I kind of saw this coming... from www.Billy-Corgan.net: 'Former Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan confirmed this morning (September 15) that he had disbanded the outfit – which featured former Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain. He told US radio station WGN-Ch 9: "My heart was in Smashing Pumpkins. I really enjoyed my experience with Zwan, but at the end of the day, without that sense of deeper family loyalty, it just becomes like anything else." He continued: "Our attitude with the Pumpkins was, it was a do or die proposition, and that got us through all the hard times we went through, particularly with the Pumpkins where we had two members with serious drug problems." Corgan formed Zwan after disbanding the Pumpkins in 2000. They released one album, ‘Mary, Star Of The Sea’, which went down well with both critics and fans. Corgan is now expected to work on solo material.' Hopefully, the "solo material" will involve Da'rcy, James, and Jimmy....
Damn, I was afraid of this. I had heard or read somewhere that the bassist, Paz Lechantin (sp?) had already left Zwan to do other things (wonder if she performed on the latest A Perfect Circle CD that is out today). The Pumpkins were and still are one of my all-time favorites and maybe they can get back together. I can only dream and hope.
Maybe that's why they broke up. Like Manny, I'm a huge Pumpkins fan. I liked Zwan, but only because of Billy and Jimmy. Oh, and Paz's legs...
im still waiting for the return of the "band" (billy actually played everything except drums) who made gish! the stuff made before billy went goth. the whole "billy w/ a cape" pumpkins stuff is absolutely laughable in comparison.
Paz did not rejoin A Perfect Circle, although she did join them on stage at a recent concert to play violin for a few songs. Something really ironic about A Perfect Circle....Paz left APC and joined Zwan. James Iha, formerly of Smashing Pumpkins, is now a member of A perfect Circle.
Can you say 'control freak'? I love everything up to and including Melloncollie. Everything after that was just weird and not in a good way. Gish and Siamese are 2 of the best albums of the 90's IMO. I'm actually listening to Siamese as I type. Hopefully, Billy will at least include Jimmy on any of his solo stuff.
I agree with you, ima, on Siamese Dream and Gish is pretty damn good as well. Mellon Collie had some brilliant moments, but was a little overbloated. However, I implore you to give "Adore" another chance. I didn't really like it that much at first, but then I listened to it again and couldn't stop listening to it for awhile (same thing that happened with Avril Lavigne ). "For Martha" is one of the most beautiful and heart-breaking songs that I have ever heard and this is coming from someone who really never gets into lyrics of songs.
I don't understand why he had to call it a band (Zwan) when he played everything on the album anyhow. Lenny Kravitz frequently does so, yet he has the same group of musicians who play with him live. Wonder why Billy couldn't be a solo artist with sort of same arrangement instead of using a band name to imply a shared effort among musicians?
I really liked Adore. At lunch I was listening to my tape of the concert that the buzz broadcasted several years ago. I never got in to ZWAN. I just wanted the Gish Pumpkins back.
Today is the greatest....day there ever was. I never gave Zwan a chance. I saw them play on SNL and I was thoroughly bored out of my gore with their performance. I like faster music and all of that slow stuff...even in the Pumpkins...I could never sit through. I was a Pumpkins fan. Never really gave Adore a chance. Was more into their earlier stuff. I started playing Adore the other day and ended up skipping through every song cause I just couldn't meld into that mindset.
Make that three. Adore is very different from what they did previously but is still very high quality. I felt the same about Zwan, it was a totaly different sound but still great music. I'm sure that he comes out with will be some great stuff also, I don't think anybody can write music at the quality and rate he does. I made a tape of that while I was at work and after work talked to a couple of friends who made me copies of it also becasue they didn't know if I'd be record it while at work.
I liked Zwan's (Billy's) album, but this break up doesn't surprise me at all. Like all rock stars Billy's great stuff came in his early 20's and his best music is long behind him now. So true.
the band started to suck when billy started letting iha and darcy play their own instruments. i like siameese dream too, but its not anywhere near gish in terms of hendrix esque pshychedelic guitar riffage. siameese dream is a very sonically cool record though. billy trying to sound like my bloody valentine.
