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Billy Corgan, the guitarist.

pirlo21pirlo21 Posts: 534
edited November 2007 in Other Music
Although I've always been a big Pumpkins fan, I understand that they're not everyone's cup of tea.
Corgan can be a bit of a prick at times, and his voice is a bit of an acquired taste.
But I was wondering how highly people rate him as a guitarist. I don't know enough about the technicalities of the guitar playing to fully understand if someone is okay, good or great.

I've always appreciated the sounds he makes, but am interested in other people's views.
Cymru Am Byth

PJ albums, at the moment!! -
1,Vs 2,Vitalogy 3,No Code 4,Yield 5,Ten 6,Backspacer, 7Pearl Jam 8,Binaural 9,Riot Act.
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Comments

  • ScotInAmsterdamScotInAmsterdam Posts: 1,004
    he's a pretty amazing guitarist. His largest skill(and probably his most under rated) is in his orchestration of the guitar/guitars. It's comparable to hendriks. Think of it as the order in which he places the notes in a chord.
  • pirlo21pirlo21 Posts: 534
    Orchestration, that's a good word. That's what it feels ike listening to his guitars. An orchestra.

    I was also wondering, if he sounds good live on the axe. Or is it all studio enhanced?!!
    Cymru Am Byth

    PJ albums, at the moment!! -
    1,Vs 2,Vitalogy 3,No Code 4,Yield 5,Ten 6,Backspacer, 7Pearl Jam 8,Binaural 9,Riot Act.
  • ScotInAmsterdamScotInAmsterdam Posts: 1,004
    I've only seen them twice(once in a small hall once in a big hall) and they did a pretty good job both times. . I've seen billy once solo, but there wasn't much guitar. With the pumpkins, he knows what he's doing, it doesn't necessarily have the intricate denseness of the studio stuff, but he does a good job of covering this up with good use of volume. If you go to msn(eeeeeeugh) there's a recent live conert interspersed with a very very annoying advert. It will give you an idea of what they can do:

    http://msninconcert.msn.com/music/SmashingPumpkins/nl-be/artist.aspx
  • darthvedder88darthvedder88 Posts: 1,023
    Billy Corgan is infuckingcredible at guitar!!! Just listen to "Here is No Why," "Cherub Rock," and "Tarantula" and you'll understand.
    "Darth Vader would say 'Impressive'."

    -Eddie Vedder

    6/24/06 Cincinatti, Ohio
    6/14/08 Manchester, Tennessee
  • pirlo21pirlo21 Posts: 534
    Cheers guy. Like I said, I've always thought he was incredible with a guitar. But just don't know enough about it to know for sure how talented he is.

    As long as you like what you hear, that's all that matters right?!

    Off to see Pumpkins in Manchester next Feb, be my first live Corgan experience!
    Of my musical heroes during my school days (and still today if I'm honest!), I've seem Mike Patton, Eddie Vedder & Chris Cornell in the last 12 months and they were amazing. C'mon Billy, yor turn to shine now!!
    Cymru Am Byth

    PJ albums, at the moment!! -
    1,Vs 2,Vitalogy 3,No Code 4,Yield 5,Ten 6,Backspacer, 7Pearl Jam 8,Binaural 9,Riot Act.
  • darthvedder88darthvedder88 Posts: 1,023
    I saw the Pumpkins twice in October. Saw them at X-fest in Noblesville, IN, and then I had front row at the Columbus, OH show.
    "Darth Vader would say 'Impressive'."

    -Eddie Vedder

    6/24/06 Cincinatti, Ohio
    6/14/08 Manchester, Tennessee
  • MLC2006MLC2006 Posts: 861
    he's a good guitarist. but I think the reason he is not more appreciated as a guitarist is that most of SP's songs are written as entire songs and not around riffs. like with say Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, or Metallica, their most memorable songs are written around hooks and riffs.

    like if you ask a casual listener to name 5 Pearl Jam songs, it's probably going to be 5 songs that have memorable riffs instead of 5 songs that don't have a lot of riffs, like many of the songs off PJ's more recent albums.

    I can't really think of a lot of "riffs" in SP. maybe "Zero" or "Cherub Rock". but there aren't a lot of riffs that stand up above their songs or riffs that their songs are written around.
  • prytocorduroyprytocorduroy Posts: 4,355
    Listen to Geek USA. Best guitarist of the 90s.

    He writes incredible solos alongside killer riffs. He has his own incredible tone, and it shows very well on each album. I'd actually argue he has a different tone each album, but in a way that you know it's him playing without knowing the song/band.

    And if you listen to Adore, you can't deny his talent is goes beyond the guitar.
  • stateoflove79stateoflove79 Posts: 2,845
    Billy Corgan is a great guitarist. Just listen to almost all of MCIS and Siamese Dream. His acoustic playing is simply beautiful too.
    Is it so wrong to think that love can keep us safe?
  • Carlos DCarlos D Posts: 638
    Anything on Siamese Dream is just amazing,if you listen to songs like Hummer,Soma or Mayonaise everything is just perfect about them.I'm not a good guitarist myself so I don't know how to use the technical terms to say that he's brilliant but it's the intricate way he plays that makes him great.His playing was good on all the albums but Siamese Dream in particular is wonderful just because of how subtle and melodic he is about playing guitar.
    It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
    But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

    www.bebo.com/pearljam06
  • itsevobabyitsevobaby Posts: 1,809
    i love that pumpkins guitar sound, such a deep, sonic sound. love billy's solos too, heaps of wah, lots of layers. couldn't give a fuck if it's technically good or not, my ears like it.
    Look Alive,
    See These Bones
  • pearlzepfanpearlzepfan Posts: 456
    I saw the pumpkins in october this year, and I've never seen better guitar playing then when Billy played 1979 solo. Incredible
    "I'm a thief, and I dig it"
  • danedane Posts: 1,062
    As a non-guitarist I can only say that it sounds as if he is very skilled.
    Saw SP for the second time a few months ago in Copenhagen. Both times Billy has been amazing. Don't know all the technical terms, but he seems to be able to combine very noizy riffs with the harmonic tunes. He can come straight out of a highpitched screeming note, that makes wanna buy earplugs and right into a soft tone, that gives you goosebumbs.

    Most ppl can agree that he is a strange fellow, but I don't get all the critique he's getting. Ppl say his lyrics are childish and too simple. I don't think so. They're just simple rock n' roll lyrics (some of them at least). Keeping the message simple and letting the guitar speak is a big part of the whole rock culture, isn't it? They can't all be Eddie :D
    So if he's able to control his ego, I think the pumpkins will be around for long time.

    I'm seeing them again in february and I can't wait.
    Roskilde 30-06-00
    Berlin 23-09-06
    Copenhagen 26-06-07
    :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
    "This is not wine that I'm drinking tonight. This is Gatorade!" EV-Copenhagen 26-06-07
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    Soma
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • newwetkojaknewwetkojak Posts: 62
    noone mentions "gish"?

    jeezus.

    that album destroys everything billy ever even thought of doing.

    the more he opened his mouth and the more rightously tortured his lyrics became, i bailed out. can't stand him.

    but gish and siamese dream and a decent chunk of mellon collie are very good to fucking amazing.
  • jsk175jsk175 Posts: 70
    I've only been playing guitar for about 2 yrs now and I suck, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Let me first say that SP may be my favorite band of the 90's with PJ of course, but I don't think Billy is anything special as a player. As a song writer and arranger I think he is brilliiant and may be one of the best ever, as a guitar player average. As a beginer Ive noticed that alot of there stuff is major chords and power chords, nothing really to complex. Don't get me wrong I know they have complex stuff, but there's no way I would put him with people like Hendrix, Clapton, Page, or even Trey and Dave Matthews are better guitar players, but what the hell do I know.
  • deadnotedeadnote Posts: 1,678
    i like the singles pumpkins best
    set your laughter free

    dreamer in my dream

    we got the guns

    i love you,but im..............callin out.........callin out
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