Does anybody else get the impression that MACHINA is just for us?  I know
it's probably really nave, but this is my little theory, that MACHINA is a
gift specifically for us, the rabid fans, the devoted ones, the ones who
are willing, and happy, to go sleep in the mud and sit in a line for 27
hours just for the chance to /maybe/ tell the Pumpkins thankyou in person.
Look at all the Pumpkins have been doingsignings and free concertsfor the
people who love them enough to wait in line for hours for them (this
system is sometimes circumvented by the Frickin' Radio Nazis, but it still
works)Sitting and signing for hours every night, Chatting to people
online, reading peoples' letters, Billy taking those people out to IHOP
(!!!), and have you noticed how many fans he has been putting on his
personal guest lists?  The entire purpose of Resume the Pose seems to have
been just for the fansfor them to get in touch with us and talk to and
interact with as many of us as possible

	And then look at MACHINA.  Look at the lyrics.  Here's the thing
Billy created Adore, and it was this intensely personal, experimental
recordY'know, he lost his mother, he lost a band member, he got divorced,
and he took this really personal, important part of his soul, and spun it
up into this beautiful spiderweb dream of an albumand he offered it up
with both hands and said "Here.  I want to share this with you."  And the
world rejected it.  They rejected him. They spit on his heart and told him
that he was worthless and that his soul wasn't valid unless it came
packaged with a nice hard rock beat.  So like anybody does when they're
hurt, he put up walls and protections and bariers to keep it from
happening again.  And then he made MACHINA.  So listen to what he's saying
on MACHINA:

The initial, top level impression is that Billy seems to be saying to the
people who rejected Adore, to the people who think the only good Pumpkins
song is BwBW.. "OK, so you hated Adore, so I'm going to give you all what
you want.  You know I'm not dead.  I can still rock, and I'll prove it.
Here ya go."  Then you look down into another level and you see how
intensely ironic his words arehe's saying "Look, I can still rock, and I
know that's what you want, but this isn't FOR you, it's for ME.  And not
only that, but while you were all sitting out there, bemoaning how the
Pumpkins have gone soft, there were some people who were still listening.
This record is for THEM too.  Because I gave you the realest me I ever
have, and you hurt me, I will not try to show myself to you anymore.  You
will see my stage personality, you will see Ricky Banana, you will see the
heavy metal and the record sales, but you will not see me.  The ones who
listened, the ones who supported me and accepted me, this is for them.
They will be able to see it, see that I appreciate and accept their love
for me.  ("I read your lettersto feel bettermy tears upon the fading ink"
Who writes Billy letters?  How many of you have written letters to the
Pumpkins telling them how meaningful their music has been in your life?)
And THEY will be able to see what I am saying to you, even tho YOU never
will."  (Sorry for putting words in Billy's mouth, it's just the best way
I could figure out to explain it, without rambling on for ages and ages
even more than I already have =P ^_^)  All that stuff in Guitar World
about how Billy is no longer going to show himself to the public, and how
whatever people think about the MACHINA lyrics is wrong, he's not talking
about the Lisstessans and the Netphoria ppl, and the kids in the audience
who burst into tears as soon as they hear the first chords of Crush.  He's
talking about the BwBW people, and the critics, and the people who think
they have the right to pass artistic judgement on the Pumpkins.  

It even says it in the "excerpt from Glass and the Machines of
God"especially the very beginning "and as it was with all things, we spoke
in rhyme and riddlenot for fear of detection, for that had happened long
ago, but rather that those who had secretly wished to be spoken to were"
It's like Billy saysthey've always been very open with their musicthey've
been baring their souls since the beginning, detection happened long
agoBut MACHINA is a riddle, not to prevent them from being detected, but
to speak directly to the ones who wish to be spoken to, us.

It's not just the album itself either.  Have you noticed how everything
about it has multiple layers?  The music and the lyrics, the artwork, the
way the liners are printedwith some words having ghost images, and the
watermark on the back page, and how it seems like you can look through
some of the pages and see what's on the otherside, but when you turn the
page, it's not there.The two toursEven the two promosone with a song from
every album the Pumpkins have put out, and one with just a few rare tracks

 	And that's the most ironic thing.  MACHINA is "a fuck you to those
who will never understand."  But those who will never understand..will
never understand that.  They'll think it's just this great rock record,
and they'll all go out and toss down their hard earned lettuce for a piece
of the Pumpkin pieand never even pick up on the fact that they have spent
$17 on what is essentially a **ck you directed right at them. And that is
why MACHINA is especially for /us/.  Because the Pumpkins have given us
/so/ much, just as a side effect of their beingand even though we know we
can never repay that, we try as hard as we can to give something back to
themour money, our support, our love and devotion, our artwork and
letters, our websites, our charity efforts, our screams and tears and
applauseall our desperate attempts to give the Pumpkins some *fraction* of
what they've given usand MACHINA, and Resume the Pose (even the tour title
is ironic *gryn*) is their way of letting us know that they really do get
all the love we send out to them, and that it does mean something to them.
It's so beautiful.  It's likeif you just sit back, and look at everything,
the whole album and everything surrounding it, the scheme as a wholeit's
so complex and brilliantit reminds you of a Pumpkins song.  *g*  And you
know MACHINA's going to outsell everything else they've ever done, just
for the sake of perfect irony.  

	I mean, of course it's not that simple.  There are a lot more
layers to the album than those two, including levels I'm sure that are
just for the band, and just for Billy, and maybe even just for God.  But
stillI don't knowit's just such a good feeling to not just hope and
imaginebut almost to /know/ that they understand how much we love them.
God, can you think of any other band that would do as much for their fans
as the Pumpkins have done for us?  They're so incredibly wonderfulit's
making me cry=' )  It just makes you want to give them back even more^_^
I don't knowI want to do something really special for themany ideas?

	Oh, and don't you just *love* the way the liners smell?? *yum*

	Anyway, that's my little.er actually WAY too damn big, spiel. Of
course, I could be /completely/ wrong but I hope not.  ^_^  What do you all
think?  

Oh, BTW, I looked in the MACHINA liners, it's "ChamberLIN", not
"ChamberLAIN" (I always thought it was "lain" too)*g*  Have a wondiferous
day.  Happy Great Pumpkin day, everyone ^_^

"peace, love, empathy, desire, mischeif, and gladness,"
              		-Rebecca, Strawberry Shortchick, Pumpkinheart