Jimmy Chamberlin Complex
Life Begins Again
(Sanctuary)

There's no possible way to review anything Jimmy Chamberlin will ever do without mentioning his tenure in the Smashing Pumpkins, because that's why people are going to buy his records. Which is unfortunate. Unlike so many other post-'90s bands, solo acts and side projects, the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex doesn’t go soft like James Iha, Scott Weiland and Chris Cornell did, or stick with the same old alt-rock thing sans personality, like Melissa auf der Maur, Jerry Cantrell and Dave Navarro did. Where Life Begins Again goes is a little closer to Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd’s extra-Soundgarden projects Hater and Wellwater Conspiracy, mixed with a good dose of the jazz trio Medeski Martin and Wood.

The songs on Life Begins Again are moody, compositional jazz rock tunes with hummable melodies. They’re jazz, meaning the drums act as color rather than an R&B heartbeat, a lot of the guitar is comped chords, and there are a few outside notes in the solos. They’re not jazz, however, as the guitars are overdriven and the bazz fuzzed in many places, and the song structures are close to standard rock. It’s nothing too esoteric, but every other song is an instrumental.

When a band is both jazz and not jazz at the same time, it’s called “fusion,” although most fusion bands will strenuously deny this. The band setup is pretty much The Doors with a bass guitar instead of Jim Morrison. A couple songs do recall the Pumpkins: “Cranes of Prey,” an instrumental, sounds like a Mellon Collie outtake, and “Loki Cat” features Billy Corgan singing Chamberlin’s lyrics on a simple ballad about self-discovery and a vague search for God – not much of a stretch for Corgan. The songs only sound a little like a rehash, and they do provide a good bridge for the non-jazz fan looking for a bit of that old Pumpkins magic. The other vocalists weaken the record, however.

Life Begins Again is an enhanced CD, with a behind-the-scenes video featuring some band rehearsal, solo drumming and band interviews. Chamberlin's playing gets compared to Elvin Jones' (of the John Coltrane quartet), which is a pretty accurate description. Chamberlin is a busy player, and he uses his kit as a lead instrument. This only happened occasionally in the Pumpkins, and you probably missed it. After his Corgan-induced sabbatical in the late '90s, he displayed his jazz style all over MACHINA/The Machines of God and the Zwan record. Life Begins Again continues Chamberlin’s journey into fusion with an album that will satisfy ‘90s rock fans looking for something more from their favorite artists than the same old sludge - if you already happen to be a fan of both '90s rock and jazz. Otherwise, it may be a little much.

-Mario


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