Billy Corgan Makes Slightly Disarming Marketing Decision

Yesterday, the Smashing Pumpkins announced a somewhat-complicated new marketing ploy for Zeitgeist, its first release in seven years: The album will be released in four different versions, with iTunes, Best Buy and Target each getting a different bonus track (for those of you who like to read lots and lots of repetitive text, the full track listings are after the click-through). Pitchfork’s news page interpreted the move as an “eff you” to fans and indie retailers on the part of Corgan:

Billy and company would like you to know that they fully support the extinction of the American independent record store at the hand of large, faceless, little-guy-crushing big boxes. They also support bleeding their fans dry.

Granted, an indie-store edition would have been nice–even if just as a retailer-appeasing gesture–and it always feels icky whenever a band cozies up to the big-boxers. But this is becoming standard practice nowadays, and SP fans are used to getting the shaft; besides, it’s hard to imagine any fans getting “bled dry,” since most of them are likely going to buy one copy and then get the rest of the tracks off some .rar page.

Anyhoo, the different editions are as follows; thanks to The Chronicles of Michael Christopher for the heads-up:

Standard: 01. Doomsday Clock 02. 7 Shades of Black 03. Bleeding the Orchid 04. That’s The Way (My Love Is) 05. Tarantula 06. Starz 07. United States 08. Neverlost 09. Bring The Light 10. (Come On) Let’s Go! 11. For God And Country 12. Pomp And Circumstances

Best Buy: 01. Doomsday Clock 02. 7 Shades of Black 03. Bleeding the Orchid 04. That’s The Way (My Love Is) 05. Tarantula 06. Starz 07. United States 08. Neverlost 09. Death From Above (Bonus Track 10. Bring The Light 11. (Come On) Let’s Go! 12. For God And Country 13. Pomp And Circumstances

Target: 01. Doomsday Clock 02. 7 Shades of Black 03. Bleeding the Orchid 04. That’s The Way (My Love Is) 05. Tarantula 06. Starz 07. United States 08. Neverlost 09. Bring The Light 10. (Come On) Let’s Go! 11. For God And Country 12. Pomp And Circumstances 13. Zeitgeist (Bonus Track)

iTunes: 01. Doomsday Clock 02. 7 Shades of Black 03. Bleeding the Orchid 04. That’s The Way (My Love Is) 05. Tarantula 06. Starz 07. United States 08. Neverlost 09. Bring The Light 10. (Come On) Let’s Go! 11. For God And Country 12. Pomp And Circumstances 13. Stellar

James Iha “Can I Just Come Over To Your House And Maybe Play Some New Stuff For You?” Version: TBA