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Zeitgeist (Smashing Pumpkins album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Zeitgeist | |||||
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| Studio album by The Smashing Pumpkins | |||||
| Released | July 6, 2007 | ||||
| Recorded | August 2006 – February 2007 | ||||
| Genre | Alternative rock | ||||
| Length | 52:22 | ||||
| Label | Reprise | ||||
| Producer | Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, Terry Date, Roy Thomas Baker | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
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| The Smashing Pumpkins chronology | |||||
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| Singles from Zeitgeist | |||||
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Zeitgeist is the sixth commercially-released studio album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Zeitgeist was released on July 6, 2007 in certain countries and on July 10, 2007[1] in the United States and Canada. It is the first studio album The Smashing Pumpkins have released since their 2000 disbandment and 2005 revival. The album was recorded entirely by Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin.
Contents |
After the Smashing Pumpkins disbanded in 2000, Corgan and Chamberlin reunited for the short lived supergroup Zwan, also featuring members of Slint, Chavez, and A Perfect Circle. The group released one album, Mary Star of the Sea, before dissolving in 2003. Chamberlin then formed The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, while Corgan released a solo album, TheFutureEmbrace. On the day of that album's release in June 2005, Corgan announced his plans to "renew and revive" the Smashing Pumpkins. Chamberlin soon announced that he would be rejoining the band, and the two began living together in north Scottsdale, AZ in November 2005, writing and rehearsing new songs. Within three weeks of practicing, the pair decided they had recaptured the sound of the band and prepared to record a new album.[2]
With the other two band members absent, Corgan and Chamberlin decided to record the album alone, which Corgan claims is not a serious departure from previous Pumpkins albums.[3] After the songs were finalized, Chamberlin laid down all of the drum tracks. Notably, the drums for the ten-minute track "United States" were recorded in one take.[4] After the drums were complete, Chamberlin began the process of interviewing prospective touring band members, while Corgan went about recording the guitar, bass, keyboard, and vocal parts.[4] Chamberlin described the recording sessions as a "long laborious process to greatness".[2] For the first time on a Pumpkins record, Chamberlin served as one of the producers, and was present and influential through much more of the recording process than he typically has been.[5]
The band's insistence on recording live to tape, without click tracks or digital audio editing, was met with distaste by most producers they spoke to.[6] One executive at Reprise suggested using American Idiot producer Rob Cavallo, in the name of commercial success.[6] The band held out until they met someone willing to record analog, and with the right energy and philosophy, eventually choosing producer Roy Thomas Baker, who they considered a musical "soul mate."[6] The album was largely recorded in the home studio of former Catherine drummer (and D'arcy's ex-husband) Kerry Brown, on the same 24-track tape recorder that 1995's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was recorded on[3]—in fact, no computers whatsoever were used for the recording of the album.[7] As with the other Pumpkins albums, Zeitgeist was recorded in twelve-hour days, six or seven days a week, until it was finished.[3]
In early December, four alleged demos from the sessions were released on file-sharing networks, though these were revealed to be a hoax. Spin later reported that they were recordings by British band Amy Blue, where the band's frontman, Simon Chatterman, said that his band had been "toying with the idea of pissing off a few file sharers" and "thought it would be funny to upload [their] EP as the Smashing Pumpkins and [with titles] from Corgan's poetry book, Blinking with Fists."[8]
On April 20, 2007, the official track listing was announced.[9] "Tarantula" was announced as first single available for airplay between 21/22 of May.[10] However, KROQ broadcast the world premiere on May 18. On May 21, 2007 the single was released on iTunes for the United States, followed by the United Kingdom and Canada the next day.
The track "Doomsday Clock" appeared on the soundtrack of the film Transformers. On June 19, 2007, the track was released to iTunes.[11] On July 2, 2007, the entire album was posted on Muchmusic for free streaming.[12]
Jimmy Chamberlin explained the Pumpkins' goals for the album:
| “ | The mindset of the record was to put our best foot forward and not get too artsy. We wanted to try to create a body of work that was concentrated enough to bring back a fan base and invigorate a new fan base. We kept it pretty close to the chest, and we didn't branch out too deep into art zone while we were writing the record.[5] | ” |
Billy Corgan said the albums' goals were threefold - to make an accessible, mainstream rock record, to comment on the "emerging fascist" political climate of the United States, and to explore the nature of his band and his friendship with Chamberlin.[3] Although Corgan has, in the past, said a political slant from the Pumpkins would be "not right",[13] Zeitgeist stands as the most overtly political work ever released by the band or Corgan himself, which Chamberlin attributes to the band's interest in the music and life of Fela Kuti.[5]
Corgan's mantra for the drum recording was "Shuffle!", which Jimmy Chamberlin resisted, but which eventually resulted in two songs on the albums with shuffle beats.[14]Regarding the aggressive drumming on the album, Chamberlin observes that "the world is ready for something with some balls behind it."[5]
The song "Bleeding the Orchid," about the commercial exploitation of the early-90s alternative rock movement, was deliberately styled after the music of Alice in Chains, a band that Corgan now greatly admires.[14]
The Smashing Pumpkins performed live for the first time since 2000 on May 22, 2007 in Paris, France. There, the band unveiled new members Jeff Schroeder and Ginger Reyes, who took over rhythm guitarist and bassist duties, respectively.[15] Lisa Harriton completed the line-up on keyboards and vocals. The first leg of the tour visited music festivals throughout Europe, including Pinkpop and Rock am Ring, and included several solo appearances as well. The band debuted nine songs from Zeitgeist at these appearances, in sets that blended old and new.
The American leg kicked off with a sold-out, nine-day residency at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina, on June 23, 2007. These performances continue the balance of new songs with some of the more familiar works from the back catalog, with a few obscure songs thrown in. In July, the Pumpkins performed at Al Gore's Live Earth festival, followed by an eleven-day residency at The Fillmore in San Francisco, CA.
After a return to Europe for the Reading and Leeds Festivals, the Pumpkins returned stateside and continued touring until mid-November. It has been confirmed that they will be heading back to Europe for a third time in the beginning of 2008.
Zeitgeist debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, selling 145,000 copies in its first week.[16] It also reached the top spots on Billboard's Internet Albums and Rock Albums charts in its first week, and hit the top 10 in Canada (#1), New Zealand (#1), the U.K. (#4), Germany (#7), Australia (#7), and other countries.[17] Nonetheless, the album has not had staying power on the charts, and currently stands as the least successful of all commercially released official Pumpkins albums.
Zeitgeist has received mixed reviews, indicated by a score of 59/100 on Metacritic.[18] Some negative criticism of the album has stemmed from the absence of half of the original lineup, with Pitchfork Media's Rob Mitchum suggesting the name was revived for "cash or attention or both."[19] Q's Paul Rees commented that "at least half of Zeitgeist is made up of grinding songs that amount to riffs, pummelling and little else," and that Zeitgeist's emotional range is "limited and wearing", but praised Chamberlin's drumming, stating that he "remains one of the most powerful drummers in rock."[20] In addition, Modern Drummer proclaimed that the album contains "Chamberlin's greatest drumming ever put to CD."[5]
However, the album has garnered higher marks from other sources, such as ratings of 4/5 from Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, and Uncut. Positive reviews have downplayed the personnel changes, pointing out Corgan's dominance over songwriting and music throughout the band's history. The album was praised by April Long of Uncut magazine for its energy and retention of the Pumpkins' "signature goth-metal-shoegaze sound."[21]
On May 6, 2007, four photographs of the album booklet artwork were leaked on Netphoria, a Smashing Pumpkins fan message board. The band management soon released a statement to the media stating the photos are "stolen goods" that should not be posted on the Internet.[22] Later in the week, the alleged thieves were identified as Joshua Kuhl and Simon Brown, both 21. The Chicago Police announced that 39 photographs and three guitar picks were stolen, although only 4-6 of those photographs were leaked online. The two were held on $100,000 bond.[23] Asked about the band's predicament, a Chicago Police officer commented, "They were pissed."[24] The alleged thieves have since been released from incarceration, sentenced to community service and probation.[citation needed]
On May 16, 2007 the band's official website published an official album cover made by Obey Giant graphic designer and illustrator Shepard Fairey: a red, black and white illustration of a drowning Statue of Liberty, positioned in front of the sun that is setting/rising. Fairey, whose credits include creating anti-war posters and the poster art for the feature film Walk the Line, commented on the album cover:
| “ | I think global warming is an issue that is currently relevant, time sensitive, and a symptom of the shortsightedness of the U.S. As a broader metaphor, the drowning Statue of Liberty, a revered icon of the U.S., symbolizes the eminent demise of many of the ideals upon which the nation was founded. Civil liberties, freedom of speech, privacy, etc. have been decreasing since 9/11. The sun in the image could either be setting or rising and this ambiguity shows that there is still hope to turn things around... The U.S. is the dominant global force. When things are going wrong in the U.S. they are probably going wrong around the world. I think this image conveys both the U.S. situation and its larger global implications. | ” |
Billy Corgan commented, "Like a great artist can do, Shepard had summed up very simply a lot of complex themes. He also used the type font from our very first single, and I asked him about it and he had no idea. He was just on point."[25] Fairey also remarked "I use red frequently because it is a visually powerful, emotionally potent color. Red gets people's attention. In this case there is the added possibility that the red liquid could be blood, giving it an even more sinister sense of foreboding."[26] The red color of the artwork was changed for most of the special edition releases.
- "Doomsday Clock" – 3:44
- "7 Shades of Black" – 3:17
- "Bleeding the Orchid" – 4:03
- "That's the Way (My Love Is)" – 3:48
- "Tarantula" – 3:51
- "Starz" – 3:43
- "United States" – 9:53
- "Neverlost" – 4:20
- "Bring the Light" – 3:40
- "(Come On) Let's Go!" – 3:19
- "For God and Country" – 4:24
- "Pomp and Circumstances" – 4:21
- "Death from Above" – 4:06
- "Stellar" – 6:22
- "Zeitgeist" – 2:49
- "Death from Above" – 4:06
- "Neverlost" – 4:20
- "Stellar" – 6:22
- "Ma Belle" – 4:08
- "For God and Country" – 4:24
- "Pomp and Circumstances" – 4:21
Zeitgeist was released in multiple special editions. Three American versions had unique bonus track each, but were exclusive to iTunes, Best Buy, and Target. This move was criticized by Pitchfork Media[27] and Rolling Stone.[28] It is unclear whether the band or the record label chose to release the album in this manner, however it should be noted that some of the other recent releases on Reprise have been released in a similar fashion. In October 2007, less than four months after the album's release, Best Buy released an exclusive reissue of Zeitgeist that included three bonus tracks (one exclusive) and a DVD.
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The following songs were written for Zeitgeist but did not make any version of the released album.
- "Gossamer" - currently being played on tour. Its debut at the first Paris show indicates that it was written during the Zeitgeist sessions, but this is not confirmed. Ranging from 15 to 35 minutes, it's the longest song currently played regularly by the Pumpkins. Billy and Jimmy confirmed in an August 2007 interview that this song was recorded live at the Fillmore and will be released at some point.[38]
- "Signal to Noise" - covered by Matt Walker's new band, The Most Dangerous Race, for the Myspace cover album project.[39] This cover also appears on a compilation tribute CD to the band by the German magazine Visions.[40]
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | US Billboard 200[41] | 2 |
| 2007 | New Zealand RIANZ Album Charts[42] | 1 |
| 2007 | Canadian Album Charts[43] | 1 |
| 2007 | UK Album Charts[44] | 4 |
| 2007 | Irish Album Charts[45] | 5 |
| 2007 | Switzerland album charts[46] | 5 |
| 2007 | Italy album charts[46] | 5 |
| 2007 | German Album Charts[47] | 7 |
| 2007 | Holland album charts[48] | 7 |
| 2007 | Australia album charts[49] | 7 |
| 2007 | Portugal album charts[50] | 7 |
| 2007 | Brazilian Top 30 Albums[51] | 21 |
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Tarantula" | US Billboard Hot 100[52] | 54 |
| 2007 | "Tarantula" | Modern Rock Tracks[52] | 2 |
| 2007 | "Tarantula" | Mainstream Rock Tracks[52] | 6 |
| 2007 | "Tarantula" | Latvian Airplay Top[53] | 13 |
| 2007 | "Tarantula" | Hot Digital Songs[52] | 44 |
| 2007 | "Tarantula" | Irish Singles Chart[54] | 44 |
| 2007 | "Tarantula" | Mainstream Pop 100[52] | 50 |
| 2007 | "Tarantula" | UK Singles Chart[55] | 59 |
| 2007 | "Doomsday Clock" | US Billboard Hot 100[52] | 97 |
| 2007 | "Doomsday Clock" | Mainstream Pop 100[52] | 81 |
| 2007 | "That's the Way (My Love Is)" | Modern Rock Tracks[52] | 23 |
| 2007 | "That's the Way (My Love Is)" | Mainstream Rock Tracks[52] | 32 |
| 2007 | "That's the Way (My Love Is)" | UK Singles Chart[55] | 94 |
- Billy Corgan – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, piano, producer, mixer, photography
- Jimmy Chamberlin – drums, producer, mixer
- Terry Date – producer (tracks 4,8,10,11), recording (except tracks 6,9)
- Roy Thomas Baker – producer and recording (tracks 6,9,12), additional production (tracks 5,12), mixer
- Bjorn Thorsrud – recording (tracks 1,2,3,5,7,12), mix assistant
- Vanessa Parr, Noel Zancanella – mix assistants and assistant engineers
- Chris Owens, Kevin Mills, Alex Pavlides, Zephyrus Sowers, Bo Joe, Davey Rieley – assistant engineers
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Bruce Dickson, Justin Corrigan – photo shoot art supervision
- Christina Wagner – photo shoot producer
- Matt Taylor – package art direction and design
- Shepard Fairey – cover art, back cover design
- Cynthia Obsenares – photo shoot costume design
- Amber Griffin – photo shoot hair and makeup
- Kristin Burns – "in studio" photos
- Linda Strawberry – "in studio" photo-illustrations
- Will Knapp – editing
- Jared Paul, Devin Sarno, Rob Gordon – executive producers
- Janelle Lopez – associate producer
- Bruce Dickson – studio footage
- On the Scene Productions, Inc.; Vision Istanbul Prod. Services; Speedway Films – interview footage
- P.R. Brown – director, "Tarantula" and "That's the Way (My Love Is)" videos
- Kristin Burns, Lisa Johnson – still photographers
- Ginger Reyes – bass, vocals
- Jeff Schroeder – guitar, vocals
- Lisa Harriton – keyboards, vocals
- ^ a b SMASHING PUMPKINS. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
- ^ a b Jimmy Chamberlin and Billy Corgan. Audience Q&A, Gotischer Saal, Zitadelle Spandau; Berlin, DE Interview. 2007/06/05
- ^ a b c d Chamberlin, Jimmy and Billy Corgan. (Interview subjects). (2007-10-30). Inside the Zeitgeist [DVD]. Reprise Records.
- ^ a b FMQB Productions & Reprise Records (July 2007). Inside Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist (Audio) (in English). Press release. Retrieved on 2007-07-27.
- ^ a b c d e Micallef, Ken. "The Evolution of Jimmy Chamberlin: Still Smashing!" Modern Drummer, November 2007.
- ^ a b c "Smashing Pumpkins". XM Artist Confidential. 2007-07-10. No. 64.
- ^ Chamberlin, Jimmy and Billy Corgan. (Interview subjects). (2007). MSN In Concert: The Smashing Pumpkins. Reprise Records, MSN Music.
- ^ Goodman, William (2006-12-11). Exclusive: Smashing Pumpkins Imposters Unmasked? (http). Spin.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
- ^ Cohen, Jonathon (2007-04-20). Smashing Pumpkins Settle On 'Zeitgeist' Track List. Billboard. Retrieved on 2007-05-10.
- ^ FMQB: Available for Airplay. FMQB.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-05.
- ^ IGN Music (2007-06-07). Transformers Soundtrack Hits July 3rd (http). IGN.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-09.
- ^ First Spin: Smashing Pumpkins. MuchMusic.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-13.
- ^ Marks, Craig. "Zero Worship." Spin Magazine: June 1996.
- ^ a b Chamberlin, Jimmy and Billy Corgan. (Interview subjects). (2007). Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist Track by Track (Flash Video). Reprise Records. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.
- ^ Cohen, Jonathan (2007-04-22). Smashing Pumpkins Return To The Stage In Paris. Billboard.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
- ^ Hasty, Katie (2007-07-18). T.I. Holds Off Pumpkins, Interpol To Remain No. 1. Billboard.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
- ^ Pumpkins debut at #2 on Billboard Top 200!. Smashing Pumpkins. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ The Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist (2007): Reviews. Metacritic.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-13.
- ^ Mitchum, Rob. Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist: Pitchfork Record Review. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
- ^ Rees, Paul. "Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist". Q #253. August 2007.
- ^ Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist - Review - Uncut.co.uk. Uncut. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
- ^ Phillips, Amy (2007-05-08). Smashing Pumpkins Robbed, Thieves Jailed. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2007-05-10.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (2007-05-09). Smashing Pumpkins Robbed — Plus, Has New Lineup Already Been Revealed?. MTV News. Retrieved on 2007-05-10.
- ^ Smashing Pumpkins Thieves Charged. Contact Music (2007-05-09). Retrieved on 2007-05-10.
- ^ The Smashing Pumpkins team with Shepard Fairey for Zeitgeist cover.. The Gauntlet (2007-05-16). Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
- ^ Cohen, Jonathon (2007-05-16). Smashing Pumpkins Unveil 'Zeitgeist' Artwork. Billboard. Retrieved on 2007-08-06.
- ^ a b c d Smashing Pumpkins to Fans, Indie Stores: Fuck You. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
- ^ Former Beatles Storm The Charts, Lauryn Hill Possibly Eventually Releasing A New Album, And More. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
- ^ Zeitgeist (Limited) (7/10) - CD. Best Buy. Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
- ^ Zeitgeist [IMPORT [EXTRA TRACKS]]. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
- ^ Zeitgeist (Amazon Exklusiv-Edition incl. Bonus Track Death From Above). Amazon.de. Retrieved on 2007-06-20.
- ^ Zeitgeist: Hmv Exclusive Sleeve. HMV. Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
- ^ Zeitgeist. iTunes Australia. Retrieved on 2007-07-01.
- ^ 'Zeitgeist' Erscheint In Vier Versionen. Intro.de. Retrieved on 2007-06-25.
- ^ Zeitgeist: Uk version (purple). Ozphoria. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
- ^ Zeitgeist re-release at Best Buy on Tuesday October 30th. SmashingPumpkins.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ Zeitgeist Exclusive - CD. Best Buy. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ Ask A Pumpkin: Billy & Jimmy answer!. YouTube. Retrieved on 2007-09-06.
- ^ Myspace Creates Smashing Pumpkins Tribute Compilation. SmashingPumpkins.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
- ^ All Areas Special: ZERO – A Tribute To Smashing Pumpkins. Retrieved on 2007-07-13.
- ^ Pumpkins Can't Dethrone Billboard King T.I.. Mtv. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
- ^ Top 40 Albums - 16 July 2007. RIANZ.nz. Retrieved on 2007-07-17.
- ^ Reunited Pumpkins Smash Charts. Canoe.ca. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
- ^ Top 100 Albums Chart - Chart Week Ending Date 21/07/07. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved on 2007-07-17.
- ^ Top 100 Individual Artist Albums. IRMA.ie. Retrieved on 2007-07-17.
- ^ a b Top 40 Albums - 18 July 2007. SmashingPumpkins.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
- ^ MTV Germany Album Top 50. MTV.de. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
- ^ Top 40 Albums - 18 July 2007. SmashingPumpkins.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
- ^ Australian Top 50 Albums - 23 July 2007. ariacharts.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ Artistas e Espectáculos 2007 - Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa - Semana 30. Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ^ Brazilian Top 30 Albums - 6 August 2007. Hot100Brasil.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Artist Chart History - The Smashing Pumpkins. Billboard.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.
- ^ Latvian Airplay Top 50, 2007.07.08. Lanet.tv. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.
- ^ >> IRMA << Irish Charts - Singles, Albums, & Compilations >>. Irma.ie. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.
- ^ a b The Official UK Charts Company : TOP 100 SINGLES CHART. theofficialcharts.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.
- ^ Sanity.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-07-10.