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"Albums? We don't need no stinkin' albums!"

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Last spring, Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin hinted that the band might be finished with making albums. Now band leader Billy Corgan has confirmed such plans.

Speaking to the Chicago Tribune, Corgan said that the harsh reaction given the band's 2007 'comeback' release, Zeitgeist, took him by surprise - and made him rethink recording other albums.

On top of that, he sees a whole new culture where albums have become passe. "There is no point. People don't even listen to it all. They put it on their iPod, they drag over the two singles and skip over the rest."

"Our primary function is to be a singles band. We'll still be creative, but in a different form" Billy Corgan

You can't stop the music

Even so, Corgan was quick to point out that there will still be new music from the band - it'll simply be released differently. "Our primary function now is to be a singles band, that drives Pumpkins Inc through singles. We'll still be creative, but in a different form."

The Smashing Pumpkins have just wrapped an often-controversial (and fan-confrontational) 20th Anniversary tour. In Corgan's view, "We won't do shows like [that] anymore. We'll go small and do exactly what we want to do and stop playing catalogue. We'll be like a new band that can't rely on old gimmicks."

"It made me mad that people thought we don't have a future. Get out. We don't want you"

Strong words for critics, and a former bandmate

Corgan bristled at the idea that he reformed The Smashing Pumpkins for money, arguing that creativity was the impetuts for the band's reunion (or half-reunion).

"We didn't come back for the cash, we came back to be great again," he said. "It made me mad that people thought we're done, that we don't have a future. Get out. We don't want you. We've never been that band. That happy band. We picked up where we left off. We're not the retirement band playing our old hits."

As for former Pumpkins guitarist, James Iha, there appears to be no love lost on Corgan's end: "The real story [behind the split] was Iha was driving me out of my mind. He was so negative. The guy literally drove me insane."

So The Smashing Pumpkins aren't a 'happy' band, but James Iha was too 'negative.' Yeah, that all makes sense.