A Quick Check In

It's motzeih Shabbos and I'm in Katamonim (Jerusalem). I don't have much time as I have to get back to the group. Basically this summer has been going well. Europe, for the most part, was great (especially Edinburgh and Florence - but more on that on a later blog). I've made some new friends, strengthened relationships with old pals, and unfortnately seen other relationships wither... but such is life. There has been drama, excitement, laughs and so far, no tears. I think I'm doing a good job but my role is very complicated as I have an administrative interest that surely irks the other staff members, so I've taken a step back which helps me socially within the realms of the trip, but could hurt once I'm back in the office. We'll see.
The kids, more or less, are great, and though I think I'm being lenient with them now I hope I can maintain a healthy relationship with many of them and be a guiding force in there lives when it's time to go to Israel. I'm really short for time so when I get back on the 17th I'll have my top 10 moments of the summer. Oh and if any of you are in Israel August 9th I'll be making a Siyum on Mesechet Avodah Zara- please get in touch and come on by.
That's it for now- back to the enjoyable stress, tolling demands of the job :)

A Quick Word Before I Go-Go

Well my flight for the U.K leaves tonight and my summer officially begins. Then it's off to Italy and then the Land of Holiness, which will be m home for the next year or so. Honestly things have been kind of heavy for me lately, but I'm hoping once the trip starts all that will go away.
I was reading over a lot of these blogs last night, and I realized a lot. When I first started writing these entries I talked of a "reconciliation" which didn't happen, and a big part of me is glad it didn't, it's not what I really wanted (though it would have been nice to be on good terms again, but Gam zu latova). More importantly I also talked about getting back to the road I was at when I was 20, and B"H I think I've been doing a good job of that. I KNOW I have grown over the last 3-4 months, and I hope I continue to do so over the next near...heck for the rest of my life.
I'm not sure how, but this blog has over 3300 hits (and only 200 of those were yourts truly), which to me is quite staggering.I'd like to thank any and all of you who took an interest in my life and my writings.
As much as many of you have told me how much you've enjoyed certain entries (some liked the Pumpkins one, others liked the dating stuff), and as happy as I am that you did, this blog was still something I did/do for me, and it proved to be incredibly therapeutic. So I have zero intention of stopping now that I'm leaving. I will do my best to update this blog whenever I have the chance and fill you all in on my journey's and adventures. Until then I wish you all an incredible summer, and may your days be productive and your nights be Kosher :) or the other way around :) And always remember: Though one may hope foolishly, it is this person who can ultimately achieve a higher happiness. I think this applies to many things in life. I've turned my "foolish" hope to other areas, and I have a feeling things might just turn out pretty good (blee eyen hora).

RETURN OF THE PUMPKINS: RISE OF THE MACHINES

AMAZING NEWS!!: THE SMASHING PUMPKINS ARE GETTING BACK TOGETHER!! (a true Pumpkins fan gets the reference of the blog title)

Those of you who know me, know that I love Howie Day and that GUSTER is my favorite band in existence, but that may not be the case for long. On his website Billy Corgan (www.BillyCorgan.com) just announced plans to reunite and revive The Smashing Pumpkins, my first love in music. Why you might ask? Well to be blunt: Billy Corgan is the greatest song writer alive. Obviously I'm biased, as I'm a loyal fan, who appreciates the mans songs as they've spoken true, and soothed, inspired and energized me at many points in my life. But just imagine what many of Corgan's songs would sound like if they were sung by someone with a beautiful voice (hey, I'm not deaf to Billy's er, shall we say, unGuster-like pipes). Had someone like Howie Day, Adam Duritz or Amy Lee (who actually covered "Zero") sung his songs I think the Pumpkins would have achieved Beatle fame. Just my opinion, which of course I could never prove, but still feel strongly about nonetheless. For anyone interested below is a brief (trust me it could have been pages long) account of the Pumpkins and me.

I fell in love with the Pumpkins in 6th grade when "Disarm" flooded the airwaves (though at that time I think I called the song "The Killer In Me is The Killer in You". I'm sure I wasn't the only one). By the time I started 8th grade "1979" and "Tonight, Tonight" were huge hits (as was a certain "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" which I know everyone still calls "Rat in a Cage") and Corgan and his smashing crew were officially my favorite band in existence. I truly loved every song on "Siamese Dream" and to this day still believe "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" is the greatest rock n roll album ever. I found there b-sides album "Pisces Iscariot" intriguing (it has the best "Landslide" version to date on it) and eventually rhythmically rocked to the bands first album "Gish".
In 9th grade I spent every single ride to school for the first 5 months listening to the Pumpkins box-set "The Aeroplane Flies High". I just couldn't get enough of the variety of songs on the 5-disc collection. There were songs with heavy hooked, angst ridden rage numbers, mellow Pumpkinesque ballads, experimental tracks and a few great covers, most notably Blondies "Dreamin" and The Cars "You're All I've Got Tonight". I could see why songs like "Cherry" and "The Boy" didn't make it onto "Mellon Collie" (if for no other reason than the fact that James sings them...the latter with Veruca Salt's Nina Gordon- check it out!), but was thrilled to see a lighter, folkier side of the band. I still enjoy playing the acoustic version of "Tonight, Tonight" at night sometimes, and even made "Believe" my theme song for while.
Frome 1994-96 the Pumpkins were the biggest band in the world (even Newsweek verified this). They were everywhere. The albums were selling in the millions, teens were wearing "Zero" t-shirts (I still have mine...which I got in Israel- thats how popular they were :), and Homer Simpson was smiling politely to Billy Corgan. Then things started to going downhill.
Though Billy was able to stay clean because of his allergy to alcohol and distaste for heavy drugs, Jimmy chamberlain, rock n' rolls greatest drummer, succumbed to the misleading temptations of narcotics and was forced to leave the band (which ultimately proved to be a hiatus). The trio (Billy, James Iha, and D'arcy-who would have her own drug problems later on) went on to record the critically loved, but commercially disappointing Adore . I was entranced by this album. I could listen to it from track 1 to 16 at hours on end, not once skipping a song. I was disappointed with its marketing, as was Corgan. The albums worst (but in no way bad) song "Ava Adore" became the first single, while melodious ballads like "For Martha" and "Tear" were ignored.
The band then recorded the "Machina" albums, a high concept rock narrative about the futuristic, messianic Glass and his band "The Machines". Machina/The Machines of God was a good album, but I can't call it great. I didn't enjoy every track like previous Pumpkin albums but did feel "Stand Inside Your Love" and "I of the Mourning" were the bands best songs since "Mellon Collie". Check out the album cover to see why one must put the booklet into shaymos in the event it's thrown out (the Pumpkins aren't Jewish, but I think the artist who did the cover is- hence Hashem's name). During the recordings Jimmy rejoined the band and D'arcy left, being replaced by Hole's sweetheart of a bassist Melissa Auf Der Mauer (who now has her own suprisingly good band "Auf Der Mauer"). She toured with the Pumpkins for their final shows, and I had the pleasure of meeting her and the rest of the band in 2000 when I was 18 and waited on line for 8 hours to meet them; I don't think I'd do that today, but it was quite a thrill at the time.
I'm not sure exactly what happened, but do to a conflict with their record label the band decided to release their final album for free over the internet. It's entitled Machina II/The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music, and happens to be quite good. The double-album fills in the gaps and finishes the tale of Glass, Vanity, The Machines and the other characters in Corgan's attempt at a pseudo-rock opera set in the future. Songs like "Cash Car Star" and "Speed Kills" could easily have become hit singles, which just raises more questions about what was going on behind the scenes. Nevertheless fans were more than happy to receive this along with the bands last song "Untitled" as a final farewell and thank you from one of the founding fathers of alternative/grunge/progressive-orchestral rock.

After TSP'S ended Corgan and Chamberlain went to form ZWAN, which released only 1 critically praised album, that was semi-successful (Entertainment Weekly put it in its top 10 albums of the year). The album was solid, but only "Honestly" ushered a sense of true greatness. The band quickly imploded (honestly- no pun intended- the other three band members appeared like skuzzy fools, and apparently Billy felt the same way), and the short experiment that was ZWAN came and went, leaving only a small mark on the world of rock.

Now Billy has released his first solo album. So far all I can say is "eh", though it is starting to grow on me (perhaps I'll come to love this album too- I've never straight out disliked anything of Billy's). There is too much of an emphasis on electronica, which did work for the Machina albums, but seems a bit stale and overly distracting from the emotion of the songs at times. Also there is a bit of the ol' Corgan intensity that is lacking. Something is missing here, and maybe Billy realizes it too. So now the Pumpkins will rise once more. The old songs might be played again, and the world of can once more rock bask in the glory of the greatest band to ever emerge from the city by the lake. I for one, cannot wait.