Pumpkin Seeds
The Aeroplane Flies High Review
Musician Magazine - February 1997
In the Beatles early days, John Lennon once told the press that he didn't plan on singing "I want to hold you hand" when he was 30. Back then, rock was still considered an adolescent art form. More to the point, it was assumed that adolescence did not extend past the age of, say 25. But pop stars are now expected - indeed encouraged - to grow up less quickly. Current thirty something teen idols like Trent Reznor, Tori Amos, and Courtney Love has legions of fans who look to them as spiritual siblings rather than as people who are biologically old enough to be their parents.
Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan hits the big three-oh in March, but he too seems in little danger forfeiting his highschool role model status anytime soon. Corgan's breathy baritone remains the frustrated, awkward, petulant, pleading voice of pre-adulthood: if you carry a fake ID and use acne medication, this man feel's your pain. His lyrics, also full of melodramatic angst and that weird mixture of idealism and paranoia that define those tricky teens. "The World is a vampire, sent to drain secret destroyers," Corgan grounded on the groups 1995 single "Bullet With Butterfly Wings." Bummer.
But like most artists who are able to pull off this arrested-development stuff, the Pumpkins have relatively sophisticated musical ideas. The groups new five-CD boxset, The Aeroplane Flies High, includes "Bullet" and four other singles from the 1995 double album, Mellon Collie. (I confess to having lurched at the cassette machine and pressing "stop" after 20 minutes.)
But those willing to invest the time and money will find a few gems here. "Ugly" captures the Pumpkins flair for dynamics and atmosphere, with Corgan's vocals ebbing and surging over a sinuous bass line. And the mandolin-laced "Meladori Magpie" has an acoustic elegance reminiscent of some of Lindsey Buckingham's work - which I assume was an influence on the Pumpkins, given the Southern California folk-rock feel of several ballads on this collection and that the band covered Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" for 1994 Pisces Iscariot.
Speaking of covers there are five of them on The Aeroplane Flies High. Ranging from the Cure's "A Night Like This" to Alice Coopers "Clones (We're All)". My favorite is a beautifully layered rendition of Blondie's "Dreaming" with a lithe hip-hop beat and shimmering synth chords. You can just picture a twelve-year-old Corgan bopping around his bedroom, visions of Debbie Harry in his head. Who says you can't stay young forever?