Explain the new music2me?

[GreenDogGlynis]

the last James solo album was really good. Your mileage may vary on the songs but it does have the feel, production, and visual aesthetic that actually recall SP1 88-96.

[Ram27]

100%

not to mention everyone sleeping on Let It Come Down which is a sublime acoustic beauty

[smashingjj]

I enjoy my bed and its comfortable pillow and sheets thank you very much

[Unicycle]

On a related note, James Iha (whose last album came out eight years ago) has more monthly listeners on Spotify than ol' B'arcy does. That's gotta sting...

[jakobtheliar]

Jimmy's performance shift has been a bit strange. Part of the problem is Woolly Corgan. He's obsessed with changing the way the drums are produced and performed to make it sound like modern pop production.
It's abysmal.
This has also shifted to the stage. There is so little stage volume at pumpkins shows now, it's baffling to think they were once so loud in 1996 that during the 'disconnect' part in Fuck You, the sound hadn't finished traveling the full arena by the time they were on the next break down.
The dry cymbal choice I think are Billy and Jimmy's idea because that's how other modern pop bands sound. Quiet on stage. Click tracks. Slooow versions of the songs.

When I saw them in 2015 with Manson, all the songs were very slow and measured. Jimmy looked bored and I watched him most of the show. There was literally no interaction from Billy. Ruby was great that night, but it just abruptly ended. Geek USA and United States had good energy.

I purchased The Complex ep yesterday and guess what? The drum production and performance is amazing prototypical Jimmy.

So. Jimmy has some blame but we know who will never accept they aren't as big as Beyonce and still yearn for those heights of 1996, where they were mega MTV stars.

[Ram27]

you don't become as big as 96 by pivoting to what other people do better than you do, though. SP has always interwoven the trends of the day to their records, but it was clearly most successful in the early 90s

the stage setup is a fucking bummer. it's all so overdone. i always hear bands wanting to play to a click for...i dunno, tightness, consistency, some bullshit. it always comes off as placid. same with the no amps. slick for slicknesses sake even tho half the fun of alt rock is that it's gritty and real

[smashingjj]

The No Amps

[GreenDogGlynis]

Going to rock concert and not being able to hear the guitars is the worst. How does Billy make these decisions? Is it about preserving his hearing?

[GreenDogGlynis]

Originally Posted by Ram27

you don't become as big as 96 by pivoting to what other people do better than you do, though. SP has always interwoven the trends of the day to their records, but it was clearly most successful in the early 90s

the stage setup is a fucking bummer. it's all so overdone. i always hear bands wanting to play to a click for...i dunno, tightness, consistency, some bullshit. it always comes off as placid. same with the no amps. slick for slicknesses sake even tho half the fun of alt rock is that it's gritty and real

At least its nice to see them playing without their stage costumes

[incubator]

The click was fine for the shiny tour. Allowed them to sync with the visuals easier and, along with the low stage volume, it probably made it a lot easier for the band. They’re not the well oiled, well practiced, near psychically linked band from the 90s. I’m sure having everything at a steady, predictable pace and being able to hear everything helped a lot.

[jakobtheliar]

Were the 2007 pumpkins tighter than the OG lineup?

[Oklahoma Sexual]

Originally Posted by jakobtheliar

Were the 2007 pumpkins tighter than the OG lineup?

The 2007 Pumpkins were such a bore I left the show during 33 to smoke a cigarette. And so did a lot of other fans. They seemed tight but it was phoned in. It's been a version of that ever since

[enthusaroo]

Originally Posted by smashingjj

I enjoy my bed and its comfortable pillow and sheets thank you very much

please don't shit the bed

[enthusaroo]

Originally Posted by Oklahoma Sexual

The 2007 Pumpkins were such a bore I left the show during 33 to smoke a cigarette. And so did a lot of other fans. They seemed tight but it was phoned in. It's been a version of that ever since

I saw them in 2009 and hung out with Jeff and Jimmy for a few minutes earlier in the day (saw them at a music instrument shop).. and the set wasn't too boring. Billy jumped on one of the large speakers at one point in the show.

[enthusaroo]

I listened to these songs in a car for the first time today.. god damn they sound like shit.. all of them.. put on something different instead

[run2pee]

Very confused about the choice to add this constant stabbing shriek of female backing vocal on some of these bits of tracks.

Makes me think of bad cgi


When we asked Corgan to give us his take on the current state of pop music, he offered this unforgettable comparison: "Pop is just porn now—it's just people competing for c*m shots."

[run2pee]

with the promise of

[run2pee]

It’s like artificial. Creepy. Like i picture big willies got his fave 3 real dolls propped up in his lil home studio (always locked) and he’s got em wired up to scream in between everything he sings. And he’s just pattin em gently on the various wigs of their (painstakingly designed) heads, dancin round with his lil wireless sm58, wearing only his fuzzy bathrobe doin his lil big willie giggle around the room like “omf this is gonna killem”

[Gooch]

Originally Posted by New Art Rioter

At least the 4th or 5th album where everyone around him has said how amazed they are by it

I think by now it’s just the natural aging of the fact that billy got rid of every one who didn’t praise him and his work and now there’s no one left to say anything else besides “wow billy this is the bestest!” Because they’ve learned that if they actually said how they really feel Bill would no longer invite them to his Christmas party anymore.


Same with James and Jimmy - they’ve learned to just shut up, feed his ego, and cash the check.

[Shadaloo]

This is called PR

Same shit as when any band describes their albums has having "A little of everything we've accomplished so far" or "Longtime fans will recognize some effects which" blahdeblah

Don't take any of it seriously

[houseofglass11]

Run to me that post was fkn gold

[brothahi4L]

Who in gods name is excitiey about the album?
People start bashing on any site, even youtube about the firection and weakness of the songs.

I guess it is the final album after bullzi has received a 3 star review

[run2pee]

Originally Posted by YA5H

The new music for me is A. A band that survived the 90's and are still alive. B. I don't want an album that sounds likes SD. C. I like the Pumpkins because every album from Gish to Machina is different. I also loved the future embrace more than most fans and really enjoy electronic SP/Billy, it goes very well with his unique voice. I'm curious for the other 16 songs. None of us can make a complete decision on this album by hearing less than a quarter of the songs.

Thanks YA5H, this helps. So seems like it’s more about the idea to you of big willie still doing differnt styles music than it is an attraction to the actual sounds?

Gotta say i’m with u in that i don’t mind TFE either, but it’s hard for me to see a link to that album in these new sounds. To me, TFE sounds rich with layers/ideas, plus has this haze or mist of blessed subtlety helping the whole weird thing to cohere. And there was still some bits of what came across as tru emotion, left there in the vocal delivery.

This new stuff to me doesn’t have any subtlety or emotion. It’s like hard, aggressive, cold. And i cannot for the love of so help me connect with omg these friekin vocals from big willie. It’s like automatic NOPE the instant he comes on the track

[run2pee]

Originally Posted by Funbags

I feel a connection with what it's like to live in these hell times and be searching for something real.

Holy shit Funbags, so like u hear or picture big willie searchin round these hellish tracks for or with you?

Like it was the gloom of your own dirty bedroom and he’s picking up socks with u helping checking with a sniff can we wear them again for this brand new day in u guessed it hell?

Hehe. That’s fun. Thanks for that, maybe i’ll give big willie a spin again next time im only 9/10 suicidal

[Joey Goldberg]

Originally Posted by brothahi4L

People start bashing on any site, even youtube about the firection and weakness of the songs.w

what's a firection? an erection of fire?

[brothahi4L]

Whereas thom yorke learned to bury his whiney unique voice in the mix , billy is up front with a much more unique but front annoying voice.

Bury it

[Joey Goldberg]

i love ma sista SO

[Ram27]

she dun smuthuh me

[FoolofaTook]

Originally Posted by Joey Goldberg

you've picked up something truly sinister out East

im in konya, bruh. whole city shuts down at sunset.

later this month tho, imma be in antalya. will do my best to get as many diseases as possible.

[FoolofaTook]

on a related note, i know exactly what a "fire erection" is