Epic album from the Pumpkins. Not only one of their best pieces of work, but I feel it's one of the greatest rock records in existence. Packed full of killer writing and musicianship, emotional Siamese Dreams blows my mind on so many levels from beginning to end. I am so grateful to have gotten to see them perform many of these songs live on 3 occasions. Zowie!
"Today" is one of the greatest songs ever written and the rest of the album holds up around it
This one held up really well. Just a great album. The composition, instrumentation, and lyrics are all on point. I know a lot of folks hate on Corgan's voice but it's never bothered me and it matches the lyrics and feel of these songs so well. Just really great.
Loved the guitar work - it seemed multi-layered and symphonic to some degree. Laidback and interesting music .
For me this album is their absolute high point - barely a step wrong in the entire album - brilliant stuff
"Siamese Dream" is pretty tortured. I'm not tortured now, and don't think I was in the 90s (although most teens feel tortured to some extent?), certainly not like Corgan (with abuse during his childhood and recent relationship issues framing much of early Pumpkins), but damned if this album doesn't just do it for me anyway. I really like this album, maybe even more than I did in the 90s. It is intense and filled with agonized passion - it's raw and exposed and vulnerable and electric - both in subject matter and musical vibe. Like a lot of 90s alt-rock and grunge, the lyrics are poetic and often indecipherable, but it doesn't matter (to me). Breathy when it needs to be breathy, screaming earnestly at just the right peaks. James Iha's guitar (though apparently Corgan was super controlling in the studio and recorded everyone's parts himself) is alternatingly crunchy, soaring, soft - for some tracks they apparently layered and overdubbed the guitar parts dozens of times. Whatever that means, they get an amazing rich sound out of it. Pretty sure back in the day I put on my headphones and zoned out to this album like Mitch at the end of "Dazed and Confused." (This is not the album on this list that I would have expected to be the first to make me think of that top 5 of all-time movie, but I am sure it won't be the last.) The first half of the album is filled with gems, hitting a crescendo with "Disarm," brilliant and haunting with its orchestral build hinting at the softer direction for parts of "Mellon Collie." But they interweave hard-edged rage with soft emotional rawness seamlessly in numerous places, even better on "Siamese Dream" than on "Mellon Collie." Smashing Pumpkins stands out sonically from other early 90s alt-rock - it doesn't really fit with the Northwest grunge sound, doesn't fit with punk rock, doesn't fit with lo-fi shoegaze, Smashing Pumpkins really carved their own unique space.
OMG, this album used to mean so much to me. I've already played it to death, but here we go.
I dig it. Heavily distorted, but not at the expense of good riffs and melodies. It's a bit long, but not overlong, and I think its length reflects the hazy/grunge musical style. Of course, I'm all-too-familiar with the tracks "Cherub Rock" and "Today," thanks to Guitar Hero. They hold up, and there are a number of other great songs here, too. I'm not sure if I'd heard a Smashing Pumpkins album before today, but this one makes the appeal perfectly clear. Favorite tracks: Cherub Rock, Today, Sweet Sweet Album art: I like it. Looks like the original was just the photo of these two girls, and a reissue added the purple filter and orange background. Both look good to me, but I think I prefer the purple and orange. Filtering and reissuing an album cover like that seems to be a recognition of classic status. 4/5
This album makes me sad, there's some great, no amazing, melodies here and some really interesting ideas....but the execution is god-awful. I hate the lead singer's voice, I hate it with a passion. The man sounds like if Spongebob was doing a Kurt Cobain impersonation. It honestly hurts to listen to, it haunts my dreams, it's my waking nightmare. I don't know if I will ever find the words to properly describe my hatred of this man's singing. There's some beautiful songs here, but the fact that they're ruined so much makes this album even sadder to listen to. When I heard the opening lines of the first song my immediate freudean thought was "butt-rock" the singer sounds like he belongs in a shitty 3 doors down cover band. Overall I'm giving it 2 stars because the melodies are actually really good and the song progression and composition is interesting.
12/28 Phenomenal album. This is the hard rock I'm looking for, smashing instrumentals across heavy lyrics, the artwork ties the knot. Standout Tracks: Cherub Rock, Hummer, Soma, Geek U.S.A., Silverfuck
I loved this band back in the day, and for some reason fell out with them until I went back a few years ago. I know a lot of people don't like Corgan, and there's good reason for that, but this album rocks. Best track: Today
Amazing album with so much great songs. Every song is about something that goes on in his mind , about struggles with his past and how because of these struggles he is still affected until today. this and some amazing work on the guitar makes this a classic 9.3/10
I already knew this album. Its great. Cherub rock, Today are classics. Some new ones I never listened to: Rocket, Disarm, Soma, Geek U.S.A.
Dearie me, mass regret on not listening to this whole album before now. What a cracker- perfect mix of all instruments and vocal
I'm excited for this one! I like what I know from Smashing Pumpkins and looking forward to hearing more. Cherub Rock is a great way to start an album. Loved this from start to finish.
Prachtig! Van A tot Z goed. Hier en daar een tikje pathetisch, maar ach, dat was ik in de tijd ook.
Ja, dit is een van mijn all time favorites en nu al een classic voor mij. Kan deze plaat moeiteloos van top tot teen luisteren. Geweldige rauwe sound en catchy nummers. En probs voor Billy die alles zelf inspeelde terwijl die andere bandleden hun neus aan het poederen waren
Classic album. The Pumpkins arrive as grunge/alt-rock lords. Sludgy guitars, huge riffs, feline vocals and gigantic drums. Great stuff. Best Tracks: Cherub Rock, Geek U.S.A., Mayonaise
For me this album is their absolute high point - barely a step wrong in the entire album - brilliant stuff
JFC, I just listened to Smashing Pumpkins yesterday! This album is about 100 times better than that one. Somehow Corgan's voice works way better with these songs. They are harder hitting and are genuinely inspired. Especially, Cherub Rock which I love. But seriously, what kind of idiot thinks TWO smashing pumpkins alums need to be on a list of 1001 albums. They should have only included this one.
Today - First riff I ever played on guitar. The fuzzy harmonies of Cherub Rock's guitar.
"Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins." "Homer Simpson, nodding politely." This is the best album that Smashing Pumpkins made and one of the most iconic albums in alternative rock history and a relic of the 90s.
Such a great album. Cherub rock is an incredible opener that sets the rest up perfectly
While, as others have pointed out, this album is less polished than melancholy, I find that to be a point in its favor. I like that’s it’s a little more raw, a little more rough around the edges. I love this album. I find Disarm to be hauntingly beautiful. All in all, this album is so quintessentially 90s and yet has so many levels it keeps me coming back.
Gish was about to takeoff and was eclipsed by Nevermind and then Siamese Dream was released. The Pumpkins really took off with Infinite Sadness which was their most polished and seemed to give everything to everyone. The relevance of the Pumpkins lies in Gish and Siamese Dream, even Pisces Iscariot to an extent (Landslide cover rivals the original). Soft and suspenseful song opens turn to raucous distortion and loose chaos. Similar to Infinite Sadness, there is range and it's not all gnarled mayhem and anarchy on SD. While Billy Corgan seems like a monster, Sweet Sweet is beautiful; the intro to Mayonaise; beautiful, Soma; lovely even Rocket's song open calms with a wonderful distorted repeater riff. Musically, every song is evocative despite the lyrics. From the first track... the slow peppy build to furious excitement is incredible. However, if there's one thing that I dislike about this album it's the song Disarm. What a blugh downer song. It sounds like Eeyore wrote it. And then there's the lyric... I always thought the lyric was "cut that little child, SODOMY is such a part of you" uhhhh BUZZKILL - you can't put that word and 'child' in a song!! WTF? (... though today the lyrics read "...cut that little child, INSIDE OF ME and such a part of you"). I dunno, Billy Corgan has always seemed to be a tortured artist with a bullhorn that's never big enough. Regardless, I've got a lot of great memories tied to this album. It was on repeat for months when I moved out and was living downtown Richmond. I may have evolved some (not much) but to me, this album will always be relevant.
A lot of TSP's songs sound very similar, so I typically don't realize just how many of them I really enjoy.
The alt rock album of the 90s. The musicianship on this album is incredible. I’m particularly a big fan of the lead guitar lines and Jimmy Chamberlin’s drumming. Furthermore, Billy Corgan has a gift for melody that cuts through the albums heaviest moments
Great album - I knew the big hits, the ones with music videos, but the stuff deeper into the album is great as well. Geek USA got my 10 year old headbanging.
I always choose for Gish and had not listened to this album fo many years. Never expected at the time that the Pumpkins would become so big. I thought they would reach a status like The Pixies or Sonic Youth but they went stadium-style starting with this album, without making any concessions to their music. OK, the production is more radio-friendly than Gish. But that's a big plus: this is one of the best-produced albums ever, the guitars on this album sounded great and they still do! And the songs are great too - unlike the OK Computer album from a few days ago, there is no single weak song on it. The lyrics are mwah but at least they are not annoying like on The Downward Spiral, so fine.
Awesome album I have listened to it before but would listen to it over and over. This is my kind of music so it was a good start to this journey!
Absolute classic 90s alt album. Lyrically deep and musically dense. I love how layered it is. You can really hear the MBV influence.
This is an absolute monster of an album. “Today” is such a beautiful, tragic song. Peak Corgan sad boi brilliance. The whole thing is a solid listen all the way through, love it!
Great album, flows really well, numerous great songs, "Today" probably my favourite. I would definitely add to my physical music collection.
I had not heard the whole thing before, but I recognize a lot of the songs. I enjoyed it
This is just a great album through and through. The big hits (Today, Disarm) are great and the non-singles are just as good if not better. Mayonnaise is just amazing, but even better if you're in a brooding state of mind. Some of the songs might not quite be 5 star level, but the ones that are more than make up for it.
The first album I ever bought myself was not this one, but it was Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. This is a great flashback.
5 This album brings me a tone of dream to memories that became raw by the way sometimes our actions decay in something less ideal and more true, but it still invites me to try and rediscover the dream, the emotions, the simple actions, what lasts and that's always a glimpse of what it is. The album reminds me people I like, and how "Soma" felt lovely and surprised me when I first listened to the song on the radio long years ago, driving home in a silent tired sleepy peaceful night.
The first album I've already heard!!! And I already know it's a 5/5 for me!!! Excited to relisten though!!! I adore the changes in pace and energy, the floaty instrumentals in the quieter bits are so dreamy and gorgeous, and the guitars in the louder bits are SO BLOODY GOOD!! Heck I forgot Silverfuck is almost 9min long, it just flies by (for me anyway) because it is so COOL I may be biased because this is an album I've been coming back to regularly since I was...15? There's a reason for that though
I love this album. So many good songs & sounds. Smashing Pumpkins sound like no one else. Rocket has always been my favorite pumpkins song, beginning of Hummer is amazing.
Ok, I'll squeeze this up to five. This is probably a nostalgia thing because I discovered them after this record, but for as much as I am a fan of the Pumpkins, especially Mellon Collie, followed behind by Adore, this album never latched on with me. It should have though. Every time I listen, I like it more, and wonder why I don't play it more frequently. There is some truly great rock here. Amazing guitars, dynamics, songwriting. Many things that stand out in later Pumpkins songs feel like they really started here.
The guitar sounds on this record are incredible. The way Corgan uses fuzz is so well done and adds so much to their sound that it makes everything he did sound thinner by comparison. Beyond that, the songwriting is perfect. 10/10
Drumming is next level. Screams 90's, but screams it so well. That baroque style terraced dynamics marks this as an early-ish grunge winner. Disarm is such a great tune and Today with that cool riff makes this album a classic.
Oh, pero qué decir de este disco. Llegué a los esmáchin con el Mellon Collie y me costó varios años entender este disco. Era menos sofisticado, menos ecléctico como el posterior disco doble, pero por allá en 1999 finalmente caí y se me abrieron esas joyas como Rocket, Soma, Mayonaise. Es un clásico de los 90 que alcancé a descubrir al final de esa década, cuando el desgano de los grunge ya se había disuelto.
If it weren’t for Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness, I’d say this is the best Smashing Pumpkins album. Still, it’s one of the best guitar and drum albums of all time.
I was instantly transported back to the 90s when the intro to Cherub Rock kicked in. This is a classic and still sounds amazing.
Just played the 'weaker' second half of the album and it's fantastic, every track a potential hit. Nirvana have the cool, the zeitgeist, the amazing live events, and the aura of tragic glamour - and the songs that defined a generation. But they never made an album as strong as this.
Woh! Smashing Pumkins are legendary. Billy Corgan is an absolute MONSTER singer. You can pick his voice out from anywhere. Not the best album they have but still has some huge songs on this album and they never forget their true rock feel with heavy guitar and drums.
are the pumpkins smashing as in the verb “to smash” or smashing as in the british adjective
5.0 + My musical ground zero - the band and the record that ushered me full-force into rock music as a teen. I listened to this album more than any other, and can sing it all the way through. So many amazing moments here - from the guitar solo in "Cherub Rock", to the contemplative end of "Hummer", to the drumming on "Geek USA", to the trippy middle of "Silverfuck", to the gorgeous homage to shoegazer rock with "Mayonaise"...Confronting past demons head-on, believing in a better tomorrow and swirling with psychedelic color.
Approached with some trepidation given my ambivalence for Melon Collie… I was surprisingly bowled over by Siamese Dreams. Tight, controlled, impactful and bold, this is as perfect an alt rock 90s album as you could wish for. Corgan brings his A game, the production is excellent and the album is an emotional experience without seeming histrionic and all the more powerful for that. 4.5 stars? But I’m in a generous mood so 5 it is.
Al final de su carrera les cogí tirria y hoy en día me parece que su líder está más por dar la nota que por hacer algo decente. En cualquier caso, este disco es una obra maestra de su tiempo. Grunge fuera de Seattle con rock potente y canciones lentas más cerca del folk o los cantautores en una combinación que antes era más del heavy y sus baladas con punteos. Canciones buenas tiene casi todas: "Cherub Rock", "Quiet", "Today", "Rocket", "Disarm", "Soma", "Geek U.S.A.", "Mayonaise", "Spaceboy", "Silverfuck", "Sweet Sweet" y "Luna". Espectacular disco.
Nostalgia isn't the only thing carrying this record through, disarm, mayonaise and other great tracks, excellent
Honestly, I loved this. It wasn't a perfect 5 stars, but the sound and Billy Corgan's vocals are still excellent and I'd definitely listen again. Solid 4.
Cool guitar sound. producción tipo grunge. Ya había escuchado Today. Fluye bien. Mucho menos pulido que 1979
i like it altough mellon collie is to me a more interesting album because of its different facets while this one is good but more of the same
This album is a classic. Pretty much any latter-day GenX kid had it, or had a friend with it. Listening back, I can find seven or eight songs that have been on mixtapes of mine, and at least three that have been on recent playlists (within the past few years). Definitely a whole album worth listening to.
Possibly my favourite SP album, and considering some of the songs on Mellon Collie, that's pretty decent praise. Today and Cherub Rock are classics, Rocket still sounds great, and possibly the one song of the four singles I don't tire of, and Silverfuck is incredible. 4 stars as it does lose a little bit of momentum somewhere in the middle, but even that's a harsh critical comment.
A real blast from the past. Instantly transported to the summer of 1994 as a 15 year old hanging out with my mates, not a worry in the world and no idea what the future would hold. No need, it's so far away right‽
An absolute rock classic. This is the band's rawest LP by far, but the production makes every Muff-slathered guitar lead shine through. Tight riffs and tonal shifts make for a thrilling and varied album that remains fresh to this day.
Solid album, very 90's rock and easy to listen to. 2-discs so long but never hated any songs or wanted any to go quicker. Apparently I know a lot of Smashing Pumpkins songs?
Been a long time since I listened to this. This was so big at the time, really set the bar of what “alternative” could be. Harder rock or softer elegant pieces. The guitar pedals effects and drums mix/level just scream early mid 90s 4.5 stars, rounded to 5
It definitely holds up... some exceptional songs and a surprisingly heavy sound. I think about Today as representative for Siamese Dream, but there are so many more aggressive songs.
Formative album for me. Listened to it many times in my teenage years. I think the Melon Collie and the Infinite sadness album is better overall, but this one has a raw angst that can’t be denied. Billy Corgan’s high screeching voice sounds like his guitar riffs at times (Bee Gees-esque)
Great album - I was a lot more familiar with it than I thought. Picking a fave track is hard. "Today" was popular at karaoke while I lived in Japan, so I've probably heard it more than all the other tracks and have a lot of affection for it. "Cherub Rock" is a fantastic album opener. Might opt for the wildly OTT melodrama of "Disarm" though!
Can an album simultaneously be the best and worst thing to ever happen to a band? Maybe it was inevitable that Billy Corgan would turn into a bit of a douche commode or maybe he already was, but this record is where I’ve always drawn the line as a fan. It’s so good and I liked it soooo much. Still do. (Those guitar sounds! The first three tracks!) But man, I didn’t touch a thing they did after this. Still have never listened to that double album, which I know is supposed to be good but… I was just tired of all things Pumpkins by that point. They flew too close to the sun, man. It’s too bad.
the Wiki for this album is very interesting, I didn't realize that it was spawned from so much conflict, chaos, drug addition and talk of suicide. I also like Rolling Stone's description that its closer to progressive rock than punk or grunge
Absolutely great CD... I've seen them twice. Once at Lupo's in Providence and once at St Andrews theater in Detroit. At the end of the Detroit show, Billy Corgan went on at least a 20 minute guitar experimental solo. I say "at least" because most people left at some point because it was more noise than art at that point.
It was nice Monday driving music. I hadn’t heard all of the songs but I liked almost all of them.
Me ha gustado mucho, he descubierto dos temazos, tristes en ocasiones, pero muy buenos cuando dan caña
Bevor ich's vergesse: kurz realisiert welch starkes Faible ich für Bassistinnen habe. Tina Weymouth, Debbie Googe, D'Arcy Wretzky (und die Liste könnte noch deutlich länger sein): steh ich total drauf. Jedenfalls: für mich im Vergleich besser als die Mellon Collie. Top Hits drauf (Today; Disarm), verspukte Alternative-Rock-Mini-Opern (Soma, Sweet Sweet) und auch noch der von der Gish gelernte "klassische" Ansatz, 80er-Hardrock mit Mitteln des 90er-Sounds aufzuführen (Bratzgitarren, Streicher), außerdem mit Corgans schon ziemlich speziellen Gesang und Schwelge-Arrangements. Klingt heute bisschen verstaubter als ich gedacht hätte, aber für die Jugend natürlich: 4.0 (enthält einen Zehntelpunkt extra für den starken Zug, einen Song "Mayonaise" zu nennen. Muss man sich in Amerika erstmal trauen!)
Ich mag es, war es doch mein Einstieg zum Reich der Pumpkins - selbstredend sind „Today“ & „Disarm“ die einladend weit geöffnete Doppeltür dorthin gewesen. Für viele wohl das wahre Meisterwerk. Mir wirkt es jedoch manchmal zu bieder-brav, was vielleicht etwas mit der Zeit zu tun hat, die ich mit dem Album verbracht hab. Sound proper fett und super gealtert. Es fehlt noch die Schippe Raffinesse, obwohl das Konzept auf muskulösen Beinen steht. Songwriting bereits toll, selbstsicher aber ein wenig „von der Stange“-haft. Dann aber gibt es so herrliche wow-Effekte beim erneuten Hören („Hummer“); wie so oft, wenn vertraute Speisen dieses eine, bisher verborgen gebliebene Aroma offenbaren. Hier wäre die Zehnerskala hilfreich. Slightly overrated 3.5
The sound is very similar to Nirvana's. My initial thought was that the sound is a more user friendly mix of In Utero. (Both released the same year) To be sure, it's heavy and nobody would accuse it of being happy, but it was able to appeal to those not clinically depressed as well as those who own shirts that aren't plaid. One of the top LPs of the Alt Rock era.
actually liked this! the beginning of the album felt a lot more slow and repetitive, but as it went on i started liking it a lot more
If only we had some kind of human 1001 album app that could have recommended this earlier.
I like this type of rock and I think that I just turned away from The Smashing Pumpkins in the past because I just did not know what to expect. But this album somehow makes me think that if I had been a teenager in 94, I would definitely have been feeling this while wearing flannel and doc martens and a cigarette in my mouth.
Reminded me how good this is. Not a duff track on it and they’re not afraid of a tune.
I'm grumpy. Why is this cover art not the original cover art? Why do I care? I don't know. But I do. This is such a sentimental favorite that I'm blind to how long it goes and how drone-y and generic it gets in places. There are three to four great songs on this album, so maybe that's enough for me. I don't know. I'm hungry.
Es bastante bueno, no ha envejecido mal, pero algunos sonidos no me atraen los suficiente en una o dos canciones, sin embargo fuera de eso las líricas son muy buenas. :3
Great album that deserves a 5 but Billy is a douche canoe and his vocals can gnaw on you after a while. He has no range.
I enjoyed this album. Loved smashing pumpkins as a teen, but first time I listened to this full album. I liked “Soma” and “Geek USA” especially.
Starts off with what I think to be their best song and maintains a level of good throughout.
I was sort of dreading this one because I absolute hate the vocalist's way of singing on the songs I've heard. Sure enough, the singing was pretty bad, but actually not nearly as bad as I had feared. To my even bigger surprise, the song writing, song structuring and instrumentation were fantastic. With a good singer, this could easily have been a 5. As is, it's a 3.5 for me. Rounded up because it surprised me so much.
Sick, first 2 tracks are proper 90s grunge, big fan. Always wanted to give these guys more of a listen/try so lookin forward to the rest of this one. Feels like a high3 so round up to a 4 so far. Yeh 4/5, enjoyed it.
One of those bands that would be legends if they had a different singer. The album is still great though, closer. High 3, closer to 4 so that's why I'm rounding up.
I've forgotten how great this album is. Billy Corgan, mad genius that he is has pretty much spoiled all good will the Pumpkins earned. The 90s grunge sound is credited with being born in the PacNW. Chicago's Smashing Pumpkins expand that area with this album. 4.5/5
Billy Corgan is a true guitar hero. He rips through this album with ferocity coming out of his fingertips. Even the more tender acoustic tracks feel at times like the guitar is under attack during the most emotional moments. And he sings with power and emotion. The whole band sounds great here, and the album rocks extremely hard.
I was a Melon Collie guy in high school but this is probably closer to my favourite Pumpkins album. It has most of my favourites (Disarm, Today, Cherub) and really enjoyed Silverfuck too
I don't like alternative Rock and grunge, but this album - is exeption. Really great thing. The Best Composition - "Soma"
Siamese Dreams by Smashing Pumpkins (1993) Smashing Pumpkins (probably better titled “The Billy Corgan Project”) deliver a signature sound on this album. The Corgan sound is characterized by a near-symphonic texture of guitar overdubbing and the idiosyncratic lead vocals of Mr. Corgan, driving a message of cathartic honesty that borders on the uncomfortable, if not narcissistic. The lyrics are nearly embarrassing (for the listener, not Corgan) for their transparency and reckless lack of reserve, but that feature does little harm because Corgan’s abandonment of diction makes the words (sans lyrics sheet) all but indecipherable anyway. His voice alternates between two timbres, which are both substandard and extraordinarily interesting at the same time. One timbre is airy and elvish; the other is whiny and harsh. Supply your own synonyms. It is a voice that is well suited the very limited melodies Corgan has composed, which are all-too-heavily reliant on favorite intervals and loopy slurs. Blah. Having said that, this is still a very good album, if for no other reason than the technical excellence of the sound. It is galvanizing and pleasing. Hard driving rock riffs are layered over and over with multiple electric rhythm guitar tones. This record reveals the beauty of rock guitar. And while the technique could have been monotonous, this foundational Corgan sound is flavored with striking and innovative variety, including well performed if understated solos. The solo section at 3:04 on “Mayonaise” (sic) is great. And I don’t even like mayonnaise. One extraordinary highlight on this album is the integration of elements of symphony orchestra on “Disarm” and “Luna”. On these two tracks, strings are not simply added as background—they are woven into the composition itself. They actually become more magnetic than the melody and lyrics. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlain is flat-out excellent (listen to track #11!). Guitarist James Iha and bassist D’arcy Wretsky, however, are not even utilized on almost half of these tracks, on which those parts are performed by (you guessed it) Corgan himself. I suppose Iha and Wretsky were needed for live performances of these songs, however. It’s worth celebrating their humility in accepting such an arrangement. 4/5
Well it's got to be one of the best album openings ever! Cherub Rock is an all time classic. Quiet is then good, as a technical show of hands, with some weird time signature stuff going on. Then you get Today, which is one of the best songs ever! Obviously drops off from here, but Hummer is a rare good long song. Rocket is less exciting, but then Disarms big epic beautiful sad balladry wins you back! Soma opens feeling like a Mogwai track. It's like the comedown from the previous tracks big bold production. It goes small and internal, very nicely. After this, it never hits such great heights again... But I'd say it had probably done enough already.
Wow, wasn’t prepared to like this as much as I did. They got SO HYPED UP later in their career that I just refused to pay attention to them. I’ve never listened to the whole album before, even though individual tracks are basically my youth’s soundtrack. Very Seattle grunge. It really holds up as a sound of an era.
This is the album i think of when asked what the US Alternative music scene sounded like in the 90's. Its a bigger rock sound than most of their contemporaries attempted. They led the transition of Alt rock bans moving from the bars to the stadiums maintaining an underachiever vibe but borrowing hooks from classic stadium rock bands, all underpinned by powerful songwriting. All that is missing is a decent rock singers voice. He's like a pound shop Kurt Cobain. 4/5
4.34 Quintessential early '90s alt-rock album. Shoutout to the first minute of the track Soma— it made me stop working just to repeat and listen to it again. Trancelike in the best sense possible.
This album meanders in places which is why I dropped a star, but damn me if it isn't worth 4 stars for Cherub Rock, Today and Disarm. I'm not the most ardent of Smashing Pumpkins fans due to Billy and the gang disappearing up their own bottoms for the next few albums. This album however is a testament to blend of sounds the band embraced, from Grunge to metal to Dream pop, Sonic Youth style noise and R.E.M.-like sensitivity.
Maybe I listened to this record too late. But you can tell which bands were influenced by this record and all of the subsequent pop-culture that came out immediately around its release. I'd listen to it again but probably wouldn't buy the record.
Un merescut clàssic dels 90. Els pasatges instrumentals, la ràbia postadolescent, el so convulsiu i algunes cançons especialment inspirades fan d'ell un dels discos més definitoris del so del rock alternatiu de la década
This is a rock masterpiece. Both 1) of a particular time, and 2) timeless. Mayonnaise is the underdog here and, for this listener, the beating heart of the album (along with Disarm). Corgan may be a bit of a douchebag, but he's also a fuckin' genius.
Já conhecia e revisitei! Algumas músicas não me chamam muito a atenção, mas outras são simplesmente umas das melhores músicas do rock dos anos 90, e da história do gênero, de forma geral. Destaque para Cherub Rock, Hummer e Soma.
It's an excellent album . Though it veers towards the metal side of things, not my favorite genre, from time to time, it dies so with a lack of bombast. The song remains the raison d'etre and the songs are generally catchy and melodic. I generally don't lo e the guitar sound but certainly not intolerable in context. 4.5 🌟
'I don't understand what they mean and I could really give a fuck' All jokes aside, this is a solid album - probably their best as it's more confident than Gish and more consistent than the fantastic-but-sprawling Melon Collie. Cherub Rock kicks things off with volcanic energy, Today is remarkably beautiful, and Disarm disarms me with a smile
i played cherub rock on guitar hero 3 back in like 2008. that game formed my music taste as a teen and unfortunately i didn't take to cherub rock that much. listening to it now i still don't but this album is nice. really regret not giving it a chance back then as i think it would have a had a healthy impact on me. the highlights for me on this album are the more quieter moments. they really shine.
War früher kein Mega Smashing Pumpkins Fan aber habs jetzt echt sehr genossen - Laut/leise, große Gesten und Gefühle, 90er as fuck, unique Gesang, Sound und tolles Songwriting
It's a great album, although it is a bit more heavy metal than I might like, I gotta admit it's not bad. If you're looking for a powerful album that combines really strong instrumentals and powerful guitar with some not very clear lyrics, then this is your album. 'Today' is actually a brilliant song
Great Album with a high quality of songs. Feels somewhat like a textbook alternative rock album
I will always praise Corgan’s songwriting, but the production really makes it hard to listen to some of the heavier songs. The album shines when the songs are softer without his really bothersome distortion. Nevertheless, there are classic songs like Disarm and Today on this album. Worthy of a 4.
I don't usually love this genre, but this has a pretty distinctive sound and I found myself surprised at how much l liked it.
There were a couple of absolute bangers (disarm, cherub rock) but the rest of the album didn't really capture me all that much. Some songs are definitely in the rotation already/going into the rotation after this, but some are very forgettable.
Siamese Dream was part of my 90s/00s playlists. Some of these songs are perfect and have grown in me through the years: Quiet, Disarm, Rocket, Mayonnaise… It’s a great Alternative Rock piece that has influenced several artists for the last 30 years
Never listened to a Smashing Pumpkins album in full before, actually enjoyed it. Some great tracks. 9/10
There were a couple of absolute bangers (disarm, cherub rock) but the rest of the album didn't really capture me all that much. Some songs are definitely in the rotation already/going into the rotation after this, but some are very forgettable.
Smashing Pumpkins were one of the first bands that I listened to and one of the first cds I ever bought. I enjoyed this album and it brought back a ton of nostalgia.
As much as I want to complain about these songs being "played out" on the radio or complain about my perceptions of Billy Corgan steadily degrading over time ... I just don't care, because this album is way too good. I also openly acknowledge my fondness for this album is likely unduly swayed by nostalgia. What really drew me into this album, and still endears me to it today, is that it is founded in the grunge/alt musical sensibility, but it goes way beyond the simplistic structures of that genre. The songs are full of contours. They have intros, transitions, swings in guitar effects, phrases that build and climb, pauses of calm punctuated with eruptions of fuzz blaring guitars. I think the tracks 'Soma', 'Mayonaise', and 'Silverfuck' demonstrates what I'm talking about perfectly. Some of the greatest tracks/moments on this album, that come to my mind are, the first 57 seconds of 'Cherub Rock', 'Hummer', 'Rocket', 'Soma', 'Silverf*ck', and 'Rhinoceros' - oops, wrong album.
I like a lot of The Smashing Pumpkins' music and I'm always impressed by Billy Corgan's songwriting, composition, and performance skills. Incredible musicianship and a severely underrated guitarist in my view (I think that's for two main reasons: (1) he's a singer, the frontman, and he's a multi-instrumentalist; and (2) his personality, or at least how it's shown to us via media). This was only their second studio album as a band, yet it shows complexity and a signature style. I don't love all the tracks on this album but it does contain some real gems. Really good stuff overall.
A este llegué después de MC&IS, pero también fue un disco de compañía allá en 1999. Recuerdo haber visto circular el vídeo de Rocket en MTV mucho antes de cuando finalmente caí en el disco, pero no me gustaba. Las visuales eran extrañas para mi y no recuerdo habermd dedicado a escuchar la música.
Love the instrumentals. Not a huge fan of 90s rock but I liked this album. Stand out tracks: Cherub rock, Quiet, Today, Soma
I can imagine if I was a moody 90s teen living in Seattle (or Chicago) this would really appeal to me. But I’m not, and it doesn’t.
I like Today, but not a big Smashing Pumpkins fan overall. I think maybe because his voice is annoying.
This album gave me a really big headache, then I thought it was class, then I thought it was alright. There should be a list of ones to go back to.
I would have rated this a lot higher in High School, but it's still not bad. I certainly wouldn't' change the radio if any Smashing Pumpkins came on, but it still feels very "of the decade".
Has that wall of guitar sound that comes across kinda dated to me now. Some catchy bits throughout but it all comes down to the fact that I don't like Billy Corgan's voice.
More my kind of thing than Bjork (yesterday's album). I know SP are regarded very highly, but it must be over my head. I like it just fine, but don't see the greatness. After a while, some of the songs started sounding the same to me. I feel like the drums are often too heavy. I will say, I love Disarm, especially the acoustic version (track 17)
The year my brother was born! I have a feeling Cherub Rock was playing right as he came into this world. This is a great guitar hero song and I haven’t listened to this album before so I’m excited to see what’s in store. Hopefully not too many pumpkins were harmed in the making of this album. There is a certain irony in this second song, I didn’t find it to be Quiet at all. I don’t think I’ve heard Today before today but it sounds an awful lot like a Simple Plan plan. Ok I have heard it before now. Maybe Simple Plan hadn’t I won’t presume. This is another instance where I am not a huge fan of Smashing Pumpkins (I certainly wouldn’t do that to a neighbor) but they have some great songs and a few of them are on this album. This does feel like a seminal 90’s album. Something someone would put on while they stare at the posters in their room of Duran Duran and The Ramones as they struggle to do their homework when they really just want to fight the system aka skip class. Rocket stands out to me as another good song from this album. I’m seeing now that we are commenting on the album covers so I really like this one as well, very alt rock.
Used to listen to this loads as a yute; round my mate Simon's, Virtua Fighter 2 on the PS1 and sound off so we could listen to The Pixies, Mark Lanegan and Smashing Pumpkins. Even with that healthy shot of nostalgia in the plus column for this album, Billy Corgan's voice is such that it's still hard going in places. Not bad, though.
Mayonaise is the coolest song this band ever did And it's basically 'Sometimes' by MBV.
"Lover, lover let's pretend We're born as innocents Cast into the world With apple eyes" (Geek USA) "I'll sing for you If you want me to I'll give to you And it's a chance I'll have to take And it's a chance I'll have to break" (Luna) yo a los dos minutos: bueno, tampoco es tan deprimente esto. yo a los diez minutos: deja que ponga Montero porque me voy a tirar por la ventana.
It was fine, but I'm not a huge fan of grunge or the Smashing Pumpkins, so it was not my favorite.
Never listened to it in full before, but I do like it. Corgans voice is not for everyone but there a couple of really good tracks on here.
Prima album, ik was even vergeten dat hun gitaarrifjes soms toch echt moddervet zijn. Dat gepiel en geneuzel daar kan ik slechter tegen..
Listening conditions - home theatre, a little bit distracted but with Smashing Pumpkin’s further reading. Albums First Rodeo? - i don’t think so. Stand out tracks Cherub Rock - Banger what a great opener. Today - Ionic Smashing Pumpkins, still holds up as an anthem today. An era and genre defining track. Silverfuck - Yeah that’s a great journey. Miss Soma - dull and long, nothing special and following Disarm (which is a very close contender for a stand out track) just really puts this track into bad light. It’s a good album and I try not to listen with hindsight but that can be hard and honestly apart from the singles there’s not much here and I can’t help but think their next album (Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness) is what will always define the band and what they were trying to pull off here. Note this album really picks up again towards the end, looking at you Luna.
A mixture of metal and melancholy. One aspect I enjoyed, the other just not my cup of tea.
A mixture of metal and melancholy. One aspect I enjoyed, the other just not my cup of tea.
A pretty nice fun album. Not the best, not the worst. Smashing Pumpkins are still lame though
Okay, so now I've listened to both albums by The Smashing Pumpkins, and this one is better than the other. There are more songs that I vibe with and I think that I may actually revisit after. My favourite is Spaceboy.
This one didn't stick with me much on the first listen. I'll have to give it another listen later.
The grunge scene was a little before my time, and I could never really get into it. Having said that, this was listenable, and I can appreciate the craft.
I'm just not a huge fan of Smashing Pumpkins. It's a whiny kind of 90s which, admittedly, does have some good stuff to it (Disarm is a nice song). So, this counts as more of a midrange album.
There's some really good songs on this album (Cherub Rock, Today, Disarm) but overall it's pretty boring. 3.5 stars.
Great "Sloging" riffs. Found them way more listenable the older I get. Very DIY sounding. Overall an enjoyable, "headbanger" album if you're in the mood.
We already listened to Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness and this album is not as good. It’s less polished. More sloppy. For instance, the guitar solos in Quiet and Geek U.S.A. feel overindulgent. I do like the rocking’ guitar on Geek U.S.A. Cherub Rock is good. As is Today. Then again, I could do without Mayonaise and Spaceboy. It’s a mixed bag for me.
As far as 90s alt rock bands go, I like the sound of Smashing Pumpkins better than many others (ie., Nirvana, STP). Still, I can't help wishing that their albums showed more range. Aside from the couple of hits on this album, much of the rest of the songs sound largely the same, and much the same as the weaker songs on MC&TIS. That said, Billy Corgan is in great voice on these tracks and the band is tight behind him. Taking the best of these songs and playing them with the best of MC&TIS makes for a damn fine "album" of 90s angst rock, and I'd more likely take that approach than to listen to either album in their entirety.
Solid production, but not quite for me. Don't think I've ever listened through a full album of theirs, and it just doesn't resonate.
Smashing pumpkins is one of those bands that on paper I should love - alternative grunge with thoughtful lyrics and creative song writing. But honestly I just haven’t gotten into them, other than the flagship songs. Although I prefer Mellon Collie to Siamese Dream probably because the former had more energy
This is an album I have pretty mixed feelings on. Cherub Rock is a great song, and there are a few others in there as well. It's a bit too long overall, but still nowhere near as bad as Mellon Collie (which is like 2 hours haha). On the flipside, some of it heads into that shoegazey, alt-rock territory that I don't really like. Corgan's alright when he sounds angry, but when he sounds whiny it's pretty grating. The guitar tone has no meat to it, which matches his voice well - but again, small doses. It's also a real good bit of evidence that the term "grunge" made absolutely no fuckin' sense. It sounds almost nothing like Nirvana or Mudhoney or Soundgarden or Pearl Jam (and none of them really sounded alike either). This has more in common with My Bloody Valentine than Alice in Chains. I listen to a couple of songs from this in other playlists anyway, but I don't think I'd do the full album again. As a whole it doesn't have enough oomph. Still, 3/5.
Also wasnt wild about this despite the fact that its such a cult favorite. Maybe next time...
Het eerste nummer begint meteen met het bekende "stofzuiger" geluid, monotone ruis. Nee, dit album gaat hem niet worden. Ik erger me niet echt aan iets, als is de zang niet heel aangenaam, maar in het algemeen is het een soort van langzame punkrock of zo. Heeft af en toe iets van Nirvana, maar toch ook weer niet. Mijn favoriet is "Today". ***
Solid album with some good hits. But the sound of it gets pretty repetitive after a while. I enjoy the vibe that it has, but it relies on that vibe a bit too heavily.
The Pumpkins have largely passed me by over the years. I'm not even that familiar with the hits; It took me two tracks before I hooked onto the tune of Today. And now in quantity the appeal of the music is more obvious: There's a balance of styles, noisy and poppy not by turns but together. I have too much of a bias against the hint of grunge to fully love the record, but as it explodes into Silverfuck I appreciate the musicality. If I can trick myself into hearing the vocal affect as the legacy of hard rock I may be able to fully enjoy the band.
I had a Siamese dream once. 2 vaginas quite the treat. Not to forget there was 4 tits. Like total recall but with an extra tit. Basically I masturbated while watching total recall and it got a bit weird.
I owned this tape and I listened to it too much. I saw the Smashing Pumpkins live and had a t-shirt. It inspired an older man who wanted to talk to me about Sartre. But here's the thing - the first half (side A) of Siamese Dream is decent, but everything after the tape flip is not as good. Also, while "Soma" is the best song, the best version of it is when the band played it live and Darcy sang the "close ur eyes and sleep" part, rather than Corgan doing his own backing on the album version. nearly 30 years on, I can't relate to the lyrical topics anymore, the teen drama seems best left in the 90s. It's a good album but I don't need it anymore.
I don't know. Although it's definitely my type of music, I was never too fond of the smashing pumpkins. Don't hate it, but don't love it either. 3/5
I don't rank Smashing Pumpkins as low as Foo Fighters or RHCP when it comes to arbitrarily beloved but overplayed and overrated 90s bands that have made this list, but they're in that category. This album holds up a bit better than the overlong, overblown Mellon Collie and its headache-inducing compression, but it's still just kind of... meh. A sacred cow of 90s alt rock that really should be skewered and laid to rest. Just because something's popular doesn't mean it's great - the Pumpkins sit in this weird spot in between the grunge scene, shoegaze, and the slightly gothy industrial rock of NIN and Manson, making them a bit of a lowest common denominator of 90s alternative rock. Maybe the should have committed more to a distinctive sound that didn't rely on Billy Corgan's signature nasal delivery?
Far more listenable than I had initially envisioned. Some of the tracks are quite mellow and enjoyable, others not so much. Wouldn’t necessarily listen to it again but I did enjoy it
It's OK - an album and artist that was in the ecosystem but which I never felt the need to engage with
Cool j'aime bien certaines instrus et ça me fait penser à d'autres trucs des 90s mais bof fan du chanteur chansons prefs : hummer, soma et luna
Nowosc na liscie w postacie pumpkinsow, czyli jednego z filarow hamerykanskiego grunda/alternatywy/indyjskosci.lamanej przez popowy sukces, samemu bande kojarze jedynie z hitowych kawalkow i epickiego dwugodzinnego albumu mellon collie i nieskonczona smutnosc, ale dzisiaj na tapecie siamese dream z roku 93, ktory jest drugim krazkiem w dyskografii bandy, 62 minuty na 13 trakach, ktore sa tak przepakowane gitarowo, ze nie da sie po jednym odsluchaniu uslyszec calego traka, niekotre kawalki maja ponad 30 overdubow gitarowych, a gitary pumpkinowe to efekty na efektach, zarowno Corgana jak i Jamesa Iha, bo obaj slyna z wyszukiwania jak najbardziej oryginalnych brzmien, o ile na melankoli byly miejsca ciezkie gitarowo, tak tutaj latwiej ciezko o brak takich miejsc, wyjatkami sa kawalki spaceboy czy koncowka plyty luna i sweet sweet, czuje ze odbilem sie lirycznie od tej plyty, bo nie mam pojecia o czym moze byc, jak wiekszosc tworczosci Corgana jest to muzyka smutna, bo nieudane zwiazki, dziecinstwo abusowane, twarde narkotyki, samobojowe nastroje, ale nie ma tu tego czegos co oczarowalo mnie gdy sluchalem melakoli, mozna sie spuszczac nad tym jak ta plyta nie brzmi ile napracowanka w tak wylejerowane brzmienie, ale jak prosty chlopak z debicy bardziej ciesza mnie mniej skomplikowane kompozycje jak spaceboy, ktory ma byc o autystycznym mlodszym bracie billa, wiec tez wholesone motyw w porownaniu z chocby majonezowym giberiszem, ktory znowu prezentuje to warstwowane brzmienie, tak czy inaczej ciekawy odsluch, na plejke leci today jako reprezentant nie az tak corganowego mooda, soma lejerowanie definujace brzmienie plyty i spaceboy za bycie akustyczna odmiana krazka
Had this on tape as a 15 year old - never hugely grabbed me then. I think I prefer it now, but not likely to listen to it again. Great, thick, heavy guitar sound.
I think I’ll need to give this album another listen at some point. The songs are quite nice, and the lyrics are very positive and optimistic. My complaint is that so many of the songs sound very similar, but I’m hoping with more listens that I can hear the differences. 6/10
Not bad. Started strong but the last few songs dragged a bit. Hadn't listened to this album before but am definitely a fan of other SP releases.
Grew on my as I went. I didn't realize I knew so many Smashing Pumpkins songs. Not really for me, but the quality and lasting cultural impact of these tracks is enough to bump it from a 2 to a 3.
A few excellent tracks but a bit long. It would be a 4 if I thought I would go back to it more. Cover art: 3/5
I don't care for the smashing pumpkins. Billy Corgan sounds like a moped that's struggling up a hill. The album is pretty classic early 90s rock. I like this album even though the vocals are distracting.
I knew Today and, surprisingly, Disarm. I think I liked those? Overall not bad but wouldn't put it on again soon.
Instrumentals are great throughout, the guitar is present in a good way. The vocals weird me out a bit at times but not too badly. I think it's among the better 90s music I've heard so far
Smashing Pumpkins always slightly annoyed me. I mean, it was fine then, it is fine now. I guess. "Today" is certainly an all time classic. Takes the album from 2.5 to 3.5 stars.
I know this band when they make a concert in Barcelona with Bon Jovi, Van Halen and The Pretenders. I speak when the begining of the 90s. I went to see The Pretenders and I with a pack I saw the others. I liked these concerts but now it has changed much all.
I don't really like the Smashing Pumpkins outside of a few songs, but I found this tolerable albiet boring.
A lot of the songs have epic starts, but I'm less of a fan once they settle in. Vocals remind me of Nirvana. American grunge probably won't get a high score from me. "Disarm" is a nice diversion. A 5 on the 10 point scale.
Idk man, really not my thing. I like the metal influences, the rock, and what led here, but not what we got here particularly
I’ve never been one for the grunge thing so I think I’ll need to come back to this a few more times
Oh my god, I hate Fuzz and this album is full of it. Very bad production as well. Vocals are pretty boring, but recognisible.
never gave the smashing pumpkins the time of day, probably because the singles that were big are fucking wet and i'm pretty sure the singer is some sort of weird nonce. there's a healthy amount of fuzz going on which is nice, but the over arching feeling is that this is fanny music and the more i listen to it the more i think he's a creepy nonce. weird cos its got all the elements to be great but i got bored of it and i can't stress how much i don't like his noncy wailing. fucking atrocious name too.
It was ok, I found it a bit bland with nothing much to recommend it apart from the ones that I remember from back in the day, that were bangers when they came out (Today and Disarm).
Rock for (by?) angry teens? Not particularly the good kind imho. Didn't finish listening because I got a bit bored/annoyed with it. Definitely not Smashing.
the well known tracks are surrounded by interminably overlong prog/grunge noise. starts well
Best Song: Cherub Rock. This is the band at their most Smashing. A grungy, gritty groove that does a great job of kicking off the album. Worst Song: This is the band at their most Pumpkins. Corgan just absolutely squeezing out how he "used to be a little boy," sounding like he's trying to sing while someone fits him for a corset that's two sizes too small. Add that to the layered vocals when he sings against/with himself and it's all just too much. Overall: This album, like the other Smashing Pumpkins albums I've listened to, is bloated, self-indulgent, and rooted around a central sound whose appeal I just don't understand. There are better, realer, rawer grunge records out there. Your time is much better spent listening to any of them.
I hate Smashing Pumpkins. I can't stand Billy's voice. It ruins otherwise pretty decent music. Good melodies, good driving rock guitar/drums/bass. I'm def a fan of Iha's tone. But damn if that voice doesn't sound like a 6 year old that needs his juice box NOW!
I wish I liked the Smashing Pumpkins but they make it so hard for me. Meandering songs, terrible production.
Couldn't make it through. I found his voice unbearable. the instrumentation wasn't horrible, and I see how People would enjoy it. But not for me in the slightest.
Amazing album with some of my favorite songs on there, this album never gets old. A classic 9.3/10
Did not listen
Great album. <3 them 8/10
I want an ice-cream! :3
Bruut ouwe