TheFutureEmbrace
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| TheFutureEmbrace | ||
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| Studio album by Billy Corgan | ||
| Released | 21 June 2005 | |
| Recorded | October 2004 - March 2005 | |
| Genre | Alternative rock | |
| Length | 45:21 | |
| Label | Reprise Records | |
| Producer(s) | Billy Corgan and Bon Harris |
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| Professional reviews | ||
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TheFutureEmbrace is the first solo album by Billy Corgan, formerly of The Smashing Pumpkins and Zwan. It was released in June 2005.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
TheFutureEmbrace's instrumentation and programming were mainly performed by Corgan and Bon Harris of Nitzer Ebb. The album features a heavily electronic sound, with a notable absence of live drums and guitar overdubs, resulting in a very uncharacteristic sound for Corgan. Typically, each song on the album has only one guitar part throughout, with little to no use of rhythm guitars. The heavily distorted guitar sound is reminiscent of shoegazing.
The album also features a collaboration with The Cure lead singer Robert Smith on a cover of the Bee Gees' song "To Love Somebody", while "DIA" features electronic drums played by Corgan's longtime creative foil, ex-Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, as well as the violin and backing voice of Emilie Autumn.
Also of note is the cover art and booklet photography, by P.R. Brown, which focuses on parts of Corgan's body that he has traditionally and publicly been ashamed of, most notably his red birth mark that covers his left hand and much of his left arm, and his poorly aligned teeth.
[edit] Promotion
In the lead-up to the album, Corgan generated considerable attention when he started publishing an autobiography, The Confessions of Billy Corgan, on his website, piece-by-piece. The postings are notable for Corgan's candor regarding the problems and break-up of the Smashing Pumpkins.
The album was preceded by the release of a single and music video release of "Walking Shade". In addition, "A100" was played by several radio stations prior to the album's release, including WKQX and WXRT of Chicago. Corgan, with his touring band, performed "Mina Loy (M.O.H.)" on Late Show with David Letterman the day before the album's release. Those who pre-ordered the album from the iTunes store received a bonus track from the TheFutureEmbrace recording sessions, "Tilt." "Tilt" was also included on the Target retail stores exclusive release, Red Room Vol. 4.
Billy Corgan, with Matt Walker, Brian Liesegang, and Linda Strawberry, embarked on a club tour in support of the album in the summer of 2005.
[edit] Reception
TheFutureEmbrace's critical and commercial reception was mixed. The album was released amid a fairly high degree of buzz, particularly in Corgan's hometown, Chicago. Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times said the album represented Corgan's "most distinctive and consistent music." [1]. To punctuate the importance of the release date, Corgan also took out full-page ads in the Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune promoting the album and announcing his intention to reform The Smashing Pumpkins, even going so far as to say that TheFutureEmbrace "picks up the thread of the as-of-yet-unfinished work of The Smashing Pumpkins." [2]. Despite these efforts, it failed to chart in the UK and peaked at #31 in the U.S., beneath Corgan's usual chart successes. As of February 2006, the album's domestic sales were a mere 69,000 units sold.
[edit] Track listing
- "All Things Change" – 3:59
- "Mina Loy (M.O.H.)" – 3:53
- "The CameraEye" – 3:04
- "ToLoveSomebody" – 4:00
- Features Robert Smith of The Cure
- "A100" – 4:23
- "DIA" – 4:20
- Features Jimmy Chamberlin & Emilie Autumn
- "Now (And Then)" – 4:43
- "I'm Ready" – 3:44
- "Walking Shade" – 3:14
- "Sorrows (In Blue)" – 2:48
- "Pretty, Pretty Star" – 3:46
- "Strayz" – 3:31
[edit] Chart position
[edit] Album
| Year | Album | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | TheFutureEmbrace | The Billboard 200 | No. 31 |
