"I honestly think he may have a brain tumor. He’s always been insufferable." - D'arcy Wretzsky's first interview in 20 years

She's definitely up there with Lars Ulrich's dad in terms documentary potential

Yes, but in the sense that she'd similarly tell Billy when his songs are shit. BC (not one to give praise easily, especially to James to D'arcy) maintained that D'arcy has great musical taste and he always trusted her opinions and input, from the beginning.

Let's put it this way, MADM had fans in the way Bowie's piano player and Mellencamp's drummer didn't.

Lars's Dad was also v. memorable as featured in the book Powers of Mind, by "Adam Smith," the novelist-jorunalist--host of Publc TV's "Adam Smith's Money Week"---Wall Street figure. He realized losing track of his being in the world when he found his supposedly fine self described as "a hulking blue-jawed figure" in Newsweek and noticed a colleague smoking three cigs at once (had them waiting all over the conference room). So he took off into the Golden Age of Pop Psychology-the 1970s---and one of the Remarkable Men he encountered was Lars's (future?) Dad, a Danish tennis guru who later moved to Cali. Yes he does need more exposure, but read that book if at all interested!
Jonathan Melvoin was the tour musician who died, and before I get into backstory will say the main band-historical relevance, as I recall, was that Corgan was so pissed---correct maybe to blame and fire Chamberlin for his part in it--but also in every comment (that I recall, but sickening enough that it seems hard to forget), it was all about him, and at the Grammys or Rock & Roll Hall of Fame or something soon after the death, first thing out of his pouty mouth, "It wasn't our fault."
So Jonathan was the brother of Wendy (of Wwndy and Lisa) and Samantha, W.'s twin and maybe in the Revolution as well? Samantha was the one Prince was supposedly engaged to, I think. Their father Michael played piano for Judy Collins from waaay back (was with Stephen Stills and Ry Cooder in her late-60s touring band) and he made an LP called The Purple Cow Goes Moooog
Somebody on here said Siamese Dream was the one they hadn't heard; that's the only one that got me, via Corgan's very relatable desperate asshole persona on the big single. Actually bought the tape.

Jonathan Melvoin was the tour musician who died, and before I get into backstory will say the main band-historical relevance, as I recall, was that Corgan was so pissed---correct maybe to blame and fire Chamberlin for his part in it--but also in every comment (that I recall, but sickening enough that it seems hard to forget), it was all about him, and at the Grammys or Rock & Roll Hall of Fame or something soon after the death, first thing out of his pouty mouth, "It wasn't our fault."

Melvoin and Chamberlin overdosed twice before the fatal one in NYC in July 1996: Thailand in February, and then Portugal in May. His anger & frustration is pretty understandable imo. This might be the interview you're thinking of, it's not nearly as self-serving as you describe. Grammy's & RNR Hall of Fame both happen early in the year, and if he said anything at those, it would've been months if not nearly a year since the OD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjO0Xou_RPg

quibble, Susannah Melvoin, not Samantha

"Lots of millenials love the Pumpkins in a way that is not happening for Pearl Jam for some reason."

that's because pearl jam have never gone away and have been dad rock for at least 15 years if not longer.

Also grunge inherited lots of frat type dudes that were coming from hard rock/hair metal and that sort of attitudes are seen as risible by milennials. Pearl Jam’s music of course is not to blame, that stigma comes more from the perceived audience of it.

SP made songs that were either too sensible for that audience or too vicious. Safe from a couple of examples their more rocking songs don’t have that stadium feel.

buuut actually you'd be surprised how many *spit* "millenials" do like pearl jam - Nirvana is basically still a massive thing for anyone getting into rock as a teen, and the obvious followup to listening to them is searching out the other big grunge era mainstays. last one of their shows i went to had a pretty diverse age range present.

(also, pearl jam don't need millenials...)

PJ & SP are both spun on the radio constantly but you guys are so wise and correct. They both have 2.5 good songs each and no one has listened to either of them in 25 years. So much wisdom and truth.

Pearl jam don't have 2.5 good songs

yes they do m8

Pearl Jam still consistently does arena tours iirc

They're still alive iirc

look can we get this thread back on track and start laughing at billy corgan again pls

yes they do m8

― It's not delivery, it's Adorno! (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 19 February 2018 12:49 (twenty-two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

We will not fall out over it

The Pumpkins were a lot gothier than Pearl Jam and that pretty much guarantees you'll continue to appeal to enough teenagers in decades to come. I guess the whole earnestness of Pearl Jam would probably appeal more to Generation Snowflake if it wasn't for Vedder's voice and his array of terrible imitators.

have we done a poll on whether corgan or vedder has the more horrible voice

ah cmon thats not evena real contest

or is it

eddie vedder at least sounds like a human male while corgan sounds like a sentient nose

https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/sites/thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/files/Veale-nose2.jpg

DESPITE ALL MY RAGE I AM STILL JUST A RAT INNA CAGE

ahah, speaking of BC's voice, playing the "I Am One" 93 video, I actually laughed when he started to "sing".
It sounds more like a an angry crow !

Billy Corgan sounds like Jon Lovitz as Annoying Man.

Vedder's voice and his array of terrible imitators.

Oh god yes why did that happen? An infinite array.

Just imagine if there were an array of Corgan imitators.

Oh god yes why did that happen?

you can only seem like you really mean it if you sing like a bull trying to force its way through a fence iirc

Like a lowing cow.

a phased array of billy corgans looking for MiGs

For band that has like 2.5 good songs there sure have an awful lot of drama.

2.5 being the aggregated total of goodness in all their songs combined

― sarahell, Saturday, 17 February 2018 19:47 (two days ago) Permalink

Oh yeah for real they certainly don't have a single song that's good from front to back.

Further break down:
4 neat ideas, two good riffs, a solid chorus, drums are "cool" a few times=2.5 songs.

I saw them in 1991 just pre-fame opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers and Corgan was hugely insufferable at the show so they could like...cure cancer and I'd still be like "2.5 good songs"

where did you see them in 1991? just curious, there might be a recording of that show and i'd be interested in hearing... the gish shows were pretty wild

They have at least 50 great songs.

people who think they're just the worst band are so weird to me, it's like y'all don't even have ears

xxpost

Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St Paul, MN which is notoriously an impossibly bad sounding concrete box/ex-hockey venue.

Someone threw an ice cube at Billy at one point and he stopped the show to yell at the crowd and threaten to walk off "You want to throw something? Throw it at my face" so obviously the instant he turned around a rain of ice pelted the stage. No walk off but they were like super-turgid, doing these jams on every song which I don't think was winning everyone over.

Pearl Jam also played.

I don't think they are the worst band. The worst band would be far more interesting.

Number of Good Songs Had By the Smashing Pumkings

time to resolve this dispute with science

lol @ those poll options

They have the 70 songs from 2-71 on the list of the greatest songs ever

xxpost

Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St Paul, MN which is notoriously an impossibly bad sounding concrete box/ex-hockey venue.

Someone threw an ice cube at Billy at one point and he stopped the show to yell at the crowd and threaten to walk off "You want to throw something? Throw it at my face" so obviously the instant he turned around a rain of ice pelted the stage. No walk off but they were like super-turgid, doing these jams on every song which I don't think was winning everyone over.

Pearl Jam also played.

I don't think they are the worst band. The worst band would be far more interesting.

― chr1sb3singer

dang, no extant recording or known setlist. it was November 30, 1991 fwiw

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

I saw them in ’91, Detroit show, opening (w/Pearl Jam) for RHCP. Pumpkins were great. The other two, not so much. PJ were goofy (I thought “These guys are going nowhere”) and RHCP were in “bored professionals” mode.