Charlie Rose

Torres  01/12/2009 07:45 PM Report

but also, wearing a huge cowboy hat to a Charlie Rose interview?! ha ha, I love Billy Corgan, but he can be pretty ridiculous!

Torres  01/12/2009 07:42 PM Report

Charlie does get a visibly impatient, but it's largely attributable to the generation gap. He doesn't know what Billy means when he talks about the alternative rock scene, it's unlikely he would ever listen intently to a Smashing Pumpkins song, and so he probably wouldn't understand what Billy means when he talks about his ability to build an emotional connection with his audience.

Understandably, Billy could have had more thought-out answers to Charlie's questions about how he believes he's affecting the music business instead of making blanket statements and "hackneyed phrases" as Charlie puts it, but this is probably an example of Billy's characteristic megalomania, which is unsurprising that any rock star would have.

Charlie wasn't too pleased about the interview, but as it shows in both their manners of speaking, both men are used to speaking to vastly different audiences.

jon (in guelph)  03/24/2008 12:01 AM Report

it's funny hearing billy say "he doesn't have a posse" while wearing a cowboy hat!

scott  03/20/2008 10:31 PM Report

oh god

i would LOVE an interview with Thom Yorke and the rest of Radiohead

but i doubt they'd ever do it

Iqbal Faizer  10/19/2007 07:42 PM Report

Dear Jason Br., You're largely right. I rewatched the interview and realized I had misjudged things. I suppose I remembered that one question, and, over the years, exaggerated its importance and significance within the overall interview. Corgan comes off quite well and Charlie seems quite pleased with his company. I'd like to take back my harsh comments. I still don't appreciate some of Corgan's grand statements, but he does come across as quite honest and fairly thoughtful. A good interview.

Jason Br.  10/15/2007 02:02 PM Report

To most of the questions, Billy's initial reaction is vague, but then he adds specifics as he's able to think about it. I think the initial reactions are to buy a little time to think. Maybe a politician or whomever walks in with ready-made answers to questions they aren't actually asked, but Corgan is clearly trying to hear the interviewer and react in the moment to the question as asked. There isn't a single time in this interview where Corgan tries to duck or redirect or answer a question that wasn't asked; in fact, he insists on making an attempt to answer every question, even when Rose is prepared to let him off the hook. A couple of times Corgan acknowledges "that's a tough question" and he is willing to let you see him squirm and struggle to respond. To let us see that is unpretentious and honest, it's vulnerable. I don't know what more you can ask than that.

Iqbal Faizer  10/14/2007 09:54 PM Report

I remember watching this in high school and sympathizing with Charlie trying to get specifics out of him. Corgan would arrogantly proclaim that there was a chance in the early '90s when grunge's stars -- his band, Sound Garden, and Nirvana -- could have changed the music industry. Charlie intelligently asked, "How?" Corgan wouldn't say. There were so many unsubstantiated, poorly expressed, purportedly ambitious but ultimately perfunctory statements like this made by Corgan. And Charlie naturally responded with frustration. I can somewhat understand why Charlie is afraid to interview alternative pop stars, instead of the even more superficial and unartistic stars like Madonna, Bon Jovi, Lenny Kravitz and the Matchbox 20 singer.

Don't be put of by this one fool, Charlie. Interview Robert Smith of The Cure and Thom Yorke and other members of Radiohead. You won't regret it. They're actually intelligent and unique.

JMAN  04/25/2007 08:34 PM Report

Yay! I'm first comment on Billy interview!

GoGo Smashing Pumpkins!