Editing March-April 2014 - Pumpkinland II, Northbrook, IL

== March-April 2014 - Pumpkinland II, Northbrook, IL ==
Produced by Billy Corgan, Howard Willing & Jeff Schroeder; engineered by Howard Willing
* ''Aelita''
* ''Anaise!''
* ''Anti-Hero''
* ''Being Beige''
* ''Boo''
* ''Burnt Orange Black''
* ''Cardinal Rule''
* ''Darkness and Flight''
* ''Dorian''
* ''Drum + Fife''
* ''Huppy''
* ''I Said''
* ''Full Sail''
* ''The Hunted''
* ''Love To Love You''
* ''Monuments''
* ''Nomi''
* ''Numan''
* ''One and All (We Are)''
* ''Overjoyed''
* ''Pretty Blue''
* ''Roustabout''
* ''Run2me''
* ''Serpentine'' 
* ''Solara''
* ''The Spaniards''
* ''Toodle-Loo''
* ''Tiberius''
Pre-production recording sessions at Pumpkinland II for the Monuments to an Elegy album.  The band, now consisting of solely Billy Corgan and Jeff Schroeder, plow through 70-80 songs in consideration for the album, focusing on the 30 or so best songs.  Additional work arranging and demoing those 30 songs is done at this time, further whittling the list down to the final nine Monuments album tracks, as well as eight "roll-over" b-list songs ("Burnt Orange Black", "Cardinal Rule", "Full Sail", "Overjoyed", "Solara", "Toodle-Loo", "I Said" and "Pretty Blue").  Those b-list tracks would later be the basis of the abandoned sister-album to Monuments, Day For Night.    
[[File:E56f8f aa7df275bbd44391a109b0ec5a20fd17.jpg|thumb|294x294px]]
Today was interesting: as Jeff, Howard, and I went through the
remaining tracks until we'd reached a consensus of what were the best songs/versions.
And despite a few reports, we were not sorting through 150 songs but rather
something more like 70-80 (which is still a lot). The number of 150 came from
counting alternate versions, which in many cases are fairly different
interpretations of a particular chord sequence/approach. So…

This culling got us down to 35 songs, which we considered strong
enough for release, and then had another listen (this time in alphabetical
order to separate ideas from the era they were documented in). Having a vote we
ended up with 26 in the STAR category (an inside joke), and 9 in the COUGAR (an
even more inside joke). So starting tomorrow we'll cut into a new round of
demos, with an eye that everything from here on is essentially 'making' the
record. This is very reminiscent of the way the Siamese, Mellon Collie, and
Machina records were made; this kind of setting up demos as a way to discover
sonic approaches while still writing/tweaking. Hence: 26 STAR demos in 10 days.  We'll be running fast.<ref>Billy Corgan, "Stars and Cougars", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, March 26, 2014</ref>
[[File:E56f8f 22efaac1d5f444c08b429125528f8fd5.jpg|thumb|220x220px]]
Pretty full on day, with Howard picking at random which of the 26 STAR
category songs to dive into. SOLARA was first, which went from a typical
90’s-type rocker to something that felt like it belonged. Next up was a song
whose title escapes me, which in a previous demo had kind of a 80’s club vibe
(in a good way). Unfortunately that went nowhere, and after 3 hours was sent
off to COUGARLAND. It was getting late, but to keep to our *3 a day (or more)
quota we got into it with a fetching song called CARDINAL RULE. Gorgeous as a
fingerpicking-type song, we started breaking apart the internal rhythms to be
voiced on various ‘things.’ And that’s where we left it, in the positive glow
of 2 good and 1 hurting. Same tomorrow! But better.<ref>Billy Corgan, "And So We D-I-V-E", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, March 28, 2014</ref>

Dizzy day. Started with CARDINAL RULE, and was able to turn the corner 
on it by stripping back the busy/arpeggiating figures taken from the 
original guitar part; until all that was left was a simple chimed guitar
<nowiki> </nowiki>and strings. Then it was off to TOODLE-LOO, which I’d classify as a 
rocker in the straightest sense. So rather than reinvent the wheel (as 
I’ve tried in vain oh so many times!) we focused on just getting the 
song heavier, bolder, and more epic-er. Biff-Bam-Vroom! Ended the night 
on one of those whose titles escapes me, and messed with the songs 
upward potential after a suspended beginning sets a dramatic stage. Oh 
yeah, it’s called I SAID (as opposed to I FORGOT). So that’s where we’ll
<nowiki> </nowiki>start tomorrow.<ref>Billy Corgan, "Dizzy Daze", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, March 28, 2014</ref>
[[File:E56f8f 7563686afd034389b5f4d43c85910253.jpg|thumb|220x220px]]
Our most productive day so far; picked up where we 
left off with ‘I SAID;’ fusing a COUGAR idea that had been set aside the
<nowiki> </nowiki>first day back onto the shift into a wider chorus. As Howard said: “I 
don’t think I’ve ever heard you do that kind of change (meaning dynamic)
<nowiki> </nowiki>in a song.’ To which Jeff replied, “And that’s a good thing!” We 
followed this up with ‘THE HUNTED’ (?), which has the distinction of 
being so catchy from the first you almost don’t know what to do with it.
<nowiki> </nowiki>So Howard name checked some band I won’t mention and said how they’d 
had a hit where the bass carries the song forward (the guitars as such 
being held back). This prompted a running of the bass line (WALDORF) 
into a FOX-FUZZ, which sounded great; the song untouched and dosed with 
guitars at the appropriate moment. Next from the random pile was ANAIS: a
<nowiki> </nowiki>riff I’d toyed with on the last SP touring cycle but hadn’t gotten far 
with; too busy I guess. But in the first round of demo-making I was able
<nowiki> </nowiki>to turn the busy-body riff into a shoegazer wash which when laced with 
big, simpler guitars feels fatal.

Somehow
<nowiki> </nowiki>all this fuzzing-about led to a discussion that maybe I should sell my 
Siamese Fuzz so I can buy more synths (a joke, mind you: sorta). Howard 
said “I’ll buy it,” and then quoted a price that I guessed was about 6 
or 7 times less than I’d expect to get for a piece of equipment that 
launched a thousand sonic armies (another joke, not really). This 
prompted Jeff to say that perhaps we should get a company to clone the 
exact pedal. I agree! (Because none that have ever tried in my 
estimation have come close. An opinion).

Lastly,
<nowiki> </nowiki>my eyes a-closing, we got into an idea without a melody (let’s call in 
DARKNESS and FLIGHT). To find one I’d pull up my recently purchased ARP 
SOLUS with drifting pitch and tap away; the underneath groove so 
alluring that I suggested that maybe this could be a song with but one 
change. But Jeff disagreed, and a search began for the elusive new part.
<nowiki> </nowiki>Found one, chopped it in and left it at that. Not sure how good it can 
be, but let’s just say as I write this the loop of farkness and dight is
<nowiki> </nowiki>stuck in my head.<ref>Billy Corgan, "Connecting an XLR Into the Ionosphere", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, March 29, 2014</ref>

Great progress today. Was able to locate the right melodies for DARKNESS
<nowiki> </nowiki>AND LIGHT (which isn’t the title; I only say that to have some fun by 
having a title that makes fun of a title I might have come up with in 
1987; or 2014!). That took us straight into WORLD’S ON FIRE (which is 
the title). Had that middle-of-the-road quality that gets pretty boys on
<nowiki> </nowiki>the radio, but not SP. So off we went into the magic box looking for 
that last bit of gold dust. It took hours, some trying, us trying, but 
at the end The Shredder was playing this kind of Echo B meets an 
orchestra part that meshed wonderfully with ‘ye olde triplet figure from
<nowiki> </nowiki>yours synthi. And with that we sat around and told stories about 
betrayals past. More tomorrow. Exciting days. <ref>Billy Corgan, "Nu-Men", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, March 31, 2014</ref>

Began with ‘WORLD’S ON FIRE,’ and with the cross-cut saw beat found the 
modern rock heavens. Biblical. Epicurious. Have you ever tried working 
on a rock song with a splitting headache? Song was BEING BEIGE, a hot 
rocker that Howard professed love for. “Ok,” I said from beneath thick 
grandma wraparounds. “We’ll try it.” And like all those riff songs, they
<nowiki> </nowiki>go around and around till the thrill is gone and then someone suggests 
(might have been me), “shouldn’t there be, like, a chorus?” Eventually 
I’d tack one on, and it was good. Let there be light.<ref>Billy Corgan, "La Maestro Says", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, March 31, 2014</ref>

Long,
<nowiki> </nowiki>long day, but I’m happy to report we’re now past the halfway point as 
far as the 26 we began with. Started with ‘THE HUNTED,’ which if you may
<nowiki> </nowiki>remember was one of those riff-type deals that had gotten the gussying 
up; chorus-style. Having added in some parts this morning, I was happy 
that my partners were receptive to the tweaks. Score: 1-0. ‘RUN TO ME:’ 
we decided there was no need an updated demo, and moved on; quickly. 
Score: 2-0.

“BURNT ORANGE-BLACK’ was next, and this
<nowiki> </nowiki>is one of those songs that has that timeless ring to it. Slow, languid,
<nowiki> </nowiki>but powerful, with a set of changes you could jam all night on. 
But…Howard said, “It’s no single,” and we agreed. Not that every song 
has to be a single, mind you, but ‘single’ here is code word for’ it 
could be better,’ or ‘this idea has more potential that it’s showing.’ 
With that I tried adding a stuttering guitar figure, and presto! 
Change-o! We at least had something that sounded radio-worthy, which is 
funny considering the staccato stuff was the only change. Shows you how 
thin the premise is a good song vs a great one. Etc, etc. Score: 3-0.

Quote
<nowiki> </nowiki>of the day: “I’m intent on making some downside, magical shit.” Lastly,
<nowiki> </nowiki>‘PRETTY BLUE,’ our perusal leaving Howard with a pained look on his 
boyish face.

“Don’t like it?” I said.

“I do, but, hmm.”

Score: 3-1.<ref>Billy Corgan, "Downside Magic S%#@", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 1, 2014</ref>

PRETTY BLUE’ is where we’d left off the night before, and it was indeed 
headed for the COUGAR pile. But some reworking this morning helped 
instill new life, and so it lives to be criticized another day. ‘NOMI’ 
is a poetic song, more akin to a theatrical presentation, and because of
<nowiki> </nowiki>that, we’ve shelved it (for now). Which is hard because I’d written it 
in response to my grandmother’s recent passing. ‘FULL SAIL,’ while also 
drama-tinged, has more of a rock upside, so it stays. ‘DRUM AND FIFE,’ a
<nowiki> </nowiki>street anthem. ‘NUMAN’ escapes me at the moment, but wasn’t shelved. 
‘LOVE TO LOVE’ we love, a kind of gospel drum driving this shuffled 
Sab/Scorps riff. ‘SERPENTINE’ holds promise, but was pushed aside with 
no further work. ‘ANTI-HERO’ was headed towards metal dustbin ‘till a 
last minute BCsave pulled it from the fire. And ‘TIBERIUS’ sounds like 
it’s title (imagine marching hordes). So certainly our best day yet, and
<nowiki> </nowiki>I’d say the excitement here is palpable in a way that I haven’t seen in
<nowiki> </nowiki>those around me since, oh…our American president played saxophone?<ref>Billy Corgan, "Saxed Up", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 2, 2014</ref>
[[File:E56f8f 6cb4b62c7370473cb5704e850662a89d.png|thumb|220x220px]]
Worked through 4 songs today: TIBERIUS (with new and 
improved epic wizard part), THE SPANIARDS (de-lovely and expansive, set 
aside for ‘DAY FOR NIGHT;’ I think), OVERJOYED (a Howard fave, so you 
know what that means hand-waving fans), and MONUMENTS (which if memory 
serves had been COUGARED).

So
<nowiki> </nowiki>beyond DORIAN (our final task from the original 26), we have traipsed 
through them all. In terms of work this means we’ll go into a further 
round of pre-production next: guitar/bass sounds, amplifiers, drum 
approach, lyrics, final arrangements, even headphones and all sorts of 
non-exciting stuff that makes those sonic differences that add up 
overdub after overdub. And even though a lot of this rigmarole tries my 
patience it does save time in the end, which is important because we’d 
like to get this music out to you as soon as possible: finished, mixed, 
and riffs blazing.

Not sure 
of our numbers now (as in 26 minus ?), but next week we’ll have to cut 
down to at least 12-13 songs for ‘Monuments’ album, with even more cuts 
to follow. It’s gonna be hard. Highlight of the day was our use of a clone of the pedal pictured above. Nothing like playing a phased, stereo Mellotron!<ref>Billy Corgan, "Halcyon Quadratures", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 3, 2014</ref>

Well, after a short sprint thought ‘DORIAN’ (a 
heartrending new-waver), team Howard was prepped; save for confusion 
over how many songs were actually in the STAR pile. Jeff and I claimed 
26 (minus those COUGARED), HW said 25. Much counting ensued! Time was 
wasted. And after 20 minutes of counts-recounts and hanging chads, a 
solution was found: one title having been counted twice between its two 
iterations. Oy vey!

So that 
made 23: 25 STARS minus 2 COUGARED, yes? And alphabetically so a 
traipsing began, with a discussion after each listen; pros and cons 
traded. When all was said and done we’d gotten the list cut to around 
13, then a brutish 9. Another dialogue, this one looking at the record 
as it stands without further input. This cycled us back to songs 
overlooked, for all felt something was missing or needed. Let's call it 
'rock.'

Now let me say here 
that this is very, very consistent with the process I’d normally undergo
<nowiki> </nowiki>on my own in choosing what makes a record. It’s just in this case I’ve 
decided to let my brethren in on my mental process, and they’ve been 
fantastic about working through the logic with me without a single 
regret in being so open to their perspectives. And throughout the 
digging there was general consensus on what belonged save for one 
fantastic brooding idea that Howard referred to as a ‘jam.’ I won’t say I
<nowiki> </nowiki>was offended (Jeff said he should have used Hollywood-speak and called 
it an ‘experiment’), but having written a verse, bridge, and back chorus
<nowiki> </nowiki>for a song I think has a killer under track, I’d hardly qualify that as
<nowiki> </nowiki>‘formless!’ Herr Willing…!

The
<nowiki> </nowiki>good part of this warp was a general agreement that the idea was best 
served on ‘Day For Night,’ where a darker set of themes should be 
explored. That would be 'ROUSTABOUT.'<ref>Billy Corgan, "Now People", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 7, 2014</ref>

And back into the rock-pile, starting with ‘ANTI-HERO’
<nowiki> </nowiki>to see if we might resurrect its fading chances. After much dilly-dally
<nowiki> </nowiki>I arrived at the stunning conclusion that the chorus needed to be 
better.  And lo! The chorus was improved with melodic tricks of invention (i.e. repeat the best hook ad nauseum).

Batting
<nowiki> </nowiki>2nd was ‘THE HUNTED,’ she of the killer chorus and the encouraging 
mono-riff, but never the ‘twain shall weep. (apologies for high school 
verbosities)   After some sally-go-rounds I declared it D.O.A. and COUGARED, which I guess like COUGARTORY.

And-a-last,
<nowiki> </nowiki>we had a go at ‘LOVE TO LOVE YOU;’ he of the menacing gait and snide 
lyricisms. Once again, we turned to the wisdom of TG. So,
<nowiki> </nowiki>‘L2LU,’ he of the drooling swing. Attractive open: check; engaging 
story: check, decent b-section: check; solid-anthem of a back chorus: 
umm no. So we went digging for another idea that had the guitar playing a
<nowiki> </nowiki>triplet 3 over the 4/4, and with a little grease and tempo gymnastics I
<nowiki> </nowiki>guessed we’re in the neighborhood of rock Valhalla.<ref>Billy Corgan, "Aloha!", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 9, 2014</ref>

We started where I’d left off, on ‘LOVE TO LOVE YOU.’ 
Went down a blind alley by speeding it up and losing the Scorps-shuffle.
<nowiki> </nowiki>Dead end.

Picked up 
‘TOODLE-LOO,’ lost the blurry chords ala ‘AGE OF INNOCENCE,’ and went 
back to the straight-punk-8’s. Sped it up too. Probably too tra-la for 
SP (not song, but direction) but we made the point.

Last,
<nowiki> </nowiki>the Numan-esque darkness of ‘MONUMENTS,’ Howard Willing’s pet project 
of love. Got nowhere, but not poorly so. Just re-established that the 
song as-is is fine and the debate ensued if it was ‘good enough.’ (Same 
debate every song!)

That led
<nowiki> </nowiki>us to recalibrate our album list, now leaned with some more life than 
before. An hour’s chat ended with an agreement on: ‘if we made album 
today, it would be these songs.’ So next 4 days is trying to focus those
<nowiki> </nowiki>pieces and see what we’ve got in whole. Exciting because the work of 
past few weeks has elevated already strong song A LOT, and 
nerve-wracking because the game is really set from here out.

Here’s the list:

MONUMENTS/ANTI-HERO/TOODLE-LOO/RUN TO ME/THE SPANIARDS/BEING BEIGE/ONE AND ALL/DORIAN/DRUM AND FIFE/TIBERIUS<ref>Billy Corgan, "Catch The Rainbow", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 9, 2014</ref>

Started with a quick demo of a song written this 
morning. It’s called ‘HUPPY.’ Had a general review of the STARS left. 
General agreement is that the demos will stand till the deeper 
arrangement business starts next week.

This
<nowiki> </nowiki>precipitated my saying, ‘Why don’t we spend the next 3 days trying to 
top what we have.” And with that I re-initiated work on ‘ANAIS’ (which 
was COUGARED). “ANAIS’ is a riff I’d come up with during the OCEANIA 
touring, but its shred-factor gets lost because it’s too busy. Stripping
<nowiki> </nowiki>away what wasn’t essential about what sells in it, I locked a synth 
bass through a fuzz and ended on one drilling figure, and that broke 
down the guitar part until there was just a ghost left. Vroom! SP magik.<ref>Billy Corgan, "Sammi Says Meow", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 10, 2009</ref>

In the midst of our trawl, we started with a review of
<nowiki> </nowiki>‘HUPPY.’ “Too chirpy,” I said, so we tried it a little more darkly. “It
<nowiki> </nowiki>was better the other way,” I said. “Let’s just do it straight. As 
simply as possible.” Improvement. Move on.

Tripped
<nowiki> </nowiki>to ‘BOO,’ my latest. Started with an acoustic demo. Nice but wrong 
album. “Try it heavier,” Howard suggested. “It was better the other 
way,” Jeff said. After that, we left it alone.

Recut
<nowiki> </nowiki>‘ROUSTABOUT,’ Howards ‘jam.’ As it stands, a definite contender for 
‘Day For Night’ album. And would be on this album if the album had swung
<nowiki> </nowiki>more darkly. “

Now what?” I
<nowiki> </nowiki>said out loud. Back through the COUGARS we fell. I circled round 
‘SOLARA.’ “Too grunge though,” I offered, a negative buzzword in these 
parts. “Better if it was straight, or more psych.” Singing the melody I 
came up with an opening figure reminiscent of ‘Heaven and Hell’ Sabbath 
(Go Tony). Sketched out a basic 2-part guitar demo, and with some 
digi-magik made the beat that made it a rocka-rolla (Go Priest). Funny 
what a riff can do to a spine. So ‘SOLARA’ is back with the STARS.<ref>Billy Corgan, "I owe You a Picture", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 11, 2014</ref>

Started session 
with a new theme (think Russian art film/Tarkovsky). A short demo, 
ornate and all, led to a heavier version (think late 70’s British 
metal). No go. Broke riffs over and over till the right one popped 
(think sick party anthem for a dying world). I’m guessing this shoves 
‘SOLARA out of the way. New tune: ‘AELITA.’

Back
<nowiki> </nowiki>to ‘SOLARA,’ to try to up its game. Lots ‘o mincing about; improved 
originality, but less exciting than yesterdays effort. Ran through 
different drum profiles. Fail. Broke riff apart. Fail. Tried a new riff,
<nowiki> </nowiki>found some improvement. So that’s where we left it. And
<nowiki> </nowiki>though this seems like not so much work, we went about 6 hours straight
<nowiki> </nowiki>(minus Tom Kha soup!) and any day with a killer new jam is a good day 
by me. <ref>Billy Corgan, "Interzone", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 13, 2014</ref>

 So on to today. Was very tired, but still went into 
deeper arranging work on three songs: ANTI-HERO, ONE AND ALL, and 
TIBERIUS. Also moved 3 songs to the ‘HOLDING PEN,’ which is pre-COUGAR 
but not quite off album. Now that we’ve identified top tunes, here come 
the warm jets/guitars/bombast/and occasional moments of serenity.

Additional locks for album (?): DORIAN, DRUM AND FIFE, BEING BEIGE (WORLD’S ON FIRE), RUN TO ME, AELITA<ref>Billy Corgan, "Why Am I So Tired?", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 16, 2014</ref>

Went at one song today and one song only. And that 
song was TIBERIUS; which I’d long ago identified at a tough cookie to 
crack. Because…the dang thing is in 9/8 (at least that’s what I’ve been 
told) and a’int so easy on the rhythmic eyes. But…it is awesome I must 
say as an epic piece and worth the trouble.

So
<nowiki> </nowiki>trouble is what I got in trying to untangle what was the middle 8. I 
say ‘was’ because it ‘tis no more. Erased. Obliterated. My casual ode to
<nowiki> </nowiki>‘Godspell’ forgotten. Replaced by what for a brief moment was a sadder 
part, then a dirge-ing riff, then a bastardized version of one of the 
COUGARED. And then…some combo of said riff and a shred of the dirge.<ref>Billy Corgan, "Chin-Chin Ch-Ree", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 17, 2014</ref>
[[File:E56f8f d34637b2e493464c83f7e56e4af6ceeb.jpg|thumb|220x220px]]
As
<nowiki> </nowiki>a holdover from last night, TIBERIUS had been the recipient of a hybrid
<nowiki> </nowiki>riff that when I woke this morning didn’t feel exactly right. And as 
those things go, subtle changes are often the difference in a riff 
sounding dumb or smart. Harkening back to an early form of the same 
idea, I took out the fluff and stuck with the repetition and lo and 
behold, it lined up to the previous spot without any time changes; a 
miracle. Add Moog.

Howard 
objected to RUN TO ME’s 80’s drums, so that was our first order of 
deconstruction. Much head scratching ensured, and knowing how this works
<nowiki> </nowiki>I laid down to watch the zeros and 1’s parade march by. To his credit, 
Howard was able to help us walk the tom-tomming back to a place that 
sounded more like classic SP and less like, say, Big Country (a band 
Jeff and I love by the way). So in its current form the song is simpler,
<nowiki> </nowiki>more direct, and has more current currency. Yes still, miles to go.

On
<nowiki> </nowiki>AELITA, we harkened back to those titans that found a pile-driving 
figure gets the people moving, and back engineered the why of what they 
might do. This led to a Shredder solo, and a leaner-meaner middle 8. 
Hail Van Halen, ZZ Top, KISS, Pantera…

Oh
<nowiki> </nowiki>yeah: MONUMENTS. I accused Howard of falling in love with the original 
demo sound; a condition called ‘demoitis.’ A 30-minute discussion 
followed, where said producer reiterated his belief the song could be a 
single. And though I don’t disagree, the legacy of SP is to make 
adaptations of different styles that in their hybridity create 
singularity. Where I’ve failed at that (often) sit as odd blights, and 
where I’ve succeeded at that (enough), tower epics. Sounds grand, eh?<ref>Billy Corgan, "Mr Moog and the Magik Hand", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 18, 2014</ref>
[[File:E56f8f d112ecbe8d3c4ad6a157833806858c8d.jpg|thumb|220x220px]]
Senor Howard got his wish, as we began with MONUMENTS;
<nowiki> </nowiki>the cause celeb. Fitting the new arrangement, I was quickly able to 
build up an arrangement that accentuated rather than fought the noir: 
drums, keys, bass, and a sublimated guitar that aped said bass. Jeff was
<nowiki> </nowiki>next, copying the signature melody line. Howard frowned.  “What the f&%! do you want from me?” Jeff exploded, smashing to bits his guitar.

Actually
<nowiki> </nowiki>that didn’t happen, except the part about Howard frowning; which 
effectively killed Jeff’s ‘moment.’ I interjected. ‘Look, the song is 
essentially unchanged from my original demo. So let’s just accept that 
it can only more forward by shades.’ And I said this as I swept up the 
chards of Jeff’s aborted try.

A
<nowiki> </nowiki>fresh take on OVERJOYED was next, the once COUGARED arm-waver that was 
set aside precisely because it reminded us of bands we: hate (?). 
despise (?), do not admire (?), wish we could share success with (PC). I
<nowiki> </nowiki>started slow, but soon Herr Willing was egging on a speed-up. “What the f#%! do you want from me,” I shouted, smashing my vintage acoustic to bits.

Actually
<nowiki> </nowiki>that didn’t happen, except for the part about Howard wanting every song
<nowiki> </nowiki>to be made for aerobics. A compromise was reached: tempo 91. Slow 
strings over a simmering beat, and charmed melodies de-oxygenating my 
once virile lungs. Down we went a ½ step, then a whole. “No,” Howard frowned. “I liked it higher.” To that I suggested he would be responsible for the onstage defibrillation. “What
<nowiki> </nowiki>do you want from me?” shouted our producer, smashing his walker to the 
ground; its floor-protective tennis balls scattering. “I. Can’t. Do. 
This. Any. More!”

Actually
<nowiki> </nowiki>that didn’t happen. Except for the part about him asking me to 
asphyxiate myself for pop-rock glory. End result: OVERJOYED out of 
mothballs. But wait, there’s
<nowiki> </nowiki>more, as I suggested the song might be better suited for future hit 
makers EX-COPS. “I’d hold onto this one,” said Jeff, holding Howard’s 
hand as he wept for joy.

BEING BEIGE received a pass, the demo deemed good enough ‘for now.’

DRUM
<nowiki> </nowiki>AND FIFE got the once over, and a weak pass at decent military drum 
programming. In that, I fell asleep. But when rousted I’d spit out a new
<nowiki> </nowiki>arrangement all liked.

That
<nowiki> </nowiki>left AELITA as the last (for DORIAN too had received a cursory pass), 
and I mentioned to Jeff that the best thing to do was keep hacking at 
it. So in short order: a re-arrangement, a new verse melody, with the 
original verse moved to the simmering middle 8. Now we just need DLR (of
<nowiki> </nowiki>VH) to show me how it’s done and I’m good. For those mean streets never
<nowiki> </nowiki>change.<ref>Billy Corgan, "Rust or Trust", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 19, 2014</ref>

Came in and after
<nowiki> </nowiki>a brief shakedown/stare-down/tea kvetch, I demoed out what we’ll call 
the slower version of ANAIS (sort of at the ‘TODAY’ tempo). That took an
<nowiki> </nowiki>hour, and though we all felt the song was strong, no one was hi fiving 
either. “I still like the riff from last night,” Howard said. By that he
<nowiki> </nowiki>meant ANAIS, but the fast (or original) version. But previously I’d 
declared the songs rhythm ‘moldy;’ as in 1992 d.e.a.d. So my exposition 
here would be: ‘hey, if we could find a new under groove, I’m more than 
happy to play the riff. ‘Cause Lord knows the figures I write a’int 
changing.’ I say this to you (as I said to them) because the man I 
learned the most from in the riff dept. was Tony Iommi, and as he has 
shown repeatedly is a good riff last forever; though the groove may 
change with the times. Hence a disco version of ‘War Pigs,’ etc, or the 
Ministry version of ‘Supernaut.’

This
<nowiki> </nowiki>thinking turned the feel we working for/against enough that it started 
to have more of a James Brown/MC5 street noise, and within the hour I 
had the song I was looking for all along. I can’t yet attest to whether 
or not it can be great, but at least now what we have feels vital and 
deserves consideration. Howard too was shocked when I said with ANAIS in
<nowiki> </nowiki>the fold SOLARA deserves back in, as I’m not as worried about it if 
there are 4 other rock songs to compete against. And what is the worry? 
Well, like the occasional song that comes up, it has a dare I say 90’s 
vibe. The argument against being been there, done that and comfort is 
rarely progress. But it is a killer hook, and those don’t grow on plum 
trees. (Also refer back to Iommi comments). Argument for is Howards: 
‘Hey, it might be a single;’ which raises an eye from Jeff and I; as 
we’ve heard these Oh Sussanahs before; mostly from non-creative music 
biz types who have typecast what the ‘Pumpkin Sound’ is despite my 
having had success with acoustic songs, electronic songs, goth songs, 
you name it, plenty of puffinstuff not similar to that roar. Anyway…

Spent
<nowiki> </nowiki>the rest of our time going in circles re: discarded songs, songs not 
lively for this record, and so on (meaning we didn’t get jack 
sparrowshit done). Ended night with another punch through ANAIS; 
slightly improved.

New album list: ANAIS/DORIAN/DRUM AND FIFE/RUN TO ME/BEING BEIGE/ONE AND ALL/TIBERIUS/SOLARA/ANTI-HERO<ref>Billy Corgan, "Oh Happy Day", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 22, 2014</ref>

Return to [[Monuments to an Elegy/Day For Night]]
<references />
@@ Line 478: / Line 478: @@
 New album list: ANAIS/DORIAN/DRUM AND FIFE/RUN TO ME/BEING BEIGE/ONE AND ALL/TIBERIUS/SOLARA/ANTI-HERO<ref>Billy Corgan, "Oh Happy Day", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 22, 2014</ref>
-[[File:E56f8f 76426b89f6ed4c708cea8be9bc48d5b8.jpg|thumb|220x220px]]
-Gonna keep this short, simple, sweet. First of ll, I
-blame Howard. Why? Because his quest for MONUMENTS (the song) has caused
-<nowiki> </nowiki>a domino’s fall of choices. But I jest, because ultimately our choices
-are limited by the tunes I write. And all agree MONUMENTS is a great
-idea. As are others, yet Howard feels this one has the edge. That said,
-he’s been stuck on the demo feel (drums, keys, bass vocals) as opposed
-to guitars over the top.
-And
-<nowiki> </nowiki>I agree that the demo feel of MONUMENTS is pretty cool; that is for
-another band. I don’t think however that the general fan, etc would ‘get
-<nowiki> </nowiki>it’ as is; but with guitars it’s a no brainer. So now the song has
-geetars (again) and it’s back on; SOLARA off (for the arguments made
-previously). It’ll be a ringer for the second.<ref>Billy Corgan, "Are There Any More Songs Left To Sing?" Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 24, 2014</ref>
-All we worked on today was ANAISE.
-Focus
-<nowiki> </nowiki>was improving the song quotient of what is already an exciting piece.
-As in: shorten intro, build a better bridge, write a back chorus,
-tossing out the former middle 8 and inventing a new one; which also
-meant testing different keys to go to. From A minor to E, or D, or stay
-on C, or G (which was the key I was coming out of). D won!
-Being
-<nowiki> </nowiki>tired, I was ready to go home but instead decided to stay and write a
-languid coda (nipped nicely thank you from a alternative tour version of
-<nowiki> </nowiki>‘A Song For a Son.’<ref>Billy Corgan, "Magic Power", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 26, 2014</ref>
-[[File:E56f8f c7095d9889014dd8bfba87a23af24505.jpg|thumb|220x220px]]
-More ANAISE to start, but this round with the so-so
-bridge/chorus moved to solo status (thus voiding the so-so melody and
-turning the change to something epicurious). Also altered elegiac end so
-<nowiki> </nowiki>that it had less resemblance to adapted ‘SFAS’ bit; and I was happy
-(for once). Amazing.
-Forging
-<nowiki> </nowiki>ahead, we tackled other said titles. What were they, you ask? I can’t
-remember. Ended on DRUM AND FIRE; I do recall that. And that is a
-rocking now with ambrosia-foiled tom-toms (In a big country…)
-So only 2 more need-serious of the strong-arm tactics: BEING BEIGE and TIBERIUS.<ref>Billy Corgan, "Step It Up", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 27, 2014</ref>Idea was to dive into vocals-lyrics-harmonies, easy as you pleas-y. But…
-Well,
-<nowiki> </nowiki>hold up, we finished one (ANTI-HERO), the accursed ANAISE next. I say
-accursed because it’s a fitful tiger, that. And my psyche bears the
-scars of a day’s worth of twisting the changes around, only to end up
-back to where we started. Why, some would ask? Well…
-The
-<nowiki> </nowiki>song is in E minor. And yours truly wrote a chorus figure that
-repeatedly sings a high G (top ‘o my range). Herr Howard wants full
-voice, I protest. So starts trying out a lower octave, falsetto,
-alternate harmonies. Failure. Herr Howard repeats his desire that I kill
-<nowiki> </nowiki>myself, I mean sing at the top ‘o my God-given means. So starts trying
-to modulate keys on hitting the chorus, changing the E to G, or A, or B
-flat, C minor, or C sharp, and then D. Hours and hours of hope falling
-flat to more fitful failure flash. Snooze.
-Tried
-<nowiki> </nowiki>straight E again, close enough with some minor changes. Jeff said E
-flat was better (the base key of Mellon Collie, yadda), and a quick flop
-<nowiki> </nowiki>through it says that’s where we’ll begin. But I’m determined to wake up
-<nowiki> </nowiki>and invent a new wheel.<ref>Billy Corgan, "Freedom Rock", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 29, 2014</ref>
-Woke up today, my friends, and started with dear ‘ol
-ANAISE. After much hem-hawing, decided to trust my gut that some sort of
-<nowiki> </nowiki>modulation was necessary. Not just because the chorus is too high (it
-is, but so are others), but because when it shifts down the statement
-within seems to take on a elegiac stature (the elegy the point, it
-seems).
-So here’s a little
-inside baseball: in SP world we call a chord by it’s assumed name even
-if the guitar is tuned to a different base key. I.E. should a guitar be
-tuned to the Mellon Collie key of E flat, we still call an E flat major
-chord an E. This makes the final result on ANAISE by progression: E
-minor, D minor, E minor, G major, D major, E minor, D minor, E minor, A
-minor; despite the guitar being down a half step. Either way you can see
-<nowiki> </nowiki>(if you play music) that the harmonic progression is quite unusual, and
-<nowiki> </nowiki>might explain why there’s been so much head-scratching over it.
-At
-<nowiki> </nowiki>the end of the day, we listened and all agreed that it’s pretty unique,
-<nowiki> </nowiki>both for SP history and as a composition, and in the best sense of the
-word it doesn’t feel strange like good rock and roll should.
-ANAISE, ANAISE, ANAISE, oh how I wanted to be rid of you<ref>Billy Corgan, "Anaise Rhymes with Please", Smashing Pumpkins Nexus, April 30, 2014</ref>.
 Return to [[Monuments to an Elegy/Day For Night]]