zeitgeist gets a first review

sasoj

First Impressions: Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist

http://blog.filter-mag.com/filter/2007/04/first_impressio.html

Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist (Reprise)

Release Date: 07/07/07

Tracklisting:

Doomsday Clock [3:41]
7 Shades Of Black [3:15]
Orchid [3:58]
That's The Way [3:44] <- KEY TRACK
Tarantula [3:47]
Starz [3:41]
United States [9:50]
Never Lost [4:13] <- KEY TRACK
Bring The Light [3:35]
Come On (Let's Go) [3:15]
For God And Country [4:51]
Pomp And Circumstance [4:18]
Background:

Produced by Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin, with Roy Thomas Baker and Terry Date working separately on various tracks.
Billed as a "reunion", though only Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin are present.
It's the first Smashing Pumpkins album since 2000's Machina suite. In the interm Corgan has done one Zwan album and one solo album.
First Impressions:

Tracks #1 thru #7 are all aggresive, up-tempo guitar rock except for #4, "That's The Way", which is our guess for 1st single as it's the most "pop" track with a catchy verse and chorus.
"Never Lost" is one of the only ballad-y tracks. Like many of the Pumpkins' classics, it is low-key, but still driven by its composition and melodies. Plus there are strings.
The last two tracks are the only ones which are keyboard driven, with "Pomp And Circumstance" sporting timpani drums, choir-like vocals and squelching guitar.
Corgan's signature guitar tone is still as rich and forceful as it ever was.
As we have seen with the new lineup, Corgan's voice is what (supposedly) defines the Smashing Pumpkins as a band. But, much like in Zwan, here it seems that his natural angst is somewhat artificial and his screaming seems mellow in comparison the Pumpkins of the past.
Prediction:

With the recent commercial success of new bands like Silversun Pickups, it's uncertain whether or not the those outside the core SP fanbase will feel the need to reacquaint themselves with Smashing Pumpkins.

p.s.
who are the silversun pickups?

intodeep

Very cool. Thank you for sharing. I'll be picking this up the day it comes out for sure!

sasoj

will you download the album when it leaks?
i cant make up my mind...
i am gonna go see them on the 16.6 in italy so i would like to
know the new songs...

intodeep

sasoj wrote:

will you download the album when it leaks?
i cant make up my mind...
i am gonna go see them on the 16.6 in italy so i would like to
know the new songs...

I'm not a big fan of downloading leaks. I have always thought there is something special about getting an album the day it comes out.

now it seems there is more excitment and talk about an album the day it leaks then the actual day it is released.

i guess i'm old :(

Pearl Jam and toast

intodeep wrote:

I'm not a big fan of downloading leaks. I have always thought there is something special about getting an album the day it comes out.

now it seems there is more excitment and talk about an album the day it leaks then the actual day it is released.

i guess i'm old :(

I download leaks all the time but I love and respect the Pumpkins so much... I just want to do it the old fashioned way. It's gonna be hard though.

reeferchief

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

I download leaks all the time but I love and respect the Pumpkins so much... I just want to do it the old fashioned way. It's gonna be hard though.

Look at it this way it's still April and there is already a complete version of the album out there, it does'nt get released till July 7th, this thing is gonna leak at least a month before release.

Pearl Jam and toast

reeferchief wrote:

Look at it this way it's still April and there is already a complete version of the album out there, it does'nt get released till July 7th, this thing is gonna leak at least a month before release.

I know. I'll probably cave :(

reeferchief

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

I know. I'll probably cave :(

Tis gonna be a toughie for sure.:eek:

sasoj

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

I know. I'll probably cave :(

i agree

is anyone else pumped up about the 10 min song?
i hope its as good as XYU

darthvedder88

sasoj wrote:

i agree

is anyone else pumped up about the 10 min song?
i hope its as good as XYU

Hell yeah!!! United States is the name of the song...wonder if Corgan's gonna pull a Vedder and go on a political rant!!

western pearl

They review kinda dissappointed me. I guess it was b/c he compared current sp billy to zwan billy :(. Although this is only one reviewers opinion and reviewers' opinions are often shit. I'm still going to be pumped for the release though.

Pearl Jam and toast

western pearl wrote:

They review kinda dissappointed me. I guess it was b/c he compared current sp billy to zwan billy :(. Although this is only one reviewers opinion and reviewers' opinions are often shit. I'm still going to be pumped for the release though.

Sounds like it's going to be for the same crowd as Adore and Machina - pumpkins fans simply put. They've taken an approach sort of like Pearl Jam's in not really caring about what the general public will care for. Just put out what you think is good - and nine times out of ten with an artist of Corgan's calibre the fans will dig the product.

Now look at Linda Strawberry's review.. she's a hardcore Pumpkins fan and absolutely loved it.

prytocorduroy

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

I download leaks all the time but I love and respect the Pumpkins so much... I just want to do it the old fashioned way. It's gonna be hard though.

Well we're gonna get a single on May 15th so that should hold me off till July.

Pearl Jam and toast

danny72688 wrote:

Well we're gonna get a single on May 15th so that should hold me off till July.

Shit I forgot about that. There's no way I'll make it through June.

prytocorduroy

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

Shit I forgot about that. There's no way I'll make it through June.

Yeah I keep reading that line about the opening track being compared to Geek U.S.A. and it's making me so anxious! Oh man even if that's an overstatement I'll be so happy

Pearl Jam and toast

danny72688 wrote:

Yeah I keep reading that line about the opening track being compared to Geek U.S.A. and it's making me so anxious! Oh man even if that's an overstatement I'll be so happy

Well Geek USA is practically perfection so it's almost GOT to be an overstatement to an extent, but nonetheless I peed a little when I read that.

prytocorduroy

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

Well Geek USA is practically perfection so it's almost GOT to be an overstatement to an extent, but nonetheless I peed a little when I read that.

I almost creamed myself
Geek U.S.A. is my favorite.

hendrix78

sasoj wrote:

Corgan's signature guitar tone is still as rich and forceful as it ever was.

This line makes me pretty sure I'll love it.

mrwalkerb

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

Sounds like it's going to be for the same crowd as Adore and Machina - pumpkins fans simply put. They've taken an approach sort of like Pearl Jam's in not really caring about what the general public will care for.

I'm sorry but this is totally wrong, they tried something in Adore that didn't sell backtracked and tried to write a record that people would like in Machina except it was a piece of shit so nobody did and then what happened? "It's a backstreet Boys world" and the fucked off. Billy Corgan broke up the band because people didn't buy the goddamn record. This is as much a smashing pumpkins record as Endless Wire was a who one, sure the principals are there but it's ten years after the fact and who you guys care is beyond me. I used to love the pumpkins but shit after Zwan and billy's solo record I don't think he has much left, I mean Noel Gallagher was a better songwrite IMO and he hasn't doen anything for like ten years either, sometimes people just run out of songs, it happens, it has happened.

Pearl Jam and toast

mrwalkerb wrote:

I'm sorry but this is totally wrong, they tried something in Adore that didn't sell backtracked and tried to write a record that people would like in Machina except it was a piece of shit so nobody did and then what happened? "It's a backstreet Boys world" and the fucked off. Billy Corgan broke up the band because people didn't buy the goddamn record. This is as much a smashing pumpkins record as Endless Wire was a who one, sure the principals are there but it's ten years after the fact and who you guys care is beyond me. I used to love the pumpkins but shit after Zwan and billy's solo record I don't think he has much left, I mean Noel Gallagher was a better songwrite IMO and he hasn't doen anything for like ten years either, sometimes people just run out of songs, it happens, it has happened.

wtf are you talking about? Practically nothing about Machina was accesable to the average person and a lot of Pumpkins' fans hated it - even more than Adore! Just beacuse he wrote a louder record than Adore doesn't mean he was backtracking. AND Machina I and II were fucking spectacular to boot.

Corgan broke up the band because James and D'arcy got sick of him.

reeferchief

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

wtf are you talking about? Practically nothing about Machina was accesable to the average person and a lot of Pumpkins' fans hated it - even more than Adore! Just beacuse he wrote a louder record than Adore doesn't mean he was backtracking. AND Machina I and II were fucking spectacular to boot.

Corgan broke up the band because James and D'arcy got sick of him.

Machina was the hardest pumpkins album to get in to for me, it still does'nt fully click, but I can appreciate it as a whole concept when the mood takes me.:)

Pearl Jam and toast

reeferchief wrote:

Machina was the hardest pumpkins album to get in to for me, it still does'nt fully click, but I can appreciate it as a whole concept when the mood takes me.:)

After about a year and a half of owning it and not listening to it Machina finally 'clicked' with me. Lately, aside from Nick Cave and some other scattered stuff it's all I can listen to (along with II and some b-sides). It honestly feels like when I first 'got' Pink Floyd. Like some amazing new doors have opened up... I think it's incredible.