A Sole Chili Pepper Reviews A Solo Pumpkin
By Dave Navarro
Addicted to Noise
February 1998
I'll admit it -- at first, listening to Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha's solo debut, I was ... well, I ... I was kind-of waiting for the punch line.
After listening to the first track ("Be Strong Now"), I thought, "Well, this must be the single. He's playin' it smart. James knows that the industry (reader: insert laugh track here) rarely listens past the first track of any album." As the song was winding to an end, I thought, "OK!!!!! Let's tear this shit up! Let's rock! Huh? Wait a minute!" (Dave presses skip.) "What the hell?" (Skip.) (Skip. Skip.) "Where is the rock? Where is the 'Spicy Cherub Hard Rock 'N' Roll'?"
I was about to call The Good Guys and demand a refund for my obviously broken CD player! The damn thing keeps playing the same track, over and over! Just look at this shit! What the hell did I pay for this? The skip feature doesn't even work for cryin' out ... oh ... wait. I guess this song is a little different. I hung up. (Note to reader: The Good Guys ... are not that good. They should be called: "The Somewhat Fair-to-Poor Guys." I'm assuming that the chairman of the board over there thought it would be a little too long to fit on the sign.)
"Wow!" was my first thought, when I finally realized that this entire album had a totally different direction than, I guess, I had presumptuously expected from James. (Pause) "Well fuckin' good for him!!!!" I said out loud. (Not really, but it reads better. Anyway, I did think it.) James' record consists of a collection of songs and feelings that, when you think of it, shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone. I mean ... when I think of James, I think of a sweet, talented, sensitive and humble contributor to modern-day music/rock.
I think that this album reflects those characteristics. In fact, after reviewing the material a few times, not only did I find that I actually enjoyed the work, but more importantly, I found that my respect for James as an artist had grown immensely! James has taken a courageous turn for what it is he believes in, and I sincerely admire that. He knows what it is that his fans expect from him. He knows what the label wants. He definitely knows, mind you, what brings in the big dollars in today's market. Although this particular collection of mellow, emotional and sometimes melancholy songs may not be for the die-hard Pumpkins fan, it is definitely worth a listen. It appears to be an honest account of James' life, loves and losses.
This album offers a dramatic, introspective and almost unguarded look into the vulnerable heart and soul of one of today's most unsung entertainers. James sent a test-pressing to me personally (I had to throw that in here), so I don't have a track list to refer to. In other words, I am not about to sit here and type out my thoughts and interpretations of another artist's songs. What reviewer would presume to do that? (Reader: insert laugh track here.)
What I can tell you is this: Instrumentally, the album is almost entirely acoustic. Some nice string arrangements poke their heads in and out from time to time in a way that is subtly reminiscent of the Beatles. Vocally, James is extremely talented. He has a soft and soothing voice that really does capture the essence of the words he sings -- a rarity in today's music world. I should know. (Take that to mean anything you want. I will never go down that road again.)
On the Navarro scale of grams, one being the lowest and 10 being the highest, I would have to say that Let It Come Down most definitely deserves an 8-gram rating. I would recommend the purchase of this album. Of course, anyone who would listen to a guy who writes for an online magazine, or any other for that matter, would have to be a complete moron.
P.S. As you read on, if you choose to do so, please keep in mind that I did not attend the show in question, and that I am simply responding to hearsay.
As a fellow artist (I know, I know. Reader: insert laugh track here), I can assure you that the time, energy and heart that goes into a project such as James' can be so overwhelming that dealing with the actual release of the album can be both baffling and frightening. It takes a lot of strength to endure the whole process.
Although I've heard that one of his sets -- opening for that bald guy [Billy Corgan] -- was not too well received, I am certain that this lukewarm reception was in no way a response to James' music, but was, instead, the expression of an audience eager to hear the headlining band.
In the future maybe we could all try to keep in mind that the performers we're watching can see us as well.