I like some of the Smashing Pumpkins’ stuff, especially Disarm and Forgive, but really, is it just me, or is Corgan becoming more and more of a pretentious, arrogant fuck?
I mean, the poetry book was one thing, a lot of singers have poetry books published of things that sound exactly like their lyrics (although this usually is someone else’s collection of their actual lyrics), but then the novel he’s never going to finish. . .
It seems to me like he’s just trying to exactly follow Nick Cave’s carreer path, only with a better singing voice but considerably worse writing.
I’m wondering if I’m the only who sees this.
Hear hear! Fuck- even a lot of the last stuff of the Smashing Pumpkins was overly fucking pretentious and stupid, IMO.
…
His head looks like a cueball. That is my opinion of Billy Corgan.
His head reminds me of a jack-o-lantern. Ironic, eh?
I’ve ALWAYS thought Billy Corgan was a pretentious arrogant fuck.
I’ve always felt he’s had a bit too much of the “ooh look at me I am a rock star and I am a genius, praise me” attitude about him. Now, sure, he’s hardly the only pop/rock frontman in history who exhibits this. Why it bugs me more when he’s like it while I let other dudes slide on it (or in some cases like them even more for it), I don’t know. I suppose it’s because I don’t think Billy brings the goods to back up the 'tude as often. Though he has his moments where I think he’s pretty good. After all, it’s not like he’s Scott Stapp or anything.
Acts like he’s great, but sucks = Scott Stapp. Kaiser no likey.
Acts like he’s great, but is merely pretty good = Billy Corgan. Kaiser not really likey too much.
Acts like he’s great and totally is = lots of people who Kaiser usually likey.
Explanations. Examples.
Well, when their touring keyboard player died of an overdose [heroin, naturally] in 1996, drummer Jimmy Chaimberlain was booted from the band [he was also using] by Corgan. And that always struck me as a PR motivated move rather than an honest objection to the drug use; Chaimberlain’s drug use being tolerated until it suddenly presented an image problem, and THEN Corgan kicked him out, ostensibly “for Chaimberlain’s own good” or to distance himself and/or his band in a high profile case so they could be the band that stood against the drug that had already lead to the recent deaths of Kurt Cobain, Shannon Hoon, and Brad Nowell.
Now, my assessment of the situation may not be entirely fair (given that I was 16 at the time, it probably wasn’t). But it’s influenced my opinion of the guy ever since anyway. Not as much as it used to, though (I let him off the hook somewhat when Chaimberlain was later readmitted to the band several years later).
Some quotes that I find especially arrogant/pretentious… and most of them are just him being a complete asshole. This will shed some light.
“Wow. That’s it?! That’s all we get? We won all these awards and that’s all we get?! Beavis and Butt-head got more time then us!” - during an interview at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards Post-Show
“Everything about life makes me lonely.”
“I fucking told you that this town sucks! Did I fucking tell you this town sucks? I fucking told you. I didn’t want to play here, and now these fuckers want my fucking autograph!” - in Tulsa '94
“All I ever wanted was everything and all I’ve gotten is shit.” - from “I Am One” in Vieuphoria
“I get more out of life just being myself, by just being a human being. Not by being a rock star, not by being whatever. Sometimes I act like a jerk, but I think people respect me for being myself. That’s the ultimate thing about the Smashing Pumpkins.”
“About six months ago, I listened to Siamese Dream. That was the first time I’d ever really heard my own album, because I had separated from the experience of making the record. And it really moved me. It made me cry, it’s so beautiful.”
“Before Thanksgiving, the turkey on your tables was a happy, free turkey, who could think and do as he wished. Just think about that after you’re done eating on Thanksgiving.” - talking to his fans during a concert around Thanksgiving.
“You can only be this high-powered mojo rock band for so long, then you just can’t look people in the eye. So, we’ve projected our own demise.”
“I have always said that if one person leaves, that’s the end of the band. I’m not going to carry on with a faux Jimmy or faux D’Arcy. No fucking way.” That last one is really, really funny if you know how many lineups they had. 
I hate Billy Corgan because HE CANNOT SING.
He had a show at the Tarbernacle in Atlanta to celebrate the release of his solo album and it was hyped and hyped and hyped and hyped on the local radio stations and the next day everybody said it completely bombed. The morning show at the big alt-rock station in atlanta said it was the worst show they’d ever seen. I couldn’t stop laughing.
I’d agree, just, he used to be good enough at writing lyrics for me to just let his arrogance go, but now it’s getting to the point it’s really starting to piss me off.
Sorc, I listen to punk as my first musical choice, so singing ability isn’t necessarily my criteria, but I’d agree he really isn’t anywhere near a musical genius in any respect.
Sin, GAP gave a lot of my examples, but also, he’s been pulling a Duke Nuke 'Em Forever with his book, only he keeps hyping it more and more and talking about how great it’s going to be, he published his own book of ‘poetry’ seperate from a collection of his song lyrics, when they were all the same themes and formats, and the only real difference was which ones he’d recorded and which ones he hadn’t.
Also, on a couple interviews, he says that the Smashing Pumpkins were the ‘truest,’ ‘best,’ or some other such term, indipendant/grunge band of the nineties.
Finally, the Sex Pistols were a little less forcible in their opinions, especially outside of songs. If Corgan wrote and performed protest songs, that’s one thing, but for him to lecture me about why I should be a vegitarian or whatever righteous moral outrage Corgan is on now. If I come to see you sing, you should sing for me, unless you’re one of those people/bands (like Anti-Flag, who virtually no-one likes for their actual music) who people to go also to hear you speak.
Also, Billy Corgan seems to assume his fans are like a cult around him and that anyone who likes the Smashing Pumpkins thinks they’re the best band ever.
Finally, a single meeting with him turned one of my friends from the hugest Smashing Pumpkins fanboys you’d ever see into barely listening to the band, because apparently he was that rude to her, when he was giving out autographs after the show, he didn’t speak to her, just made a line on her picture and when she started to tell him how big a fan she was, he waved her to move along. That might not be entirely true, but some other things he’s said and done don’t exactly place it as out of his character.
Hey, I like Anti-Flag for their music… what other reason would I like them? although I haven’t heard much.
Most people go for them for politics. I’m not saying they’re bad music, just most people who go to Anti-Flag shows don’t expect excellent musical virtuosity and anything more than a good show full of righteous anger.