recognize that despite the similar "feel," as you call it, of Neverlost, 7 Shades, and God and Country (for example), they are very different songs in a lot of different ways.

[teamneedle]

Originally Posted by The Trashbirds

No, I get your point. I just disagree with it, "asshat." Some songs on the album are similar, but some sound nothing alike. There is a huge difference between 7 Shades of Black, Bleeding the Orchid, Neverlost, God & Country, Bring the Light, and Pomp & Circumstances (that's 6 of the 12 main songs).

The bonus tracks also differ a lot from the main album (though there are some similarites between DFA and Bring the Light in terms of attitude and feel).



That's because it's an album, not a random collection of songs. There is obviously a thematic/stylistic element that brings these songs together as the LP known as Zeitgeist, despite the fact that some of them are very different from one another. I'd say that "feel" is present in P + C as well.

Adore, Machina, and indeed every Pumpkins album suffers this same "flaw" relative to a similar "feel" running throughout the album. The only "LP" that doesn't really fall to this criticism is Pisces Iscariot because, as we know, it's a collection of B-Sides and demos, not a cohesive artistic statement.

What you seem to be asking for is an album without cohesion. Otherwise, even you have to recognize that despite the similar "feel," as you call it, of Neverlost, 7 Shades, and God and Country (for example), they are very different songs in a lot of different ways.

I have to disagree.

Of all the SP albums.

This Zeitgeist feels the most just like a collection of songs and NOT an album.

[waltermcphilp]

billy should just record the stuff hes writing on tour and release an album to bridge the gap to the next official release.

[mellon_c0llie]

the pumpkins have lost their mischief.

[sniffingchimp]

Quit with over-producing songs to death. Strip things down a bit more.

[thurston]

i want something new...

lose the pop and the stupid dress and the lyrics... you know?

i dont want an sd or mcis repeat, i want something new, i think he has it in him...

[Morlock]

Originally Posted by thurston

i want something new...

lose the pop and the stupid dress and the lyrics... you know?

i dont want an sd or mcis repeat, i want something new, i think he has it in him...

TheFutureEmbrace was something new. People loved it.

as much as I would like them to try something radically new, I am sure that they would take a direction for which people would hate them even more than now. People would call it faggy or fake or both.

Me, I always wanted to hear an album in the vein of the TEITBITE material. Of the Zeitgeist stuff, "For God and Country" comes closest, and it is indeed one of my favorite songs of this era.

I would also like to hear lo-fi Pumpkins. I guess this will never happen.

[Kerosene]

Make good songs.

[smashapumpkin]

it needs to be incredibly sad

[thurston]

Originally Posted by smashapumpkin

it needs to be incredibly sad

but he has jesus now...

i fear the only thing that he could possibly sad about will be increddibly religious or stupid... he can't really handle the heat of these emo bands out there, i dont think he's got it in him to top their "depression"...

unless like james dies or something...

[Phoenix Down]

Originally Posted by smashapumpkin

it needs to be incredibly sad

i second that

[smashapumpkin]

emo isnt sad its whiny, all BC has to do to be sad is remember his childhood while writing a tune

[thurston]

ah, well, you got me there man...

[wilch]

Another Mellon Collie type variation wise just not as long. maybe 15 songs, 12 songs isnt long enough for an SP album

[smashapumpkin]

Originally Posted by wilch

Another Mellon Collie type variation wise just not as long. maybe 15 songs, 12 songs isnt long enough for an SP album

agreed

[Chuck=Zero]

One thing that needs to change in the next album is the influences that are derived for the music. I like Zeitgeist, it has quite a few really good songs, but most of the tracks lack depth because most of this album is just influenced by current events and the culture of these times. The songs of the album reflect things we hear and see all the time today such as the "doom & gloom" of the future (Doomsday Clock & United States) and our society's obsession with celebrity (Starz). These songs, along with all the others, sound good, but they don't strike you in the same way, emotionally, as everything SP had done before did. One thing we need to realize is that Billy isn't goin' to go back deep into his soul and go back to creating deeply emotional and personal songs like he did before because he's 40 now.

Bottom line, for me, is that I just expect this next album (I'm thinkin' a late '09 release) to be better than Zeitgeist; Zeitgeist met my expectations, and I was pleased with it, but just like many others here, my expectations for it were pretty low.

[manders4001]

Originally Posted by Chuck=Zero

One thing that needs to change in the next album is the influences that are derived for the music. I like Zeitgeist, it has quite a few really good songs, but most of the tracks lack depth because most of this album is just influenced by current events and the culture of these times. The songs of the album reflect things we hear and see all the time today such as the "doom & gloom" of the future (Doomsday Clock & United States) and our society's obsession with celebrity (Starz). These songs, along with all the others, sound good, but they don't strike you in the same way, emotionally, as everything SP had done before did. One thing we need to realize is that Billy isn't goin' to go back deep into his soul and go back to creating deeply emotional and personal songs like he did before because he's 40 now.

Ditto. He needs to be introspective again. I don't know if we'll get that since in the Machina era he said something along the lines of his youthful angst being dead, that he wouldn't write from that perspective again. I just think that his songs should be more heartfelt than they are on Zeitgeist.
Also, NO MORE SYNTHS! "For God and Country" could've been so much better without that damn repeating synth. He should definitely experiment, but not with synths.

[WalkingStrayz]

yeah. for god and country is the only song on the album i skip over.

[Glass Jackal]

Originally Posted by Chuck=Zero

One thing that needs to change in the next album is the influences that are derived for the music. I like Zeitgeist, it has quite a few really good songs, but most of the tracks lack depth because most of this album is just influenced by current events and the culture of these times. The songs of the album reflect things we hear and see all the time today such as the "doom & gloom" of the future (Doomsday Clock & United States) and our society's obsession with celebrity (Starz). These songs, along with all the others, sound good, but they don't strike you in the same way, emotionally, as everything SP had done before did. One thing we need to realize is that Billy isn't goin' to go back deep into his soul and go back to creating deeply emotional and personal songs like he did before because he's 40 now.

Bottom line, for me, is that I just expect this next album (I'm thinkin' a late '09 release) to be better than Zeitgeist; Zeitgeist met my expectations, and I was pleased with it, but just like many others here, my expectations for it were pretty low.

I don't understand this mentality that "Billy can't write emotional songs because he is in his 40's. " Believe it or not, older people have feelings too.

That being said, i understand what you are touching on. That he cannot compete with younger, hungrier song writers who are out to prove themselves and haven't told "their story" yet. This part I will agree upon because even Billy said that after a band's third record, the music starts repeating itself in some form or another.

I think if Billy allows Ginger and Jeff to get involved (at least a little) with the writing process and be involved in the studio, they could put out some interesting records. If he continues to dominate this process himself and write everything, i think it is going to get stale. Not that I think Billy can't do it anymore but because I lots of good ideas and influences can come from a group working together. It will be interesting to see which route they choose from here.