lambchops's Full Review: Siamese Dream [PA] by Smashing Pumpkins
There are but a few albums that define my generation. I look toward Nevermind [Nirvana], Ten [Pearl Jam], Blood Sugar Sex Magik [Red Hot Chili Peppers], Ill Communication [Beastie Boys], and The Downward Spiral [nine inch nails] as the kind of music that made my generation tick for whatever reason.
But there is another, equally well known album that should be given its due--Siamese Dream from Chicago-based Smashing Pumpkins. To call this act a band at the time of this album’s 1993 release would be a lie. See, Billy Corgan has always been both a jerk and a perfectionist. Both personality quirks are often and still reported on. Siamese Dream was recorded essentially by Corgan alone. His compatriots James Iha, D’Arcy Wretzky, and Jimmy Chamberlain were will more than tour musicians. The people that could best interpret his “perfect” musicianship. The one instrument that Corgan left up to others was percussion. Aside from that, Siamese Dream was basically a solo effort.
What caused such a thing to happen? Well the band was in turmoil. Chamberlain’s well-known abuse of hard drugs combined with end of Iha and Wretzky’s relationship made for less-than-ideal recording conditions. Corgan picked up the pieces himself, and in the end managed to record one of the most perfect albums of early 1990’s rock n’ roll. Siamese Dream is the kind of poignant album that all bands hope they can assemble. Smashing Pumpkins (or at least Corgan) did so on their second effort. Siamese Dream is in fact the best album (of five) the band recorded and released.
And there’s a funny thing about Siamese Dream. Back when it came out ten or so years ago, I wasn’t particularly sure what to think. I was still pretty much engulfed in the whole grunge-rock-metal mess of music, and Smashing Pumpkins was something different. They didn’t sound at all like anybody else. I knew I liked Today but was relatively unsure about everything else. A decade later, all of my doubts about the album have been squelched. It is in a word brilliant. If it’s been a while since you last really listened to Siamese Dream, Today (a bad, bad joke I know) is the perfect time to do so.
So much about Siamese Dream is amazing. What is even more phenomenal is that the album’s sales did indeed mirror the quality of the material. This is a very rare occurrence in modern music. Anyway, from the start, it is clear that this is a very special album. Cherub Rock, easily one of the best tracks here, starts things off with a bang. Thick, melodic, and extremely alluring guitars match Corgan’s typically airy vocals. It is easy to imagine any one of a number of bands using similar sounds and melodies, but it is Corgan’s voice that separates the band from the masses. Of course there’s also the incredible amount of talent.
Siamese Dream is consistently good. Most listeners will find that there are a few songs they remember from the era. Of course, Cherub Rock is among these but also Today, Disarm and Rocket. Of those, I had the best relationship with the quirky, mellow, and summery Today. But precarious were my feelings for Disarm. Quite simply, all of those years ago the track rubbed me the wrong way. But time does heal many wounds. I now can appreciate and enjoy the light, creatively free, and emotional melody and vocals the song boasts. I also really do like the acoustic guitars, a bit of a different feel for the otherwise very electric band. In the end, Disarm is one of the most memorable (if not THE most memorable) tracks of Siamese Dream. But not just for the orchestral and rich textures, but also for Corgan’s words:
I used to be a little boy
So old in my shoes
And what I choose is my choice
What's a boy supposed to do?
The killer in me is the killer in you
My love
I send this smile over to you
There are those hits that need no mention, but the true appeal of this album (the second from Smashing Pumpkins) is in the consistency. It is impossible to ignore the gorgeous, pure, understated tones of Soma, Luna, Mayonaise and Hummer. Siamese Dream is pretty much split down the middle as far as rockers and ballads go. Other rockers (outside of the aforementioned Cherub Rock and Rocket) include Geek U.S.A. and Quiet.
Siamese Dream is a brilliant album, and deserved all of the attention it garnered from MTV and radio. I do believe that my generation of rock fans is better off for the popularization of this particularly striking release. It did in fact reach #10 on Billboard and spawned four alt-rock classics and hit singles. Siamese Dream can easily be appreciated for start to finish. Pick it up now…it’s a heck of a lot better than most all of what has been released within the past few years.
Smashing Pumpkins followed this, their sophomore effort, up with three additional albums of new material between 1995 and 2000 with the only real amazing effort being the double-disc LP Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness. Both Adore and MACHINA had a few decent moments but it was clear the band was on a downward spiral of sorts.
Be a good boy or girl. Buy Siamese Dream--even at full price it is a bargain. Then go out and get Gish and Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness. You really won’t be disappointed.
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