[HereandNow]

Smashing Pumpkins actually changed my life in ways which I still do not understand to this day. I cannot describe the deep life changing internal transformations that occured within me when I first started listening to their music. I know it sounds a bit crazy but it is true.

Are they just a band to you whose music you enjoy listening to or are they more then that to you? Have they changed your life in any way and if so how have they changed it?

[ninsp]

They are more, they changed my life and literally made me into who I am today. That's why I'm sad to see the state of the Pumpkins now.

[SarcasticHead]

They are much more...

Like ninsp said, they made me into who I am today

But why are you sad to see the state of the Pumpkins now ?

I think they're doing a great job

[jaggedjunkie21]

Definitely more than just a band. They have helped shape me to being who I am today. Billy inspired me to pick up a guitar and challenge myself as a songwriter. I wouldn't be a musician had it not been for the Pumpkins. I listen to them more than all other bands/ musicians combined in my music library (kinda sad, I've been told actually).

[metocusheadocus]

yeah they are more than a band

[dreamelectric]

More. I think everyone will say more.

[TimeIsNeverTimeAtAll]

They are a fantastic band that I discovered at a key point in my life so I'm grateful for all the great music they've given me.

However they don't give me the spiritual / psychedelic experience that I feel when I listen to Animal Collective.

[MisterSquishyHalo]

They are just a band, in the past it might have been more though.

[christistat]

More now than ever.

[Mablak]

Oh, certainly more than a band. More like a corporation. A business even. Possibly a pyramid scheme.

[wolfgang]

Pyramid scheme? That's a little reaching ...

[WayneArnold]

yes, the pumpkins did a bit of that, but in my case there is a lot lot more...really a lot, a whole lot more!

Another friend of Billy's!

[infinite_happiness]

The fact that I think about going to see them play in the UK again every couple of days says enough.

[zmark12]

They are more than a band. Billy's music has had such a positive impact on my life. I told him that when I met him and he was really humbled... it was cool.

[kittycult]

definitely more.
can you possibly call it unconditional love? you may want to hate...but you just cant. not completely at least. the band + billy have been a big part of my life and will stay that way.

[maybecrazy]

I don't know where I would be without the SP. They are part of who I am. They are a huge component of my life. I honestly don't know if I would want to continue living if I went deaf or something and could never listen to them again... that is a fear of mine.

(Well not just SP, but all of Billy's music).

[sirbill]

Never heard of Smashing Pumpkins. However the group known as The Smashing Pumpkins represent a place to me on the space time continuum where galactic forces come together to create a zone of "non-sucking".

[JTristesse]

This thread is FTL

[Osceana]

Definitely more. I'm not sure any other band that I like I would consider more than just a band, at least not in the same way as SP.

[BellaRosaFiora]

However the group known as The Smashing Pumpkins represent a place to me on the space time continuum where galactic forces come together to create a zone of "non-sucking".

Hahaha what a great comment. Worth quoting you on! Thanks for the smile!

The Smashing Pumpkins to me is more, much more...a part of my life, that will live as long as my soul does. My life's experience has created a relation to the expressed lyrics, giving a song its meaning and depth within my soul. The talented musical composition is what gives the song lyrics emotion, life. This power of creation will draw me back to listening to a single song time and time again. It seems the more my life's experience progresses, the more depth I see, feel and understand within the songs. The music is created with depth! Whenever I hear a particular SP song, I know it will bring me back to the place and time in life where I had first heard/related to the song along with all the memories that will spontaneously occur as my life and the music progresses on. I Love Music! Rock On!...and Thank You SP for the Memories!

Ok thats enough of the warm fuzzies.

[mooped]

They are so much more than just a band. I couldn't imagine a day without their music blasting my eardrums on the way to and from work. I was listening to Machina on they way home from work tonight. Blue Skies came on and I thought I don't remember that part, maybe I had missed it previously, I don't know what it was but it was a sweet surprise. They are one of the most versatile bands and a true gem.

[HereandNow]

This thread is FTL

That is just plain lazy. What does FTL stand for?

[soulofbass]

the pumpkins are just a band, their music only music, but what their music means to me can transcend that definition.
has their music transformed my life? lets just say things might be different without the pumpkins but if they hadnt reached mainstream and no one discovered them id probably feel the same way about another band. in the end its my own choices and my own interpretations that lend meaning to the art, and not because the band themselves are something "more" which implies some thing "extra ordinary"
know what i mean?

[Dawn2Dusk]

Much more, after 13 years in my life, they're a part of me

[HereandNow]

the pumpkins are just a band, their music only music, but what their music means to me can transcend that definition.
has their music transformed my life? lets just say things might be different without the pumpkins but if they hadnt reached mainstream and no one discovered them id probably feel the same way about another band. in the end its my own choices and my own interpretations that lend meaning to the art, and not because the band themselves are something "more" which implies some thing "extra ordinary"
know what i mean?

As a matter of fact I think I do.

[PastaofMuppets]

This is silly. My following arguement could apply to just about any quote from this thread, but I shall use this one:

Definitely more than just a band. They have helped shape me to being who I am today. Billy inspired me to pick up a guitar and challenge myself as a songwriter. I wouldn't be a musician had it not been for the Pumpkins. I listen to them more than all other bands/ musicians combined in my music library (kinda sad, I've been told actually).

How does this make them any different from any other bands? Many people feel the same way about My Chemical Romance and the likes, does that make MCR "more than a band"?

No, they are just a band who are highly regarded.

[WayneArnold]

This is silly. My following arguement could apply to just about any quote from this thread, but I shall use this one:
How does this make them any different from any other bands? Many people feel the same way about My Chemical Romance and the likes, does that make MCR "more than a band"?

No, they are just a band who are highly regarded.

But the question is are they just a band TO YOU. Obviously the thread is still silly, but you know how that goes.

[rhinowing]

They are more, they changed my life and literally made me into who I am today. That's why I'm sad to see the state of the Pumpkins now.

this is pretty much spot on

[yteahx]

to me the smashing pumpkins are the hope that your dreams are possible, even if you are a beaten dog with no money or prospects... sort of like rapping for hood kids.

billy's confessions are just as important as the music for me.

[Fire Dragon]

HereandNow, on 08 February 2009 - 02:13 PM, said:

Smashing Pumpkins actually changed my life in ways which I still do not understand to this day. I cannot describe the deep life changing internal transformations that occured within me when I first started listening to their music. I know it sounds a bit crazy but it is true.

Are they just a band to you whose music you enjoy listening to or are they more then that to you? Have they changed your life in any way and if so how have they changed it?

They helped me through some difficult times during my teenage years, so yeah they're more than a band to me, or should I say Billy Corgan's songwriting ability rather than the band means more to me. I think it's the way that he can encapsulate so many emotions that we have all felt in our lives, the way he can express himself through his music so openly and honestly at times. There will always be a special place in my heart for the Smashing Pumpkins. They are the only band that I have continued to listen to throughout all of the changes in my life.

[werideatdusk]

The journey of WPC through the music has been the real inspiration... all his highest hopes and lowest fears manifested into some of the most lavishly produced and highly memorable music I've ever heard.

He has challenged himself to present his most beautiful dreams to the world and to show us to believe in ours.

At the same time he has examined the meanest and most decrepit aspects of his self and challenged us to examine our own psyches.

The sideshow of his public persona has been a decidedly mixed bag but it ultimately is a part of the package. I choose to focus on the music with the context of the band/Corgan drama taking a backseat.

But really it's about the full journey and I respect all parts of it 1986 to 2012 and counting. I think it does a disservice to the artist to just ignore the recent stuff because it doesn't live up to how you think it should be.

Short answer MORE THAN A BAND

[_Revolution_Blues]

Much more. I only discovered the band 11 or 12 months ago, and already i feel a connection with this band like no other. Before pumpkins, i was a huge green day and then iron maiden fan, they were just bands to me even though i loved them. Their music soon grew stale and now i think they are both sub par bands and i couldnt give a shit what happens to them, maybe thats a bit too harsh...


I haven't listened to all the pumpkins songs in this year, but from the hundreds of songs i have heard, ive listened to them dozens of times each, no song gets boring, each song tells its own story, each album passes the next in greatness (apart from poor old zeitgeist). I listen to them 2 or 3 times a day, a few songs at a time, just unbelievable music that i am so greatful for hearing last april for the first time, they are a band for life.

[HypnoRaygun]

Way more than just a band. I see them as something different. The only other longest "relationship" I've had is with my family. Who else has been "Friends" with someone since 1991..? Of course I don't mean I'm friends with the band, but once that album or song is released, a person has some type of relationship with it. On a small or large scale. I played my Gish cassette constantly not knowing if they would ever release anything else or not. Their music, concerts and musical items have definitely changed and influenced me. :rofl:/>

[lucciola]

About ten years ago, following a period of intense immersion into Machina I and II and a nasty bout of soul searching, I broke up with my fiance, quit my job and moved to Italy. I blame Billy. Lucky for both of us it all worked out for the best.

Many artists have colored my thoughts and opinions, but maybe only one or two other musicians have had such a clear and direct influence on my personal life.

Thanks, Bill! :D/>

[ZivotSon]

Having discovered the Pumpkins around 1992, and having them be by far my favorite band in the 90s, I'm always rooting for Billy, as I had a deep connection to his songs. It doesn't matter to me what name he uses or that former members, none of whom want to be in the band anyway, are gone.

The main issue I have is that for the past ten years, his music hasn't been up to par, at least not compared to his best work. In particular, his best new songs just don't compare to his best older songs, and I don't mean the singles, as those were rarely his best songs.

So in response to your question, I want them to be more, but right now they just aren't. I was 28 when SD came out, and on first listen I was thinking "I've been waiting for this record my whole life. This is my band." I felt that way through Machina, but to keep feeling that way now I would just have to live in the past, and I don't view life that way.

So I'm hoping Oceania brings that all back for me or at least heads in that direction.

[high5]

ZivotSon, on 19 April 2012 - 10:14 AM, said:

So in response to your question, I want them to be more, but right now they just aren't. I was 28 when SD came out, and on first listen I was thinking "I've been waiting for this record my whole life. This is my band." I felt that way through Machina, but to keep feeling that way now I would just have to live in the past, and I don't view life that way.

So I'm hoping Oceania brings that all back for me or at least heads in that direction.

So, what are you trying to say here?

The way I took it is that since the new releases don't jolt you the way 1988-2000 SP did that you can't say they are "more than a band." But that doesn't make any sense. By that logic, any band that isn't active can't be "more than a band."

I'm not trying to be a dick, but I can't make sense out of your post. Try again.

[HereandNow]

Well this has been quite an interesting moment for me as I very nearly answered my own question. I saw the question, thought - that is a brilliant question, and was about to write a full length answer until it I realised this is was my question from 8 February 2009 which has surprisingly resurfaced over three years later. I don't even have any recollection or memory of writing this. What was I doing on 8 February 2009? I think I was a happier person then, I must have been drunk when I wrote this question. I want to be the person I was then, this is quite an emotional experience.

[davidp2007]

While there is certainly more to life than The Smashing Pumpkins, they have had a significant impact on my life. Their music has helped me through hard times (like many others), they have inspired me creatively, and brought me together with some great fans in various ways.If it weren't the band breaking up originally, I'm not sure when I would have made it out to Chicago. I fell in love with the city and I ended up going to school there.

[Inertia]

More than just music. This band is an emotional experience that always taps into my deepest feelings better than anyone else. Now I can understand the darker side of life rather than shunning it away thanks to the Pumpkins.

[Elphenor]

They are for sure more, I don't know how I would have survived some of my previous years without them...

[lucciola]

HereandNow, on 22 April 2012 - 01:33 PM, said:

Well this has been quite an interesting moment for me as I very nearly answered my own question. I saw the question, thought - that is a brilliant question, and was about to write a full length answer until it I realised this is was my question from 8 February 2009 which has surprisingly resurfaced over three years later. I don't even have any recollection or memory of writing this. What was I doing on 8 February 2009? I think I was a happier person then, I must have been drunk when I wrote this question. I want to be the person I was then, this is quite an emotional experience.

Nice. :)/> It's a gift when this happens. How They Met Themselves.