Smashing Pumpkins - Gish

I needed to do an alternative review today to keep my genre reviews even - and what a coincidence, the Smashing Pumpkins just announced a show coming to Milwaukee in October! It got me thinking. B Side, how much Pumpkins do you really love? I mean, enough to pay probably an outrageous amount to go to a show? And honestly, my love is really only with two albums - and I've reviewed them already; 'Siamese Dream' and 'Mellon Collie'. Now, it isn't that I don't care for the rest of their albums, in a ot of cases, I simply haven't listened to all of the albums. Now, I landed on not going to the show because frankly, I don't care for much of their new stuff. But the old stuff, I do enjoy - and I wanted to highlight another oldie but goodie for the band. 'Gish' came out in 1991 and was the Pumpkins first album release. It's platinum in the states, which you'd think would be an amazing feat - but their next two records are 4x and 9x respectively. Lead man Billy Corgan says this is a very "spiritual" album - which I guess I never thought about. Fun fact, this is another album that was recording in my backyard - in Madison, Wisconsin by Butch Vig. The recording was intense, with Corgan suffering a nervous breakdown and the bassist saying she didn't fathom how the band withstood the pressure. The album itself isn't polished up, and what you hear is what was recorded. The album is named after Lillian Gish, an old school actress. This is what I consider to be the Pumpkins signature sound. Kind of that grunge/punk hybrid, that made them awesome. Heavy guitars, but Corgan's angelic voice that makes a hard song turn into a ballad. This is the band I fell in love with. If the show would be albums 1-3, I'd be there in a heartbeat. And this album is that good - so listen to it!

TRACK LISTING:
1. I Am One
2. Siva
3. Rhinoceros
4. Bury Me
5. Crush
6. Suffer
7. Snail
8. Tristessa
9. Window Paine
10. Daydream

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Rhinoceros
2. I Am One
3. Siva

FINAL RATING:
4.25 out of 5 stars

Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness

I've been doing this blog for nearly a year now. And I simply cannot believe some of the albums I haven't reviewed. This is certainly one of them. I LOVE, adore this record. I bought it immediately when it dropped in 1995. I had already bought Siamese Dream and loved that one - so this was a natural progression. This is the Pumpkins best selling album at a delightful 9x platinum. For good reason too. Not only were there a TON of hits off this double album, but they're mind blowing. And the span of hits is hard rock, alt rock, piano ballads. I mean, this runs the gambit of EVERYTHING. When I reviewed 'Dream' a while back, it got very high praise. I think I gave it a 4 and conveyed how much you should listen to it. Well, this is going to be a very similar review. There is no reason not to listen to this today, and listen hard. It'll take you a while, as it's nearly 30 tracks, but it's all worth it. It's very unusual for a double album to debut at number 1 on the Billboard Top 200. But this did it. It's also rare that one album has 7 grammy nominations. But yeah, this did it. It's again rare that any album would be compared to 'The Wall' in terms of greatest albums in history. And yeah, this album has been widely compared to that in terms of identification of a band and in impact to the music business. I can't say enough good things about this. It's a piece of true music art. Hearing it again today is just making me happy. Happy to own it and happy to remember to play these older alt rock albums every now and again. I'll give you a top 5 since it's a doubler, and at least check out those tracks. When you have time, listen to the whole thing. Well worth your two hours.

TRACK LISTING:
Disc One - From Dawn To Dusk
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Tonight, Tonight
Jellybelly
Zero
Here Is No Why
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
To Forgive
An Ode to No One
Love
Cupid de Locke
Galapogos
Muzzle
Porcelina of the Vast Oceans
Take Me Down (Iha)

Disc Two - Twilight To Starlight
Where Boys Fear to Tread
Bodies
Thirty-Three
In the Arms of Sleep
1979
Tales of a Scorched Earth
Thru the Eyes of Ruby
Stumbleine
X.Y.U.
We Only Come Out at Night
Beautiful
Lily (My One and Only)
By Starlight
Farewell and Goodnight

Listen To Samples

Top 5 Tracks:
1. Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness
2. Thirty-Three
3. 1979
4. Muzzle
5. Tonight, Tonight

FINAL RATING:
4.75 out of 5 stars

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

A follower of mine was discussing how one of her biggest regrets was never going to a Pumpkins show in her life so far. I have to say, these guys put on a pretty solid show. It made me realize that I've never put anything of theirs out on the B Side!! Better late than never I suppose. I could have started with Gish, which is one of my faves, but I figured I'd start with a record that would receive a more favorable review. I think I may like Mellon Collie a little better, but this was up there with some of the earliest music I ever purchased. I still toss it in fairly often to this day. It seems like a lot of folks talk about the Pumpkins and talk about how they enjoy their tunes, but I don't hear it all that often. If I'm over at someones place and there is ambiance music in the background - it's very rarely ever Smashing Pumpkins. That's kind of sad. They have made a ton of good music over the years. Personally I feel they peaked a bit with Mellon Collie - but that's just the way I feel. Adore and the following didn't have the classic vibe to them - and I think those albums were a little weaker on their discography. They put one out sometime in late 2009 called Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, but I honestly don't think I've heard anything off of it. If you're casual fan, check out their Rarities and B-Sides too. They do a great cover of Landslide and You're All I've Got Tonight. Happy listening!

TRACK LISTING:
1. Cherub Rock
2. Quiet
3. Today
4. Hummer
5. Rocket
6. Disarm
7. Soma
8. Geek U.S.A.
9. Mayonaise
10. Spaceboy
11. Silverfuck
12. Sweet Sweet
13. Luna

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Cherub Rock
2. Today
3. Disarm

FINAL RATING:
4.5 out of 5 stars