Smashing Pumpkins frontman, and founder, Billy Corgan in an exclusive interview w/ Alex Jones

Just released yesterday, and recorded last week, Billy goes into a number of topics including the music industry, Kony 2012, the Occupy Movement, the growing lack of political dissent in America, and the importance of bringing all ideas and information into a debate even if it's not politically correct or is something you disagree with.

IMHO, Billy Corgan is a heavy hitter and has sure to have experienced many circles of powerful people.

He looks like Corey Feldman, but a little paler like he doesn't get much sun. The only consipracy i am wondering about that concerns him, is why he flushed his career down the toilet.

reply to post by lonewolf19792000
[mor

nite nite for me mods....thanks for having me

reply to post by yahtzeestone

IMHO, Billy Corgan is a heavy hitter and has sure to have experienced many circles of powerful people.

Under what premise, because of a little bit of fame? Most famous people are considered prostitutes or chumps to anyone with any sort of power/control. They are just a means of making money (unless of course they are self made)...

Not really running in any circle, more like ran on by a circle.

Favorite band of all time, and one of the most underrated guitarists in rock n roll history.

Been to 37 pumpkins concerts over the years too. But I digress.

He has always been outspoken about the corruption in the world, and has MANY hidden symbols in his album artworks. Machina being the heaviest......

I ALWAYS wondered what Billys screen name on ATS is..I know he's a member. I even asked him what it was at an event here in Seattle. He just smiled.

Originally posted by boncho
reply to post by yahtzeestone

IMHO, Billy Corgan is a heavy hitter and has sure to have experienced many circles of powerful people.

 

Under what premise, because of a little bit of fame? Most famous people are considered prostitutes or chumps to anyone with any sort of power/control. They are just a means of making money (unless of course they are self made)...

Not really running in any circle, more like ran on by a circle.

Yeah, what I meant by heavy hitter is someone who has experienced a lot and has an opinion built on such, not that he's in a position of power.

And I didn't say he ran in, or was run on by any circle. I said he surely experienced interactions with circles of powerful people.

What a great interview. He couldn't have said it better when he mentioned the need to question issues that relentlessly strive to leave open dialogue out. I've always had a hard time with people that ''obsessivly'' stick to one side of a narrative and don't keep an open mind to other ideas.

Too many people crave for the need to be right for a personal ego boost in the instance that they really happen to be right...But what is to gain from that as a collective society?
It can be dangerously counter-productive when that need is so engraved in one's character that even when proved wrong they choose to live in denial...

Thats when you realize how truth is a a volatile concept. I don't remember who said this quote (or part of this quote for that matter) ''Thats when you truely believe that you are the most vulnerable to be deceived''

reply to post by jesiaha

Too many people crave for the need to be right for a personal ego boost in the instance that they really happen to be right...But what is to gain from that as a collective society?
It can be dangerously counter-productive when that need is so engraved in one's character that even when proved wrong they choose to live in denial...

Thats when you realize how truth is a a volatile concept. I don't remember who said this quote (or part of this quote for that matter) ''Thats when you truely believe that you are the most vulnerable to be deceived''

This is true, but if people have no conviction than they are left to question everything and anything, fearing the concept of moving forward.

There's a touchy line between bliss and complete destruction.

Originally posted by boncho
reply to post by jesiaha

Too many people crave for the need to be right for a personal ego boost in the instance that they really happen to be right...But what is to gain from that as a collective society?
It can be dangerously counter-productive when that need is so engraved in one's character that even when proved wrong they choose to live in denial...

Thats when you realize how truth is a a volatile concept. I don't remember who said this quote (or part of this quote for that matter) ''Thats when you truely believe that you are the most vulnerable to be deceived''

 

This is true, but if people have no conviction than they are left to question everything and anything, fearing the concept of moving forward.

There's a touchy line between bliss and complete destruction.

Very true
Convictions should be ''self-made' through research and discussions. When people with either the same convictions or not are up for debate and discussion thats when ideas evolve. One person cannot hold the truth is what I'm trying to say

reply to post by amongus


Awesome..
Disarm was the first song I learned on guitar, one of those perfect simple guitar riffs that is easy to play, but anyone will recognize it even coming from a beginner.

reply to post by yahtzeestone


Only got through half of it so far, but yea I totally agree with him about the life of an artist nowadays. The music culture is lost and its hard for musicians to make it more and more. Its awesome to see him arising as one of the voices that are taking a stand.

reply to post by yahtzeestone

Very nice post OP; it is about time people in positions such as Billy Corgan, come out and have a dialogue. I fear too many in his position; are comfortable little whores happy to keep sucking the corporate teat, to step up and say anything.

Billy has punk rock roots; where are the other "celebrities" that have those roots, and don't exercise their voices off stage? The government 20 years ago was happy to just label those born around the late 60's to late 70's as generation X, and then admonish the generation for not falling in line; like a Norman Rockwell painting of idealism.

Perhaps; if they started focusing on shifting education, instead of spilling the same lies of propaganda; they would have gotten our trust in them. The way text books then talked of early presidents; made them out to be infallible super hero's. It didn't take long to see those stories were about as real as Santa Claus, and start a slide into a dystopian youth.

That doesn't mean generation X as it's called doesn't have utopian ideas, it's just the ideals we are supposed to have. I and many around my age 39; have the same ethics as our grand parents, a lot of us have the DIY ethic. We want the freedoms some of our great grand parents and grand parents died in wars to keep. We see all this internal spying on us, as just more attempts to sell us a bunch of crap we honestly, don't feel we need to be happy. The corporations lobby, to steal our personal information to target us as consumers; and then try to pound us with commercials.

I quit watching TV for 5 years; I went to a friends brothers house; and they were watching some mindless program, which had some value for amusement...but the commercials almost gave me an anxiety attack. I excused myself and hung out on the porch...til plans were made to go do something.

My productivity sky rocketed when I turned off the TV. Now I only watch shows and movies online and commercial free; I don't think I am the only one that has commercial and advertisement burn out. I am not an Eff-ing consumer.

The old corporate model is going to collapse; the people my age and didn't get caught up in the house/white picket/2.5 kid ideal, are happy to not be tied down in the old corporate system...and there's millions of us out here, trying to live a life of freedom; despite living with the old non working systems, that have refused to adapt, outdated laws and policy that get enforced by our peers, dressed in a silly costume with batman utility belts.

Things could get better; if they start to listen to what people like Billy Corgan have to say; and see that old policy and law changes are good. That the government needs to shift back to interest in it's people, and away from corporations(that ARE NOT PEOPLE!!!) and reverse the corporate policies and laws that have been passed.

You know how people out here in generation X land turn things around? DIY baby DIY, if we have an interest in soap we make it; if we like sweaters we knit them, if we want food we make it, there is more talent here than those corporate bastards out there can imagine. Some are like our parents and will sell out; just because they tied themselves to some responsibility...those people are fine by me, they do what they need to to support their families. Some learned from our parents, saw how miserable they were trying to life life as others expected, instead of their own life and we want nothing of it. We want simplicity to be honest, and amassing a bunch of material crap that is pretty meaningless and brings no lasting happiness, or has no useful value as many things in this world have...are far some simple.

"if we break them down into their micro, we miss the macro" --billy corgan

Very valid point IMO. What corgan is discussing is little picture vs big picture. When we get focused on the details and engulf ourselves in a topic or situation at hand, we often lose sight of the bigger picture or meaning of it. Where we often fail to recognize what the event or situation means on the grander scale, and this is what the people at the top are counting on to keep us involved on a small level that we do not realize the larger implications of what ever agenda is being pushed forward. Again, IMO, there is always an agenda when these things are put out into the mass media, or else we would heard nothing about it. It is social engineering to a degree. There is a reason things catch like wildfire in the news, the latest being the Zimmerman/Martin case out of Florida......it speaks to a much larger agenda and issue and we should be aware that there is a reason for the media frenzy, we need to ask what is the larger agenda behind this and other events? What would be the purpose behind such media coverage? It has to be something larger than just ratings.

reply to post by Darkchemistry

I quit watching TV for 5 years; I went to a friends brothers house; and they were watching some mindless program, which had some value for amusement...but the commercials almost gave me an anxiety attack. I excused myself and hung out on the porch...til plans were made to go do something. My productivity sky rocketed when I turned off the TV. Now I only watch shows and movies online and commercial free; I don't think I am the only one that has commercial and advertisement burn out. I am not an Eff-ing consumer.

That's so funny! I lived overseas for a long time, and recently came back to the USA. I was not used to American tv or commercials, my kids had never seen American commercials and we were both in a state of shock and horror.

I went to Walmart and experienced my first ever anxiety attack. It was so overwhelming for me, it made me want to dig a hole and never crawl out of it. It is simply too much of everything and the only way I have learned to deal with it is by separating myself from it. I can see why so many people have anxiety and stress problems and why so many people spend their time on the Internet and do not like being bothered to go out....I do not think it is healthy at all, but I can see why people are disengaged in the world around them.....it is like overkill at a certain point, or like drinking too much, you wake up and just feel terrible the next day!

I agree about gen x wanting simplicity, I think many people in that group yearn for a calmer life with close knit relationships in their families and communities, something more natural and organic, well, at least I know that is how I feel.....not trying to speak for the whole generation of course!

reply to post by amongus


machina... yes indeed agreed. one of the best heaviest most sincere and in your face works on planet dirt.
i am sure billy would want to be as discreet on the board as the rest of us. i say if you do find out his handle, keep it to youself. i am basing my statement on the dribbling when christonabike (chrisonabike) was on the scene and the amount of fawning was very amusing. discretion is the better part of invisibility.
f.

Was great to listen to that, thanks for linking. Was half groaning to myself in my head when I started clicking around here and wondering what I'd be reading today, am feeling a lot better after watcing that first instead.

Originally posted by Mijamija
"if we break them down into their micro, we miss the macro" --billy corgan

Totally agreed, and probably one of the most important problems we have today regarding so many people out there that don't think about that issue.

reply to post by yahtzeestone


Woah! I almost missed this thread. My favorite band as well. Can't watch the video at work but something to look forward to tonight! Thanks for posting!