Smashing Pumpkins singer Billy Corgan criticized Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam on The Howard Stern Show in the mid-2010’s, though he appeared to praise a Pearl Jam show a couple of years ago. Vedder now is complimenting Eddie Vedder, calling him a ‘great star’ and ‘talented.’ Alternative Nation transcribed his Q&A remarks.
Do you feel tenure kinship or have a relationship with Perry Farrell, Anthony Kiedis, Bono, Eddie Vedder, etc.?
“I know them all and have spent personal time with all, and all are great stars. As far as how they perceive me, I cannot say. But I can say that like most talented people, they have something indefinable that makes them unique.”
Have you ever been encouraged or tempted to leave Illinois?
“I will be if they pass this so called ‘fair tax’ in Illinois. If they do that there will be a wealth exodus out of this state the likes of which you cannot believe. Illinois is a great state but the weather is awful, and anyone with any juice in the world tends to leave. This will send it over the edge.”
Thoughts on Twitter and FB trying to censor the H-unter Biden story?
“I am against all censorship that doesn’t fall into criminal definitions like shouting fire in a crowded theatre. Or things that threaten someone. If something is true, it should be judged on merit, and if something is untrue it should be seen and opposed peacefully.”
In the past you publicly endorsed Obama, will you do the same for Biden?
“I’ve never endorsed any candidate. #FakeNews.”
Corgan said in 2014 on The Howard Stern Show, “I think they were derivative and the work speaks for itself. If you listen to the band’s work, and I know they have a tremendous fanbase and they should, they’re a great band but you know, I’m a Beatles guy, a Stones guy and a Kinks [guy], but if you go to a lot of those other bands, [Pearl Jam] just don’t have the work.”
“I don’t think they have the songs. I think you stack my songs up, Cobain’s songs up and that band’s songs up, they don’t have the songs. They’re a great band. Look, they’re still an arena act. They’ve been getting it done for a long time and I have to bow to that.” Corgan said it was a mystery to him regarding how they’ve maintained their success, “People will take that the wrong way but speaking competitively, they are my competitors and I have to say who am I competing against and why.”
He added regarding Eddie Vedder, “I haven’t been in a social frame with the guy in I don’t know how long but I think a lot of people are transformed by fame. I knew one person and then there was another person. I’m another person so maybe he felt the same way about me. You can’t blame him. He was on the cover of ‘TIME’ magazine, not me and dealt with a level of fame that I never dealt with, so I can’t say what that feels like.”
