THE SMASHING PUMPKINS:
‘TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE’
ABOUT ‘TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE’:
· THE SMASHING PUMPKINS are issuing a 44-song work one at a time, for free, with 4-song EPs being made available as the songs are released. The first EP box (4-song CD and 7” vinyl) is titled TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOL. 1/SONGS FOR A SAILOR and is set for release April 20 via Martha’s Music/Rocket Science Ventures and includes the tracks “A Song For A Son,” “Astral Planes” “Widow Wake My Mind,” and “A Stitch In Time.”
· The group’s BILLY CORGAN says, “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 has said the new music “harkens back to the original psychedelic roots of The Smashing Pumpkins; atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty.”
· TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE, CORGAN has said, “is based on ‘The Fool’s Journey,’ as signified in the progress of the Tarot, the intention is to approach the work by breaking down the journey of life into four phases as made by different characters depicted in major arcana cards: the Child, the Fool, the Skeptic and the Mystic.”
· The first track, “A Song For A Son,” debuted December 7, 2009 via AOL Music’s Spinner.com, before becoming available on www.smashingpumpkins.com.
· The next recording, “Widow Wake My Mind,” was released January 18, 2010 via MySpace.com before becoming available on www.smashingpumpkins.com.
· The music will not only be issued online, CORGAN has revealed. “We will sell highly limited edition EPs (of 4 songs each times 11), and details of how those EPs will be made available are still being worked out. Because the songs themselves will be free, the EPs will be more like collector’s items for the discerning fan who will want the art itself, along with the highest possible audio quality available. The EPs will be more like mini-box sets rather than your normal CD single. We may also offer other variations for sale--say for example, a digital single with a demo version of a song.”
· Upon the album’s completion, explained CORGAN, “it will be compiled into a deluxe box set which will also be made available for sale. Those who have bought the EPs need not worry, as the box set will not be a recompilation of the limited edition pieces. “
BILLY CORGAN ON ‘TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE’:
Any particular reason you chose to launch the album with "A Song For A Son"?
Says Corgan: “The first sessions in September involved 4 songs: ‘A Song For A Son’, ‘Astral Planes,’ ‘Widow Wake My Mind,’ and ‘A Stitch in Time.’ What song would come out first really didn't cross my mind until they were all done being recorded. ‘A Song For A Son’ just seemed like it had the right epic quality to it that says, 'OK, here we go on this massive journey!' It sounds like the beginning of something more.
How has “A Song For A Son” evolved from the version that the Pumpkins were performing on the last tour?
“The version of the song from the 20th Anniversary tour was pretty basic, and I felt at the time that we didn't really find the heart of the song. However, the song was connecting to the audience emotionally so I knew something exciting was in there to be discovered. The recorded version is produced more like a movie, where it takes you to different places, from intimate to psychedelic to whimsical.”
Can you describe what the song sounds like?
“The song sounds to me like The Smashing Pumpkins that I grew up with. Each song we've recorded is like its own movie, and hopefully when you put all 44 songs together they'll create a bigger journey that can only be seen when you have all the pieces to the map.”
Since you made the statement in September that the album will be available for free to everyone, what is your mind set now that the fans have voiced their approval?
“My thought process is that I am happy to try unique approaches to get my music into the hands of fans without engaging in a system that is swallowing its own tail. I figure if people like what I'm doing musically and they can appreciate the risks I'm taking that maybe they'll invest in the future of SP.”
CRITICAL PRAISE FOR “A SONG FOR A SON”:
“A completely great mini-epic…”
--Jody Rosen, Rolling Stone, 1/21/10
“You want classic Corgan?”
--Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune, 12/7/09
“…Corgan opts for a moody, multi-movement track, that shifts from haunting mellotron and piano melodies to an explosion of tangled electric guitars.”
--William Goodman, Spin.com, 12/7/09
CRITICAL PRAISE FOR “WIDOW WAKE MY MIND”:
“’Widow Wake My Mind’ opens with a funky, jangly electric guitar riff and soon drops into a dreamy sequence of floating bass and keys…It's a well-crafted pop-rock song with spare piano interludes, never-overbearing drums (Jimmy Chamberlin's 19-year-old replacement is working out nicely), and a big, song-capping vocal with polished guitar solos. So far, Mr. Corgan has a record of 2-0. Let's hope he keeps the winning streak up -- 42 more songs to go!"
--William Goodwin, SPIN.COM, 1/19/10
“The new song has mid-career Beatles-like feel, with a bright melody and expansive production.”
--Wall Street Journal.com, 1/18/10
About The Smashing Pumpkins:
The Smashing Pumpkins have created one of the most acclaimed bodies of work in musical history and sold over 30 million albums. Formed in Chicago in 1988, they released Gish, their influential (and platinum) debut in 1991, which was followed by more platinum and multi-platinum albums including the nine-time platinum Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness and the four-time platinum Siamese Dream as well as the platinum certified 1998 album Adore. The pivotal group’s many hits defined the alternative music era and continue to resonate on modern rock radio, influencing a whole new generation. The Pumpkins returned in 2007 with their gold-certified and acclaimed sixth album Zeitgeist, which entered the charts at Number 2 in the U.S. and in the Top Ten internationally. Since their triumphant return to the stage in 2007, the Pumpkins have headlined some of the biggest events around the globe including the Reading Festival, Rock Am Ring, and the V fest. In 2008, the band was inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk. Their first post-major label release was the song “Superchrist,” issued via the Guitar Center CD Fresh Cuts Vol. 2. They subsequently recorded the song--the modern rock hit--“G.L.O.W.” for the Guitar Hero® World Tour game, marking the first time a band has recorded a new song exclusively for the franchise. In November 2008, the band released their first live DVD, If All Goes Wrong. In December 2009 The Smashing Pumpkins began releasing Teargarden By Kaleidyscope, a 44-song work with songs being released online one at a time for free (4-song physical EPs will be made available as the songs are released). The group’s BILLY CORGAN has said the new music “harkens back to the original psychedelic roots of The Smashing Pumpkins; atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty.”
