Confessions of a Fanboy

It’s startling how quickly a day can spin out of control or how quickly I can spiral into one of my moody little funks.
Last night’s BSCA was a happy little trainwreck. I didn’t have much planned or prepared and as it turns out that’s a good thing because the show took on a life [...]

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We’re a little more than a week into 2008 and I’m still trying to wrap up 2007; one more encouraging reminder that the music scene is alive and well, regardless of what the hipsters are telling you.
I’ve listed my Top 10 Albums of the Year and talked about a few notable re-issues. Today, we’re [...]

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I’m once again pleased to report there were a lot of outstanding records released this past year. You wouldn’t know that if you read certain magazines, blogs or web sites. You certainly wouldn’t know it if you listened to most radio stations. Fortunately for you, you’re smarter than that and you’re not [...]

Filed under: Dan Wilson | 3 Comments »

Not much suspense in the daily scorecard rundown of yesterday’s listening, but here it is…
No Matter What | Def Leppard | Yeah!
Drive-In Saturday | Def Leppard | Yeah!
Little Bit of Love | Def Leppard | Yeah!
20th Century Boy | Def Leppard | Yeah!
Rock On | Def Leppard | Yeah!
Hanging on the Telephone | Def Leppard [...]

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I don’t have a good transition from Petty to the Pumpkins, but Garbage did open for the Pumpkins on the Mellon Collie tour and Butch Vig produced Siamese Dream. At least I have that going for me.
Zeitgeist seems to be a quintessential Smashing Pumpkins record. There are moments of frustrating self-indulgence and moments [...]

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When dayjob frustration flares inside the brainholes, you have to carefully choose your musical companion. Careful consideration is necessary to make sure you choose something that will calm and soothe.
Fuck that!
Smashing Pumpkins, on. “Doomsday Clock” describes the deadline pressure. “7 Shades of Black” fits the mood…

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Feeling gravity’s pull as I drug my fat ass up a hill…
I went for a walk, intending to listen to more of the visceral, hard-charging Zeitgeist. I read an e-mail from a friend about the songs R.E.M. played on their five night stand in Dublin, and “Feeling Gravity’s Pull” and “Welcome to the Occupation” [...]

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I’ve now listened to Zeitgeist from beginning to end. Here are my initial reactions:

I suppose it is about what I expected. It’s good. Billy Corgan is too talented and calculating to put out a complete piece of crap, but he’s not infallible and Zeitgeist is not a perfect piece of music.
“Doomsday Clock,” [...]

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I got something else in the mail along with the new Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist record. It’s a new album from Against Me! called New Wave. I’m real curious to hear it, mostly because it is produced by Butch Vig. Vig is on hiatus from Garbage and of course produced Nirvana’s Nevermind, Smashing [...]

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MAIL CALL!
I just got an advance copy of the new Smashing Pumpkins record, Zeitgeist in the mail! Rock the world on high! I pre-ordered my own, proper copy but I can hear the album today. I rule.
I read a rather scathing review of this new album from AMG, so I am approaching [...]

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