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Smashing Pumpkins 'Do An Ash'

Billy Corgan's alt-rock mercenaries have announced plans to become a singles band.


If releasing an album online is "doing a Radiohead", then 90s alt-rock gods Smashing Pumpkins are "doing an Ash", by announcing plans to concentrate solely on single releases in the future.



Billy Corgan, the band's iconic frontman, has ralied against modern music fans in a typically outspoken interview with the Chicago Tribune.



"There is no point" said Corgan of making albums. "People don't even listen to it all. They put it on their iPod, they drag over the two singles, and skip over the rest.



"The listening patterns have changed, so why are we killing ourselves to do albums, to create balance, and do the arty track to set up the single? It's done."



The band, who achieved success in the 90s with albums such as Siamese Dream and the epic double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, returned last year after a long break with new record Zeitgeist.



Despite good reviews and healthy sales, the band's erratic live shows have been widely criticised. Corgan has chosen to blame fans for the poor reception:



"We found with Zeitgeist that the alternative audience isn't alternative anymore. They're a pop audience that listens to Nickelback. So doing a 10-minute song, nobody will listen to it."



Corgan has promised to go back to basics: "We have to come up with singles like 1979 (click to watch)."



He has also ruled out gimmicks, vowing not to do "something embarrassing like working with Timbaland."



 



 



 


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  • Tom

    12-Dec-2008

    Tom

    "We have to come up with singles like 1979"...? Corgan is right about the nature of alternative music, but sadly it's the oldest gripe in the book and it just sounds a bit sad. Especially when coming from a man who a few weeks previously spent ten dignity-sapping minutes on stage trying to get a rise from the crowd, comparing them to a needy ex-girlfriend. It saddens me to see one of my musical heroes in such a way and I fear that these comments might just be symptomatic of the poor response to Zeitgeist, a Smashing Pumpkins record in name only.

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