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The End The Pumpkins most popular album the aptly titled Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness would bring the band the Pumpkins the biggest drama of their career. Since the overwhelming success of Siamese Dream, Billy relaxed during recording for MCIS and let James and Darcy play on the record. While writing material for the album, Billy knew it was going to be a two-disc set. MCIS boasted a few of the bands most popular songs: Bullet With Butterfly Wings; which is set in history as one of the classic rock songs of all time; 1979, which the video is a favorite among many 'pumpkinheads' and listeners alike, and of course Tonight, Tonight; the song that was nominated and won awards for. With success, however, comes controversy. While touring for MCIS, touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin overdosed. Chamberlin survived, but Melvoin died. Shortly thereafter, Jimmy Chamberlin was ousted from the band. The trio went back to their “roots” to record Adore without a replacement drummer. Corgan thought they had come "as far as they could go" with their previous sound, and tried a more electronic sound. The album debuted at number 2 on the charts, but didn’t sell as well as the previous albums had. The single Perfect helped slightly helped the slumping sales by continuing the storyline began in the 1979 video. After the band finished touring for the album, Jimmy Chamberlin rejoined the band. As work bagan on what would be the bands final studio album, founding member Darcy left the group. The album more than 1/2 done Melissa Auf Del Muar, fresh out of Courtney Love's band Hole replaced Darcy as bassist. The album debuted at number 2 on the charts, but slipped shortly thereafter. It seemed the band had lost its audience to the "Britney's" and "Boy Bands" as Billy Corgan said it. On May 23rd, Corgan announced the band would be breaking up by early 2001, ending their eleven-year career. As a final farewell, the band taped a VH1 Storytellers segment, released another album Machina II: The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music via the Internet, and a [u]Rotten Apples[/u], a greatest hits CD. Since then, Billy has formed a new band Zwan with Jimmy Chamberlin on drums. James Iha is working on another solo album. Melissa is also working on a solo album. Darcy has kept a relatively low profile. May 23rd was a dark day for me. I was very upset when i learned about the break-up. I dont really know why i love this band as much as I do. Almost two years later I still listen and reflect on the first time I heard BWBW. I was totally blown away by that song. Even today I still listen to it as if it were the first time. The Smashing Pumpkins have influenced me musically, spiritually and personally. One of the reasons I picked up guitar was from seeing Billy and James performances on Viewphoria. Billy Corgan and the Pumpkins were (and still are) to me what Kurt Cobain and Nirvana was to a lot of other people my age. . |
