William Patrick Corgan is no stranger to band failings, mishaps and breakups, having been through the demise of all three of his former groups and all under so-called “cloudy conditions.”
He has, however, also tasted widespread success with Smashing Pumpkins, selling about 18 million albums and having multiple top singles.
It should come as somewhat of a shock that his latest record, albeit heavily hyped, probably won’t be enough to rekindle the attention or fanbase the Smashing Pumpkins held onto for a large chunk of the ’90s.
The title of the latest Smashing Pumpkins release, Zeitgeist, is more than appropriate, but probably not for the reasons Corgan was thinking.
The origin of the word is German and literally translated means “time ghost/spirit” or, more loosely, “the spirit of the age.” It symbolizes the intellectual and cultural climate of an era.
Smashing Pumpkins released its sixth studio album on Reprise Records (how appropriate) on July 10, with first single “Tarantula” already in heavy radio rotation.
This is the group’s first album since the 2000 disbandment, minus one James Iha, one D’arcy Wretzky, and one Melissa Auf der Maur.
This is not the Pumpkins that fans “Adore”-d this past decade. In fact, Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, who joined Corgan for his short-lived supergroup side project, Zwan, are all that remain of the original group.
They are also the sole performers on the multi-dimensional record (easy enough when artists in the studio can record one musical layer of a song at a time).
It would appear that Corgan thinks he is the basis of Smashing Pumpkins, and he’s probably right. After all, who else has that signature awkward wailing “geek-goth” voice?
Corgan’s demeanor reeks of self-assurance bordering on conceit, while his voice sounds like an unsure, insecure and humble plea for attention.
In fact, he could probably go solo if he took the time to learn the drums. Then he could get rid of Chamberlin and rename the band “Smashing Pumpkin.”
Sarcasm aside, Corgan stuck to a five-man formula for the group’s inevitable live tour, joined by an additional guy and two girls.
Jeff Schroeder assumes his spot as back-up guitarist to Corgan’s lead, Ginger Reyes takes her spot as bassist and Lisa Harriton is on keyboards, with all three providing backing vocals as well.
The Pumpkins frontman has received widespread criticism from those who feel he is just looking for fame and money in reforming the famous band with only one other original member.
He has also received praise and rave reviews from some who downplay the absence of veteran members and instead focus on Corgan’s standout songwriting and adherence to the group’s signature electronica-metal-shoegazer sound.
It seems as if different subject matter is weighing on Corgan’s mind nowadays. On this record, he abandons his longtime favorite subject — poetic, emotional inner-confessions — in favor of a militant assessment on religion, politics and the state of our union.
“For God and country I’ll fight, for God and country I’ll die, for God and country my soul is alive,” Corgan confesses on track 11, aptly titled “For God and Country.”
“United States,” a nearly 10-minute long rant that goes through several musical stages, has the potential of pushing the envelope to its breaking point but doesn’t quite make it.
Corgan continually repeats the idea of “revolution” against a background of ironically familiar-sounding bassy percussion beats and tired, repetitive guitar riffs. A revolution it is not.
Unlike virtually every other past Pumpkins album — particularly Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness — Zeitgeist is without any particularly standout tracks.
In fact, the over-played rhythmic headbanger’s anthem “Tarantula,” the song which is the most reminiscent of past Pumpkins, is markedly the best track on the record, which isn’t saying a whole lot.
It sort of sounds like it might be the perfect tune for a cheesy quick step routine on “So You Think You Can Dance.”
Track two, “7 Shades of Black,” is a slow and haunting song that reeks of bad love poetry (“fall in hate with me”) set to a melodramatic, heavy and slack modern rock background that conversely borders on breathtaking.
Corgan unleashes his inner Tony Iommi on the ninth track, “Bring the Light,” and track 10 “(Come On) Let’s Go!”
Both are catchy and almost instrumentally impressive, sneaking in as contenders for halfway decent tracks on the record.
“Starz” is a welcome celestial departure from the prevalent political subject matter of many of the other songs (“born of love and cast in light, don’t you know we cannot die, we are stars, we are”), and a halfway decent, haunting tune that sounds a little like past single “Tonight, Tonight.”
Zeitgeist ends with “Pomp and Circumstances,” a sleepy, floaty, bass-heavy tune that would be perfectly at home on airport or elevator speakers, as with nonsensical jazzy, xylophone-tinged track “Neverlost.”
Both are the spectral opposites of heavy, bursting-onto-the-scene ominous opening anthem “Doomsday Clock.”
Bottom line: Zeitgeist is a mediocre attempt at a ground-breaking comeback, and probably won’t revive the Pumpkins or sustain the group from another inevitable eventual breakup.
“I never felt so good and right, but tonight you’ll never need another sound … I never felt so real and loved and alive, no shadows follow me unsung,” Corgan wails on “Bring the Light.”
We’ll see.
Rating: 5 out of 10
Now hear this: “Doomsday Clock,” “7 Shades of Black” and “(Come On) Let’s Go!” are worth a download.
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