Okay, yes, I have dedicated a couple of blogs recently towards comments made by Billy Corgan, frontman of the Smashing Pumpkins, and former head of Zwan.
Obviously, if you read those blog entries, you will know that I was less than impressed with what Corgan had to say about other bands, and his own place in the music world.
But it occurred to me that I had not even actually mentioned what bothered me most about all those things that he had to say.
So, let me go ahead and say it now.
You know what really pisses me off about this whole thing?
When members of Pearl Jam or the Foo Fighters speak out, generally speaking, it is on things that matter. Songs of protest, as well as speaking out more generally on issues that matter. issues that impact everyone out there, such as the ridiculous, farcical invasion of Iraq, or torture and abuses. Trying to elect somebody better that what we have in the White House.
Again, things that matter, and are relevant to everyone, even if you do not agree with them. They are obviously interested in much more than themselves, or stoking the flames of their egos. They are real people, and even if they broke it big with their musical success, and are no rich and famous, you can see that they never lost touch with who they were and where they came from. They seem truly appreciative, truly grateful, to have been blessed with all that they have clearly been blessed with.
I was there, and saw Dave Grohl get hit in the head with a flying object on stage many years ago, and he simply laughed it off, and said "Good shot!"
I was there, and saw Pearl Jam get booed off the stage when they protested against a then very popular President Bush, when it was not yet the "cool" thing to do. Everyone kept saying that they were in it for the popularity, but they did not back away from taking a strong and clear stance on issues that matter, which is more than I can say for most of the bands out there.
However, Billy Corgan far too often focuses on himself and obvious ego trips like this one. In the same paragraph that he disses Pearl Jam, he also mentions other musicians, including Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Kinks, that he obviously feels a certain kinship with, and implies that he is in that same category. All while going out of his way to undermine Pearl Jam.
Now, I know, and love, much of the Smashing Pumpkins material. Granted, I am one of those people that he likely would not take as a serious fan. I have not kept up with them since the nineties so much. I saw them in 1996, when they were supporting the brilliant Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness double album. Saw Corgan with Zwan in 2002, and saw the Smashing Pumpkins again in 2007 for the Live Earth concert. I only got the one Zwan album when they first came out, although that was not a long-lived project. Seeing the Smashing Pumpkins on stage again in 2007 after all of those years was great, and they were one of the main acts that I wanted to see.
Lyrics are important to me, and I always enjoyed his lyrics, as well as their music. They had some truly great stuff! They were one of the bands that I felt I could relate to.
Which is why it fills me with a certain sadness to see him give in to such egotism, and to focus on things that really do not matter - namely, his petty judgments. That is a side that I would rather not see, and if anything about it really pisses me off is that, if anything, it will detract from my ability to enjoy Smashing Pumpkins music without remembering how bitter and petty and filled with transparent jealousy Corgan is!
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