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January 21, 2005
LIFE BEGINS AGAIN
A new beginningBy DARRYL STERDAN -- Winnipeg Sun
Jimmy Chamberlin Complex Life Begins Again (Sanctuary/EMI) For Jimmy Chamberlin, life begins again at 40. The drummer spent years holding down the backbeat for Billy Corgan's Smashing Pumpkins -- and even tagged along for Corgan's post-Pumpkins outfit Zwan. So guess what his first solo album sounds like? Nope, not like that. Instead of the supernova power-chord alt-rock you expect, Chamberlin indulges the jazzier side of his style for most of Life Begins Again. Utilizing the hyperactive, snare-heavy stickwork that is his trademark, the octopus-like percussionist spends much of this 11-song set pushing his skilled band through intricate, jam-friendly instrumentals interrupted now and then by various vocalists. One of those just happens to be old pal Corgan, who drops by to lend a vocal and a dose of commercial potential to one track. But that, along with a few distortion-pedal guitar licks, is about as close as this CD gets to alt-rock nostalgia. Clearly, Chamberlin is taking the title of Life Begins Again to heart -- at least in the creative sense. Track Listing:
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