Billy Corgan, who is currently promoting the Smashing Pumpkins’ new album Cyr, talked about the musical importance of two of his most famous contemporaries, Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain.
The musician made the comments while appearing on the show Q on CBC. With the host remarking the changes that have occurred in popular music since the release of the Smashing Pumpkins’ earliest albums, Corgan referred to the importance and fate of some of his contemporaries.
OK, let’s take a quick jump in say Kurt and Eddie, both incredibly talented people and at a very young age. Probably before they knew who they really were, they’re assigned a certain role in the world.
They are smart people, they figure out the role they’re assigned, and they either fight it or they go along with it, but it’s not really in line who they are as people 24 hours a day.
Corgan goes on to say that much of the narrative about Cobain and Vedder was promoted by record companies. The ultimate goal, he says, was to promote the products endorsed by the labels.
The musician reflects on the early days of the band. He says that he knew very little about the music industry, or about how to handle fame. Corgan says that the same can be said about Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder.
The singer says that the public perception of himself and other 90s rockers was created by third parties. Corgan concludes that, ultimately, the artists’ music is what has survived, and that the quality of it is what keeps people interested.
