Music Banter - View Single Post - Your thoughts on Billy Corgan : the Songwriter

listener101 · 02-22-2014, 03:16 AM

My first post !

I've been researching the Smashing Pumpkins and Billy Corgan non-stop for 2 days and thought it's about time to get some genuine insight (and totally uninhibited opinions !) from those who are fans, as well as non-fans as well.

I've always been somewhat neutral about his music though I've always liked and respected 2 songs of his - 1979, and Bullet With Butterfly Wings.

I started my informal research by watching many of his interviews and found him to be quite the personality - very honest, a healthy (!) ego, and consistently intense. He certainly doesn't try to please the interviewer or compromise his true thoughts. I really admire his character.

But the whole Iha/Wretzky falling out seems to be just a bit of bad luck on everyone's part because apparently they didn't contribute much creatively and were just there to play the needed parts on stage ? Also, when the Drummer and the Bass player start doing hard drugs (as opposed to weed & coffee) I find it hard to sympathize.

So he's got (relatively) new band members and I can't really judge whether the needed band chemistry is there or not, yet. Apparently, they are easily technically proficient enough to play their parts live, but again, what about their creative input ? Is it all Billy ?

So this brings us to songwriting : the moment when Billy strums (for example) a C chord, then to a G6 chord on the guitar and starts the first lyrical line, of what might be a song which resonates with many or not. I'm really curious to hear what his next release is, because Ocenania revived much interest, though I'm not sure the caliber of his songwriting is at the level it was at in the 1990's.

Btw, I have no problem ignoring or even liking his idiosyncratic vocal style (which some might find overly whiny and too full of angst) and just paying attention to the bare elements of his songwriting.

So please chime in with any and all of your opinions on Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins, and especially comment on your perspective of him as a songwriter : what do you personally feel are his best songs, his most underrated songs, his songs with the greatest melodic themes, his most original songs, his weakest songs, and what you think he has left in him as a songwriter.

02-22-2014, 03:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
listener101 Groupie Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 27	Your thoughts on Billy Corgan : the Songwriter My first post ! I've been researching the Smashing Pumpkins and Billy Corgan non-stop for 2 days and thought it's about time to get some genuine insight (and totally uninhibited opinions !) from those who are fans, as well as non-fans as well. I've always been somewhat neutral about his music though I've always liked and respected 2 songs of his - 1979, and Bullet With Butterfly Wings. I started my informal research by watching many of his interviews and found him to be quite the personality - very honest, a healthy (!) ego, and consistently intense. He certainly doesn't try to please the interviewer or compromise his true thoughts. I really admire his character. But the whole Iha/Wretzky falling out seems to be just a bit of bad luck on everyone's part because apparently they didn't contribute much creatively and were just there to play the needed parts on stage ? Also, when the Drummer and the Bass player start doing hard drugs (as opposed to weed & coffee) I find it hard to sympathize. So he's got (relatively) new band members and I can't really judge whether the needed band chemistry is there or not, yet. Apparently, they are easily technically proficient enough to play their parts live, but again, what about their creative input ? Is it all Billy ? So this brings us to songwriting : the moment when Billy strums (for example) a C chord, then to a G6 chord on the guitar and starts the first lyrical line, of what might be a song which resonates with many or not. I'm really curious to hear what his next release is, because Ocenania revived much interest, though I'm not sure the caliber of his songwriting is at the level it was at in the 1990's. Btw, I have no problem ignoring or even liking his idiosyncratic vocal style (which some might find overly whiny and too full of angst) and just paying attention to the bare elements of his songwriting. So please chime in with any and all of your opinions on Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins, and especially comment on your perspective of him as a songwriter : what do you personally feel are his best songs, his most underrated songs, his songs with the greatest melodic themes, his most original songs, his weakest songs, and what you think he has left in him as a songwriter.