SGR

The Smashing Pumpkins are one of the most popular and well known bands of the 90s, and for good reason. Their sound was constantly changing and evolving. One moment, they'll sound like a Led Zeppelin/Black Sabbath hybrid and the next moment they'll sound like Cheap Trick. Their lead singer, Billy Corgan, was the lead contributor to the band.

Around 1988 Billy Corgan broke up with his band, The Marked and returned from Florida to his hometown of Chicago. While working at a record store he met guitarist James Iha, and the two began writing songs together with the aid of a drum machine. After Corgan went to see a concert, he met bassist D'arcy Wretzky and had an argument with her about the band that played. After D'arcy mentioned that she played bass guitar, Corgan told her he needed a bassist for his band and gave her his telephone number. D'arcy soon joined the band. Later, Corgan recruited drummer Jimmy Chamberlin due to a recommendation from a friend, and so The Smashing Pumpkins were born.

I plan to do these reviews chronologically starting with 'Gish.'

Unknown Soldier

Looking forward to reading these reviews and never ever thought the Smashing Pumpkins ever sounded like Cheap Trick!!!

duga

I'll be looking forward to this. I credit the Smashing Pumpkins with turning a decent enthusiasm for music into a full blown obsession. For that reason I will always count the Pumpkins as my favorite band even if I don't listen to them as much these days.

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90'sMusicKid

Plus one on that. Before around 2 years ago I just kinda liked grunge. After hearing all of Siamese Dream in 2008 I just started loving life..then when I explored all their albums including their bsides I just REEALLY loved life, music and the Smashing Pumpkins.

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Zer0

Nice one, i'm really looking forward to this thread. You should definitely review more than the studio albums though, the likes of Pisces Iscariot really deserve a review. Go forth and do them justice son!

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SGR

Five classic alternative rock albums were released in 1991. Those albums are 'Nevermind' by Nirvana, 'Ten' by Pearl Jam, 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik' by Red Hot Chili Peppers, 'Badmotorfinger' by Soundgarden and 'Gish' by The Smashing Pumpkins.('Sailing Through The Seas Of Cheese' and Temple Of The Dogs' s/t album were great too though.) Out of those five albums, the one that was released first was 'Gish.' Although the other albums garnered more critical attention, 'Gish' really was in a league of its own. Psychadelic, hard-hitting, soft and melodic all at the same time, 'Gish' still managed to get grouped with the grungers. Despite the varied traits of this album, it is still the most traditional rock album by The Smashing Pumpkins.

Though it was recorded quickly when compared to other Pumpkins albums, (due to inexperience) the sessions were still tough for the band. D'arcy still wonders how the band survived the recording. Billy actually had a nervous breakdown during these sessions. But through the bands difficulty, 'Gish' was born.


The album starts with the hard hitting song, I Am One. The first thing you hear is a really nice drum beat laid down by Jimmy Chamberlin. Then a mezmerizing bass line kicks in. Then a few guitar chords, and then the song explodes as Billy sings "I am one as you are three, try to find messiah in your trinity." The song seems to have a spiritual vibe to it. The greatest part of the song though is 3 minutes 18 seconds into it, the whole band stops except for D'arcy and then at 3:26 the whole band kicks back in and then we get to hear a tasty guitar solo. This would be the greatest album opener the Pumpkins ever did if it wasn't for "Cherub Rock."

The next song is called Siva. I believe this was the first song to be released as a single to promote 'Gish.' "I Am One" and "Tristessa" both had releases before 'Gish.' The song starts off with a nice guitar riff before both the drums and the bass kick in. The song seems to be about letting out repressed anger. My favorite part of this song is when the band gets really quiet for the second time in the song as Billy sings "All this pain smothers me
Like a bomb that you can't see, tell me, tell me what you're after, I just want to get there faster." And then all hell breaks loose, as the band gives it everything it's got. "Siva" has some really nice guitar solos as well. This song is even better than "I Am One" even though it doesn't have that really nice build in the beginning.

After "Siva" we get the longest song of the album Rhinoceros. This is one of the best songs on the album, and also one of the more subdued. But man, that psychadelic melody is great! This was the second single from 'Gish.' I think the song is about lies and that anxiety you get when you think someone has seen through it. One of my favorite lyrics on the whole album are on this song in "Open your eyes, to these must I lie?" Another great song though.

The Pumpkins speed things back up with Bury Me, the fourth track on the album. The song starts off with arguably the greatest bass line on 'Gish.' I much like the guitar riff that comes after and the little solo before Billy starts singing. James sings a little bit in this song.("chain unchain, hide hide, and why why" part) This definitely one of the best songs on 'Gish.' I've heard that the song is about LSD, but who knows.

The Pumpkins quickly slow things down with a nice love song entitled Crush. This song really revolves around a simple bass line and a simple guitar riff. I've always envisioned a rainy day when I hear this song. I really love the spacey sounding guitar going on in the background. What sounds like a tambourine adds a really nice touch to the chorus. This song also contains another one of my favorite lines from the album in "you're sleeping in your bed, just rest your weary head, maybe you shouldn't care, throw away those dreams and dare." This is a nice song, but ultimately, it is the weakest of the first five songs.

Side 2 of the album starts with Suffer. This song is different from all the other songs on this album. It is really slow and really quiet and never really elevates above that point. I'm not quite certain what this song is about. Some of it sounds like it is about addiction, but I'm not sure about some of the rest. It took me awhile to gain a liking to this song. It's one those growers for sure, but it's definitely a solid tune. Not the best on 'Gish' but certainly not the worst.

After "Suffer" we get Snail. This is a really great song, and a sort of foreshadowing on what 'Siamese Dream' will sound like. Alot of great lyrics in this one. I think it's about pursuing your dreams and never giving up. I really like this one and think it is one of the highlights of the album. One of my favorite guitar riffs of the album is in this song too.

The last all out rocker on 'Gish' is the eight track, Tristessa. I like this song, but I also think it is the weakest rocker on the album, but maybe that comes from my lack of understanding it. I know that "Tristessa" means sadness in spanish, but the way he uses doesn't translate well with the meaning. Either way, good song, but weaker than alot of others on here.

Window Paine is the ninth track. I think this is a really great song, and it really sticks out for some reason. It starts off very quiet and subdued, but gets louder as the song progresses. I really like at 3:30 where the song keeps getting faster and faster leading into an acapella part where Billy sings without any instruments playing. The drums are really great on this track too. I have always interpreted this song as being about someone who needs to find and pursue his dreams and do whatever he has to do to get there.

The last song on the album is Daydream. It is sung by D'arcy who actually has a really nice voice. It is an accoustic song and it even has violins in it. It's a really short song, but it's nice. I believe it is about hope and trying to look on the bright side. It is one of the weakest songs on the album though. The song has a hidden track, I'm Going Crazy. It is about a minute long and isn't very exciting. It pretty much signifies how Billy felt during the sessions for the album.

This is a great album, especially when you consider the fact that it was a debut album and the band members were rather inexperienced at this point. This is a good album to start with if you've don't know much by The Smashing Pumpkins and want to hear something by them. No song is overly weak, other than "Daydream." But from here on out (for the most part) The Smashing Pumpkins' albums only get better.

SGR

So after the success of The Smashing Pumpkins' first album 'Gish,' they started recording their second album under Virgin Records with Butch Vig.(Producer of Nevermind) Unfortunately, the recording wasn't going too smoothly. Billy was depressed and sometimes considered suicide as well as going through writer's block, Jimmy was disappearing for days due to drug addiction, and D'arcy and James wouldn't show up due to the bad breakup of their short lived romance. But due to Billy's perfectionist attitude and the fact that he didn't commit suicide, Siamese Dream, the second album was released on July 27, 1993.


Put in the disc, cue the drum roll, and let Cherub Rock begin. First the clean chords, and then full on distortion. This song is the greatest album opener the Pumpkins ever did. Screw "I Am One," screw "Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness," screw "To Sheila," screw "The Everlasting Gaze," and screw "Doomsday Clock." Give me "Cherub Rock." Another plus here, that is prevalent throughout the whole album, is the guitar layering. I believe some songs on here have up to sixty guitars layered over each other, and it just sounds beautiful here. But truly, "Who wants that honey, as long as there's some money?"

The second song is not Quiet. Well, actually it is, but not really. Despite the misleading title, this is a very solid rocker. There is a really nice solo near the middle of the song, you know when Billy yells out "YEAH!!!" No? Well listen again then! The drums are pulled off excellently here, and again, the guitar layering sounds wonderful.

Well now the album slows things down just a little for the first song written for this album, Today. This song was written when Billy was considering suicide, and while it sounds very happy and optimistic, it isn't. I just love the quiet beginning when he plays those few notes over, and then the distortion kicks in. Just hearing this song puts me in a better mood. "Today is the greatest day I've ever known," are indeed memorable lyrics. This song is one of the biggest hits on this album, and for good reason. The video is also great, check it out if you haven't already.


After "Today" we start to dwell deeper into the album, wondering what we could hear next, and what we hear next is Hummer. When I first listened to "Hummer" I thought my CD somehow got scratched and wasn't playing right, but it was. It starts off sounding kinda like a distorted and scratched CD, and continues with a catchy drum beat, then the bass line, and finally we hear the heavily layered guitar riff. This is one of my favorite songs on the album, partly due to the fact that I love the build and the super infectous bass line. This is the second longest song on the album at 6:57. I think this song is about how life isn't designed for very happy people. I think Billy actually said that somewhere now that I think of it. Anyway, another great song that starts off pretty loud and gets softer and softer.

The fifth song is titled Rocket. This is another song that uses the guitar layering to a great effect. I believe this song is about being yourself and trying your best. Yeah, an optimistic, happy Smashing Pumpkins song. Something is not right there. This song contains some of my favorite lyrics on the album in "I miss everything, I'll never be" and "I shall be free." The ending of the song is superb.

Disarm, the sixth song on the album uses very simple chords compared to other songs on the album, but yet manages to be one of the best. This is the big ballad of the album.(Or at least, the most popular one) I think it's about the feeling of loss as you become an adult, and the fact that you didn't know how great youth was until it was gone. Or I could be completely wrong. This is a very beautiful, but sad song. The emotion just drips from this one. This song has some more great lyrics in, "The killer in me is the killer in you, send this smile over to you." Check out the video if you haven't seen it.


After "Disarm" the album follows into a very peaceful and quiet(for the most part) song called Soma. This is one of the best love songs the Pumpkins have ever written. This is also the first song on the album thus far to have been written by both Billy and James. I love the build in this song. It starts off very quiet and keeps building until around 3:30 where it reaches an explosive moment. Did I mention this song has possibly my favorite Pumpkins guitar solo? No? Well it does. I love the last 35 seconds of the song where I can sing along. "Na na na na na na yeah yeah yeah yeah na na na na na ahh..." This is probably the second best song on the album, and for those who have heard this album, I bet you know what I think is the best.

Geek U.S.A. is kind of a funky title, but this song is kickass! The drumming really stands out in this song, and is an example of why Jimmy is such a great drummer. To me this song has always represented how quickly ones emotions could change. I love at around 2:00 where the song gets very quiet and blissful, but overall THIS IS the machine gun rock song on the album, and if it weren't for that one slow part, it would never let up. The clima of the song is also great. "And give herself away, she gave herself away."

Mayonaise. Wow is all that can be said about this masterpiece of a song. This song is the second and last song on the album written by both Billy and James. This is another sad song though. Like "Disarm" this song just drips emotion. For anyone who cares, the whistling at the end of some of the chords in this song were due to the cheap guitar that Billy bought. He liked the sound it made, so he kept it in there. Not only do I think this is the best song on Siamese Dream, I think this is the best song The Pumpkins ever recorded. If you have not yet heard this song, please, for the love of all that is good, listen to it!


Spaceboy comes next. This song was written about Billy's half brother Jesse. It is a pretty good song, but it is one of the weaker songs on the album. Of course, coming right after "Mayonaise" doesn't help it. It's still a good song though. The first guitar riff kind of reminds me of Temple of the Dog's song "Times Of Trouble." Near the end of this song hear a recording of some woman, and then the next song starts.

Silverfuck is the name of that song. This one kind of hits you like a big rig after "Spaceboy." This is another song where Jimmy's drumming stands out. This is the longest song of the album at 8:43. This is a really great song live and I think they used to extend it when they played it live. I love when it gets really quiet, where you can only hear the bass and Billy whispering. Oh and I love the part where he says "Bang bang you're dead, holding you're head." This is a great song overall.

Sweet Sweet is a very pretty song. But it is also the weakest song on the album. I wish it was longer. At 1:39 it stops right when you start to get into it. Oh well, in my books, it doesn't classify as a bad song.

Luna is the final song on the album, and a very nice one at that. It's a great love song. It's also very quiet and melancholic. This is another song that instantly puts me in a better mood. I love some of the lyrics of this song. While they're not complicated, they work great with the song like "I'll sing for you, if you want me to," and the end when Billy sings reapetedly, "I'm in love with you, so in love." This really was the perfect song to close the album on.

In many Pumpkins fans opinions, this is the best album they ever came out with. Is it my favorite? No. But I can see why to many people it is. This is a solid album, where nearly every song hits right on the mark. The sound of this album is like no other, and 17 years after it came out, it still sounds great. Guitar layered after guitar gives it a sonic depth and a wall of sound that nearly no other album can even come close to. If you've never heard anything by The Smashing Pumpkins, and want to get something from them, get this album. Even though this is not my favorite Pumpkins album, I think it is the most solid. If all of The Smashing Pumpkins' albums were castles, and were being attacked by forces of equal strength, the Siamese Dream castle would be the hardest to crush; the hardest to exploit a weakness, because it has nearly none. The bottom line, this album is great, if you don't own it, run to your nearest CD store and buy it RIGHT NOW.

SGR

So, I've decided that I will review Pisces Iscariot and The Aeroplane Flies High, but only after I finish all the studio albums. I may even review American Gothic and some of the new Teargarden stuff in time.

But next up is Mellon Collie. That will probably be one long ass review. First I should listen to Mellon Collie in its entirety again though.

DoctorSoft

You're doing a great job so far, I'm really looking forward to Siamese Dream and MCATIS.

duga

Good review. I wouldn't say Gish is the best starting point, however. I would go with either Siamese Dream or MCIS...those two are considered their classics. Gish is still pretty good, though. Random fact: Snail is Billy's favorite song off this album.

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Confusion will be my epitaph...