A new documentary in stores tomorrow shows him as, well, sort of all of those things, but above all, an artist. "If All Goes Wrong," a two-disc DVD set showcasing the band's recent return from its 8-year hiatus.
Conveniently, the Pumpkins will be playing two special "20th anniversary shows" at the D.A.R. Constitution Hall tomorrow and Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The band promises that fans attending both dates will see two completely different shows, with tomorrow dubbed as "Black Sunshine" and Wednesday as "White Crosses." I have checked out the set lists for other two-night stands on this tour, and not one song is repeated between nights.
Tickets are still available here.
The documentary on Disc 1 is a fascinating look at the man behind the legendary gloomy, Chicago-based band. Oh yeah, it shows those other four people that are currently in the band as well. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlain actually does (deservedly) get a tremendous chunk of time to express his feelings toward coming back to the alternative-rock juggernaut. And yes, we do get some time with new guitar player Jeff Schroeder, new bass player Ginger Reyes and keyboard player Lisa Harriton, but oddly enough, even The Who's Pete Townsend gets more face time than probably the three of them combined, if you don't count concert footage.
This movie is 90 percent Corgan and I guess, rightfully so, since the band's studio recordings tend to work the same way. (It was recently reported that Corgan and Chamberlain have started to record new material without the new band members. Big surprise.)
The film follows the band as they embark on two incredibly ambitious residencies: 9 shows in Ashville, N.C. at the Orange Peel, and 13 shows at The Fillmore in San Francisco.
The first thought that comes to mind when watching this is how daunting it must have been for the new band members, not only to learn an almost endless back catalog of Pumpkins material, but to keep up with Corgan's famous knack for perfection, not to mention that he was also writing brand new material each day and adding them to rehearsals and even shows during the residencies.
The interviews with Corgan are by far the most introspective and entertaining available. It shows a self awareness that I don't think a lot of critics believe he has. The Pumpkins are by no means a captain-less ship. He knows exactly what he is doing with his band and why he's doing it, he just doesn't seem to care about the consequences.
He tells an interviewer at one point that he doesn't like to play a couple of older songs, specifically because James Iha wrote a couple of parts in the songs, and he hates that James is given credit, because they are his songs, and fans use James' input on those songs as an excuse as to why newer material isn't as good. That's classic Billy Corgan if I've ever seen it.
You also get to see him rail on a few roadies for a stage malfunction, screaming about how much money they are spending to film the shows.
The best thing about this movie is that it is in no way a Pumpkins "love fest." The honesty on this thing is astounding, showing fans speak about their disappointment over the new music and new members, and even showing how fans were turned off by 3-hour sets made up of mostly rarities, unreleased, obscure and even brand new songs. At one point during a show in San Francisco, the audience is actually leaving the building in masses while the Pumpkins are still on stage playing a 37-minute version of "Gossamer," a long jam made up spur of the moment on stage from time to time. Backstage, Corgan laughs about losing them while the new band members are devastated. The entire residency appeared to play the same way, as Corgan defends his self indulgent set lists to his bandmates while they become more and more frustrated with the audiences response, culminating in guitarist Jeff Schroeder destroying his guitar and running off stage at one show.
Clocking in at just about 2 hours, there was a lot of stuff that could have probably been left on the cutting room floor, such as the history segments on Ashville and San Francisco, and maybe a little too much concert footage, being that you have a concert disk included in the package.
We also are treated to a total of about an hour of footage of Corgan in his bathrobe writing songs. Ew. Less bathrobe, more rock, at least that's what I always say, but you have to admire his work ethic, writing songs seemingly day in and day out when not at the club rehearsing or playing shows. And all the time with cameras present. Hmm...
Bonus features include rehearsal footage, fan interviews(skip this, trust me), and the full interview with Pete Townsend that is dispersed shamelessly throughout the film as if Corgan is saying, "See, he likes what I'm doing and he was in The Who!"
Disc 2 features concert footage from the San Francisco residency. However, don't expect to see all of those Pumpkins anthems you've come to know over the years. The 15 song set contains mostly newer material or rarities. Even if you don't know any of the songs, the band sounds great on a set that relies heavily upon the acoustic or dreery, with a few exceptions. For those that like the Pumpkins' psychedelic side, there is an intense performance of "Superchrist," a song that was in its early stages during the recording of "Zeitgeist," but has since become a staple in the band's live set. And the 30 + minute "Gossamer" is on there too, in case you are curious.
The Smashing Pumpkins "If All Goes Wrong"
For die-hard fans, Grade: A
For the casual fan, Grade: (movie) B Grade: (concert) C
