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Billy Corgan--still a wanker after all these years
otis mcfluster
Posts: 536
Billy proves his douchebagery once again in an interview with RS: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/19801847/corgans_fury_exclusive_qa/
Rolling Stone: Artists are finding their own ways to get paid outside of the major-label system, like the Eagles with their Wal-Mart deal, Madonna signing up with Live Nation.
Billy Corgan: I think it's really difficult for the young artist, who doesn't have at least some sense of a pathway. For example, if you were a kid today and you're looking at the bands who are successful right now, you think, if you don't sort of sell out and let somebody make you a star, go on American Idol, then you can't be successful. Alternative culture is really critical towards introducing new ideas. We need those young bands to push old band like us, to push new boundaries. We need our butts kicked regularly. That's where all the energy comes from, from the bottom. And when the message on Amy Winehouse is drama is better than music, and for Radiohead publicity is better than music -- no disrespect to them. But I think it's a bad message to young bands of how to make it happen. It's almost like the evil stepchild of the rap bling-bling thing, like, the only way to make it work is I've got to come up with a gimmick.
Radiohead's publicity is better than their music?--OK Billy.
But as stereogum.com points out: letting Wal Mart and Target pimp your shitty Zeitgeist album is apparently totally kosher in "alternative culture."
Rolling Stone: Artists are finding their own ways to get paid outside of the major-label system, like the Eagles with their Wal-Mart deal, Madonna signing up with Live Nation.
Billy Corgan: I think it's really difficult for the young artist, who doesn't have at least some sense of a pathway. For example, if you were a kid today and you're looking at the bands who are successful right now, you think, if you don't sort of sell out and let somebody make you a star, go on American Idol, then you can't be successful. Alternative culture is really critical towards introducing new ideas. We need those young bands to push old band like us, to push new boundaries. We need our butts kicked regularly. That's where all the energy comes from, from the bottom. And when the message on Amy Winehouse is drama is better than music, and for Radiohead publicity is better than music -- no disrespect to them. But I think it's a bad message to young bands of how to make it happen. It's almost like the evil stepchild of the rap bling-bling thing, like, the only way to make it work is I've got to come up with a gimmick.
Radiohead's publicity is better than their music?--OK Billy.
But as stereogum.com points out: letting Wal Mart and Target pimp your shitty Zeitgeist album is apparently totally kosher in "alternative culture."
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I thought the world...Turns out the world thought me
No, they don't.
It's true.
That's just a song title in the making right there.
...signed...the token black Pearl Jam fan.
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Despite all his rage he is still just a wanker today!
Fucking.
Brilliant.
...signed...the token black Pearl Jam fan.
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oh...btw...he never claimed that they weren't at fault...he just acknowledged that this is the way it is...it is all about publicity.
My opinion of Billy really changed, for the better, during an interview he had on Sirius a few years back (he was on air for a couple of hours). He talked about this then as well. He also talked about how a label loves you when you sell say 6 million albums. Then you follow up and sell 6 million more albums...then 10 million. Your next album sells say 5 or 6 million and they want nothing to do with you. He explained that if your sales drop it is a career killer, which is why it is so hard to evolve and try new things as a band.
I have always loved his music, but did not think much of him. My opinion was changed after that.
And I won't make the same mistakes
(Because I know)
Because I know how much time that wastes
(And function)
Function is the key
Exactly. I read so much about the album's marketing, and then it suddenly occured to me that I hadn't read a single review of the album.
I agree with most of what he said, the record industry is virtually clueless to what the consumer wants.
Point is, Radiohead was bypassing the traditional record industry marketing. They weren't proliferating a "gimmick" to sell records. Billy's lame ass implication is that Radiohead was more concerned with publicity and gimmicks, rather than producing quality, innovative music. In my mind nothing could be further from the truth. It is hard to think of another band more progressive, that "push the boundries", and drives innovation more than Radiohead. I see nothing wrong with their efforts for make their music accessible.
Billy Corgan is the prototype of regurgitating the same tired shit from album to album, and attempting to pass it off and market it as a new fresh Smashing Pumkins sound.
To lump Radiohead in the same line of thinking as American Idol marketing and selling out is delusional at best.
~Radiohead did it because they could afford to do it.
~Reznor/NIN did it because he could afford to do it.
~Radiohead's album is far superior than the publicity received for their method of distributing it.
~The methods used by the established, high quality, mega-successful band/artist shouldn't necesarily be the blueprint for the barely known/unheard of, struggling newbie.
~Smashing Pumpkins is a waste time and no longer qualifies as music...if it ever did, which it never did to me.
...signed...the token black Pearl Jam fan.
FaceSpace
The quality of the last Pumpkin's record doesn't have anything to do with what he's saying. I think with Adore and Machina he's proven he has been willing to take chances with his career.
...signed...the token black Pearl Jam fan.
FaceSpace
Based on your point by point analysis up there, I don't think you (or several other people in this thread) do.
Perhaps your opionion is based on the entirety of the RS article; mine is on the paragraph that initiated the thread because I don't have enough interest in Corgan/SP to read any further than that.
Still I understand what I read and have formed my opinion thusly. Winehouse and Radiohead/drama and gimmick. No talent there whatsoever, I guess.
Quit whining about the irrelevant and make your damned music. Times change; move on or get left behind.
But that's just me.
...signed...the token black Pearl Jam fan.
FaceSpace
Yeah, maybe you should read it again. You obviously do not understand.
I'm far from a Corgan apologist, but he makes valid assertions here that it seems only hailhailrandomnumber and a couple others are seemingly able to grasp, and doing so based on that one paragraph in the initial post. I haven't seen the rest of the article, either. I'll concede that his point isn't stated very clearly, but there is one, and it is not what you are claiming it to be.
It's not your job to sway me or to change my opinion or to make me "see the light" about this or anything else and at the end of the day neither my nor your opinions on this matter are really that important other than to ourselves.
...signed...the token black Pearl Jam fan.
FaceSpace
If you had read the whole piece, he was talking about making music and his ideas for releasing it. He wasn't whining so much as slagging off the record industry.
But he is still full of his old self importance.
I liked Sharon Osbornes description of him as "a baldy twat in a dress".
The only reason you were much more likely to read about the pay what you want release of In Rainbows is because it was groundbreaking and crossed multiple industry interests. Thus a larger variety of industry focused media outlets were likely to cover it; e.g. business, economics, entertainment, celebrity, music/recording industry, investment, technology, etc.
Corgan clearly critiques Radiohead for using a gimmick to market their music and lumps them among the bling-bling, sell out, and American Idol culture. Which again, is quite comical and ironic considering the ass-hat hasn’t made innovative music in 15 years.
Slagging off/whining; same thing. Keep up, do something innovative yourself or get out of the way.
...signed...the token black Pearl Jam fan.
FaceSpace
And if you read my comment, you would realise that I acknowledged you hadn't read it all - hence the 'if' part!
Billy seems to be fashioning himself some type of intellectual philosopher of sorts these days:
Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has posted the following on Instagram where he describes how a figurative ‘mob’ has attacked him over the years for his contrarian views:
“The most dangerous things in the world are a free mind, a free heart, and free will. Society, or culture (which aren’t always the same, mind you) defines itself through a collective consensus. But far too often throughout history the psychopathic leanings of the mob have been dead wrong. So it isn’t surprising that the mob uses itself to justify an ill-logic, turning inward to ask, ‘aren’t we right in our feeling/belief/suspicion?’ (cue loud, guttural cheer). And by extension that same mob hates, and I do mean hate, that which it cannot control.
For the existence of any contrarian symbol, be it man, woman, bird, or falling duck is that which the mob identifies as threat to its so-called hegemony. So they endeavor to stamp that virus out, only to target the next most dangerous elemental force, and the next, and the next. Continuing on forever until like a snake eating it’s own tale, there are simply no more witches to burn.
And so over a lifetime of wonderings and wanderings I have deduced a pattern that says if I’d only gone along to get along (to abuse the old aphorism) my life might have gone different, or better, or more brightly. I must admit that I even fall into the trap occasionally of this same query. But thankfully I have seen the light on this new moon, falling as it did on my birthday, that the gift that has saved and resurrected me again and again is the treasure of discernment.
And for years I did struggle with the question of how one can both oppose that which attempts to destroy you all while participating in it’s mad game. (Which stands as a larger parable for Life). So note that which opposes your dream and like myself you will detect the stench of the crowd, furious that anything so weak as a lone individual should refuse their math: 2 + 2 equals 5.
No, 2 + 2 equals 4. And my name is William, not Winston.
Last point: if your bias filter is with the mob you will read such thinking as I have laid out here as complaint.
It is not. My heart is free. I am smiling. And I love God.
The ramblings of a madman being not far from the laughter of a child. So God bless you in finding your own rainbows.”
www.headstonesband.com
"Fuck D'arcy and all the people that didn't buy tickets to this tour".
www.headstonesband.com