Siamese Dream

by

The Smashing Pumpkins

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I have not been on the Smashing Pumpkins bandwagon for long. I missed the albums when they first hit; hell, the first song I heard by them was "Tonight, Tonight" from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Needless to say, I had some catching up to do. Thankfully, that catching up included listening to this album, which I now consider a seminal/pivotal/simply amazing point in rock history. Billy Corgan does away with pretension by twisting it into glorious rock anthems and beautiful alt-pop. The kicker is that, while people wrote them off as depressionists, almost every moment on this CD can be compared with euphoric joy. Even in moments of rage, the beauty of the music shines through. Straight-out rockers such as "Geek U.S.A." and "Quiet" are singular yet grand in their guitar riffs, creating a near-primal feeling. Softer numbers such as "Spaceboy", "Disarm", and "Mayonaise" cause reflection and introspection on the listener's part, creating a more balanced record. The true killers on this album, though, are "Today' and "Soma". The first is the most melodic alternative rock ever written, while the second is the most sobering alt-rock ever written. In closing, while the Pumpkins may not be sure who they are anymore, I'll always love them for who they were.

Typically in rock music, America invents a sound/genre and then Britain refines it. For instance, Radiohead has taken REM's sound to higher ground. In the case of the Pumpkins, the reverse is happening. My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Marychain are the obvious influences here, but Corgan has stripped away some layers and has substituted Kevin Shields's shoe-gazing introversion for a more aggressive and adrenilizing demeanor. The results are wonderful - raw, punky, confrontational while sophisticated and coherent. Cherub Rock marries Pixies, MBV and Black Sabbath to create a spellbinding wall of sound. But what gives it coherence and originality is Billy Corgan's voice. Not as crazed as Frank Black and not as subdued as Kevin Shields - it's the voice of a worldly punk-rocker with a mature sensibility. The rest of the album almost fulfills the promise of the first track. It's still a worth having in your collection