| Dayton Daily News Asks About Break-Up Rumor and More |
| April 20, 2000, 11:00 pm |
Source: Dayton Daily News BILLY'S CLUB; [CITY Edition] Ron Rollins Dayton Daily News. Dayton Daily News. Dayton, Ohio: Apr 21, 2000. pg. 24 Abstract (Document Summary) As always, things are a bit up in the air in Pumpkinland. The Smashing Pumpkins' new album, the incredibly well-hyped Machina/The Machines of God, has plummeted to No. 54 on the Billboard charts after only five weeks and a No. 3 peak. Personnel changes rage: The band is back to its original drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin, after having fired him for heroin use a few years back. And founding bassist D'Arcy is gone, replaced by former Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur. And to all that, James Iha gives a big, carefree shrug. Phoning in ahead of tonight's concert at Hara Arena, guitarist Iha took all this stuff in stride. Full Text (654 words) Copyright Dayton Newspapers Inc. Apr 21, 2000 Smashing Pumpkins members orbit around leader Corgan As always, things are a bit up in the air in Pumpkinland. The Smashing Pumpkins' new album, the incredibly well-hyped Machina/The Machines of God, has plummeted to No. 54 on the Billboard charts after only five weeks and a No. 3 peak. Personnel changes rage: The band is back to its original drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin, after having fired him for heroin use a few years back. And founding bassist D'Arcy is gone, replaced by former Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur. The rumor was broadcast last week that the band's leader, Billy Corgan, was talking about cashing in after this tour. And to all that, James Iha gives a big, carefree shrug. Phoning in ahead of tonight's concert at Hara Arena, guitarist Iha took all this stuff in stride. The breakup is hogwash, he assures with a sigh. `Yeah, that was started by the singer from Filter,' Iha said. `He was saying this was our last record. . . . He's a friend, but I'm gonna have to break all his guitars if he says that again.' Changes in the lineup have all worked out, he promises. While he was sad to see his friend D'Arcy depart (`She'd been in the band a long time; if she makes a record, I'd love to sing on it.'), her replacement, Auf Der Maur, has moved in seamlessly. And having the gifted Chamberlin back has been a huge boost, Iha said. `He's great - simply one of the best drummers out there.' And the chart thing? Ah, well. `This record needs to come back up a bit,' Iha allowed, though he isn't spazzing out. `If you really take it to heart, you can fall apart and pack it up. Or you can be the kind of person who sits back and understands the way the world works, and then see it as just typical. We're in a different kind of musical world now: 'N Sync sells millions, and it's disappointing if you don't sell all you want - but it isn't going to change when I wake up, what I do or the world I live in. Artists can make it through changing times and still make great records.' He puts the Pumpkins firmly in that camp. Led by the towering ego and equally sizable talent of Corgan, the band has racked up an impressive list of artistic accomplishments since it emerged in 1989 and matured past the grunge era, thanks largely to Corgan's musical smarts. Its 1993 album, Siamese Dream , is an alt-rock classic and a rock-radio staple. The sprawling Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, from 1995, is the best-selling double CD ever. Adore, its hushed follow-up, was a take-notice change of pace - as was Iha's own surprisingly quiet solo album, 1998's Let It Come Down . Next came Machina, a fierce, noisy rant in which Corgan shrieks about the pains of stardom, wrapping it all in weirdly feverish religious imagery. That ego, again. `He's got a big personality,' Iha said with a chuckle. `But he's a very talented songwriter, very driven. That's great for the band. . . . Sometimes you've just gotta keep up with him. . . . It's like a swirling smorgasbord of chords and music.' While the record's sound is big, booming and metallic, Corgan's melodies are as strong and memorable as ever. The current tour starts with Machina songs and moves back through past hits and includes some well-chosen covers, Iha said. `We just did Join Together by the Who last night,' he said. Not a bad choice, probably, for a band as famous for its disharmony as its melodies. * Contact Ron Rollins at 225-2165 or by e-mail at [email protected] HOW TO GO [Table] * WHO: The Smashing Pumpkins. * WHEN: 8 tonight. * WHERE: Hara Arena, 1001 Shiloh Springs Road, Trotwood. * COST: $26. * FOR MORE INFO: Call Ticketmaster at 228-2323. [Illustration] Caption: PHOTO: Iha RANDY PALMER/DAYTON DAILY NEWS Credit: Ron Rollins |