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| Corgan singer seeks true love in solo debut |
| June 16, 2005, 10:22 pm |
Corgan singer seeks true love in solo debut Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:41 PM By Gelu Sulugiuc NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billy Corgan is mad at everybody -- his former bandmates in the Smashing Pumpkins and Zwan, the music business and the media. But no negative feelings seeped through on his solo debut, "TheFutureEmbrace," out Tuesday via Reprise Records, an electro-rock album on which Corgan sings about love for a woman, for life, or for his city, Chicago. In a stark departure from the blaring guitars and pounding drums that took the Smashing Pumpkins to stratospheric success in the 1990s, "TheFutureEmbrace" is built on gentle synthesizers and lush guitars in an obvious nod to Corgan's idols David Bowie and Joy Division. Corgan said he tried to write hauntingly beautiful music and not care about what others thought about it. "I don't trust the music business at all, so there's nothing to be excited about," Corgan, 38, told Reuters in a recent interview. "I don't trust people to understand. My excitement is in making music, but after I put it out it's not mine anymore. Everyone tells me what it is, everyone tells me who I am." The album features a cover of the Bee Gees song "To Love Somebody," which Corgan turned from major key to minor key to make the melody sadder. Robert Smith from The Cure sings backing vocals on the track. Corgan's best friend, Jimmy Chamberlin, who played drums in both his previous bands, makes an appearance on another song. With such hit albums as "Siamese Dream" and "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness," the Smashing Pumpkins sold more than 25 million records. But Corgan disbanded the group in 2000 after years of bickering with bassist D'Arcy Wretzky and guitarist James Iha, who accused him of being a tyrant in the recording studio. Corgan no longer talks to either of them. "My reputation as a dictator is overhyped and not supported by reality," Corgan said, blaming the media for perpetuating a rumor. "It becomes a truism," he said. "At the end of the day, I don't think it matters what anybody says because my music is strong, my voice as a person is strong. I believe in God and I think good things win out in the end. This idea of who I am, what I am, what I did, this is all bourgeois (expletive) because it mostly comes from a culture that celebrates nothingness, shallowness and record sales." After the band's demise, Corgan became religious, published the best-selling poetry book "Blinking With Fists" and has been posting his memoirs on his Web Site, http://www.billycorgan.com. He also released one record with the ill-fated Zwan before that band also broke up. "I didn't expect Zwan to connect in the same way as Smashing Pumpkins because I didn't think it was as visceral or as emotional," Corgan said. "I was surprised though that the fans really didn't seem to care for the other band members. I think they picked up on what I ultimately found out, which was that they were not very good people and not very interesting." Despite his misgivings about the business, the singer/guitarist said he will continue to make music. "You can't kill me," Corgan said. Reuters/VNU Credit: Gelu Sulugiuc Source: Reuters |