The Smashing Pumpkins: Yeah, I Guess They Were Big

The Smashing Pumpkins have a new album out. I haven’t heard it. They played Montreal at some big outdoor festival. I didn’t see it. Yet, by the news of their newest release, and their past locally played show, I was given the idea of listening to some of their earlier stuff. While most point to Siamese Dream as the one to have, and I can’t DISagree with this position, I found myself attracted to another album that I literally had not touched (other than to move it out of the way of some other album I coveted) in ten years. Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness came out when I was in grade seven. I was twelve and prepubescent, yet an aspiring pubescent, who loved this album along with nearly everyone else my age.

When I finally got around to relistening to Mellon Collie - nearly as if it were new itself - I began to remember certain things from that era that I hadn’t thought of in a great long time. Aside from the typical sentimentality of recalling people from my past and the general emotional tone of my junior-high years, one thing really stood out to me about this particular album that I had totally forgotten: Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness was a HUGE fucking album. In the last few years I had written it off as a general semi-success and convinced myself that Siamese Dream was the one to know, but now after relistening to both, I no longer hold that opinion. I forgot that when Mellon Collie came out The Smashing Pumpkins were the BIGGEST band in the world, and that is no understatement. They were absolutely everywhere. This album had like seven number one hits. They used to play “Zero” at school dances and people would cheer the gloomy hardened opening riff as if it were a national anthem. But when I was a kid (and this is no longer true), I was often guilty of only listening to the hits on an album and ignoring the rest.

But now that I have listened to the album through and through, I am completely impressed with the depth and diversity present within it - the unique and distinguishable sound of the Smashing Pumpkins is present in every song; however, that same identifiable Pumpkins sound appears in so many different types of songs: the gloomy and angry “Zero”, “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” or “Ode to No One,” but also there is the soft and touching “Here is No Why,” “Cupid De Locke,” or “Galapagos.” It is a double album of impressive diversity that, in many ways, bridges the classic 90’s alternative sound with the more contemporary indie rock passivity and sentimentality. Mellon Collie contains several hard, angry, loud songs which are sometimes difficult to get through (still excellent in their composition), and in direct contrast also has softer and more emotional tracks that create a really interesting dynamic and a fullness to the album assuring Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness to be remembered for a long time to come - that is, if everyone hasn’t already forgotten it.

The fact that Mellon Collie is a double album makes it an easy target for unwarranted criticism. I used to say, “If Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness were a single disc it would be a total classic,” but now I have changed my tune - it is a total classic. This album is complete and should not have been shortened, and I’m glad it wasn’t. Sure, not every song is radio friendly or even melodic, but each song has their place within this carefully thought-out surprisingly diverse collection of music. Let us not forget that, these days, the double album is a rare occurrence. Not many bands have the guts or the ambition to release such a massive collection at once. In fact, (perhaps I’m wrong) I can’t name a double album release of all new material since this album’s debut. The closest thing I can think of is Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac: two separate releases which are very similar albums and were written concurrently and could have been released together. Radiohead chose not to do so, and while I don’t disagree with their decision, it would have been an exciting and unexpected move by a band known for being low-key about their rock star status.

Is Mellon Collie the last double album we’ll see in Rock? If it is, it was a good one and (arguably) the last album that really had the big rock band pop-alternative feeling of the early 90’s before things changed sometime between the death of Kurt Cobain and the emergence of “pop” with The Backstreet Boys, The Spice Girls, and the rest of their ilk (not to mention all the crap rock bands that spewed their shit across the airwaves during the late nineties: Smash Mouth, Limp Bizkit, The Foo Fighters, and Creed). I recommend everyone re-embrace this album. I’m sure there’re plenty of you out there who disregarded it as something no longer worthwhile, or at least like me regarded it as a second rate album. You should all give it a re-listen, that is... if you give a shit at all.

Looking for Connection

For this blog entry I’d like to take a step away from the analysis of genre in contemporary music, if I may, and discuss a more underlying issue. The reason, for the last few entries, that I have been so critical of contemporary hip-hop and rock music is that I care about it. I’ve been a music listener for as long as I can remember, and throughout the years I’ve seen eras begin and end, and though I’m not as old as some, I’ve taken the time to learn about eras in music long before I was around. It seems to me - and please correct me if I’m wrong - music is in a difficult stage. Pop music is not reliable, and what I mean by that is: pop music no longer provides the public with the most talented for us to find easily, and really hasn’t for a while now. Because of this, independent music has become the new pop for anyone who listens seriously. This contradiction provides for an interesting yet perplexing paradigm.

My complaint about pop music is that it is diluted and predictable, pedantic and unoriginal, but it’s pop music and we can all ignore it to the best of our abilities (no-one can completely avoid it being that we are literally saturated by it - hearing it in stores, commercials, movies, etc). What is so amazing, however, is that because independent music has become the new pop music for many of us, it too has followed this trend mentioned above - and what are we left with? One source of music that is completely unlistenable to any self-respecting aficionado and another: the alternative. The alternative (independent music) is not all that different from it’s hyped up counterpart. Independent music, hip-hop or rock, is in many ways completely stale with few exceptions.

What happened to innovation? What happened to passion? We’re not likely to find it in hip-hop where it seems that every topic has been thoroughly discussed - except the for several stigmatized subjects which I’ve discussed in length in previous blog entries. Similarly, we’re unlikely to find it in rock which is mostly “indie-rock” - a dispassionate, diluted, shallow, and predictable sub-genre of rock so absolutely disconnected that it encourages connection only on a disconnected level - how very sad. Are we only connected through our mutual disconnection? I certainly hope not, and if this is true, it’s not a good thing, and something that should be challenged and hopefully resolved. Hip-hop disconnects at a level where I distrust the rapper, because he/she fails to communicate real emotion in a complete and diverse spectrum of feeling. Rock or indie-rock disconnects because it encourages a disconnect and leaves us hollow and without hope. When was the last time a new rock song came out that made YOU want to get up and jump around? A song that made Your heart beat faster? I haven’t heard one, and if I have, all the other songs by the band disappoint, which consequently cancels the excitement and validates me and my current stance on contemporary rock.

Of course there are exceptions, though I really can’t name very many. I’m sure someone else can. As a side not, a very good friend of mine turned me on to a band called Ween who I saw in live concert a few days ago. I recommend them. Their fearless eclecticism is impressive and completely admirable. Though there is a tinge (sometimes more than a tinge) of irony or parody in their songs, their sincerity is simultaneously never in doubt, which makes for an interesting contrast that I’m totally digging right now. Additionally, Ween has done this for several albums not just one - an important bit of information. I recommend their classic “Chocolate and Cheese” but the albums “The Mollusk” and “Quebec” are also really good and are a solid listen for any eclectic music listener able to appreciate genuine talent and creativity.

Let me know what you think. I encourage comments on my blog page wholeheartedly no matter the opinion you may form from my entries - they also help me with material for my next blog entry. Thanks.

At The Risk of Sounding UnPOPular

In my last entry, I talked about how rap music has become stale, not because of a lack of talent, but because of an equally serious problem. There is too much macho / gusto in rap music and not enough diversity in subject matter. There is some sort of stigma attached to rappers expressing a more vulnerable side to their personalities - everyone feels vulnerable sometimes. So why don’t rappers? It just isn’t done - or at least it’s done very seldom and often with a twinge of sarcasm or cynicism. All in all, this macho feeling should be there, but other aspects of human personality should as well, and I feel that a certain few emotions have been heavily neglected throughout the history of the genre.

So what about rock music? Well . . . I’m not sure I should even call it that . . . okay . . . Indie Rock! That’s what contemporary rock music is today . . . right? I should first tell you that I am a huge rock fan. I do feel, however, that Indie Rock is a rather one-sided, bland, and often watered-down version of rock. It seems to me (and I hope someone will correct me and explain to me the virtues of Indie Rock) that Indie Rock is the most benign genre of rock that we as a population have ever witnessed. It seems that - for whatever reason - Indie Rock has completely taken-up the slack of Hip-Hop’s shortcomings and reversed the problem. Hip-Hop has too much gusto, and Indie Rock has ABSOLUTELY none. When did rock music become a symbol for toothless weaklings, bookworms, and “men” with thick black rimmed glasses slightly covered by perfectly disorganized lightly tossed hair? I think I watched most of these Indie guys get beat-up in middle school. Rock music shouldn’t only be about “disillusionment” and “she/he left me” and “I’m so sad but I’m cooler than you because I’m sadder and I always try my darndest not to seem excited about anything.” Goddamn it.

I could go on for hours about why I don’t like Indie Rock (and I have!), but my point here is that Indie Rock and Hip-Hop oppose each other so directly that I, at the moment, don’t want to choose either, and certainly I won’t choose both. What happened to guttural emotions in rock? There seems to be no edge in the music. It’s all 4/4 time with a verse a chorus a verse a chorus a bridge a chorus and then yes you guessed it: the chorus again. I want passion in my rock music. I wanna hear Chris Cornell scream, I wanna hear interesting patterns of drums, guitar, and bass that make me wanna stand up (or release my lean from a near by wall) and jump up and down. Fuck accordions. Indie Rock can be nice music from time to time, but where is the edge? Apparently, the edge which I became quite accustomed to in rock no longer exists, and I’m frustrated about that. Is no-one else?

And another point: there is no musical virtuosity in Indie Rock. Indie Rock has no face. Can anyone name the lead singer of any Indie Rock band? How ‘bout the lead guitarist? Why is that? Why are they so bloody anonymous? The truth is, no lead singer or guitarist in Indie Rock is talented enough to be singled out, and they don’t want to be (perhaps Jack White does, but that’s all, and I’m not sold on The White Stripes as Indie Rock). When was the last time you heard a guitar solo? And I mean a real solo where it wasn’t simply the theme of the chorus with a slight variation. It never happens anymore. No one wants to step up and be “the man,” and ironically (to get back to my comparison) that’s exactly what being a “dope MC” or a champion DJ is all about. Hip-hop is rich in virtuosity and Indie Rock has none of it. Hip-hop is rich in confidence and gusto, and Indie Rock has none. Yet, Indie Rock addresses the more vulnerable side of our psyche, and Hip-Hop does not. They completely oppose each other, and in some sort of weird symbiotic relationship they each perpetuate their musical counterpart’s shortcoming. Hip-hop doesn’t want to be like Indie Rock, and Indie Rock doesn’t want to be Hip-Hop. To be honest, that’s a good thing, but how they’ve accomplished this feat is a big problem for both - they don’t need to polarize one another.

Okay look . . . I’m sorry. I know that Indie Rock is very popular and that there are probably good things about it, but it’s not a satisfying genre. It does nothing original or interesting, except that Indie Rock is the first rock genre to ever be completely bland - these Indie bands have as much substance as the Hair Bands of the 80’s. To realize the lameness of Indie Rock one only needs to listen to any other rock era. I mean seriously, David Bowie could walk on stage in complete drag and out macho any of these Indie Rock personalities like . . . ummmm . . . what’s his name and who’s it and that Indie Rock guy, you know, he has hair like That 70’s Show, wears tight jeans, small lace-up shoes, and is completely in-touch with his feelings (at least several in particular).

All I ask is that Indie Rock music hit the gym or something - eat more red meat (the growth hormones might help), or at the very least remember that Rock music (and post-second world war pop music in general) is about pushing the envelope (or at least showing effort to do so), and getting people excited - at least excited enough for them to smile without feeling self-conscious, and to freely dance without the clique-like consent of those looking on with stoicism and cool. To back up my points in this blog I present this list of albums that have earned high rotation in my listening for the last few weeks:

Led Zeppelin I (you’ve likely heard this one)
Credence Clearwater Revival - Mardi Gras (seriously, a really great album)
Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets (if you don’t know this, you should)
Television - Marquee Moon (see Eno)
Devo - Freedom of Choice (an album I’ve become close with lately)
Jane’s Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual (totally badass)
Stone Temple Pilots - Core (see Jane’s Addition’s parenthesis)
Beck - Mellow Gold (a creative masterpiece)
Soundgarden - SuperUnknown and Badmotorfinger (eclectic and full of gusto)
54-40 - Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret (a Canadian selection and a very underrated album)

This is a diverse list. No band can cover all ground. But I challenge any reader to name me two Indie Rock albums that compare to these above (and I was just getting started). I’d appreciate it. After reading some of your comments, I’ll see whether or not I need to address this issue again.

Hip-Hop and Sincerity: a prelude to the problems in contemporary Rock music

In response to some of the comments on my last entry I’d like to clarify that I did not want to imply that Hip-Hop was dead. In fact, I believe that it is far from dead, but it is in a bit of a slump, and what’s interesting to me about that is the question: why? One thing I can point to - a problem I’ve noticed in the Hip-Hop that has been released lately - is honesty. Sorry, not just honesty, because I won’t accuse anyone of lying, but perhaps the issue is sincerity. Who can we point to in hip-hop and say: this guy/girl is sincere. I can’t think of anyone. There was a time when I could have pointed at many, but most of them have fallen off, become too popular, or simply exploited to the fullest the only subjects that they were comfortable writing about with sincerity. How sad. When I say sincerity, I’m really talking about the lyrics, not the beats, but they come hand in hand.

Hip-hop has too much gusto. There is a wall between a rapper’s lyrics and his true feelings. It’s obvious. The macho identity of the “MC” has now become a problem: there’s only so many ways to tell your listeners how dope you are, rough you are, smart you are, tough your childhood was growing up in the ghetto, high you are, etc. And then there are the independent rappers a la DefJux, Anticon, Rhymesayers, and their musical environs who used to sound different, but haven’t changed their tune over the last ten years and now sound just as diluted as the latest Mobb Deep album surely is. El-P, Mr. Lif, and the rest just don’t cut it anymore.

So what’s the problem? What is it that makes all this music suck so fucking badly? I think I have it - at least what bothers me about it: people need to grow to grow as artists. They cannot keep talking about the same stupid shit. But to be slightly more psychological about it: they can’t use the same voice. Something has to change. The reason, in my opinion, rappers lose their edge is not because at some point around their 35th birthday they stop being talented. They don’t necessarily lose their passion by reaching a certain anniversary. The problem is that they don’t adapt their artistic drive to where they are in life! New subjects, new vocabulary, new problems, new successes, and stop trying to sound dope like a 25 years old can, grow the fuck up, and sound dope like your age.

When one becomes a rapper, one must invent a persona: a pseudonym, a voice, a style, and a subject matter. But what’s sad about many rappers, and a large reason why the first album is so terrific and the second isn’t quite as good, and the third one has a few good tracks, and the fourth one is no good at all, is that the rapper feels trapped in their original invention and doesn’t grow as an artist to incorporate new elements. Thus, they lose sincerity.

It can’t all be about this macho bullshit whether it’s about ghettos, bitches, drugs (medicinal or recreational), alienation, parties, or whatever. Everyone has moments of vulnerability and of weakness, and these particular emotions are avoided like the plague. Listeners can be insecure, in love, heartbroken, and have emotions of this type, and if I ever heard a rapper really express these ideas with confidence and without cynicism, I think I’d listen to his/her music more. A wider range of expression enhances every subject under the horizon.

Let me know what you think. Leave a comment.

Next week I’m going to tie this discussion in with Indie Rock.

I think it should be interesting.

What Has Happened To Hip-Hop?

Am I the only head around that’s noticed the strange and drastic drop-off in quality music being released in the hip-hop genre over the last few years? I’m sure I’m not. In fact, this very issue is the only one worth discussing when talking of contemporary hip-hop nowadays - and, to be clear from the start, I’m not talking about that pop puffy riding dirty shit they call hip-hop on the radio, Much Music, MTV, or even BET. I’m talking about quality independent hip-hop. Where has it gone? I remember when I discovered that hip-hop wasn’t only Tupac, Biggie, and DMX. It changed my life.

When I heard Blackalicious for the first time I was eighteen. I was an avid music listener who had previously written hip-hop off as something for thugs and the dumbass rich kids who wanted to be like them. I remember Blackalicious’ Nia as the album that instantly convinced me that I had been wrong, and that I had been neglecting an incredible resource for music listening: one that included fascinating rhythm, melody, and poetry like nothing I’d ever heard before. I soon found others: KRS-ONE, The Roots, Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, Mr. Lif, Dose-One, Cannibal Ox, Busdriver, Organized Konfusion, Anti-Pop Consortium and so on and so on. I became a hip-hop junkie for a good four years straight, maybe even five. And now? There are plenty of albums coming out - there’s no shortage of volume. And every so often an album comes out that I really like, but it’s usually by a rapper, or a rap group that’s been around for years.

When I say there’s a shortage of good contemporary hip-hop, I’m not talking about stuff like a new album from The Roots. The Roots have been around for more than a decade. What I’m talking about is new talent. A new star. A new innovation that inspires. A new sound, and perhaps even more importantly: a new use of words. It has literally been years since I’ve listened to an album by a new personality and was enthralled by it. It happened all the time a few years ago: Aesop Rock Labor Days, Cannibal Ox The Cold Vein, Themselves The No Music, Busdriver Temporary Forever, Edan Primitive Plus, and the list can go on for many more. Each of these artists mentioned above are still around releasing new stuff every so often, but where are the newbies? Where are the new artists with the power to impact like these artists mentioned above?

Perhaps, I’ve painted too dark a scenario. Perhaps I’m wrong and haven’t been listening to the right stuff. It’s possible. I don’t think Nas is right. Hip-hop isn’t dead. In my opinion, that’s a really stupid thing to say, but on the other hand, at the moment, I have no new music to offer up as my rebuttal to Nas’ inane statement - kinda sad.

Let me know what you think, and if there’s some shit you think I might not have heard that would change my tune, please for the love of god, tell me about it.

The Beginning (what this is exactly, but not too exactly)

Okay. This is my blog. I decided to create this blog because I felt I should participate in this digital text revolution of sorts. I too need to get things off of my chest, and yes, from my chest straight on to the internet. And why not? There are thousands upon thousands of blogs up, and probably slightly fewer than 10 that anyone reads with interest. They are poor odds for a junior blogger such as myself and yet I am optimistic that I do not type in vain. My blog will address many issues such as politics (Canadian and International), music of any interest to me (and others), literature that I have read (or at least claim to have read), and whatever else I might want to discuss. I'll try my best not to make this a personal diary, but to treat it more like a space for me to open discussion on the very latest in personal opinion.

And so I vow: to update regularly, to express my thoughts in a clear and coherent manner, and to remind all of you repeatedly to read this.

thanks,

Gabriel Gorman