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The Smashing Pumpkins

Date: Oct 01 2007

Themes: Music

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Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

A lot of people were really excited to hear that, after a seven year break, the Smashing Pumpkins were making a new album. Why wouldn’t their fans be happy to hear that? The Pumpkins inspired millions with their poetic lyrics and intellectual arena rock sound in the ‘90s.

Well, as it turns out, it was only half a reunion. The group’s guitarist and bassist would be absent. And on top of that, the band made an arrangement to release special versions of their new album through major corporations. This upset more than a few fans, Devan and Marni among them.

Dialog

1. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Devan

Marni

Devan: So I was a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan when I was growing up. They were my favorite band and I heard that they were getting back together and I was really excited but then we found out, because I work at a record store, did you hear that their new album, they released four different versions that were only available to corporate...

Marni: Best Buy, Target…

Devan: iTunes…and all the independent stores just got the regular version with no extra songs.

Marni: I was just reading about that. I think that’s really lame, actually.

Devan: It’s really lame. I was really bummed out. It’s weird to see your favorite band that you admire and looked up to so much when you were younger just kind of stick it to you like that.

Marni: It seems really odd too. I would think the Smashing Pumpkins would be a little more fan-based but I mean, it’s two original members, Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin...I don’t know, I haven’t listened to Smashing Pumpkins the last few years. I probably won’t listen to this album. I have to say, I do like the cover art, have to give a little credit for that. Zeitgeist, interesting concept. But from what I’ve heard, I don’t know, I don’t think it was up to all the hype.

Quizzes

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Discussion

Like a lot of people in their 20s, Devan grew up listening to the Smashing Pumpkins. She was happy to learn they were getting back together, but, because she works at an independent record store, she was upset by the Pumpkins’ choice to favor corporate music stores with special versions of their album.

That decision seems odd to Marni too. She says she probably won’t listen to the album, although she likes the title and album art. The album takes its name from a German word, “zeitgeist,” that means “spirit of the age.”

A lot of bands are getting back together these days without all of the original members. Are there any groups you like that have reformed lately? How do you feel about that?