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NEWS > ENTERTAINMENT > SMASHING PUMPKINS CAN’T GIVE AWAY NEW ALBUM
SMASHING PUMPKINS CAN’T GIVE AWAY NEW ALBUM
September 17 2009
Los Angeles, CA – There was a time during the 1990’s when The Smashing Pumpkins were the biggest band in the world. With smash hit singles and albums happening seemingly at will there seemed to be no stopping the band from raking in
sales and speaking for an entire generation of disaffected youth. Times change though and three years after the release of their biggest hit, the 28 song epic Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, the Pumpkins had lost most of their cache and fans. Though three more albums followed, the band was torn apart internally and called it quits for six years.
When the group re-formed in 2006 the promise of former greatness excited a great many fans. Though older and much less disaffected, those fans eagerly anticipated the release of ‘Zeitgeist’ in 2007. Meeting with middling reviews and weak sales the album was a disappointment and was unable to capture the feeling that inspired the title. Now the band has seemingly changed 
tactics with the upcoming release of their newest album, ‘Teargarden by Kaleidyscope’. Realizing that much of their rabid fan base has grown and gained new priorities and that new fans will likely show little interest in their parent’s music, the Pumpkins have decided to give the new music away for free in hopes of capturing some listeners.
“The album will feature 44 songs, 4 of which are now being recorded. My desire is to release a song at a time beginning around Halloween of this year, with each new release coming shortly after until all 44 are out,” wrote frontman and founder Billy Corgan on the band’s website. “Each song will be made available absolutely for free, to anyone anywhere. There will be no strings attached. Free will mean free, which means you won't have to
sign up for anything, give an email address, or jump through a hoop. You will be able to go and take the song or songs as you wish, as many times as you wish.”
Corgan is the only remaining original member still with the band. It’s believed that his controlling ways, which helped propel the band to stardom, ultimately caused the breakup and the descent into irrelevancy that has forced them to give their music away for free.
“Bands of all type inevitably wane in their popularity. It’s a measure of the times, new trends, and a host of other factors that all collude to eliminate the good will gifted to many bands. Some have one or two hits and that’s it. Because the Pumpkins were so big for so long anything they do is going to have some interest from fans and the music press,” said Scrape TV Music analyst Dylan Chambers. “The simple fact of the matter is that with very few exceptions bands are not able to transcend generations. Some, like ‘The Beatles’ and ‘Led Zeppelin’ have been able to do that, but they are the rarities. Some of The Pumpkins brethren from the 90’s have been able to maintain themselves but alas that just isn’t the case for them.”
Music historians believe that if Billy Corgan had killed himself at the height of the band’s success it’s likely they would have been able to appeal to new generations.
“Death can catapult quality people into legendary status but it is not a requirement for longevity. It can even damage future potential and reduce the chances of the band or the individual remaining relevant. For example ‘The Wall’ was released thirteen years after Pink Floyd formed. If Roger Waters had killed himself before that release the band might not continue to sell as well as they do today,” continued Kinsey. “It’s an interesting move for the Pumpkins and really is in keeping with the times. The truth is the album will be distributed freely whether or not they give approval so while it gets them some PR checkmarks it will make little difference to the long term appeal. The real question will be whether or not anyone will take the new album even if it is free.
That will give them a measure of whether or not anyone cares at all.”
Internet experts expect limited downloading due to the age of the majority of Pumpkins fans.
Samantha Dryden, Entertainment Correspondent
NEWS > ENTERTAINMENT > SMASHING PUMPKINS CAN’T GIVE AWAY NEW ALBUM
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