Smashing Pumpkins - Teargarden by Kaleidyscope

Laphroaig

Full Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
17,900
Location
Gandhinavia
The Pumpkins was the big thing for me in the mid to late nineties, and I can say I'm not ashamed of that. What a great band they were. Billy's been up to a lot of dodgy stuff in the naughties, so I'm not expecting great things from his new/coming album;

I'm happy to finally announce the plans for the new Smashing Pumpkins album. Recording began ... September 15th, 2009 on the new record which will be entitled 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope'. The album will feature 44 songs... My desire is to release a song at a time ..., with each new release coming shortly after until all 44 are out. Each song will be made available absolutely for free, to anyone anywhere. ... We will however sell highly limited edition EP's (of 4 songs each times 11), and details of how those EP's will be made available are still being worked out. Because the songs themselves will be free, the EP's will be more like collectors items for the discerning fan who will want the art itself, along with the highest possible audio quality available. The EP's will be more like mini-box sets rather than your normal cd single. We may also offer other variations for sale, say for example a digital single with a demo version of a song. ... When the entire album is finished, it will be compiled into a deluxe box set which will also be made available for sale. Those who have bought the EP's need not worry, as the box set will not be a recompilation of the limited edition pieces.
Click to expand...

The first release, A Song For A Son, can be heard here. Both Zeitgeist and his solo album were rather indifferent, so although the new song doesn't suggest to me he's returning to former genius, I'll happily settle for something that's simply nice and enjoyable. And this is.

Speaking of great songs, here is one:



Edit: Updated the link, the sound on the mp3 put up on the official site is far better.
 
Nice find. Cheers for posting this. Love the pumpkins - I actually thought Zeitgeist was very good eventually. It was very hard to get into though - took years in fact.
 
Dans said:
Nice find. Cheers for posting this. Love the pumpkins - I actually thought Zeitgeist was very good eventually. It was very hard to get into though - took years in fact.
Click to expand...

Maybe I should give it another go...

I loved them in the 90s, they were the first band I really really got into, I've still got every single they released, every bootleg, every collection of rarities etc., but Zwan were rather insipid, his solo album was poor and the reformed Pumpkins I thought were awful, and I never got into Zeitgeist at all. Nothing close to the range and quality of their mid 90s stuff. Melloncollie is still an amazing album
 
I am gonna have to have a pumpkins nostalgia month. Mellancollie goes in the car tomorrow.
 
You should!

SecondFig said:
Maybe I should give it another go...

I loved them in the 90s, they were the first band I really really got into, I've still got every single they released, every bootleg, every collection of rarities etc., but Zwan were rather insipid, his solo album was poor and the reformed Pumpkins I thought were awful, and I never got into Zeitgeist at all. Nothing close to the range and quality of their mid 90s stuff. Melloncollie is still an amazing album
Click to expand...
Mellon Collie (and Siamese Dream) were instant classics, two tremendous masterpieces.

And one of their strengths was that if you looked beyond the albums you'd find so much hidden gold. Their b-sides were often album quality (like this and that, and the Aeroplane Flies High box set is a must-have; proof 1, 2, and 3), and they put out some brilliant music on soundtracks and other obscure collections, songs like Drown, Eye and Glynis are among my favourites. Oh, and they've a bunch of nice unreleased demos like Jennifer Ever, Chewing Gum and Laugh. And Pisces Iscariot is a lovely album.

I was very optimistic regarding Zwan. Billy and Jimmy teamed up with Pajo and Sweeney who are considerable musicians in their own rights, and judging from bootlegs theyhad a lot of terrific material to work with. It didn't come off in the studio though. Over-produced and poor choice of songs. Some of the same can be said for TheFutureEmbrace and Zeitgeist I feel (although the material was less good to my ears). The nice thing about A Song For A Son is that he hasn't killed it in the studio (like with TFE), and that he doesn't display a pathological need to return to rocking out like the old SP (like on Z).
 
heh, everyones a closet pumpkins fan.

i'm a fan of set the ray to jerry, drown, hummer, most of adore, but yeah, his best songs werent released. Zero and bullet were just a bit crass to be honest.
 
Looking forward to this. His Zwan album was actually on my player for a year or so. Good album for the summer. I agree it was over produced.
 
Scholesgoals said:
heh, everyones a closet pumpkins fan.

i'm a fan of set the ray to jerry, drown, hummer, most of adore, but yeah, his best songs werent released. Zero and bullet were just a bit crass to be honest.
Click to expand...

I always liked Zero and Bullet, but I also loved stuff like Set The Ray, The Aeroplane Flies High, ...Said Sadly, Pennies, Stumbleine etc. - that was what I loved about the Pumpkins around the Melloncollie era, they displayed such range and variety, from the really heavy stuff like Here Is No Why, Zero, Bodies etc. to 1979, covers of My Blue Heaven and songs like Lily or Cupid de Locke...

I also had really high hopes for Zwan, as I'm a big fan of Dave Pajo and Matt Sweeney's work but Corgan just sidelined them both creatively and did his usual ego-trip thing and they ended up as little more than session musicians, which was a real shame because they could have been so much better.

Some personal favourites remain:







But to be honest everything from Siamese Dream through to Machina II was wonderful (though I liked Gish it was never a favourite)
 
One of my favourite songs ever



Rock On on one of their greatest hits albums was bombastic. Apart from that I got all their albums, apart from Zeitgeist. I don't get that one.
 
SecondFig said:
But to be honest everything from Siamese Dream through to Machina II was wonderful (though I liked Gish it was never a favourite)
Click to expand...
Agree with all you wrote. Machina II is a bit annoying just because it could have been an absolutely stunning record had he/they just picked the ten best tracked and released it as one album. I like Machina a lot even though many don't, but some of the tracks on Machina II still felt like some sort of return to form. (Speed Kills, Home, Cash Car Star, Glass' Theme, Lucky 13...)
 
Laphroaig said:
Agree with all you wrote. Machina II is a bit annoying just because it could have been an absolutely stunning record had he/they just picked the ten best tracked and released it as one album. I like Machina a lot even though many don't, but some of the tracks on Machina II still felt like some sort of return to form. (Speed Kills, Home, Cash Car Star, Glass' Theme, Lucky 13...)
Click to expand...

Indeed,

They still had it and it frustrates me that he clearly thought everyone wanted another zero type song when we actually wanted something more eclectic. He's come back with this zeitgeist album which quite frankly doesnt have any of his former eye for a melody and lyrics, instead its almost cookie cutter. I was so disappointed withthat album
 
Updates. Youtube this time, although there are mp3s with better sound quality.

The Fellowship


Freak


Spangled
 
Laphroaig said:
You should!

Mellon Collie (and Siamese Dream) were instant classics, two tremendous masterpieces.

And one of their strengths was that if you looked beyond the albums you'd find so much hidden gold. Their b-sides were often album quality (like this and that, and the Aeroplane Flies High box set is a must-have; proof 1, 2, and 3), and they put out some brilliant music on soundtracks and other obscure collections, songs like Drown, Eye and Glynis are among my favourites. Oh, and they've a bunch of nice unreleased demos like Jennifer Ever, Chewing Gum and Laugh. And Pisces Iscariot is a lovely album.

I was very optimistic regarding Zwan. Billy and Jimmy teamed up with Pajo and Sweeney who are considerable musicians in their own rights, and judging from bootlegs theyhad a lot of terrific material to work with. It didn't come off in the studio though. Over-produced and poor choice of songs. Some of the same can be said for TheFutureEmbrace and Zeitgeist I feel (although the material was less good to my ears). The nice thing about A Song For A Son is that he hasn't killed it in the studio (like with TFE), and that he doesn't display a pathological need to return to rocking out like the old SP (like on Z).
Click to expand...

Are you a netphorian or something?!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.