In my opinion Billy takes some inspiration from Led Zepplin, especialy considering the slow melodic intro, similar to Rain Song by Led Zeppelin.

Structurally the song is most impressive the song takes a break and several choruses and verses all while fit in between the intro and outro both remarkably similar which helps the song feel like an experience especially considering the heavy modulation and fuzz throughout the song.

The dynamics of the song are apparant throughout the track from the slow intro to the heavy use of fuzz emphasising the strong dynamics throughout the track which brings power to the verses and chorus.

Bordowitz, H, 2018 Smashing Pumpkins | Encyclopedia.com Accessed 5/12/2021
Nick Wise, Smashing Pumpkins (London, 1996); Jim Stapleton, Smashing Pumpkins.

The song could be considered as an instrumental despite the narrative story from the "Central Scrutinizer"  talking at the beginning of the song or the intro. Which describes Joe ,who the listener would presume to be a young man,  creating his last imaginary guitar solo, and then the song begins with a legendary guitar solo throughout the song.

Something which substantially stood out are the snare accents, they have a considerable amount of reverb and delay which occasionally give the listener the impression of wind blowing. This fits perfectly with the aesthetic and dreamy/dimensional vibe felt throughout the song. The clean spacey tone of the guitar throughout the song was created using a space station reverb unit specifically calibrated by a sound engineer 

Recorded at Village recorders studio in Los Angeles, where other great albums such as Steely Dan's Aja was recorded.

The entire song is essentially a guitar solo displaying Zappa's skill and technique with the instrument  throughout the son. Despite the songs choice of key and harmony being suprisingly simple being in the key of E, and yet only consisting of 2 chords A and B/E. Yet since most of the song is a solo franks diverse use of harmonies and scales are spread throughout the song.

The song is in 9/4 and this cycle is essentially repeated throughout the track which gives the listener the impression of a jam instead of a written performed song, this idea is perpetuated by the narration at the start of the track.

The track was composed and written by Frank as he did with all his music yet played with a live band drums, bass, two guitars.

Anon.2017 The Story Behind The Song: Watermelon in Easter Hay, by Frank Zappa (musicaficionado.blog) Accessed 5/12/2021

The vague lyrics and dark lyrical subject creates a tone familiar with work from Thurston Moore. The lack of a clear story is not an abnormal method of song writing and is one I try to implement in my own work. This is due to when the lyrics are vague they are more likely to apply to any scenario the listener may attribute them to.  The motif of "Smoking spirits" or "Smoking ghosts" throughout the song suggests a darker element nevertheless it brings subtle imagery to the track and fits perfectly with the theme of the song. Yet the mention of cities and "New York City" pushes the narrative that the song is about New York city

The song mostly sounds clean with minimal effects yet there is still a significant amount of fuzz and overdrive on the lead guitar during the solo and on the rhythm guitar also. Yet after this solo it returns to the slightly dirty clean texture. Smoke of dreams is in the key D minor which gives Thurston to create a lethargic melancholy atmosphere.

The song is simple rhythmically and follows a simple but groovy drum line which varies regularly throughout the song when creating breaks, solos and the chorus.

One of the most significant influences for Thurston Moore would be Patti Smith which he relates to in music with slightly with vocals but more apparent in his song writing style.

As most of Thurston's songs this track also has an alternative tuning and is written in CGDGCD. This reinforces the songs lethargic and mysterious themes "Smoking ghosts".

Along with Thurston's performance elements, Moore also excels in writing structure using catchy verses and uses breaks and solo to keep the listener engaged. Despite the song being around 4 minutes long which are not as large as some of Moore's more popular tracks.

The guitar is kept somewhat clean throughout the track only during solo does both guitars switch to a heavier overdrive like tone. However, Thurston manages to keep the track interesting with constant melodic changes in between verses and breaks.

I believe Thurston composed the track and uses a classic 4 piece band when playing live, so drums, bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar. When playing live Thurston performs both vocals and lead guitar.

WNYC, 2017 Thurston Moore — 'Smoke of Dreams,' Live on Soundcheck - YouTube (Online Video) Accessed 5/12/2021

Thurston was once and still is one of the large minds behind Sonic Youth, additionally his song writing, performance techniques, alternative methods of writing and performance (tuning), almost experimental grunge sound. All these are what make Thurston a unique artist in his field.

Sonic youth was popular for their alternative methods and experimental sounds(especially in their early days) and abnormal structures when it comes to alternative rock music.

Moore's USP is centred around his song writing and technique surrounding his skill with a guitar, these all tie into what makes Moore's music, solo and with sonic youth, unique.

Thurston can use his history with sonic youth, song writing and rare performance shows to even now to sell tickets and draw in a audience at the age of 63.

Frank Zappa, a composer and incredible instrumentalist being a large part of their USP being able to dive into different genres and perform live was a major contributing factor to his unique selling point/ brand image. Unlike most talented composers Frank also prioritised comedy to certain degree in his music though the comedy might be seen as somewhat crude however, the instrumental aspects and style gave his music a particular aesthetic enjoyed by his fans.

The most significant aspect of Frank Zappa's USP is probably his consistent skill and instrumentation with the guitar, which brings in a lot of musicians and music lovers who can respect and admire Franks skill with the guitar. However a large factor of Frank Zappa's performance ability is his understanding and skill with song writing and composing, being precise and able to write incredible songs and riffs etc.

When I master the craft, I desire to be set apart for song writing. I plan to write anything and in anyway, writing concept albums and through music videos showing the story visually, exploring different themes and understanding different cultures and their music to better my own song writing ability. 

When I perform live with my own set list I plan to get me and the band into cosplay as historical figures or archetypes, for example I plan to dress as a buddhist monk for a couple gigs but the point is to keep mixing it up, to keep it fun and a reminder not to take it so seriously a message i plan to put into my music. Another message I plan to portray In my image and music is the idea that artists of any genre are just normal people since there are a lot of artist's whose ego gets too large and they amount all their success up to themselves when really it is the accumulation of hard work, luck and other people. Since it can be difficult to humanise people you idolise. I plan to spread this message through my music, brand image and social media. 

I can use myself as a usp and engage with my audience through social media and music. I can do gaming livestreams, music videos, you tube videos and make frequent collaborations with others in the music industry and in my genre to connect with my audience. All to show how regular we all are.