Busy Billy Corgan

Ever one for grand statements, Billy Corgan recently announced that the forthcoming Smashing Pumpkins record will, in fact, be a series of songs released free via the internet, sold as veryvery limited edition EPs, and eventually collected into a boxed set album. While most of his fans would just be content for a lot less grandeur and bombast at this point, Corgan hath decreed that the 44 songs of Teargarden by Kaleidyscope will somehow tie in with the Tarot characters and represent the human journey of life.

In all seriousness (and while I can't help but be skeptical about this project), I have to admire Corgan's approach to releasing his new work. Given the record industry's continuing efforts to shoot itself in the head, his plan to give away music in hopes of luring fans to buy the collections serves as another example of creative ways to show fan appreciation while also trying to make a living from music (Radiohead, NIN, and even His Name Is Alive have also shown great ideas). Many music fans were disappointed with Corgan's recent appearance in Congress to support one of the RIAA's recent attempts to kill its own industry (though the idea of artists/authors getting paid for their music to be paid on the radio isn't necessarily bad in and of itself), so the current project news should be especially welcomed.

One last piece of news: On 09/09/09, Mr. Corgan launched "Everything From Here To There," a website dedicated to thoughts on spirituality and "Mind-Body-Soul/Spirit integration" in particular. Topics so far include Jesus Christ, lunar phases, the Wizard of Oz, war/fighting, and The Beatles. The site might be summed up by one of its best phrases so far, "my new found affinity for God and His Magic Kingdom."

A brief editorial: My generation is steeped in sarcasm, irony, and skepticism. That's who we are. Most of our writing reflects that, and I'm no exception. The recent trend of "New Sincerity" (or whatever you want to call it) notwithstanding, most of us can't help but love jokes at the expense of those who dare honesty and sincerity, something most of us are either afraid of or have no idea how to pull off ourselves. With that in mind, I really do honestly admire what seems like genuine sincerity on the part of Mr. Corgan, even when it comes off as "a bit much" or appears to just ask for mockery. He could have long ago taken the route of easily jaded alt.rock star and chosen more predictable paths, but no matter what else I enjoy or don't enjoy, I admire this particular aspect about him. I think what won me over more than anything was his appearance on the final episode of "The Bozo Show," where he sang "Forever Young" amidst the clowns.