Filter Magazine "Zeitgeist" Review

[JHeibel]

Another rave review...

http://www.filter-mag.com/index.php?id=14913&c=3

Smashing Pumpkins
Zeitgeist - Reprise
Filter Grade: 67%
by Nevin Martell | 07.13.2007

Billy Corgan loves the number seven to a ridiculous degree. On the Smashing Pumpkins’ debut, Gish, “Snail” (the seventh track!) opens with the couplet, “All your seven dreams/Look close, son, and you’ll believe,” and on the MACHINA-era rarity “Here’s the Atom Bomb” he declares, “Seven is all you seek.” Finally, on Zwan’s under-appreciated Mary Star of the Sea, he portentously proclaimed, “For seven years, seven days and seven hours/I took my chances.” And now—seven years since the last Smashing Pumpkins album—the Smashing Pumpkins return on 07.07.07 with the smugly-titled Zeitgeist. Coincidence, or some grand conspiracy? You be the judge.

Beyond hypothetical questions of Matrix-like proportions, one has to ask if this is even really the return of the Pumpkins. Version 3.0 is merely Billy and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, because, sadly, original guitarist James Iha and bassist D’Arcy Wretzky are nowhere to be found (replacement bassist Melissa Auf der Maur is AWOL, too). Also gone are the dreamy, stoner landscapes of Gish, the fine-tuned extravagance of Siamese Dream and the sprawling ambition of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, replaced by the simple, bludgeoning sound of a megalomaniac, his guitar and his drummer. This is Smashing Pumpkins in name alone.

Opening with the pounding gloom of “Doomsday Clock,” Zeitgeist sets its dulled and repetitive tone from the get-go. Sure, it rocks, but it’s Big Dumb Rock in the worst possible way. The lead single, “Tarantula,” courts modern rock radio on such a base level that it’s hard to believe that this is the same group that once opened the MTV Music Awards by performing “Tonight, Tonight” with a symphony orchestra. Corgan’s deft ear for a melody has slithered off into the ether (there’s nothing as catchy as “Cherub Rock” or “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” here) and the choruses wouldn’t be worthy of a My Chemical Romance B-side. Though there are a few bright moments here—the jubilant, Zwan-esque “That’s the Way” and the anthemic mantra “Bring the Light”—Zeitgeist is mostly a grinding, straightforward affair that demonstrates none of the innovation and vision of the band’s previous efforts. Though it was produced by both Roy Thomas Baker (Queen, the Cars) and Terry Date (Pantera, Rob Zombie), it would seem that Date’s sonic aesthetic won over for the most part, though the appropriately-titled parting shot, “Pomp and Circumstance,” harkens back to the Mellon Collie glory days of strings and things.

Ultimately, Zeitgeist just sounds like a man trying to cash in on a legacy, because this LP would tank if it was merely Billy’s second solo outing (remember how well his first one did?). It’s just sad that we waited this long for something this disappointing. We’d gladly wait another seven years, seven days and seven hours for an album that lived up to the true potential of the Smashing Pumpkins.

[Quiet]

"the choruses wouldn’t be worthy of a My Chemical Romance B-side."

I read this in Barnes & Noble the other day and choked on my coffee. True story.

[Baalzevuv]

Originally Posted by JHeibel

Ultimately, Zeitgeist just sounds like a man trying to cash in on a legacy, because this LP would tank if it was merely Billy’s second solo outing (remember how well his first one did?). It’s just sad that we waited this long for something this disappointing. We’d gladly wait another seven years, seven days and seven hours for an album that lived up to the true potential of the Smashing Pumpkins.

Seems to be the theme.

[yoshinobu's revenge]

Another accurate review. I agree with it.

[tcm]

Originally Posted by JHeibel

on the MACHINA-era rarity “Here’s the Atom Bomb” he declares, “Seven is all you seek.”

[pale_princess]

good review.

[christian zombie vampires]

thats one of the harshest reviews ive read of it with one of the highest ratings ive seen

[davin]

Originally Posted by Baalzevuv

Seems to be the theme.

yea, its because its an easy way to dismiss the album musically and just focus on bullshit.

[davin]

Originally Posted by tcm

not to mention it didn't even come out 07.07.07 -- i stopped reading right there.

[TuralyonW3]

how can journalists for such big publications have such horribly shoddy research and typos

[homechicago]

i like how all of these reviews are hung up on d'arcy and iha, as though they lent a distinct sound to everything. i realize they had their contributions in arguments, but let's get real - d'arcy and iha aren't forces to be reckoned with in music. you take eddie van halen out of van halen and you'd notice the guitar change, or take neil peart out of rush, etc.

i'm used to reviews like this because it's hip to trash the pumpkins now, just like before. oh well.

and yeah, the 7.7.07 thing - way to contribute factual info lousy lazy reviewer.

[Mablak]

These reviews just get more and more ridiculous. 7 shades of black is catchy, most of the album is. This isn't big dumb rock, it's fucking intelligently designed rock and the pumpkins use buildups better than any other band, e.g. at the end of Starz. No other band is going to give people rock this well crafted. How MCR can be equated with the pumpkins is beyond me. Pomp + Circumstances is nothing like MCIS material.

To point out every flaw in these reviews would take forever. Obviously you can't hear Billy's ego on the album, or hear the sound of a man cashing in on his legacy, that arises entirely from Billy's image. If a band came out of nowhere and made this album, reviewers would love it. I question whether some of these guys even listened to the album in full, you wouldn't really have to to write this review.

[WeilandFan]

That's coming from a magazine named after one of the shittiest bands ever.

[wHATcOLOR]

Originally Posted by Filter

—the Smashing Pumpkins return on 07.07.07 with the smugly-titled Zeitgeist. Coincidence, or some grand conspiracy?

how about factually inaccurate

[tcm]

but if he is such a clueless hack "journalist", how did he know about Billy's old nickname?

[Trotskilicious]

Originally Posted by Mablak

These reviews just get more and more ridiculous. 7 shades of black is catchy, most of the album is. This isn't big dumb rock, it's fucking intelligently designed rock and the pumpkins use buildups better than any other band, e.g. at the end of Starz. No other band is going to give people rock this well crafted. How MCR can be equated with the pumpkins is beyond me. Pomp + Circumstances is nothing like MCIS material.

To point out every flaw in these reviews would take forever. Obviously you can't hear Billy's ego on the album, or hear the sound of a man cashing in on his legacy, that arises entirely from Billy's image. If a band came out of nowhere and made this album, reviewers would love it. I question whether some of these guys even listened to the album in full, you wouldn't really have to to write this review.

The sky is brown.

[The Trashbirds]

Ultimately, this review just sounds like a man trying to cash in on a trashing someone's legacy, because this article would tank if it was merely about Billy’s music. It’s just sad that we spent this long reading another review that's this disappointing by a reviewer this shitty. We’d gladly wait another seven years, seven days and seven hours for a review that lived up to the true potential of critical integrity.

[Eem]

This review reads a hell of a lot harsher than the Pitchfork review, but the rating is better.

[pale_princess]

Originally Posted by The Trashbirds

Ultimately, this review just sounds like a man trying to cash in on a trashing someone's legacy.

same thing bill's doing

[homechicago]

Originally Posted by pale_princess

same thing bill's doing

so once a musician makes what everyone likes, he or she should never be heard from again and they shouldn't even BOTHER trying to continue making new music? interesting, i didn't know that about musicians.

[pale_princess]

he is trashing the legacy though.

[The Trashbirds]

Originally Posted by pale_princess

he is trashing the legacy though.

You say this as if your Paris Hilton avatar and repeated postings on the board don't indicate your complete support for the band's resurrection and apparently (the Paris Hilton thing), their artwork themes on Tarantula and Zeitgeist.

Plus, I was obviously trying to be clever by taking the reviewers words and slightly altering them to insult him instead of the Pumpkins. I obviously failed.

[Hypocaust]

Originally Posted by The Trashbirds

You say this as if your Paris Hilton avatar and repeated postings on the board don't indicate your complete support for the band's resurrection and apparently (the Paris Hilton thing), their artwork themes on Tarantula and Zeitgeist.

She's been representin Paris long before anyone began talk of renewing and reviving anything.

[Trotskilicious]

Originally Posted by pale_princess

he is trashing the legacy though.

too late for that

[Trotskilicious]

Originally Posted by The Trashbirds

You say this as if your Paris Hilton avatar and repeated postings on the board don't indicate your complete support for the band's resurrection and apparently (the Paris Hilton thing), their artwork themes on Tarantula and Zeitgeist.

i love it when newbs make assumptions

[pale_princess]

Originally Posted by Trotskilicious

i love it when newbs make assumptions

rhino, i love how this has turned around and we're on the same side now.

*hug*?

[Trotskilicious]

we're sort of on the same side but i don't really think this is a different band.

i was digging tarantula but the whole album is just weak as baby stool.

[pale_princess]

i'm glad u can see that rhino.

<3

[Dogfighter28]

i wub you all

[Boseph]

Originally Posted by pale_princess

"society has its priorities fucked up" is such a boring phrase. so what if i go to perezhilton.com and not cnn.com? so what if i don't buy newspapers and i buy my new tabloid every thursday? so what if i prefer access hollywood over the news? so what if i couldn't point iraq on a map? i am interested in pop culture because i like it. i pay attention to what i want to. i choose to live this lifestyle. and i'm okay with that.

no amount of crying about "society" is going to stop me

Hey rhino are you really sure you want to be on the same side as this twit?