Reviews (page 13 of 15)
Boring drone
I used to rank this way higher than Mellon Collie, as went into this review thinking I'd end up giving it 5*. On reflection though, as I've grown older the gap between the two has almost disappeared. Some amazing tracks on here, Quiet, Hummer and Soma being some of the best in the genre, but other tracks suffer from overrunning (e.g. geek USA, mayonnaise, silverfuck) that take good riffs/hooks and let them play on a minute or two (or 5, in silverfucks case) too long, that makes the album feel bloated, especially as by the end you're just glad the recent run has come to an end. Undeniably great album, but on reflection could have been even better with carefull editing.
There is a great band here, unfortunately it's dominated by Billy corgan and I really don't think he can sing. It's whiney and drones on in all the wrong ways.
So many awesome songs, guitar riffs, and a unique sound. Love me some pumpkins!! Still on my bucket list of bands to see too. Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: yes Favourite Song: Quiet or Geek USA
An alt rock gem. I saw Smashing Pumpkins well after their prime, about a decade ago - listening to this today made me wish I had been around for the joy and charisma of their younger records.
5/5. Have heard a few songs on the album before but the deep tracks were great! Love Silverfuck, Geek USA, and Quiet! 90% or more of the songs were great so this record gets a 5 star rating from me!
3.5 but I gotta pick one and I wasn't feeling it today.
It's a great album, very 90's grunge and reminds me of an episode of Daria or Beavis and Butthead.
amazing album 💥
Not bad but not one I will rush back to
Outstanding
It was alright like
Great album from these alternative rock icons...love the fuzz pedal sound on this album!
Not quite my taste 2/10
Best album!
10/10
Not bad
A favourite of my teenage years, arguably better than mellan collie, or at least more consistent, and billie corgans vocals not yet as grating as they would become. It's not the most diverse album musically but does what it does well. As a teen I would have waxed lyrical about this one but nowadays I'd say, yeah this is a very good album. It doesn't hit like it used to. Favourites nowadays are hummer, geek USA and mayonnaise which is great fun to play on the guitar. Luna is a lovely closer. Something I now do on this challenge is read the album wiki page, and that gave me a deeper understanding of the albums context. Recommended. 8/10
Smash Pumpkins fused the high distortion of grunge with the fuzziness and business of shoegaze, and the grand arena sound of hard rock and glam metal. It often alternates between loud psychotic chaos and calm dreamy cheeriness. With 13 tracks (one being a short interlude), each track comes at 5 minutes average length! And yet there were no points where I felt I was getting bored. Personally, I find the complex song structures to reflect classical music with how it seems to be divided into parts that gradually and smoothly transition to each other yet sound nothing like. "Hummer" was the first example of this that stuck out to me. It's a very consistent record, with the transitions between songs being such as smoothly as the parts within them. Track listing is well chosen, with the powerful tracks (including 2 hits) at the front to pull in audiences and show their diversity and talents. Like Mellon Collie, we have this really long drawn out conclusion. Following the grand fuzziness of "Mayonnaise", we have the most melodious, emotional track "Spaceboy" that leads into the bombastic epic of "Silverfuck", before finally fizzling with two more tracks. I found myself enjoying every song. It's not as strong as Mellon Collie. I feel bad because I gave Mellon Collie 4 stars 18 months ago when the sound was very fresh to me. But as it grew on me, I realized Mellon Collie was a whole cinematic experience and most tracks left a huge impression on me. Maybe this'll do the same, cause I'm already loving it all. If I could go back in time, I would give Mellon Collie its 5 stars. And as such, I don't feel guilty in giving this less favorable (but still incredible record) the 5 stars.
It’s better than I remember it from my first listen back in the 90s, but to my ears it’s a bit self-important. I like my gloom, but find this a bit too heart-on-sleeve. Probably just my repressed, Brit mentality, but it means this is (to me) worthy rather than particularly affecting.
I didn't like this nearly as much as Mellon Collie. It is good, and once again defining Alt Rock, but I don't feel that it carries the same weight personally
This Album was pretty great, I'm happy that the first time I've ever given *checks notes* Smashing Pumpkins a shot was with such a strong Album. Every song was at least enjoyable and a good number of them were honestly fantastic. They're very good at making music sound...sad I guess? Damn I hope they're doing all right. Every song up until Spaceboy is really good on the old ears, though I feel that the last three songs aren't as good as what came before unfortunately but it never dips into being bad which is amazing honestly. A few of my favourites were: Cherub Rock - This is hilariously maybe the most alternative rock song I've ever heard and I think that's fine because it's pretty great. Today - He's talking about how his day is great which is pretty nice until he starts talking about how life can't give him what he wants and it's like damn misleading intro dude. Disarm - Honestly worth price of admission alone, what an absolute banger, this would definitely be used for a cinematic trailer or something. Beautiful. Mayonaise - Quite soothing makes me want to go out on the field and pose with my arms out but then you actually listen to the lyrics and it's like damn sad. Give this album a listen, just do it already you aren't building a library in your spare time I know you haven't got anything else going on.
Absolute banger after banger. This is the kind of music I grew up with and still listen to so I may be a little bit biased. I will not deny however that the album definitely loses steam in the second half as seems to be a trend with the genre, but a great listen to regardless! Stand out songs: - Cherub Rock - A classic example of that mid 90's Indie Rock. If I was introducing someone to the genre then this would definitely be on the list of songs to play - Hummer - Life's a bummer 😔 - Silverfuck - Energetic, calm, energetic. The ending really kicks your feet out from under you with no warning.
Flawless album
BEST SONGS: - Quiet - Mayonaisse
nice riffs, very angsty, I would've definitely jammed very hard to this if I were a teen in the 90's. or a teen in general.. alas I ain't
Siamese CREAM
Really impressed by this one! I was only really familiar with '1979' so I was expecting more of the laid back alternative vibes, but I really enjoyed the grunge. 'Cherub Rock' was my fave but I also loved 'Disarm' and 'Geek U.S.A'.
Not bad!
Siamese Dream is the second studio album by alternative rock/grunge group The Smashing Pumpkins. Apparently the recording sessions for this record were full of difficulties and high tensions within the band. Despite all of this, the record debuted at #10 on the billboard charts, and went 4x platinum. The Smashing Pumpkins sound reminds me a lot of The Cure in that all of the instruments are very heavily distorted, which creates a sort of wall of sound. Unlike The Cure, however, the production on this record is super tight, making each instrument crisp and distinguishable amid the "fuzz". Also unlike The Cure, Billy Corgan's unique voice soars over all of the noise, and leads to some phenomenal music. This album has 4 singles, Cherub Rock, Today, Disarm, and Rocket. The album was released right in the middle of the grunge era, so it did very well, competing with the likes of Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Overall, I've always liked The Smashing Pumpkins, ever since I first heard their album Mellon Collie and the Infinate Sadness (which is the album right after this one). Not my first time listening to this record, and I doubt it will be my last. Favourite songs: Disarm, Cherub Rock, Geek U.S.A., Today, Quiet Least favourite song: Soma, Silverfuck 4/5
Glorious, but long at times. I’m going to be purchasing the vinyl for my home listening.
better than i was expecting! overall what i imagined the smashing pumpkins to sound like but some good songs in there
It was good, I guess.
Enjoyed that. Haven't heard much from the Pumpkins before, not a full album's worth anyway.
While all the Alt-Rock fanboys gushed over Gish, Siamese Dream was the album that made Smashing Pumpkins superstars. Cherub Rock alone is still played on alternative stations and even Classic Rock stations. Today still shows up on playlists more than 30 years later. Overall, it's a blast of noise on top of singable tunes and loud punk-metal. A true classic fo the era.
I only knew a few SP tracks prior to trying out this album. A pleasant surprise. Much enjoyments.
Grunge
4.5/5. Once considered my favourite band of all time.
Might be my favorite Pumpkins record and definitely the one that gives me the most nostalgia. Not a single bad track, really.
I am finally ready to admit that this is a grunge album.
Nahh
It’s aaaiiittteee. I liked Today. Just never was huge on this band
gr8t
Brilliant
It's ok, but I don't understand the very high score, it's not so interesting after all
The layering of the guitars on some of these songs is just amazing. The sound they captured is so flawless, the cleanest crunch you could imagine, it’s clear Corgan was such a perfectionist. The effort paid off though. Other than a few weaker tracks on the back end, this album is very nearly an all time classic, but certainly a classic of the alt rock era.
My mind likes it but then the vocals kick in and 90% of the time it’s just… ugh.
I quite liked this, I didn't even mind Billy Corgan's voice this time around
Some songs were okay, but it was too long.
Another album that was very formative to my listening in my teen years.
Perfect album! Great representation of ‘90s alt-rock. There’s a reason the Smashing Pumpkins are still so revered. The music is epic and the lyrics/vocals are haunting.
Incredible album. Loved it as a kid and love it even more now. So much of the early 90s alternative rock has the same compressed sound which makes it sound very 90s. The Smashing Pumpkins made denser, fuller-sounding music, and I never realized how different they were from their peers until I started listening to them again in the past few years. They don’t sound like a dated 90s band- this album holds up really well. And “Mayonaise” is my favorite Pumpkins song.
TRACKS: Cherub Rock [2] Quiet [3] Today [4] Hummer [2] Rocket [ 2] Disarm [3] Soma [3] Geek U.S.A. [3] Mayonaise [2] Spaceboy [3] Silverfuck [3] Sweet Sweet [4] Luna [4]
tracks : cherub rock [3] quiet [4] today [3] hummer [2] rocket [3] disarm [2] soma [3.5] geek usa [2] mayonaise [4] spaceboy [2] Silverfuck [3] ⭐️sweet sweet [4] Luna [4] RATING : 3
This album does really shine at certain points, but for a lot of the time I spent listening to it, I just wanted it to be over so I could listen to something better... Many songs blended together, and Corgan's voice is well, not great.
Classic. 7.5/10
Smashing bumpkins e int bra i guessss
Sorry haters… this is a banger
Musiken är ibland helt cool men ofta kinda tråkig och 90-tals klyschig. Billy Corgan suger ass och det är helt för långt
Better than I expected, enjoyable but don't really like BillY Corgan's voice unfortunately. Fav Tracks: Today, Disarm, Mayonaise
The music here is OK, good actually. Some of it actually rocks pretty hard - Geek U.S.A. being a good example of this. However, I don't like the vocals very much - they are "creepy" sounding, for lack of a better word. I always had fun drumming to Cherub Rock on the game Rock Band.
I need to get more familiar with them
Now this is music! I enjoyed this album and will have to check out more smashing pumpkins
So many great songs on this album. Thoroughly enjoy this album all the way through time and time again. Definitely a classic.
Alltid varit kluven vad det gäller SP, men plattan är helt ok och innehåller några trevliga bitar,
I ended up really enjoying this album. I kind of complained about it being a little over an hour to myself but as I got further through it, I enjoyed my time. I only knew Today from playing Rock Band as a kid so listening to the rest of the album was nice.
Starts off well, bit too grungy second half
A couple of the songs were less painful than I expected but I never liked the band and didn't like listening to this album.
Nobody did loud-quiet-loud better than Billy C. Perhaps SPs weren't the most versatile, quiet-loud-quiet being their only other gear and relying on the contrast on either within or between nearly every song. (To wit, "Quiet" could just as easily and accurately have been called "Loud"). But they get away with it because of the melodies. One generally prefers the tunes in the sweeter and dreamier ("Luna" and "Mayonnaise" and "Spaceboy" being the best of this lot), rather than the outright rageful ones (which feel forced). And give to Billy C: he possesses one of the most distinctive voices, love it or hate it, in recent decades.
Reviewing Mellon Collie right before Siamese Dream made me realize how badly I wish I could add half stars. Mellon Collie could've been a 3.5, I still really enjoy it. But Siamese Dream stands at a level of its own and is the definitive Smashing Pumpkins album. Everything I didn't like as much about the album that followed this one (too long, at times overindulgent, and great songs that just didn't flow well together), they had already perfected with this one. Cherub Rock is an amazing opening song- the drum roll at the start nails it, as if to say, "Ladies and gentlemen- the main attraction". And then breaks into a classic Smashing Pumpkins model- reverby hook, a few pounding drums, and the following barrage of distortion. "Today" requires no comment. Same winning formula. To me, a 5-star album from any genre or artist are the ones with enough hits to accelerate it to 4 stars, but tracks in between that drive it on cruise control to that 5th star. I haven't listened to Siamese Dream all in one sitting in a while, so there was a point after belting out the chorus in Disarm when I was halfway through Soma, wondering if the songs would be lighter and not punch as hard because that song starts softly. Was it just 4 stars because of Today, Disarm, and Cherub Rock? At that same moment- the guitars screeched into the heavy final minute of that song, directly into the MEGA drumming on Geek. Ultimately landing right into Mayonaise, my favorite track on the album. From the ethereal picking to the howling guitar effect I don't think I've heard in any other song outside of this. The 4-song stretch hit my criteria. I don't know how artists make perfect songs, but here as with all the greats- The Smashing Pumpkins take songs that may not independently be Top of the Pops, and mold them to match the theme and drive the direction of the album. Best moment- the quarter second pauses in Mayonaise in between the howling guitars that feel sonically like the equivalent of the moment in a roller coaster when you just start falling.
I don’t have a lot to say for this one. Was definitely way better than mellon collie. This is the smashing pumpkins i know and love. The embodiment of late 90s early 2000s rock. was kind of interesting to see how their sound changed between the two albums.
Every issue I had in melloncollie is nonexistent in this album. This album is a lot more consistent, as they found their style and stuck with it all the way through, and it really works. I don’t think there’s any song I dislike on this one. I was getting ready to say the first 3 tracks were so strong, then I saw the rest of the list, and realized it’s just the whole album that’s strong. Favorite songs: cherub rock, mayonnaise, rocket Can we get some MBV next?
I like this smashing pumpkins alot better than mellon collie. Vibes are better and Billy Corgan annoys me less. Cherub Rock will always be my favorite smashing pumpkins song. Such a cool sounding song
cherub rock is such a good song. Billy Corgan has possibly my favorite guitar tone of all time. I love all the singles I've heard off this one, really rooting for it to be a 5. The lyrics on here are so 90s. vague, edgy, dark, and kinda gross.
Apparently Billy Corgan is problematic for some reason but don’t fucking tell me why cuz I don’t need this shut ruined for me. This one doesn’t have as clear of a highlight for me as Mellon Collie did with 1979 but every single song is great and I could listen to this one just about anytime. I honestly don’t know why I don’t listen to the Smashing Pumpkins more cuz the songwriting and guitar playing is as good as any 90s group. This album does a great job of having a good mix of sounds and moods from the really heavy parts to the lighter ones like Disarm and Soma. Even the songs themselves can have wild dynamic shifts like in Soma and t but everything still comes off as cohesive and sounding like a group that is totally in their bag. Also I agree with pat, the little half beat pauses with the feedback on mayonnaise go hard. 👍:mayonnaise, cherub rock, soma
So I guess the consensus is that this is the best SP album..I disagree but I get it. This album is staked with bangers, a lot of my favorite smashing pumpkins songs are on this project. What surprises me most is that this came out BEFORE Mellon Collie yet the production sounds a lot cleaner and less grungy. Unfortunately the "less grungy" aspect makes me feel like its lacking something that Mellon Collie has. I am trying not to make this about comparing the two, it just definitely informed a lot of how I enjoyed this album. It is a little too polished. shout out to cole, tom, (and pat) learning cherub rock in the South basement is a cherished memory <3
The guitar in this album absolutely rips. Such a fire sound that you can’t really find anywhere else. Consistently good and, while I know this album came before, they really honed in on the sound from my favorite tracks on Mellon collie. Fuzzy guitars and softer vocals make even the heavier rock tracks seem calmer than they are. This album>>> Mellon collies for me. All the good with less bad. Best: mayonnaise, hummer, disarm, today MMM: THE KILLER IN ME IS THE KILLER IN YOUU I SEND MY SMILE OVER TO YOUUUU
Siamese Dream is the second album by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. Critically acclaimed and released to commercial success, this album is considered one of the best alt rock albums of all time. It debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified 4x platinum. The recording of Siamese Dream was fraught with problems and went over budget and behind schedule, so it was a surprise to the label when the record was finally completed. This album was a beautiful twist on rock music because it contains both harsh and sweet parts in its music. It has a little something for everybody, but overall it's just great alt rock music. One of the best grungy albums I've ever listened to.
An essential grunge album and the most important album of my freshman year of college. The skein of rich and unique sound on this! That wall of guitar sound so easily identifies the band.
Pretty cool album by a pretty cool band.
Some classic singles on a great album
Cherub Rock is a killer. Today is a landmark of a song. Hummer is actually kind of cool. Diasarm fucking kills it. The set-up into Silverfuck and then the execution was one of my favorites on the album. Luna kinda sucks and is a weak closer, but still this is a 5 for me.
I’ve been on a little of a run with the Pumpkins lately. This is a really great album that doesn’t fit into the grunge mold of the time even if it’s 90s guitar driven rock.
6. SWAG something to revisit in a rock girl mood
Light 7/10
Really enjoyed this. Smashing pumpkins really rocks hard. Don't love his voice, but the guitar and drums are incredible
"Cherub Rock" is hard to beat as one of the best opening songs for an album. It could be argued that the order of play for an album, especially with years of hindsight, can inform on how an album's long-term popularity will fare. This album is a fair example of that, but more importantly it leaves an indelible mark that the Smashing Pumpkins should they maintain this particular sound, could form their own niche in the hard rock genre. History will tell us they did just that, as well as evolve into more indie/experimental, along with a dabble into the nu metal scene, but where this album shines is that it serves as the definitive Smashing Pumpkins album to bring their evolution back to earth. While the album contains hits like "Cherub Rock", "Today" and "Disarm" it also has tracks (like any good album should) that are best discovered off the air. "Hummer" is an example of that. All the grittiness of the album is capped with some of the band's more introspective sounds, introducing a particular beauty amidst the heavy distortion that ends in a jam session with melodic bass, accompanying a softer dare say lovely electric solo, that leads into "Rocket" picking up the distortion but not forgetting the solemnity of its previous track in spite of its higher energy, leading right into the angsty impact of "Disarm". Saving the reader from a track by track tour, what this album does well is, and what any album should do well, is offer a complete experience devoid of throwaway tracks. Listeners can in some cases, but mostly subconsciously detect where a band is sort of phoning it in, which is why a lot of a band's earlier work gets touted so highly when the love for the music has remained novel. If this album had any cons, it comes at the expense of being 99% an innocuous listen that parents or children can remain ignorant of in spite of some heavy feelings expressed lyrically. In the digital age, the visibility of what is being listened to is much more than "Track 11" on a dashboard or mobile device, and so while an album is a personal listening experience the honest truth is that moments for that are increasingly rare. Why does that matter? In truth it does not for listening on one's own, however part of what makes this album so great is that what would have been a perfect journey gets a slightly interrupting turn of subject matter that seems a bit out of place. While such deviation can snap a listener out of a rut, this review just does not find a way to justify that here. Does it make the album regrettable? Absolutely not as there are more heavy subject matter that could make this discussion, so that should not be the takeaway here.
Great album
Fajne
Best.
This is a great melodic, grunge-y with super "y" album with so many different variations in tempo and sensibility. I can see why they were a big deal, even if they never matched up to the success of Nirvana or Pearl Jam. They were a bit different and I reckon that's what 90s radio needed. (p.s. Mayonaise has actively been one of my fav songs for several years now. Definitely 11/10 song for me).
This album was pretty awesome. In a vacuum Billy Corgan's voice doesn't blow me away, but it absolutely kills it in the greater context of their music. Loved the variety of this album as well as the production value, especially in the little melodic breakdowns towards the end of some songs.
Mycket bra
It’s traditionally pretty but I am so bored, good god
Somehow I thought this band was from the mid 2000s my bad 2.5/5
I know I’ll probably be the sole enjoyer of this album, but yeah, I enjoy this album
me gustó! 8/10
I would be the pumpkin for them to smash? Only in my siamese dreams tho
Leuk album maar ook niet iets dat er echt uitspringt
Honestly sounded so good: I'm not completely sure why I left this album so long but I enjoyed the typical rocky guitar feel of this album. I would definitely listen to this whole album more and I hope that I see more Smashing Pumpkins on this list.
Great album, not so great front man
Lastig te raten want ik vind het echt totaal niet mijn muziek, maar voor het totaal niet mijn muziek vinden vond ik het wel goed, en zat het ook wel lekker in elkaar. 3 sterren dan maar lekker veilig
Nostalgisch album voor mij. Cherub rock zat in THPS3, daarna veel dit album gecheckt. Hele herkenbare gitaartoom en stem van Billy
+1 for being an iconic sound of my teenage years. -1 because I still can't stand Billy Corgan's voice.
Woooow!
Fabulous - really sounds fantastic in 2023.
Solid 90’s alt rock.
It was good but not great. Brought back those 90’d memories.
While they would soon become more ambitious both in scope and in sound, I think this is where SP peaked as a rock outfit. I love how these guys were influenced by a lot of things that were so unhip in the early 90's, like metal and prog/hard rock. It made for a unique and "big" sound when everything was about seeming modest at the time.
Yeah it's alright, but grunge just didn't age very well in general, people have to start to admit it.
I can understand why this as become a classic, but not for me.
Definitely, I have a problem with my ability to like this band. This album wasn't bad, but I felt nothing while listening to it. Maybe their sound didn't aged so much well? Anyway, I'll give a 3 stars in proof of my good will, but can't do more.
This is a great album. Drums really kick ass. Several radio hits and the entire album is well-recorded. A very enjoyable listen on a good system. 4.7/5
to stjerner
Cat: this is a really great album. Just really like their sound. I love how they can go from beautiful to grunge rock to power ballad. I get a little tired of Billy Corgan for a full hour, but the music is so good AJ: the most alternative album I’ve ever heard. Whatever that means. Need to listen with liner notes. No idea what any of the songs were about. It’s good rock and roll, though. Agree on Billy’s voice. Wicked good in some songs though. Today i learned the name of that song is Disarm.
GOOOOOOOOD 9/10
great
If only for "Today" (instantly catchy), "Cherub Rock" (loud, heavy and menacing) and "Disarm" (one of the most heartfelt ballads ever penned this side of the nineties), *Siamese Dreams* deserves to be on this list. And the rest is great as well. Tortured and tender and terrific. Teenage angst at its finest, very different from Nirvana's version of it, but effective in its own right. The only issue with this LP is that Billy Corgan and co. could have used a little self-editing to reduce its length and make it even more striking. That sort of issue will have larger consequences on their next full-length release *Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness*, a double-CD/triple-LP extravaganza that will stretch the boundaries of what you can expect from double-albums, for better or for worse. Here, this is merely the case of a couple of songs being a little too long. Such admittedly minor flaws have an obvious point of origin. Billy Corgan is a great musician, and he was a talented songwriter during the nineties, but his Achilles' Heel is his overinflated ego, and this always has had consequences on the way his albums are constructed/designed/conceptualized (the last--and frankly ridiculous--example of this is that triple release he is currently going through...). Fortunately, the side-effects of Corgan's ego were not this *dire* on *Siamese Dreams*. Mostly because his songs were great at the time, no matter how long they were... Corgan also has a very distinctive, peculiar voice. I'm pretty fine with it, by the way, and if I understand how said voice can be grating for some ears, I still think it is one of the key ingredients that helped put the Smashing Pumpkins in the nineties 'alternative' map. So it's a good thing. As self-indulgent as the two albums I've quoted in this review are, The Smashing Pumpkins actually deserved to be noticed, thanks to the timeless rockers and ballads on those records. So it's no wonder both LPs appear on this list (and mine). Because they are inseperable "siamese" albums themselves, are they not? How unwittingly "meta" is that, huh? My grade for *Siamese Dreams*: 4.5/5, rounded up. Number of albums left to review: 590 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 196 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 92 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 122
90s alt rock, seems standard. Didn’t finish. 3/5
One of my favourite albums from when I was a teenager, but one I hadn't listened to in a long time. It still holds up, pretty flawless album! One of the best albums of the grunge era and the 90s in general, in my opinion. It's a shame that Billy Corgan went off the rails and the band kind of self destructed after the first three albums. I would have preferred that he just start an average solo career rather than continuing on with the SP name.
ikkje heilt mellon collie, men fortsatt bra
Da e nåken goinga her
One of the best examples of 90's alternative rock
I know it's supposed to be one of the "finest alt-rock albums of all time" but it doesn't do much for me. I don't like Billy's whiny voice and not a big fan of the inorganic wall of guitar sound. I do like some of the songs and the use of strings. It's okay, just not that great. 3 stars.
Fantastic album. Super gritty, grungy, experimental. Smashing Pumpkins helped shape the sound of Alt Rock through their early releases, and this is one of the 2 iconic albums that really stands the test of time. I love the buildup to a fast-paced jam in select tracks on here, and they found a way to flow so nicely into the more subdued songs on the album. Fave tracks: Cherub Rock, Today, Disarm, Rocket, Mayonaise, Silverfuck
This is a perfect example of a grunge album. The balance struck here between the thick, crunchy guitar heavy tracks and the lighter, moody ones with full string accompaniment really hits the mark. Billy Corgan is not a great singer by any stretch of the imagination, but his vocal delivery on this album really evokes a sense of longing and nostalgia, making the emotional resonance that much stronger. The one thing I could find issue with here is that it could have been a track or two shorter, as the length does drag on a bit, but none of the songs really feel like filler, so it's only a minor complaint. I'll give this a strong 4.5, rounding up. Fav Tracks: Cherub Rock, Today, Disarm, Geek USA
2 or 3 anthems in this album.
The Smashing Pumpkins, whilst overall a great band, I couldn't help but feel that this album was a little lacking. It didn't grab me in the way I expected it to as other similar albums of the era have. Don't get me wrong I thought it still was a good listen, just not great. Best: Cherub Rock Worst: Sweet Sweet 3.5 Stars
I think I like this album more than "Infinite Sadness" - but I can also admit that it's not as good. That thing is a work of art, this album is just a solid 90s rock album. Cherub Rock and Disarm are classics and the rest of this album is solid. Still probably one of the best to come out of this era.
An album from my youth. Still holds a place in my heart and I think it’s the strongest pumpkins record.
Rating: 6/10 Good grunge/rock album, only a few songs I’d listen to again, not too much for me.
Absolutely gorgeous album. Reminds me of my childhood.
4/5
The third early to mid nineties album I’ve gotten in a row is probably my favourite of the lot. Yes, this might be because all the cool music sounded like this when I was 12. Kinda sounds like if Phil Spector did a grunge album. But it seems like if Spector and Corgan made an album, not everyone would make it out alive.
as good as mayo 3.9
Very nice debut. Mostly likeable with two great tracks. Not bad.
Fantastic way to start a week.
Good album, heavy and clearly inspired lots of later bands
Une fois de plus d’excellentes chansons, un son reconnaissable malgré de multiples influences, belle réussite
As close to a perfect album as you can get. Every song from start to finish is incredible. I can’t imagine the ego it must give to know you created such a masterpiece
Hat mir echt gut gefallen, hatte mit denen vorher nichts am Hut
stark, kannsch nix sage
I love the smashing pumpkins thanks to my mum.
3.5 would be my true rating. some great pop sensibilities, covered by the "90's noise". great lyrical content. amazing energy.
Jag tycker det är riktigt bra, vilket är kul för jag gillade inte smashing pumpkins när jag var yngre. Det här är lite för långt, annars hade nog bannemig kunnat få en femma
Some really good songs (Geek U.S.A and Mayonaise) but I really can't stand Corgans voice.
I don’t regret listening to it, only regret that it’s not a good album.
got a little hard for me on the second half, giving a 2.5 overall
My older cousin loved The Smashing Pumpkins, so this was very nostalgic.
As sweet as that cotton candy that my siblings and I ate in that carnival back then. As creamy as the pasta that we ate that weird but fun night where me and my family went the a park a long time ago. As enjoyable as the games and roleplays that my playmates and I used to create when we play in the streets. And as sad and longing as the nostalgia that incorporates all of these.
This one I've probably downgraded over time. Drums and guitars still sound awesome but the lyrics and vocals are very very teenage
Classic album, didn't realize how many of these songs I knew and liked.
Goed album!
Today is a classic! Good alt vibes, even if it might not be an album I want to listen through all the time.
not bad but not my thing kinda boring alternative rock inoffensive
i listened to this album quite a few times in the hope that i would love this, but i only like it. it's far from bad. the drums, bass, and guitar are all well done. some of these riffs or solos!? damn. the vocals didn't impress me as much. the music itself seemed to drown out the vocals. i guess that's grunge? so the vocals weren't bad necessarily but i wish more emphasis was on them. but despite my non-preference for billy corgan's voice, he is a great lyricist. there's a personal touch within these lyrics, and corgan laid himself bare for the sake of these songs. all in all, the album is just okay. the vocals soured me some but i can appreciate other aspects.
Even though this was only the Smashing Pumpkins' second album, it immediately rings as the band in their prime and at their best. Billy Corgan's signature, unmistakable vocals are on point here; they are full of grunge and that iconic agony that only he could bring to a song. Each song sounds so uniquely and cohesively like the Smashing Pumpkins, yet each one stands out as individual hard-hitters. The instrumentation here does such a good job of elevating that grunge sound. You have certain points where the music sounds pained and tortured, and those points are also balanced with some very beautiful background string orchestration. The Smashing Pumpkins' use of that symphonic sound in grunge music is such a dichotomy, but it really just works. All around, the production here is just top notch. The album seems to end on a more obviously morose and sad note, but the lyrics, vocals, and instrumentations are not compromised here; it works quite well as a way to bring things to a close. This band is one of the most iconic grunge/alternative rock acts of the 90s, and so many of their songs are timeless examples of those genres. In fact, this album itself contains a few of those. Even among the lesser known songs on the album, there really isn't a skip to be found here. This album demonstrates why the Smashing Pumpkins are kings among the grunge and alt rock genres. There is no question in my mind as to whether or not this album should be on here. Aside from that, I just really loved every minute of this album.
really hate this band. zero star
A great album, probably their best. Not a bad song on it.
I don't have a ton to say about this album, except that it's pretty brilliant. It's really a quintessential mood piece for its era, gorgeously arranged with some powerful songwriting. It's lyrically dark and painful and eloquent. But musically the band also strikes a wonderful balance between being blisteringly hard and elegantly lovely. I haven't really listened to SP for quite a while, but this album is a strong case for going back and listening to them all over again. One of the great albums of the 90s. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Today, Disarm, Cherub Rock, Spaceboy, Mayonaise, Rocket, Silverfuck, Spaceboy, Geek U.S.A., Luna, Sweet Sweet, Soma, Hummer
Great Pumpkins Album. Skip the slow songs
Not my favourite Smashing Pumpkins album, but still a solid listen. Top Tracks: Geek U.S.A., Disarm, Rocket, Today, and Cherub Rock.
Heikko tilanne hankala olla nyt objektiivinen sydämmeen sattuu välillä mutta joku nyt vois antaa respect tästä pysytään lujana pidetään tanko lippu korkeella seilataan lujaa viinaa en juo..
ok mas não especial
I'm stood up in my office giving this album a standing ovation. Wonderful album. Favorite track: Cherub Rock
This has always been an album that I admire... but so far I am yet to fully love. When it came out, I was a bit suspicious of its prog rock elements, but despite my prejudices easing over the years, I am yet to warm to those elements here. That said, there are some absolutely 5⭐ tracks.
Acho que até os trabalhos "ruins" do Smashing Pumpkins merecem 5 estrelas. Não é o caso desse, que mereceria umas 7 :-)
Hadn’t heard this before (grunge tended to pass me by), but it grew on me. Splendid production too, as bass heavy as you would expect.
I’m with Rory Gilmore on this one. Not really for me. Fav songs: Luna (the only one I liked enough to save), Mayonaise, Today, Spaceboy, Disarm, Silverfuck
Always thought this band was overrated and still do. Corrigan's voice and general persona in particular I can do without. The music is good and well performed but I don't think that interesting or innovative.
Absolute bangers, back to front. Some of my favorite guitar work ever. Life changing stuff. I love this album so much. Standouts: Cherub Rock, Today, Hummer, Soma, Geek U.S.A., Mayonaise, Silverfuck
Ok, some songs are good, but I still don't understand the general admiration
I really enjoy this album. It has the best smashing pumpkins songs and the energy is really good.
Great garage album. Sick riffs and edgy lyrics. What's not to like?
Waait, I already know and love some of these songs!
Since we already listened to the five-and-a-half hour long Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness that came out two years after this album, which I would argue is their great opus, and because this didn't have much else to say that that album didn't, I felt that this was not a necessary addition to this list. It was certainly another nice representation of the band's work, containing a couple of their worthy hits. But I'm just not sure why this takes the place of other artists I haven't heard in over 500 albums so far.
Just not a Smashing Pumpkins fan, I guess. A track or two sprinkled into a mix is probably a better fit for me and I could really appreciate them, but an entire album just doesn't appeal.
In my review for Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness I said, "I remember kind of disliking them in the 90s. Based on what? I do not know." There was so much of MC&tIS that I enjoyed that I was kind of looking forward to hearing more from these Pumpkins. Cherub Rock validated my feelings that I had really missed out back in the 90s --- man, that song is an absolute peach! The rest of the album did not nearly agree with my earholes as well as that one, including the singles Today and Disarm, which might have been what put me off the band in the first place. And I found that by the end of the album (half as long as MC&tIS but still over an hour), I'd grown quite tired of their schtick. Still though, Cherub Rock, you guys.
I love the song Disarm, so on that basis alone I could probably justify giving this album an 5. But there is a lot of other great music on this even though I’d only ever listened to the hits before. Why I never delved into their deeper cuts I can’t explain, but I’m glad to have heard this now. Such a great example of 90s alternative.
Surprisingly good
Too discordant for me
The album that told the world Smashing Pumpkins were here to stay. Excellent fuzz guitar work.
bom disco
Vrhunski album banda koji je bio na vrhuncu devedesetih.
Pretty great album but some of the songs blended together for me. Other than that, this album had some good riffs and lyrics. Fave track(s): Geek U.S.A., Mayonaise
Everyone knows the three biggest "hits" from each of the big 3 alternative rock albums from around this time (Nirvana's Nevermind, Pearl Jam's Ten and Siamese Dream by the Smashing Pumpkins). But I believe what makes each of these albums standout and have staying power are the deep cuts, some of which have renewed interest over the years. I'm looking at Nevermind's "Something In The Way" and of course Ten's "Black", which wanted to be a hit but Pearl Jam refused to release it as a single. And I'll make the argument that three deep cuts from Siamese Dream are in fact better than the three "hits" released from the album. Maybe "Soma", "Mayonaise", and "Spaceboy" don't have the anthemic feel you get from "Today" or "Cherub Rock". But I tend to revisit them more than any of the more popular tracks on Siamese Dream. The Pumpkins don't get the accolades Nirvana and Pearl Jam still receive, and obviously a lot of that comes from Billy Corgan rubbing people the wrong way with his surly personality. Those people include members of the Smashing Pumpkins. But who gives a shit. We should be less concerned about how the sausage is made. Stay out of the kitchen and just enjoy results.
Great US alternative rock music from the first half of the 1990s. Some songs are raw and have grunge influences. Billy Corgan's singing is so distinctive and overall the album has quite a unique sound. However, it is too long, it would have better as a short album.
I knew I liked it, but still it's been a few years since I listened to Siamese Dreams all the way through. Still a great album, and now tinged with sweet nostalgia.
Emotional Mayonaise
die Bedeutung die diesem album beigemessen wird ist für mich nicht nachvollziehbar
Note a hugeee fan of this type of 90's rock. Its just hits me as very American. Thats hard to listen to at work. I just cannot today. Almost called it quits and slapped with a 2. I need to be more resilient. Hated quiet, twas not quiet. Fuck its that heavy electric guitar I hate. Don't enjoy the vocals either. Man this really sums up my distaste for this kinda genre. Ok it got a bit better towards the end, or I got used to it. Dont think I could ever listen to this album just like that, but could enjoy tracks. like a 2.6 out of 10.
I was so set to initially give this a 2 because holy Jesus I was fighting for my life there at the start. But thank goodness, because the turning point was at Disarm when those strings and those bells slapped me dumb across the face, which is what characterized Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness so distinguishably for me (I'm fully aware it came after Siamese Dream, my point still stands regardless). And I'm happy they began hitting on every emotion, because Soma and Spaceboy were fantastically modest yet intense simultaneously, and Greek U.S.A just went hard. Based only on the latter 2/3 of the album, this would be at least a 4, no question. But I have to go down one because they blew it in the beginning.
Ya know I had to listen to this a few times because I never really could tell what to give it. A two? A three? A four maybe? I tend to like this genre, but for some reason this album was not speaking to me. Most of the songs did not stand out to me, but I enjoyed the album nonetheless. I can’t really explain this rating. The album was good not great, and didn’t tickle the senses as much as I would have hoped.
Yeah, I liked this a lot, but I'm a whore for some pumpkin bashers so what can I say. Yeah It's a 3.5 turned 4 because I think my ratings should reflect I like this era of rock way way more than previous.
The first time I heard The Smashing Pumpkins as a teen I thought I’d heard the most obnoxious voice of all time, it felt so forced. I’ve procrastinated listening to the band ever since, with the exception of a few songs here and there. One of my best thrifting finds was a ‘94 Smashing Pumpkins tee in near dead stock condition, I nearly creamed my jeans you should’ve seen the look on the Salvation Army employees face as I lost near all fine motor skills and fell in a pile of my own drool and cum, so this only feels right to finally listen. First listen thru I felt the same, but after 2 and 3 I’ve changed my mind. Overall I liked the album, and I like the band’s sound, BUT I don’t like the super punk rock songs (which is a lot of em Ik Ik), songs like Space Boy and Luna hit every time though, I also really liked Hummer and Today. Solid 3/5, gonna take a deeper dive into their music.
An hour-long alt rock album? Cmon man. You don’t need the hour, I don’t need the hour. Keep your sh** to 40 min and call it a day. This feels closer to Black Sabbath than Elliott Smith, and I can’t say I dig it. Has a kind of Dark Nirvana feel to it.
Well this is a beautiful album - around 4/5ths of it is basically perfect - Smashing Pumpkins have truly their own unique sound down to the instrument level - and remarkably songs are at the same time memorable enough to classify as strong pop songwriting layered in the above mentioned unique arrangement and flavour. The last part feels a bit extra - suffering from the CD era’s indulgence in album length… were this released on a vinyl it would have been a 5/5.
Noisy 90's grunge rock that really isn't my thing. Probably deserves another listen but only in the right setting.
Could not get into this
Bliss
Mitäs tuolle levyn lopulle tapahtui? Taiteiluksi, mewmäiseksi meni (tai Mew on smashingpumpkinmäistä). Mikään ei vois kuulostaa enempää ysäriltä kuin tämä, paitsi Nirvana. Tykkään mutta en innostu.
Sisältää pari rallia, jotka eivät ole täysin ysäriyden pilaamia.
Rock guitars. Spooky singing. Good combo.
Hadn't heard the entire thing before. Liked it.
Really good. Enjoyed this a lot
Super bompin album. Listening to it felt nostalgic and the music gave me a great sense of melancholy. The instrumentation was bangin and the vocals hit a sweet spot between gnarly and melodic.
Un conjunto de música que marco una época ,los 90
Not my kind of music/album
I just can't enjoy the monotonous sludge of distorted guitars and Corgan's petulant whine.
Very well put together album. Flows from harder to more melodic smoothly.
Het klinkt vaag een beetje als iets uit m'n jeugd, maar dit soort muziek heeft op mij nooit veel indruk gemaakt. En ik heb echt m'n best gedaan destijds. Kennelijk zat ik op m'n zolderkamertje liever andere dingen te luisteren, Jacques Brel of zo.
Ik merk dat ik vooral de stevige nummers waardeer. Nummers als Quiet hebben een lekker aanstekelijk ritme. Anders nummers laten me volledig inkakken. Ik middel het uit naar drie sterren.
Een van de beste albums aller tijden als je het mij vraagt. Als ik 10 albums mee mag nemen naar een onbewoond eiland, dan zit deze daar absoluut bij. De groove die in dit album zit, met name in de eerste aantal nummers, geeft je continu energie. Er is ook plek voor adempauze. En rockende ballads zitten er ook in. Simpelweg geniaal. Makkelijkste 5 sterren die ik hier weggeef
If aliens landed from the planet Qualtrar and asked to experience Earth music from the 1990s, this is the album I would choose to show them. I would give this six stars if I could.
Hazy high school memories. Joyous fun
Billy is such a whiney wanker. 2 stars.
Made it to track 8, somehow.
One of my favourites from the early 90s. Thick layered guitar riffs, catchy melodies. My younger self perversely enjoyed the alternative-style awful nasal singing. Also has some tender sweet songs. “Mayonaise” still gives me goosebumps. Not sure what happened to the brighter clearer album cover - don’t much like the washed out monochrome version displayed now. Other than that, it’s a triumph.
I seem to be on a terrible roll, because recently I've been bombarded with 90s alt.-rock albums. They all sound more or less the same, and they leave me bored. Case in point: this. I can hear it is well produced, the songs might be OKish, but there is only so much that this angsty sound can do. It might be one of the more popular albums of that style and era, but it does nothing for me. 2/5
Great album. Full of vibes. Loved it.
There were some songs I liked and some I didn’t. It’s a little long
A lot of The Smashing Pumpkins songs can sound very similar, so I do enjoy when there's some standouts, like in the second half of this album. It's a nice listen Saved tracks: Rocket, Disarm, Geek U.S.A., Sweet Sweet
A perfect sophomore effort following up those excellent debut. TSP is part of why the 1990’s had such an excellent alternative scene. Here we get dreamy guitars and fuzzy feedback laden riffs coupled with jazz bass and drums straight from a mushroom dream. Excellent!
Very pleasant first listen, great hard rock/grunge sound with dreamy textures/interludes, can see it growing to a 4 on second listen!!
To define the 90s, some were grasping at hard rock's ballads only to achieve a tacky fad, other tried replicating the original punk feel, almost border-lining on being parodic. The Smashing Pumpkins had a different approach. With fuzz guitars and soft spoken lyrics, they deliberately created an angst simulation machine. Rather than romanticizing the past in wailing verses or screaming at the top of your lungs to berate it, accept it since it's part of you after all. It's rare to find an album that rocks so hard without making you feel cathartic. Guess that's what they call alternative.
Been ages since I listened to this but was right in the mood for it. Got a good amount of jangle too. Billy Corgan’s still never getting into my house though.
Homer Simpson, smiling politely! Seriously though Billy Corgan is naff but this album sounds like what Nirvana could have been if they learned to play their instruments. Also the bells and strings are super sick.
2.5. Good stuff. Don't know it very well though. Today is the greatest...song on the album. :)
Yeah this rips! Not a lot of absolute amazing songs but no real misses either. couple songs drag a bit. best tracks: cherub rock, soma, Luna
Ehh
Classic 90s album.
Deeper cuts sounded similar to each other, not just in a sonic way but I'd feel they may be too similar. Silverfuck is a solid jam track. Some of the 5+ minute tracks tend to drag. 6/10.
Billy C may have wanted to be the meanest, etc. but it's the sweeter songs that work best. He mainly fulfills his grand ambitions here, though the cleanliness of the production plus the catchiness of the hooks lends a vaguely bubble gum feel (presumably the opposite of the intended effect). It has deeper pleasures than one recalls from real time, and his preening self-importance's move into the rearview of time also makes it easier to enjoy.
90s angsty mood
90s super angsty
Flawless.
I was familiar with some of the songs. The album is entirely too long. Several of the songs carry on way too long. I don't care for the lead singer's voice. The songs themselves are ok but very unlikely that I revisit the album. I will roundup to a 3
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Quiet
I find it weird that so many people classify this as grunge or even part of the grunge movement. I think what the Pumpkins were doing here was so much more interesting and varied than a lot of their contemporaries in that space. Sonically, it's so good. You have deep, fat, layered guitars that smack you around the face (notably on tracks like Hummer and Mayonaise). The ridiculous amount of tracks mixed in give it such a robust, unique sound, with layers and layers and layers of guitars and noise. Jimmy Chamberlain is pummelling his drums like he hates them, and Billy is laying down some mad, squealing guitar solos on top. When this rocks, it really rocks hard, with a real depth and force to it. But then you have some beautiful and tender ballads thrown in, utilising violins, bells and all sorts, and some truly iconic songs sitting in there like Disarm. Lyrically there's so much to love here too. There's a lot of raw feeling, vulnerability and honesty. Billy really chucked himself out there, and the songs benefit from it. I get that a lot of people don't get on with his voice, but personally I love weird, interesting singers and it really works for me. There's so many different levels and riffs and interesting details running through this whole album. I just don't think other bands of the era had anywhere near this level of range. This is an absolutely superb, iconic album.
You can see greatness from here like you can see Versailles from the bins.
more smushing than smashing I would say
Fine, better than the other one. Teenage, whiney, some edge but generally not for me.
Какая то фигня
One of those bands I always liked what I heard, but never owned any of their stuff. There was a time, you know, when you had to pay 15.99 for a CD! And this is peak grunge - all the rock, a wall of sound, themes a bit deeper than gettin' drunk and gettin' laid.
I must admit I already am a smashing pumpkins fan. Billy corgan has such an iconic voice its hard not to like. Cherub rock might be my favorite song of theirs. Today is a great song - I forgot about that one. Great tracks up and down this record. Only reason I didn't give a 5 is because I thought the album really slowed down at the song Silverfuck. If it ends before that its probably a 5 for me. 8/10 killer album!!
Enjoyed that, they're a band I've never taken the time to check out even though I should, some good stuff on it. Loved Mayonaise.
I liked this, but not quite as much as the rest of you did. The lead singer's voice probably stops it from being a 5, and it does drag a little, but it's still a great listen. Can tell that it's a good album by pretty much everyone having a different favourite song from it A really good sound (love the ever so slightly self-indulgent guitar solo in Soma), could probably criticise the lack of variety but it's all pretty good so I don't want to! 4/5.
i used to play the Melon Collie…. Album a lot in the 90s. I didn’t have this particular album, but I remember loving some of the songs – Today, Soma, and Disarm has a haunting quality that still touches me after all these years. It’s suitably disarming. But the rest of it is a bit samey and I don’t feel it like I used to. Am I too old or ‘clean’ for grunge now? It definitely feels ‘of an era’ that I remember and am fond of but don’t feel the need to revisit.
I understand this is a classic band and “technically” a classic album but man it’s just not for me I guess. They do the “wall of sound” vibe really well and the guitar tones are great but just kinda the same throughout the whole record. I feel like this is the kind’ve music that’s more fun to play than to listen to. I was not enjoying the album until track six which I believe was disarm (I already knew that song) and that one was good and admittedly I did like the second half of the album more than the first. Geek USA was a standout. My ears just got so tired of it and I found myself tuning out a lot.
I like this record! Best Smashing Pumpkins album for my money. So much more immediacy, urgency, and raw sound than anything on that Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (there's only so much Billy Corgan I can take, and any double LP by the Smashing Pumpkins is simply too much Billy Corgan). Grunge is frequently paralleled with Shoegaze, but no other artist intertwined the two sub-genres so well as Smashing Pumpkins did here. At least not without sacrificing any pop sensibility. As a standalone record, this isn't really a great record, though. There are a lot of stinkers and I only really like about half the songs. But those that I like, I really like. Some are my favorite Shoegaze tracks of all time ("Mayonaise") and others are just great 1990s grunge-pop nostalgia vehicles ("Cherub Rock," "Today," "Disarm"). I return to this album more frequently than I care to admit. And it's really for more helpings of "Mayonaise.” But I'll stick around for the nostalgia vehicles, admire the album art, wonder about B. Corgan’s deal, and skim through the rest. (Side note: Odd that they would have the 2011 reissue album cover here...🤔.) Even the songs I don't care for—mostly the heavier, less pop-inclined cuts—are pretty amazing for their production alone. I find the overdubbing and layering used on this album, particularly of the guitar parts, to be really powerful. Like "Soma," which reportedly has over 40 different guitar parts all laid down on analogue tape. As for the lyrics and vocal work, well I mostly block that out when I listen to this album as, again, Corgan bugs me. I just find him a bit cloying when he’s being sweet and a bit screech-y when he’s being loud. And a bit pretentious overall. Somewhere between a Rivers Cuomo and Kurt Cobain of that era; but most like a Rivers Cuomo trying desparately to be a Kurt Cobain which is not particularly flatterring at all.
I think I've been grading these albums on a really generous curve, so I'm going to start being a bit more critical from here. This album sucks! Just kidding. I liked it. But mostly only for those thick juicy guitar tones. It was interesting comparing my listening experience with this one versus Jane's Addiction; I don't know why I just feel like I related with the youthful outpouring of Jane's Addiction more than the grungy head bob of Smashing Pumpkins. I just felt like there was more quirk in JA's music, even if they misstepped sometimes. SP feels a lot safer, but it's possible (likely) that they're one of those bands that inspired a lot of copycats, which would make their music sound less exciting to someone who heard the bands that they influenced before hearing them. I could have done without the orchestral treatment in "Disarm". I also kind of felt let down by "Soma", the intro had so much promise but I kind of tuned out by the end, even with the big glow-up halfway through. I did really enjoy "Mayonaise" and "Silverfuck"; in fact I enjoyed the last third of the album a lot more than the first two. The later songs felt more dynamic, more daring and energetic to me. My favorite moment of the whole album was the whole section in "Silverfuck" from that big trippy dominant chord that comes in at 4:19 through the unbelievable thrash of a jam at the end. Those screaming grunge guitars and bounding crashing drums feel incredibly well-earned after the long spacey breakdown. I also really liked "Luna", it felt like a concentrated version of all the things I like about SP. As a whole, Siamese Dream is a really nice album to have on in the background, but until that bit towards the end, I found it hard to sit down and actively listen to. After each attempt to do so my ears kind of just glazed over after and I thought "Yeah, this is nice. The guitars sound great." I think this album could have been an album of guitar-driven instrumentals and not much would have been lost. Again, some really nice tracks towards the end! But in general, not what I'd reach for.
Freaking tough transition going from listening to ABBA all day to this. Definitely not in the right frame of mind and wanting some pop schmaltz, but regardless I still think I'd find a lot of these songs kind of lacking and treading into some real unseasoned pumpkin GOULASH. A couple listens in and I'm appreciating the vocals and guitar work on several tracks. Disarm is powerful. What a monster of a song. Love those bells. They are a masterful touch.
I've never really given Smashing Pumpkins much of my time, and this was a lot to digest at the first go– my only major critique of the album is that it feels a little long. But from the moment Disarm came on, I was completely onboard with the sound, completely taken by its narrative voice. The tracks on the back half really allow the songs to build from ballads to these full, raw tracks. I was just impressed by the range and the performances, even if I wasn't catching everything lyrically on the first listen. One I'll definitely have to go back to. But very, very impressed on the first go. Side note: prog rock albums don’t sound good in my car! So I nearly got the wrong impression. The guitars felt misleadingly busy on a system that had poor midrange. Glad I got it on a better system eventually.
Smashing Pumpkins, perfect for a 7am walk to the bakery in 20 degree weather. It really puts a fire under your foot and makes the cheese danish even sweeter. Would I put this on just for fun when I’m not on a mission? I’m not sure.
Unpopular opinion, but I always thought that Billy Corgan's kind of a horrible lead singer. He's got that "yelling, but also trying to not wake your mom up" voice going on. Also he's an asshole but that's neither here nor there. The big songs like "Cherub Rock" and "Disarm" are great, but there's also a lot of bloat (but I guess that's part of the Pumpkins brand, ain't that right Mellon Collie). I like how shoegazey the production is. Works very well with the fact that Corgan should have his microphone taken away from him.
In a dream we are connected. If reincarnation was possible and time was all wobbly, I'd live my life in such a way that I could come back as the guitar sound on this album. Seeing Billy, wearing a Superman t-shirt, asking for hands in the air at an early 90s Big Day Out and seeing a magnificent wave of love is one of the highlights of my music life. That Corgan Big Muff overdriven rhythm, that Iha twiddling, does it get any beefier or any better? I'm not sure that is actually possible. I come back to this album often, sometimes after many moons, and it always gets better. This is 5 stars at its finest. Even without mentioning any songs actually on this brilliant record.
This brings back fond memories of late night listens in Year 12, of learning bass with an old friend, of discovering alternative music. Mellon Collie has more good songs but this has some special moments.
Classic Album.
7/10
no em fa falta escolar-lo per dir q és un dels millors discs del món però vaya sort q m'hagi tocat. Totes són la polla així que vaig a puntuar-les: cherub rock: un puto 10 de 10 quiet: 7/10 today:10/10 hummer: 8,5/10 rocket: 8/10 disarm:9,5/10 perq la tinc molt escoltada i és molt trista soma: el millor plot twist de la història de la música 10/10 geek USA: 10/10 Mayonaise: molt xula 10/10 Spaceboy: vibes de nirvana 7/10 Silverfuck: 9/10 Sweet sweet: 9,5/10 molt maca Luna: 10/10 no sabria dir si és el millor dics de smashing perquè Mellon Collie té zero i és otro nivel, però ahí stan
Good
Good pumpkins hits, filler too. 3.5
Bedre enn det forrige SP-albumet, men fortsatt ikke helt min stil.
much better than i expected
Classic
Slaps
Some good songs but Billy Corgan’s voice gets annoying after awhile.
Geiler droniger klang. Coole Melodien. Verrückte lyrics.
This is one of my favourite albums of all time. The guitar tone on this especially Mayonaise is just pure heaven. Love it. I don’t think there’s any bad track on it. Pure 90s perfection. 5/5
It was better than I expected. I had heard very little of the Smashing Pumpkins and what I had heard had not impressed me very much. The vocals are not to my taste in general, but getting past them to the music itself revealed an inventiveness and willingness to explore that is uncommon in a rock band. Just please change the vocalist - Billy Corgan's 'little boy' voice lets the band down. Keep him as guitarist, but find someone that has some depth to their voice.
Stile tipico del gruppo, senza essere troppo esasperato. Molto bella 'Hummer', un po' tutto l'album, non me lo aspettavo!
Best album from The Smashing Pumpkins
I like the music as a whole. The guitar is really cool and obviously very innovative. It's just.... Corgan's vocals are too whiny. It's why I never got into the Smashing Pumpkins in the first place. I will grant Corgan for the line in "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" : "Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in cage." That is a great lyric. The kid listens to "Zero" all the time. So I dug it as long as I could get past the vocals, but that's kinda difficult. It's weird because whiny vocalists like Neil Young I get in to, but Corgan? Just... he sounds like one of those angsty emo teens who needs STFU and stop whining about EVERYTHING.
Just a glorious album; one of the first I ever owned although I didn't truly appreciate it until I was older. I was recently listening to Hum and a friend chastised me for not thinking they were shoegaze given their wall of sound motif. He then reminded me that the Pumpkins were also an offshoot of that shoe gaze wall of sound, and it's very noticeable re-listening to this album. Grunge meets shoegaze, but amazing. I love how they moved away from pure distortion into more melodic pulsing (not just fuzzy) guitar sounds. The opening 6 song sequence is awesome; their 4 singles show that energetic, up-tempo and melodic wall of alternative rock sound (Cherub Rock and Rocket) as well as depth in muscianship and lyrics (Today and Disarm). Quiet and Hummer are right up there with those 4. Things start to detour when you hit Soma, though it and others (Spaceboy, Luna, Silverfuck) continue to show their depth of sound and lyrical emotion and/or some prog rock complexity and skill. Still, Geek USA and Mayonaise (Silverfuck too) provide more pulsing and energetic rock if you want more of that (and why wouldn't you? It rocks). Again, just a glorious, classic album.
Bish Bash Bosh - worked for me.... I love their vibe
For some reason, I was thinking the double album with the album with more "hits" but I knew I liked this. It's kind of crazy to hear how fresh this still sounds 30 years later compared to how tired everything they've made in the past 20 years sounds...
Pretty good, although not usually my style.
Teenage favorite that still holds up
Some very iconic songs - I mostly love the intros and then there’s a lot of whining.
I'm not a fan of the SP. Corgans nasal vocals annoy me and the swooshy guitar sound isn't to my tastes. There are a couple of strong songs ...and some of the melodies are great but..I struggle. 3
Smashing Pumpkins were the first band I got really into as a 6 year old circa '95. Honestly I should probably give this a 3 since there's kind of a lot of filler here, but the handful of really good songs are still in the normal rotation, plus this album gets me feeling nostalgic. We'll call it a 3.5 rounded up.
Það er eitthvað svo þægilegt við þessa plötu. Hún er alveg ágæt og vekur upp skemmtilegar minningar.
already know it so well
Smashing album by a smashing band.
Great album, Disarm is one of my favorite songs
I oscillate back and forth between which SP album I prefer - this or 'Mellon Collie'. For all of the latter's grandiosity, I consistently find myself concluding that 'Siamese Dream' is the more accomplished record. From the bone crunching opening chords of 'Cherub Rock', this album delivers again and again on every. single. track. The band moves seamlessly between the melodically tempered and the face-melting heavy, often on the same track (Soma and Silverfuck, I'm looking at you two). While Corgan is obviously the driving force on this album musically and lyrically (not to mention that quintessential whine of his that gave the SP such a unique sound), I'm never not blown away by Jimmy Chamberlin's work on the drums. In the spirit of the greats like Bonham or Moon, his percussion flows beautifully with the music itself. On an album that is so profoundly guitar-focused, it's a testament to Chamberlin's musicianship that his drumming stands out so. One of the great albums of the 90's. While the Smashing Pumpkins would go on to release many more albums, they could never quite top the artistic zenith they achieved on 'Siamese Dream' and its successor.
Compared with Mellon Collie, I found even more to like in the songwriting, tones and textures of this album. And for some reason, I found Corgan's voice much less irritating here, so I could enjoy those things without being totally distracted. I think there's more of his softer singing here (than the really strident nasal belting on much of Mellon Collie), maybe it's different recording mixing techniques, maybe it's just my increasing familiarity; I haven't done a back to back comparison to check. But I might even come back for another listen to this one, so 3.5 stars.
I did not know this record at all. I did not find it as interesting as Melon Collie etc. I liked Cherub Rock, Disarm & Mayonaise. And I really enjoyed Silverfuck - definitely could have been a late 60’s drug-induced marathon. They were good, but I find this album to be a bit samey.
Interestingly, it is only three days since the generator had me listening to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Pretension, which I kinda hated (or, at least, found very difficult to listen to all the way through). I loved Gish, so I will repeat the story… In 1991, I was working at Scratches Records, and I did the import ordering. One day, I was on the phone to Dogmeat Dave at Shock Distribution, and he said “Mate, I’ve a got a record that I think you would really dig”. I agreed to take a copy, and the Pumpkins first album “Gish” turned up. And I put it out for sale, and never listened to it. And it sat there for (at least) three months without anyone even looking at it. So I thought “well, I should at least listen to this thing”, and chucked it on the turntable. By the end of the first song I was hooked. It was heavy and fuzzy and trippy and I really dug it. So I bought that copy and took it home. And for the next six months I played it to everyone I could, and evangelised for the album. I played it a lot. My then flatmate and friend, Andy Winter, managed to track down a first U.S. issue coloured vinyl copy of Siamese Dream when it was first released for my birthday. Thanks Andy! I remember at the time I wasn’t _quite_ as enamoured of this record as I was with Gish. It felt a little more bloated, with a tendency towards ballads (Today, Disarm), and it certainly revelled in its misanthropy and angst (even more than Gish, which was a little bit trippier). These were forewarnings of what was yet to come in the interminable bloat-fest that is Mellon Collie. But it was still a pretty rockin’ album. I saw them play this live at the Big Day Out and Selina’s in 1994. They mostly played this album, and they really tore it up. Corgan’s ability to rip out a screaming lead line was a sight to behold. Listening to this record now, I probably like it better than I did then. The sound is HUGE, with massively overdubbed guitars, but with that fuzzy, all-tube tone. Corgan’s voice is still pretty whiny, but I feel like the harder rock material (Cherub Rock, Silverfuck, Geek USA, Quiet, etc) is a bit more suitable for a nasal vocal cutting through than his later penchant for ballads. Some reviews at the time criticised it for being too angsty and over-produced compared to Nirvana, who were “more authentic”. Corgan’s ambitions to produce a monumental album were seen as too careerist. But, frankly, Nirvana sold a ton of records, and also are largely driven by angst. I’m not too sure what the qualitative difference is. And, of course, this record and Nevermind were both produced by Butch Vig. (Note that the Pumpkins used him first, for Gish, which was recorded and released before Nevermind) Special note: this album was mixed by Alan Moulder. Part of what I have noticed as part of this project is how often his name pops up as an important contributor (engineering, producing, mixing) of many of the most important (and great sounding) records of the 1990s and beyond. Great work, Alan! Anyway, I really enjoyed listening to this heavy, fuzzy, angsty piece of hard rock again. This goes back on the rotation list.
not really my style, everything fuzzes together into one intangible blob of sound and nothing tries to differentiate itself from the rest
Soma takes you on such a journey. Billy's voice always sounds creepy when he songs slowly, which is why that little break in the middle of Geek U.S.A. is so brilliant. The rest of the song is such a great thrash. Mayonnaise is surely the song that Courtney played before forming Hole. Silverfuck is just a monster. I'm going searching for live videos now.
10/13/22 Some great songs. Now I’m going to explore 90s rock
Ihan kuunneltava, mutta ei mitenkään erityisen kiinnostava tai mieleenpainuva.
Original notes deleted. But immediately what I think of when somebody says “90s hard rock” but not in a bad way. Enjoy how lots of songs build with long instrumentals but wish there was more of a pay off like on Soma which is the best song. Overall can see the influence on lots of modern bands I love.
One of my favorite bands of all time. An easy 5 star album.
I liked it but a good 30% was clearly fillers
Insane guitar tones, great vocals. Some songs a bit long though imo.
Rock un tanto pesado y sin ser tan virtuoso. Algunas melodías reconocibles y una voz distinta
This is good for what it is
Singles: --------------------------------------- Cherub Rock (#7 US Alt, #31 UK) Today (#4 US Alt, UK #44) Disarm (#8 US Alt, UK #11) Rocket (#28 US Mainstream Rock, #89 UK) Standouts: Today, Others: Cherub Rock, Rocket, Disarm, Luna