What is Billy's issue with James' guitar playing?

[GreenDogGlynis]

On that recent podcast or whatever with Polka Dot Pam. Billy once again had to make a passive aggressive remark about James' guitar playing by pointing out that Sweeney and Pajo were better technical players(if that is even true). What is Billy's deal? SP1 always sounded great live, and anybody knows the power of a band is hardly just based on how well you can play. However, after all this time of being a fan of rock and being in a huge band, Billy is just now coming to the realization that the power of any band is hardly routed in technical ability. Seriously?

[AveryLoren]

I recently watched that and was taken aback when Billy opened that can of worms again. I'm not really a pro James guy, but he had/has chops. Also, better than anything else, he had style. Billy might be a worldly person in many ways, but to have this epiphany 30+ years into it shows some naivety.

I've seen Dream Theater front row VIP and was completely put to sleep. On the other side of that I have been blown away by punk kids at locals shows with less than two years on the guitar under their belt. It's all about preference and perspective.

[Butt Pope]

Christ. Who gives a shit

[smashingjj]

what was the exact quote?

[Funbags]

He just says something about him and Jimmy thinking better musicians than og SP would mean a better band, but that didn't turn out to be the case.

Taking what he said as a slight against James is willfully misconstruing the context to goad people into shitting on Boz.

[Funbags]

The more interesting part is where he mentions going through a contentious divorce and you can guess what that was about.

[Squish Squash]

Originally Posted by Funbags

The more interesting part is where he mentions going through a contentious divorce and you can guess what that was about.

What did he say about Chris?

[Run To Me]

Originally Posted by Funbags

He just says something about him and Jimmy thinking better musicians than og SP would mean a better band, but that didn't turn out to be the case.

Taking what he said as a slight against James is willfully misconstruing the context to goad people into shitting on Boz.

How is it misconstruing anything

“Better musicians” re cynical stand-in replacements for the cash grab atrocity that was the “resurrection” of the SP “brand” is, in fact, shitting directly on James as a guitar player. And on darcy too for that matter

Of all the things how r u gonna try to defend big willie here?

[Funbags]

Originally Posted by Run To Me

How is it misconstruing anything

“Better musicians” re cynical stand-in replacements for the cash grab atrocity that was the “resurrection” of the SP “brand” is, in fact, shitting directly on James as a guitar player. And on darcy too for that matter

Of all the things how r u gonna try to defend big willie here?

Because after listening to it, you'd either need to be trolling or a moronic fucking idiot.

Originally Posted by Squish Squash

What did he say about Chris?

Just that the divorce was contentious, and I'm guessing the reason is over money?

[incubator]

“Better musicians” doesn’t necessarily mean better guitarists.

[Disco King]

Originally Posted by Funbags

He just says something about him and Jimmy thinking better musicians than og SP would mean a better band, but that didn't turn out to be the case.

Taking what he said as a slight against James is willfully misconstruing the context to goad people into shitting on Boz.

I haven't watched this particular video, but it's not like Corgan hasn't shit on Iha before. Didn't be complain about the guitar parts Iha wrote for "Set the Ray" as being incessant and repetitive or something? As if something needs to be a melodically complex solo to complete a song. There's also him talking about how he felt hurt that Iha didn't ask him for help or talk to him all that much about his first solo record, and with a complete lack of self-awareness, mentioned that the album probably would have been better with his own input.

[Joey Goldberg]

if James couldn't handle being told there were better technical players out there than him I don't think he would be in the music industry

[Joey Goldberg]

also don't think it's the first time he's indirectly received a backhanded compliment from Billiam

[Joey Goldberg]

certainly a step or two up from "the worst piece of shit to ever walk the earth" or whatever was said 10-ish years ago!

[Squish Squash]

He's still mad James out-solo'd him here:

[GreenDogGlynis]

I'm sure James can handle it, and Billy was somewhat more polite than usual when he says stuff like this. In some ways I appreciate his honesty about how he was wrong that he would be better without James and D'arcy. I just don't understand how he ever convinced himself he would do better if he could just get someone who might be better technically.

[Disco King]

Honestly, if I had only known Zwan's lineup and nothing else, I'd have thought they'd put out a good record, too.

[Squish Squash]

If technical ability was all The Bald Lord cared about he would have replaced D+J with Yngwie Malmsteen and John Myung. He’d never do this, of course, because it would mean he would be the worst instrumentalist in the band.

[GreenDogGlynis]

It's just so dumb. It's just like if you heard Mick Jagger say the Rolling Stones would be better if he got some geek who could play his notes cleaner than Keith, but then what's great about the band would be totally gone.

[Squish Squash]

Yeah, James is one of my favorite guitarists of all time. Bill is clueless.

[BurtSampson]

Honestly the reunion has made me lose respect for Iha in a way, because the fact that he can silently suffer these backhanded jabs and be there to just quietly collect the check is...ehhhh

[Joey Goldberg]

Originally Posted by GreenDogGlynis

It's just so dumb. It's just like if you heard Mick Jagger say the Rolling Stones would be better if he got some geek who could play his notes cleaner than Keith, but then what's great about the band would be totally gone.

wasn't this whole interview about Bill admitting fault with that assumption?

[GreenDogGlynis]

Yeah, but how did it take him like 30 years to realize basic things about rock music?

[paranoid]

someone post the vid or tell me where i need to find it with a time stamp please. i can't find the damn quote

[GreenDogGlynis]

it got posted in the Q & A thread recently. Its the interview with this woman who goes by the name Polka Dot Pam. He's calm and civil throughout the conversation. He's not trashing Iha like he did in the 2012 Stern interview or the ones with Pinfield, but he still says some backhanded compliments about James.

[paranoid]

y'all are making something out of nothing. he doesn't say directly that james was a bad guitarist, he says that his and jimmy's idea of surrounding themselves with traditionally technically better musicians would yield better results, but they learned a hard lesson from that, and ultimately it comes down to the person and the chemistry between that person, etc etc.. hence he'll go to war with james any day, because together they have that chemistry.. something old school fans had been saying for years before james came back, and once he was back it was like "see? that's the pumpkins sound."

he's being honest and complimentary here. he's not saying james is a bad musician.

you fans, you.

[houseofglass11]

yeah tbh I agree with paranoid, I didn't see this as him being negative or ugly

[GreenDogGlynis]

I don't think he was particularly unpleasant or negative. I guess its just weird to me how he handles these things. Why can't he just say that James is a great guitar player and an important member of the band? Why is there always these qualifiers when it comes to this stuff where people's shortcomings have to be listed before they can actually be talked about in positive terms? Its especially bad with James and D'arcy and it's easy to see why the band broke up prematurely.

[paranoid]

Originally Posted by GreenDogGlynis

Why can't he just say that James is a great guitar player and an important member of the band?

literally the only thing he said directly about James in this interview is that he "would go to battle with him any day" over any other musicians he's played with. sounds like he's pointing out his importance to the band in a really big way.

[Oklahoma Sexual]

Originally Posted by GreenDogGlynis

I guess its just weird to me how he handles these things. Why can't he just say that James is a great guitar player and an important member of the band? Why is there always these qualifiers when it comes to this stuff where people's shortcomings have to be listed before they can actually be talked about in positive terms? Its especially bad with James and D'arcy and it's easy to see why the band broke up prematurely.

A) It is weird. It's not normal

B) Because James threatens BC's narrative that he alone is the reason for the success of the band (regarding guitar).