Customer Reviews

Tarantula

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

"If the lyrics "don't let me say this/but you're no worse than me/its crazy/we are the real/if real ever was/and just because/we are the real/they feel we have enough" aren't enough to interpret Billy's motives, the not too subtle single cover with Paris Hilton standing in front of a mushroom cloud with a Blackberry in hand completely gives them away. The concept of the new Smashing Pumpkins album centers around America's apathy and languorous attitude concerning the political and social climate produced by our leaders and felt by people around the world. Indeed, the climate of bloggers and MySpace has led to a public more interested in Britney's Spears' haircut than more serious subjects. Although Billy admits, Paris and his listeners are no worse than him. Someone, (the internet, paparazzi, corporations?) gave us sound..."

Overall, Tarantula is a guitar driven pop track that is new and classic Pumpkins all at the same time. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. Death From Above isn't so good, and sounds like a repetitious b-side from Billy's solo project.

Unfortunately, I don't think most internet posters are as philosophical as Billy. He is commenting on social decadence and fascination of the public with celebrity, even in the face of the increasingly frightening political front. Ironically, he is also commenting on the absurdity of people gaining notoriety for nothing. Something, those posting opinions on web-forums and review sites should take note of.

One final note, Zeitgeist is an album not about politics or social issues in general. Even though it is a political album, it isn't saying one side or another is right or wrong, it is personal in that it is just Billy's feelings and thoughts about these subjects. I have seen some posts saying that the poster won't listen to an album that is against the war in Iraq. Although the album implies that Billy doesn't agree with the war, it doesn't explicitly criticize it. It more just comments on how Americans are (more interested in Paris Hilton than politics, we are all stars since the advent of the internet, blogs, and MySpace, and overall the system is broken).

I really can't see how putting Paris Hilton on an album cover as a commentary, should yield such a vehement reaction. What has she ever done to you? Did she kill your dog? She is a girl who is famous for nothing, and really hasn't contributed much positive or negative to society. Yet, many posters would make her the equivalent of Hitler.

Let's put our thinking caps on here people. I doubt Paris being on the cover is meant to be a compliment to her. I'm not the greatest at interpreting art but I can take a stab at this one. There is what appears to be a nuclear bomb going off in the back ground, yet in the foreground is Paris Hilton. MAYBE they're pointing out how people are too obsessed with distractions like Paris Hilton to pay attention to more important things that are going on in the world. If you know what Zeitgeist means and the meaning behind its album art you'll see this fits right in.
As far as the songs go, I like them, but lets face it, singles are about as dead as vinyl these days. This ones for colletors only or people who don't believe in downloading music.

I had no idea about this Billy/Paris connection, but it's both funny and ironic. If you're a completist of Billy's work, you need this single for "Death From Above". There are versions at both BestBuy and Target, each with it's own bonus track and different-coloured cover/booklet. BestBuy's version has "Death From Above" as it's bonus track, with a yellow-ish cover/booklet...while Target has a purple-ish cover/booklet and the bonus track is the TITLE track, "Zeitgeist"...interesting that the song was left off the regular and deluxe version...BTW, I HATE the packaging on that...big, bulky and obtrusive, and there's nothing special about the pics inside that...I'd much rather have bonus tracks.

Soooo, in the end, buy the Target edition of the album and this single, and marvel at the irony of Paris Hilton, blackberry in hand, standing in front of a mushroom cloud. Oh, the song "Tarantula" is pretty cool, with a nice riff and a melody that grows on you. Billy may seem like a jerk to many, but I think the guy's just misunderstood, that's all...and Jimmy C just proves here that he's a kickbutt drummer too...

The smashing pumpkins have caught a lot of flack for the way Zeitgeist was released but i think the most disturbing thing was the photo of paris hilton on the cover of this single and inside the cd booklet. I get the point of the photo with the nuke going off in the back and i get it's Paris Hilton who embodies all the worse qualities a human can possess and she also emobidies the Zeitgeist better than any person, but the fact that she actually signed on to do this and the Pumpkins let her is just a bit disturbing. However, that being said. Why did I give this single 5 stars?

Both songs rock. Death from above should have made it to the album and Tarantula kicks butt. So as this is about the music i say it deserves a 5 star rating. However, go pick up the limited edition from Best Buy of the album and get Death From Above along with Steller and a great new track Ma belle.

First of all, I love Zeitgeist. Tarantual is a great song, but I only bought this for the B side so I wouldn't have to buy the Best Buy version of Zeitgeist. If you are a diehard fan like me and you need to have every song that Billy wrote, buy it. Death from above is a so so song that is definitley a B side.

Hmm, well thats great, i couldnt agree with his views more. but it doesnt excuse bad music. it sounds lacking of hmm, well yeah i guess d'arcy and iha. if it was only him all along then it would be obvious in the new sound but you hear something lacking in the music and you cant quite put your finger on it. all these bands of old fart rockers from the nineties, NIN, SP, etc. all could have spoken up years earlier about how america is screwed. Oh, thats right they were all to busy doing drugs.Doing it now is kinda like deciding to be enviromentally aware when you live on a melting ice glacier. your a lil late guys. its pretty sad when green day is on the frontlines of being pollitically aware of how bad america's getting. Lets face the facts most rockstars are less then aware of much of anything besides there own existance. so with that said going straight to just the music itself and this song along with the album is enough to drive a original pumpkins fan to drink. Its not horrible, but from a band such as them your expecting way better. and the cover, your already flogging a dead horse ive seen pumpkins bootlegs with way more clevor covers.the magic is gone and it doesnt sound like its coming back. Maybe its time to be a lil more honest with ourselves and call it the billy corgan band?

Tony Danza railed against CNN dubious coverage of Paris Hilton's incarceration. Does this make him philosophical as well?

My problem with Tarantula is that it hardly brings anything new to the table. BC is merely doing a rehash of what people already know. Yes, we are unhandily obsessed with the culthood of celebrity. This is not breaking news. I'm not sure what reaction Billy expected by putting Paris on the cover. Did he think people would turn off The Hills, pick up the latest Mother Jones, and call their state senator?

If anything, the whole thing smacks of opportunism and hypocrisy on Billy's part. For example, see the Pumpkins MySpace saturation. See their latest contest of "make your own Tarantula video using our original green-screen footage!". See Billy's childish blog postings of "It's James' fault that SP broke up! D'Arcy was a mean-spirited, drug-addict! "

Don't bite the hand that feeds you, BC.

I'm guessing Billy was one of those people that made fun of the elected Homecoming royalty in high school but secretly dreamt of being voted king himself. Now he has graduated to criticizing E!'s coverage choices but where would Billy be without his fawning fans? The man clearly enjoys his celebrity status.

As for the song itself, it hardly breaks any new ground musically or lyrically. Yeah, it's full of (misdirected) rage but it has all the power of a banana-cream pie being dropped from a ten-foot ladder. Which is too bad when you consider the power of true zeitgeist songs like Eve of Destruction, Blowin' in the Wind, Imagine, or Orange Crush. Tarantula hardly rates among these tunes.

Borrowing a trick from BC... Here are my b-sides for the title of this review.
OMG! This isn't gr8, it sux...
Billy, meet the pot and the kettle.
The drama queen has no clothes.
Would you like some weienerschnitzel with your zeitgeist, Frau Corgan?
No, I meant what does "ironic" mean?

First of all, what is that skank doing on the cover of an SM record? Hasn't the world given her enough press already? Billy WTF?!?!? Anyway now for the music, Two bland tracks without even a redeeming b-side. I'll pass.

For ever "reunion", there is a motive, money. And Billy Corgan the (in name only) Smashing Pumpkins have demonstrated the extreme in alienating their fans and profiting for themselves. Not only are both these tracks readily available (depending on where you purchased one of the seven (yes seven) different releases of Zeitgeist, they place none other than Paris hilton on the cover of their single. Let's give the fans a little credit....for a "band" (or...The BIlly Corgan Project)who always tried to be unique, it seems a desperate marketing attempt to get in touch with "new" fans that are just reaching the college age.

After the commercial failures of Zwan & his Adore-like solo album, Mr. Corgan learned that marketing is mearly the name yyou put out, and with only 2 of the original four pumpkins (Jimmy Chamberlain worked on Zwan & guest spotted on the Solo album...disqualifying this Pumpkins "reunion")
this is just an attempt to cash in on a new generation of fans, whilst keeping Warner Bros. happy.

As for the single....completely avoid....the only good song on Zeitgeist is the 10 minute epic United States...which sounds like it would have fit on MCIS-Adore or even Machina

2 stars get taken off for Paris Hilton being on the cover now add a crappy song & what you have is a coaster for drinks. Enjoy!


BTW:Billy took the pic of Paris himself...Retard!