Billy Corgan on Howard Stern

[Sklashboombash]

Anyone hear the interview today?

http://youtu.be/Z9q0DX9ptxk

Some interesting tidbits.

[NickLorenza]

Listened to it myself.  Now I'm seeing news stories all over claiming he is disrespecting PJ, and Foo Fighters.... You know, it may be the first time I've ever defended this guy, but I personally saw nothing wrong with anything he said.  When I see headlines about what he said I see a media desperate to make a story out of nothing.  A media trying to get you to click a link over what is ultimately advertising dollars, that's all.  The guy stated his opinion, nothing wrong with that in the least bit.  So what if he thinks his music is better than PJ?  Good for him!  There's people who prefer Bach to Brahms, jazz to blues, etc.... Hell, I like my own songs better than most PJ songs.  Does that make anyone right or wrong? No, it's all just opinion and preference.  Corgan also made some really valid points.  He might not like PJ's tunes much which is his opinion and is perfectly fine to have. We all don't have to like them and it's perfectly okay to say so.  He also states a fact though, noting they are still an arena staple, whereas he is not.  I agree in the sense that a lot of their music doesn't connect with me. Sure, some of it does, but I myself much like Corgan don't feel they have the iconic rock god like status in my life which they have with others. I think the one thing I can give PJ is they are the ONLY band of the major four 1990's Seattle bands to have a continuous run all this time.As far as his statements about Foo Fighters go... Again, he doesn't really connect with what they do.  So what?  I'm glad at least someone is saying what they feel about them.  I get that Dave Grohl is a lovable character in the story of rock history and that saying anything negative is just blasphemous to the masses. Again though, there's nothing wrong with not liking this guy's work.  It's all just meaningless opinion.  I personally think the very first album was great! You know, the one with the gun on it.... The one Grohl likes to deny even is an album. Color and The Shape had a few great moments too. Other than that, I can agree with Corgan that I think just about everything I've heard by this band has sounded exactly the same to me ever since about 2003 when they released "One By One" as a single.  About time someone said something.Corgan is right in saying he's experimented and evolved way more than either of those bands.  Doesn't mean I've liked anything he's done past about 1996 or so, but he is right about his musical evolution.  He's also definitely right in indicating that those others have been way more successful than himself doing just what it is they do.  Do I wish Corgan would stop calling his new music Smashing Pumpkins?  Yes, that's my meaningless opinion.  Again, I normally don't defend this guy and haven't liked anything I've heard from him in years; but after some of the news headlines and stories I've read about this referenced interview and after listening to it myself I just feel the headlines lack any substance and are just a means of getting us all to click on them.

[DankoJones]

Its seems if you dont think PJ is great and that.the Foos arent the greatest rock band in the world you will considered an idiot, agree with your post Nick

[Pingfah]

I totally disagree with him about Pearl Jam. They have the songs, they just aren't as creative in their delivery. He's right on the money with Foos though, I like them well enough and buy every album, but they aren't an exciting, innovative band. Grohl is a very solid songwriter though.

For my money every SP album is brilliant, they have been one of the most consistently excellent bands of the last 2+ decades, and that basically is 99% down to Billy Corgan. The rest of the band have never been more than hired guns. So I can't fault him for bigging himself up, he's right about that.

[Down-Plush]

I personally think Dave Grohl and The Foo Fighters, as an entity, are currently the most innovative, interesting, and productive mainstream hard rock band. Grohl has serious vision and his projects materialize well and his execution never lacks. The only thing that they seriously lack in my mind would be amazing song writing. Their writing isn't bad by any means but it's not anything fantastical, just solid. I believe Pearl Jam to be the better song writers and maybe even better instrumentalists in some ways but their output hasn't been as enjoyable. Of course, these are just my opinions. Do I think Corgan has any room to say anything or judge either band or really any band for that matter? No, but it's his opinion and it matters about as little as mine does. I'm not a fan whatsoever though either, so I'm horribly biased. I'm an equal opportunity listener, so I've listened to all their stuff as it's come out over the years, and I can only say that I like a handful of tracks by smashing pumpkins.

Every once in a while, he'll come out and say something in an article or an interview. There are ideas of his that I agree with, but I generally don't see eye to eye with him.

[STP92]

He is on point about the Foos. I think Grohl is super innovative and a great musician, but the band is pretty safe when it comes to albums. Every once in a while, they'll come out with something different like "Rope", but overall not much has changed in their catalogue.

Maybe being an STP fan, I'm harder on other bands when it comes to changing their sound considering how drastically different each STP album sounds.

[NickLorenza]

I think everyone here has made some great statements about the topic at hand.  Props to the guy who started this thread. 


To the guy who said Pearl Jam does indeed have the songs...  I can somewhat feel ya on that to a degree because even though I'm not a huge Pearl Jam fan I can honestly say that there are some tunes of theirs that really do connect with me.  I also want to say, it is of my opinion that something Pearl Jam really always had working in their favor is whoever picked their singles did a marvelous job.  Even on albums that I really didn't like, I always thought the singles were well picked.  The last Pearl Jam single that I personally thought was really strong was "Life Wasted".  So that's going back 8 years to 2006. (God, where did my life go?). "Unemployable", although not a single, always stood out to me from that album as being pretty great too.


And to touch a little further on Grohl, you guys are right, the guy has plenty of vision and is a really talented musician. I just personally haven't really felt a connection to any of his visions in the last 17 years.  I loved the pocketwatch demos more than anything!  Also my love for the first record I think stems even more from the sound of the recordings than it does the actual songwriting. And I happen to really like the writing on that one.  For me it's like once that guy did that "Learn To Fly"record I started losing interest a bit.  The final nail in the coffin for me was "One By One" though.  Since 2003 I've only liked 3 Foo Fighters songs. It makes me sad to say that, and 2 of them were on that last album.  I'm hoping this new record has at least one song I can get into. 

[Pingfah]

Have you heard PROBOT? That kicked the ass of Foo Fighters, you could tell Grohl put absolutely everything into that, and it is a slice of really authentic metal. I wish he'd do more creative stuff like that.

[JBattista]

Foo Fighters are ok, but to me it seems like there's no in between with their songs; one track is a fast rock dong, then the next one is a lullaby. Especially the new album. Their first album had a few good songs on it though.

[NickLorenza]

Have you heard PROBOT? That kicked the ass of Foo Fighters, you could tell Grohl put absolutely everything into that, and it is a slice of really authentic metal. I wish he'd do more creative stuff like that.

I never understood why there was only 1 Probot record?  I really thought that was going to have more staying power.  Who knows though, maybe he'll resurrect it one day.  I really do prefer his drumming to most of his guitar playing in his projects with the exception of that first FF record.  In that case I like it equally.  Although again, I'm biased there because I love the way the recording sounds.

[Pingfah]

Probably because each song was written specifically for different singers, making it very hard to tour and therefore profit.

[MAJOR METAL]

STP could learn a lot from the Pumpkins (Billy) as a recording artist. I think Billy makes some good points. I would be interested to hear what Billy thinks of STP.

[NickLorenza]

Probably because each song was written specifically for different singers, making it very hard to tour and therefore profit.

VERY valid point! 


@majormetal. As much as I normally don't get into anything Corgan says I will admit, I'd be interested in what he has to say about STP in the present day, both about their current lineup and their legacy lineup.  In reallly I don't think he has anything to be "jealous" about with STP.  STP has dropped the ball way too many times.  The bands he seems to not care for much are bands that have never fallen from grace with the public. 


As much as STP is one of my favorite bands ever I have to admit, they are the golden fuck ups of rock history, almost in the same vein as the Replacements, but maybe even a little more so.  The Replacements had every chance to be huge and fucked every one of those chances up by getting drunk and sloppy.  Wheras STP was the biggest rock band in the land in the mid nineties with a ton of momentum behind them.  They could have taken it up that one last notch to have "legend" status with the general public but they never will simply because every time they were at peak popularity the wheels just completely fell off.

[Slither]

Ugh. STP world must be one sick pup of a place these days for us to be spending this much time on comments made by Billy Corgan.

[STP92]

Ugh. STP world must be one sick pup of a place these days for us to be spending this much time on comments made by Billy Corgan.

At least Billy Corgan is making and RELEASING new music.