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streets to say , “ You should really trust us . We have your best interests at heart – don ’ t worry !”
IE : Just like Stravinsky ’ s original ballet premiere , the “ Beguiled ” video features ballerinas and odd costuming and choreography . And again , why can ’ t a modernist rock composer push the boundaries and conjure up a three-act musical with 33 or 44 songs ? BC : Yeah . And that ’ s sort of the challenge , right ? What animates energy ? And I think when you ’ re in a band that has some miles behind you , there ’ s sort of an institutional … what ’ s the word ? Calcification that comes in , sort of like This is what you do , and this is what you represent . And I keep saying , internally , “ No – that is not who we are . We have never been that band , and we will never be that band .” I think that one of the biggest struggles that people have had with us over the years is that the Smashing Pumpkins don ’ t have a particular moral center . Most bands kind of have an identifiable center . And I liken our lack of moral center – or my lack of moral center – to child abuse . When
you ’ re heavily abused as a child , you learn to wear a shifting set of masks to avoid them ever getting to the core or the middle of this argument , right ? When I was under duress in the music business , I learned to do the same thing . I set up just a phalanx of images and distortion , and not very often ; I would let someone like yourself get past all the masks and say , “ Well , this is what ’ s going on .” And what ’ s even more odd for me is , sometimes I would talk about these things , and the journalist would have no interest in them because they were much more fascinated in the masks . Which sort of confirms the point , right ? They ’ re more interested in the artifice than the art . They ’ re more interested in the false impression than the true one or even how a true person can create false art . But when you talk about the video , the video is very much a modern riff on the world we live in , where there ’ s a bunch of dopamine going on , and what does it mean to put all these things under one roof ? And that ’ s exactly the point – we ’ ve somehow established meaning where there is no meaning . We often talk about things , ad nauseam , for 48 hours that 48 hours later have no meaning anymore . The cipher has been completely drained – there ’ s nothing left . We ’ re almost more fascinated with the hunt-kill-acquiredestroy than we are the substance at the heart of the matter , and that ’ s become kind of a cultural thing , right ? So I think it ’ s sort of interesting when you have a band that ’ s been around – and obviously , not continuously – for 34-plus years because people think they know what it is , and the band keeps stamping out the image . I think that ’ s actually more modern than to say , “ No , this is who we are . This is our little corner of the world – we own the Dark , Alternative Goth space .” It ’ s like , Who gives a shit ?
IE : But where , exactly , do you get those fabulous robes made ? BC : Ha ! Well , you call the Fabulous Robe Maker ! I think that ’ s a good way to sum it all up . For me , when I approach a musical motif or a symbol or a lyric or an image , and it makes me uncomfortable , I ask myself , “ Why ?” Like , what is it that ’ s so threatening about this riff or this dress ? Why am I , at 55 , uncomfortable when I should be comfortable ? So I have to ask myself , Where did the energy come from ? And that ’ s a lot of cultures , right ? There
Civic Opera House 2016 photo by Curt Baran
are a lot of things that still make people uncomfortable , but they couldn ’ t tell you why . And I ’ m not talking about a blatant offensive thing that would obviously be offensive if it was shown to them in a movie theatre . I ’ m talking about things that really shouldn ’ t be that difficult , but somehow they are . William Burroughs often talked about how you could take a sentence , and it would be completely non-offensive . But if you re-ordered the words , it would become offensive , so he would talk about how there was a hidden violence in words . And depending on what order you placed them in , the violence would be revealed . So I like finding the hidden violence in things . So I ’ ve always been attracted to that idea – why do people get grumpy about a dad of two young children wearing a dress ? But it still irritates people , and I find that kind of funny . Like , Who cares ? My job will be done when it no longer does , and that ’ s the whole point .
Smashing Pumpkins appear with Jane ’ s Addiction at United Center , Chicago November 5 .
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The track stands out for Stefan Babcock ’ s brutal vocals – he sounds downright demonic for most of it – and for its furious energy . It sounds like the band is attacking their instruments and won ’ t stop pummeling until they disintegrate . Plus , the track kicks off with the band ’ s snarky humor , with Babcock admitting the song gets an iffy response , but they don ’ t care anyhow . PUP Unravels Live in Front of Everyone They Know is a fine release . It ’ s not as good or polished as Live At the Electric Ballroom and the muffled audio quality makes it difficult to listen to . It should be a treat having these live recordings of the best tracks from the new album . Instead , it ’ s kind of disappointing . And unlike their previous live album , this EP doesn ’ t get close to what a PUP show is actually like . But then again , no live album no matter how stellar , is a proper representation of the band live . Guess you ’ ll just have to see them live for yourself .
– Ashley Perez Hollingsworth
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WINGS Wild Life : 50th Anniversary
( Capitol )
After the homespun McCartney and domestic collaboration of Ram , Paul McCartney stepped back toward the familiarity of band work with his third post- Beatles album . Though uncontestably McCartney ’ s vehicle , 1971 ’ s Wild Life was the first release under the Wings banner . The album incorporates the musical personalities of spouse Linda , Ram drummer Denny Seiwell , and former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine . Recorded in just over a week , the album didn ’ t produce a charttopper to match Ram ’ s “ Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey .” The rapid workflow did succeed in McCartney ’ s aim to capture the energy of the live performance , however , with fresh energy in evidence . Linda joins Paul in singing “ I Am Your Singer ” and the tender and devoted “ Some People Never Know .” McCartney ’ s affection for Little Richard bursts from the nonsensical but feral pop of “ Mumbo ,” buoyed by stinging licks from former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine . The loping “ Bip Bop ” is no weightier , suggesting Macca was content to release a few party tracks . A reggae-tinged arrangement of Mickey & Sylvia ' s “ Love Is Strange ” is another charming confection . Bouncy piano ballad “ Tomorrow ” is a hidden gem in the McCartney catalog , and the plaintive “ Dear Friend ” is a moving plea to estranged partner John Lennon . This heavyweight LP was half-speed mastered at Abbey Road Studio .
– Jeff Elbel
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