Posted 04 May 2012 - 04:59 AM
Just to touch on a few things I've read...
The Rose March is indeed dry vocally, and the la la la's piss me off. Still, it contains one of the few lyrical highlights of the 2007-2010 era:
"I'll lay roses at your feet,
Till you decide,
That there is something great in you"
Certainly would be a classic, had it been altered just slightly and sung with either the emotion of the original band, or even the emotion he has been showcasing this past tour.
Stellar is one of the few other highlights of the era for me.
And G.L.O.W. would never have been a hit back in the day. It would have been instantly shit on. Instrumentally, it was great. Vocals lifeless, though. Not to mention the lack of lyrical content or any true direction. Part of what drew people to SP in the 90's was how they strayed from the norm. Here you had this alternative rock band with this edgy, obscure sound. A sum of their influences, rolled in a new base, and granted a spot in the scene all their own. The fact that this intelligent rock band was creating absurdly emotional music in every sense of the word, with lyrical prowess abound, dead-accurate guitars and monstrous drums was nothing short of extraordinary. Other bands were doing just as good, but the Pumpkins truly were one of a kind within their respective era. To quote Wikipedia (though I hate to, it sums it up pretty well), "Frontman Billy Corgan is the group's primary songwriter—his grand musical ambitions and cathartic lyrics have shaped the band's albums and songs, which have been described as "anguished, bruised reports from Billy Corgan's nightmare-land".
What about G.L.O.W. screams that? Pretty sure there is a difference here. Since you want to compare new & old so bad, let us do just that. Take Zero. What you say to be the 1995 twin of G.L.O.W.
"my reflection, dirty mirror
there's no connection to myself
i'm your lover, i'm your zero
i'm the face in your dreams of glass
so save your prayers
for when we're really gonna need 'em
throw out your cares and fly
wanna go for a ride?
she's the one for me
she's all i really need
cause she's the one for me
emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness
and cleanliness is godliness, and god is empty just like me
intoxicated with the madness, i'm in love with my sadness
bullshit fakers, enchanted kingdoms
the fashion victims chew their charcoal teeth
i never let on, that i was on a sinking ship
i never let on that i was down
you blame yourself, for what you can't ignore
you blame yourself for wanting more
she's the one for me
she's all i really need
she's the one for me
she's my one and only
Now, G.L.O.W.
"'m so alone
i'm so alone, i'm thinking
i'm so alone, i can't get old
i'm so alone
i'm so alone, i can't get off of you
fool, you love yourself
fool, you love yourself and no one else
the bitter root of self
come on, baby
no time for maybes
one last trip to hell
come on, come on, come on, can you feel it?
come on, come on, come on, can you feel it?
low in you
slow in you
it's that glow in you
"
No need to quote all of G.L.O.W. It just repeats itself. Such poetic devices in that one!
You can't even compare the two vocal performances, either. Zero may not be a fan favorite (it is for me), but many will not deny the power in his singing within that track. Such angst, and what does G.L.O.W. offer? Powerful drums, a killer bass line, and some great riffs. An excellent instrumental arrangment, but not much else. Zero has all that, plus much better lyrics and emotionally engaged vox.
Now, I am not saying that you can't like G.L.O.W. or any of the music from the new incarnation. That is stupid. Everyone has their opinion. All I am trying to point out, is that there is a very clear reason as to WHY so many fans criticize the 2007-2011 studio material, and trust me, it isn't because we have yet to understand it.
For the record, as I've stated on several occasions, I have high hopes for Oceania. I truly love the 6 songs we have heard live, saw them live, all that. There is no doubt in my mind that this record will be Billy's return to form. However, I became a fan before they reformed, and fell in love with near all of the 1988-2000 material. When Zeitgeist came out, something was missing. Some great live cuts strewn about that screamed of the SP I loved, such as 99 Floors, Orpheus Descending, Peace & Love, As Rome Burns, The March Hare, Gossamer...but the studio tracks left a LOT to be desired. The longing in his voice was now null & void in his system, the lyrics seldom pure & inspired, and the production flawed. The same carried over with Teargarden, albeit executed slightly better.
I do miss Jimmy's drumming, but tracks like Oceania, My Love Is Winter and Pale Horse prove to me that his heart & soul never left, they were merely subdued. Now, if only the production is as good as he says, then we'll be set.
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V_____, on 02 May 2012 - 05:58 PM, said:
