358. SMASHING PUMPKINS, "Tonight, Tonight"
Produced by Flood, Alan Moulder, and Bill Corgan; written by Billy Corgan
Virgin 38547 1996 Billboard: # 36
Okay, quick question: how many strings does it take to turn a rock band back into an orchestra? On Siamese Dream, the Pumpkins had certainly worked the classical colorings, but on this track from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, one might very well think that they've finally gone a viola too far. Between that, and the title that reminds me of West Side Story, and the kittens in the CD booklet (KITTENS I TELL YOU--KITTENS!!?), I would normally be inclined to say that they've left rock and roll far behind here. I don't care if Corgan is bald and has one killer line in the lyric (crucify the insincere tonight). Rock and roll doesn't have that many strings--and it certainly doesn't have kittens.
Then I always come back to the drums. Jimmy Chamberlin's drumming on this track keeps it from getting too weak. No matter what else is going on with the other instruments, the drum on this track rocks. And thank God for that.
When the news came out a year or so later that Chamberlin was being kicked out of the band (temporarily as it turns out) because of his problems with heroin, I turned to my wife and said "Damn, why did it have to be the drummer?"
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