In 1996, it did. Aping every other drummer in the rock-and-roll pantheon (Keith Moon, John Bonham, those poor blokes from “Spinal Tap”), Chamberlain displayed a flair for “Behind the Music”-style self-destruction. After a heroin binge landed him in jail–and killed the band’s touring keyboardist–Corgan canned him. “Adore,” the Pumpkins’ next effort, recorded mostly with drum machines, was toothless, floppy. Too much syrup on those pancakes.
Chamberlain cleaned up, drove race cars for a while. But Corgan pardoned him in time for the Pumpkins’ fifth CD, “Machina/The Machines of God.” It was a band-saving move. Corgan’s writing is still mired in the pouty solipsism that gummed up “Adore.” (Song titles like “Raindrops + Sunshowers” don’t help.) “Machina” never relocates that dark early Pumpkins sound, or the epic sweep of midcareer tracks like 1995’s “Tonight, Tonight.” It’s a long, indulgent album, nearly 75 minutes’ worth, too much ground to cover without a single show stopper. But Chamberlain’s stick work is so invigorating that “Machina” often moves like an old car with a fresh engine. Just listen to the charge he puts into “Raindrops,” launching a flat pop track into full gallop. Chamberlain’s fellow Pumpkins aren’t smashing like they used to. But he hasn’t missed a beat.
