The first time I heard Smashing Pumpkins, I was driving home from work late at night, and I felt compelled to stay in my car to wait for the song to finish, for the moment when the DJ would tell me what it was. This was back in the days before Shazam could identify a song for you in less than a minute, and before you could then simply listen to it again on Spotify. It was back in the days of local college radio, stations that would play things no one else would dare.
The song was “Rhinoceros,” and I may have even had to wait a few songs for the DJ to finish his or her set and read off a list of the artists and songs I’d heard. “Rhinoceros” had a unique sound, and I soon picked up Gish (1991), their debut. By the time Siamese Dream (1993) came out, I was primed and ready to seek it out.
At their best, the Smashing Pumpkins could be thoroughly engrossing. James Iha’s guitar flourishes were the perfect embellishment for vocalist Billy Corgan’s pleading vocals. Their sound was immediately recognizable, and often captivating.
Playlist 1
Playlist One starts with the classic Siamese Dream, by far their best album, before stepping back for earlier work, most of it from Gish. Sadly, I could not find the excellent 8-minute epic “Drown” that concluded the Singles original motion picture soundtrack; the short version I’ve included here doesn’t work the same magic.
Playlist 2
Playlist Two presents a single-LP-length condensation of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995), originally a 2-hour double-CD with some powerful music—yet desperately in need of a good pruning, which I’ve happily done for you.
Cover Art:
- Siamese Dream and Gish: Source, Discogs.com, Fair use.
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