Billy Corgan Criticises Pomposity Surrounding Radiohead

Billy Corgan has never exactly been one to keep quiet on his opinions on other bands. Now, in an interview with Antiquiet, the Smashing Pumpkins front man has spoken out on the pomposity surrounding Radiohead.

In the extract below, the singer criticises the value system that prioritises Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood over Deep Purple axe-man Ritchie Blackmore:

"I can’t think of any people outside of Weird Al Yankovic who have both embraced and pissed on Rock more than I have. Obviously there’s a level of reverence, but there’s also a level of intelligence to even know what to piss on. ‘Cause I’m not pissing on Rainbow. I’m not pissing on Deep Purple. But I’ll piss on f*ckin’ Radiohead, because of all this pomposity.

"This value system that says Jonny Greenwood is more valuable than Ritchie Blackmore. Not in the world I grew up in, buddy. Not in the world I grew up in. So I find myself defending things. Is Ritchie Blackmore a better guitar player than me and Jonny Greenwood? Yes. Have we all made contributions? Yes. I’m not attacking that. I’m attacking the pomposity that says this is more valuable than that. I’m sick of that. I’m so ****ing sick of it, and nobody seems to tire of it."

The new Smashing Pumpkins album, Oceania will be released on June 18th and is presently streaming via iTunes.

The tracklisting is as follows:

01. Quasar
02. Panopticon
03. The Celestials
04. Violet Rays
05. My Love Is Winter
06. One Diamond, One Heart
07. Pinwheels
08. Oceania
09. Pale Horse
10. The Chimera
11. Glissandra
12. Inkless
13. Wildflower

The record has been described as an "album within an album" as it is part of their 44-song cycle "Teargarden By Kaleidyscope."

Comments

[nailsarecruel]

Oh please. Radiohead is just as pompous as the Pumpkins were in their prime, only Thom Yorke isn't known for badmouthing bands, bandmates and fans. Just the Forrest Whittaker eye and spastic dance moves.

- a fan from the beginning right up to the split after Machina II

[Rafa88offspring]

Says the guy who's releasing his "album within an album".

Really, what the **** is he talking about? Weird Al Yankovic? and who started comparing Blackmore with Greenwood? it it cause they have the "color + 4 letter-word" last names?

[john_kimble]

Billy Corgan is the biggest crybaby in music.

You people really wanna trust a Charlie Brown look-alike who sings out of his nose and dated Courtney Love?

[Voodoochile711]

Just using the word "pomposity" makes him sound pompous.

[DickHardwood]

Greenwood is objectively more valuable as a musician than Blackmore, not for guitar skill but for the diversity. He can play pretty much everything and he is a award-winning composer..that being said, it's also a completely different style of music for one to simply compare. I obviously prefer Greenwood but I really appreciate Blackmore and a Deep Purple fan will obviously prefer Blackmore. Corgan's best contributions to the music world since the 00's have been to tabloid press and Love's wretched vagina.

[burndttoast]

I personally believe Radiohead themselves are rather humble. Their music exudes a bit of pretentiousness, but mostly it just seems to attract douchy pretentious people. Still, I've never heard anyone try to wholeheartedly convince me that Jonny Greenwood is a better guitar player than Blackmore, or any other player.

Billy Corgan is just jealous that Radiohead does experimental shit better than he can.

[kingofnowhere]

Was Billy in some Deep Purple chatroom when he got into a discussion with some 12-year-old because he stated Greenwood was a better guitar-player than Blackmore? I mean really, I've never heard the two being compared until now.

[Rimfrost]

Radiohead can be a bit pompous at times, and the reviewers can be too when writing about Radiohead. Radiohead is an Excellent band, but he might have a point, Radiohead isn´t the end all and be all of music.

[rafey]

This value system that says Jonny Greenwood is more valuable than Ritchie Blackmore. Not in the world I grew up in, buddy. Not in the world I grew up in. So I find myself defending things. Is Ritchie Blackmore a better guitar player than me and Jonny Greenwood? Yes.

I’m attacking the pomposity that says this is more valuable than that. I’m sick of that. I’m so ****ing sick of it, and nobody seems to tire of it.

..i'm so lost.

[jrodgers]

burndttoast wrote:
Billy Corgan is just jealous that Radiohead does experimental shit better than he can.

Although this whole arguement Billy is making makes no sense, probablly because UG took it out of context like usual, you may have just hit the nail on the head

[robo37]

Jonny Greenwood is over valued? What? Does this guy even know what he's talking about?

(I'm a fan of both bands btw)

[Rimfrost]

Rimfrost wrote:

Radiohead can be a bit pompous at times, and the reviewers can be too when writing about Radiohead. Radiohead is an Excellent band, but he might have a point, Radiohead isn´t the end all and be all of music.

I forgot a word, Radiohead FANS can be a bit pompous.

[Galfadez]

Lol Billy Corgan thinks he's still relevant.

[Superperfex]

Criticisms often reflection universal truths about ourselves. Corgan is the one that caused his band to fall apart and die. He's the sole survivor of the mess after the death of Smashing Pumpkins. Yorke is a much more humble, and creative, person than Corgan.

[headbanger32594]

Why would you compare Radiohead and Deep Purple?

That's like comparing red to blue.

That's like me bitching to a Justin Bieber fan that Behemoth would smite their beloved idol in terms of skill. Of course they would, it's a no-brainer, but it's useless trying to tell them that.

[Vicryl 2.0]

James Iha is on a facepalm mode at the moment

[xplosive59]

Pomposity is my new favourite word!

[mastergon]

Where did he here that?

[shoule79]

Honestly to me neither band have had a truly decent album in over a decade. If their output from the last 10 years hadn't been preceded by their 90's output everyone would be saying Smashing what? Radio who?

FYI I do like (liked) both bands, but all groups have a shelf life and eventually quality suffers or they run out of ideas. Unless you are AC DC.

[MattKempton]

Who cares Billy Corgan! Different people like different guitar players. Just listen to what you love and quit whinning!

[bornIIhula]

The misleading title strikes again. What he is trying to say is that he is sick of comparing completely different musicians to conclude that one is better than the other. As an example, I once read a YouTube comment that said "Suicide Silence > The Strokes". Like... what merit does that statement have? It's a pity that music is derivative by nature, because people are forever comparing things, and I think that's what Billy is trying to say. All the protective Radiohead fans need not worry.

[headbanger32594]

^This makes sense. I went and reread that, and finally got it.

UG has a tendency to confuse people with their titles.

[Modest Mastodon]

Billy is not so much bad mouthing Radiohead as he is the "value system" or how modern society values some artists more than others despite the level of talent they have(not dissing radiohead- im a big fan of Johnny's guitar work). I think he just pulled a random example out of his a** and it didnt work as well as he thought it would of.
Plus he kind of contradicts himself where he says that he thinks that Blackmore is better than Greenwood, as that is his value system.

But yes Radiohead FANS do get a bit pompous...

[rhs5110]

Coming from a guy who hasn't had a decent album in over a decade

[powachord]

Billy corgan... In love with sound of his own whiny, nasally voice

[kiwistray]

I like both bands but prefer the kind of marketing that gives its albums away at a price the punters choose, rather than whinging, making a scene, shunning value judgements then doing just that - trying to get attention by belittling others (right when an album's coming out, no coincidence there)

[dudeman667]

The dude is basically saying people shouldnt say this music is better then that music, while basically saying this music is better then that music. if he simply said i dont really like Radio Head, i think they are over rated, i would agree. Still i would listen to new Smashing Pumpkins any day over new Radio Head, and do. And the same goes for old Radiohead vs. old Pumpkins.

[dudeman667]

Lead singers of Bands are often up their own ass. But i still like a lot of The Smashing Pumpkin's music, even the new stuff.

[PatVanHalen5150]

They're both awful.

[Tfit64]

Honestly to me neither band have had a truly decent album in over a decade. If their output from the last 10 years hadn't been preceded by their 90's output everyone would be saying Smashing what? Radio who?

I'm sorry. Were you sleeping through all 0f 2007 up until now? I'm pretty sure that there was an album called In Rainbows thrown in that time period somewhere.