Is it a hit, *hit or miss?

Jimmy Chamberlain Complex - Life Begins Again  by Mark Hensch

Jimmy Chamberlain Complex - Life Begins Again
Label: Sanctuary
Hit, *hit or Miss?:  Hit
Release date: 1/25/05
Rating: 

Many times in musical history, a member of one of music's greatest bands will eventually risk it all after said group's demise and create a solo album. For some, creating solo albums have led to equal or greater success. Few, if any, bands eclipsed the rock scene of the 1990's at the same level and scope as did The Smashing Pumpkins. I say this as both critic, historian, and a devoted fan. Several years  since the group's last gasping breath, the former Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain gets to finally step into the limelight on his own. Later Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur has started a solo project, guitarist James Iha has played in A Perfect Circle (helping bring them into the dominant status of staple radio-rock act), and Billy Corgan, the voice of SP itself, tried to soldier on with Chamberlain and a few others in short-lived yet solid rock act Zwan.

After the disbanding of Zwan, Chamberlain met with a multi-instrumentalist by the name of Billy Mohler, who strangely enough at one point briefly crossed paths with Chamberlain while auditioning for a role in Zwan. Based in L.A., the two recruited a revolving door of old friends, and new ones too, all to make Jimmy Chamberlain's idea of a grand alternative rock album. For touring and recording  purposes, guitarist Sean Wolstenhulme and organist Adam Benjamin where added. A revolving door of vocalists (besides Mohler who sings on a track or two), including Bill Medley, Catherine Wheel's Rob Dickingson, and Billy Corgan, former Pumpkins vocalist himself, Chamberlain and crew hit the skins and strings to take us back to the time of classy alternative rock with Life Begins Again.

Some may make snide comments about the album's title, jokingly implying that there is some sort of sad existence in musicdom after the death of the Smashing Pumpkins. Life Begins Again is less life starting over, and more life being reincarnated. There is only the slightest of Pumpkin influences here, and there is next to none of that trademark melancholy, gloom, and despair.

There's also tons of instrumental tracks; none of the cheap filler often smooshed discretely in blank spaces on new rock CDs, but  rollicking, involved, and entertaining instrumentals. Track number one, "Streetcrawler" is just one such example. Washed in weird piano effects, with smooth and foot-tapping drumming, plus grungy guitars, "Streetcrawler" is just a taste of things to come. "Life Begins Again" is upbeat alternative rock with positive and uplifting music. 

"P.S.A." is another instrumental, more crystalline then earlier tracks and quite spacey. At one point the familiar melody of the song will kick you in the cerebrum with an overdriven rendition that  will harken just enough to the hey-day of the Pumpkins era to get older fans salivating. "P.S.A." maybe the Pumpkins appetizer, but surely "Loki Cat" is the Pumpkins pie. My favorite track of the album has a quiet drum beat, orchestra-worthy layers from the organ, and quiet guitar pieces. 
The icing on the proverbial cake is Billy Corgan, returning and making an excellent thinking song with his always amazing vocals and strange voice. "Cranes of Prey" is a groove-ridden instrumental, biting and severe. It's the best piece of  lyric-less music on this CD and it's jamming riffs will get stuck in your head. Robotic organ effects add a background of mechanical breathing and pulsating beats.

 "Love is Real" reminded me for some reason of a really happy/funky Foo Fighters B-Side, which adds up to a catchy and fun little tune. "Owed to Darryl" is a meandering piece of what sounds like funky elevator rock music, never  hampered by the burden of lyrics. "Newerwaves" has Mohler on vocals and is celestial, grinding riff rock that is trancy and serene.

"Time Shift" is a short and sweet instrumental with a whacked organ solo near the end. "Lullabye" is as comforting and peaceful as the  name suggests, coasting in with quiet piano pieces, subtle drum beats, and dreamy, deep vocals. "Loki Cat (Reprise)" is a short instrumental cut of the original "Loki Cat," sort of a send-off for the album as a whole.

Though at times Life Begins Again sounds outdated or anarchronistic, there's no denying pure, clean talent, and everyone touching this project and bringing it to life is full of it. The songs are classy, cool, grooving, suave, and most of all, mature. With "deeper" music largely having vanished off of the airwaves for bands catering to lame and short-lived teenage angst, it's seriously awesome to hear some well-crafted, poignant, and for lack of a less cheesy word moving music. The Smashing Pumpkins redefined alternative rock music by making strange and powerful, heartful music long before anyone else did. They were alternative rock to regular rock. In an age where emotions are usually forced on us in the medium of music as negative and faked, this largely upbeat band saves the day, giving us (as redundant as this is) a much-more mature and well-aged alternative to alternative rock. Oh, and "Loki Cat" is a must for  Smashing Pumpkin fans.