American Gothic (EP)

American Gothic
EP by The Smashing Pumpkins
Released January 1, 2008
Recorded December 2007
Genre Alternative rock
Length 17:01
Language English
Label Reprise
Producer Jimmy Chamberlin, Billy Corgan, and Roy Thomas Baker
The Smashing Pumpkins chronology

Zeitgeist
(2007)		 American Gothic
(2008)		 Bonus EP
(2009)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Television New Zealand favorable[1]

American Gothic is an EP by The Smashing Pumpkins. The EP was announced on the band's website on December 19, 2007 with songwriter Billy Corgan describing it as a continuation of their 2007 album Zeitgeist. It was released digitally on January 1, 2008 and as a CD in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2008.[2]

Background

After playing "Again Again Again" in Los Angeles in late 2006 at an event organized by Pete Townshend's girlfriend, Corgan was asked by Townshend himself if the song was going to be on Zeitgeist. While the song did not make the album, Corgan always planned to release it in some form, resulting in its appearance on American Gothic.[3]

Corgan said of the EP

“ I had written a bunch of material during the residencies in Asheville and San Francisco [earlier this year], and fans kept asking us if we were gonna put any of that stuff out. iTunes came to us wanting to do something together, so it just felt right.[3] ”

Corgan also made high-resolution artwork for the EP available for download through the band's website.[4]

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Billy Corgan stated that, with American Gothic and the new single "G.L.O.W.", the band "finally turned the corner... where it's starting to feel like our music again, and not theirs, whoever 'they' might be," referring to the band's choice to continue making music without a record label.[5]

Release

The EP includes four unreleased tracks recorded in the late 2007 break between tours at the Pass Studio in Los Angeles.[3] In the United States, the EP was released as an exclusive digital release for the iTunes Store on January 1, 2008 as part of a re-release of Zeitgeist, but it received a physical release internationally on February 11 and March 4 in Canada.[3]

7digital also released a download-only "UK Tour Edition" on February 25 that features four bonus tracks, all recorded during the February 2008 UK tour.[6]

Track listing

All songs written by Billy Corgan:

  1. "The Rose March" – 4:32
  2. "Again, Again, Again (The Crux)" – 3:44
  3. "Pox" – 3:38
  4. "Sunkissed" – 5:10
UK Tour Edition bonus tracks
  1. "Lily (My One and Only)" (Live, February 2008) – 3:27
  2. "That's the Way (My Love Is)" (Live, February 2008) – 4:17
  3. "1979" (Live, February 2008) – 4:34
  4. "Perfect" (Live, February 2008) – 4:15

Personnel

The Smashing Pumpkins
Additional musicians
Production

References

  1. ↑ "Music review: Smashing Pumpkins". Television New Zealand. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  2. ↑ "Smashing Pumpkins to Release New EP". Uncut Magazine. 2008-01-16.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "The Smashing Pumpkins to Release 'American Gothic', a Four-Song Acoustic EP, Digitally on January 2 and at Retail in January Outside the US". SmashingPumpkins.com. 2007-12-19. Accessed on 2007-12-19.
  4. ↑ American Gothic EP released on iTunes today! SmashingPumpkins.com. 2008-01-02. Accessed on 2008-01-06.
  5. ↑ "Billy Corgan discusses Pumpkins song in 'Watchmen' trailer"
  6. ↑ "LONDON INSTORE APPEARANCE Feb 16 + American Gothic CD in the UK". SmashingPumpkins.com. 2008-02-14.
  7. ↑ spfc.org : discography : American Gothic