A Song for a Son
| "A Song for a Son" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Smashing Pumpkins from the album Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor | |
| Released | December 8, 2009 |
| Format | digital download |
| Recorded | 2009 |
| Genre | Psychedelic rock |
| Length | 6:02 |
| Label | Self-released |
| Writer | Billy Corgan |
| Producer | Kerry Brown, Billy Corgan, Bjorn Thorsrud |
"A Song for a Son" is a 2009 song by the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. It was the first track released from Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor from the band's 8th album Teargarden by Kaleidyscope. The song contains an extended guitar solo, inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page, recorded live by Billy Corgan.[1] Written on an acoustic guitar, Corgan left the meaning of the song vague, but later realized it has a lot to do with his relationship with his father.[2] Corgan consciously "set" the song in 1975, the year he started listening heavily to rock music, considering Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, UFO, and Rainbow influences on the sound.[3]
Contents |
[edit] Reception
Rolling Stone, after the release of "A Song for a Son" wrote, "Nothing in Corgan’s prolific recording history could have prepared us for the over five minutes of classic rock that is “A Song for a Son,” which starts off with a “Stairway to Heaven”-esque riff before exploding into the rest of ZoSo’s touchstones... If “A Song for a Son” is any indication of what we can expect from 'Billy', each EP will likely be the length of Exile on Main Street".[4]
Ryan Dombal of the online magazine Pitchfork Media described "A Song for a Son" "an epic" saying that "There's a contemplative intro, a shredding solo, and plenty of classic rock panache in between".[5] Matthew Perpetua of Pitchfork gave the song a 2 out of 10, saying the song "is not awful so much as it is bloated and dreary. It has all the signifiers of a big, serious art-rock ballad, but there's nothing to it but empty gestures."[6]
The song was also reviewed by About.com's Tim Grierson, who calls Corgan "charitable with Teargarden by Kaleidyscope"[7]: "Led by a stately piano figure reminiscent of Adore, "A Song for a Son" eventually introduces electric guitars into the mix, climaxing with an ecstatic solo. Overall, it's a moody, vaguely psychedelic number that's a promising start to this ambitious, unconventional, and awesome album.[8]
[edit] Featured
The song is featured in the closing minutes of The Chicago Code (Season 1, Episode 8).
[edit] Personnel
- Musicians
- Mike Byrne – drums
- Billy Corgan – vocals, guitar, keyboards,[9][10] production
- Mark Tulin – bass guitar
- Technical personnel
- Kerry Brown – production
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Bjorn Thorsrud – production, engineering
[edit] References
- ^ Video of the second half of the solo being recorded. TwitVid account of Kerry Brown.
- ^ Bosso, Joe. "Billy Corgan on The Smashing Pumpkins' new direction". MusicRadar.com. 2010-06-10.
- ^ Mervis, Scott. "Smashed Pumpkins: Billy Corgan battles to keep the legacy alive". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2010-07-22.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (December 7, 2009). "Smashing Pumpkins Unveil New “Teargarden by Kaleidyscope” Track “A Song for a Son”". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/12/07/smashing-pumpkins-unveil-new-teargarden-by-kaleidyscope-track-a-song-for-a-son/. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
- ^ Dombal, Ryan (December 7, 2009). "Hear the Epic New Smashing Pumpkins Track: "A Song for a Son"". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/news/37308-hear-the-epic-new-smashing-pumpkins-track-a-song-for-a-son/. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
- ^ Perpetua, Matthew (2010-01-04). "The Smashing Pumpkins "A Song for a Son"". Pitchfork. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11689-a-song-for-a-son/. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
- ^ Grierson, Tim (September 16, 2009). "The New Smashing Pumpkins Album, 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope,' Will Be Epic ... and Free". Tim's Rock Music Blog. About.com. http://rock.about.com/b/2009/09/16/the-new-smashing-pumpkins-album-teargarden-by-kaleidyscope-will-be-epic-and-free.htm. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
- ^ Grierson, Tim (December 7, 2009). "Smashing Pumpkins Debut First 'Teargarden' Track, "A Song for a Son"". Tim's Rock Music Blog. About.com. http://rock.about.com/b/2009/12/07/smashing-pumpkins-debut-first-teargarden-track-a-song-for-a-son.htm. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
- ^ "Ain't No Sleep When You're Living the Dream". Blog of Kerry Brown. Posted 2009-10-07.
- ^ "Lisa Harriton in the studio with The Smashing Pumpkins". SmashingPumpkins.com. 2009-10-08.
