I only properly discovered pumpkins recently, I'd always just thought oh that's the soft rock '1979' or 'Tonight Tonight' band and had never really given their music a real shot (Both still great songs btw just not a true representation of the bands overall sound imo). It was only after randomly seeing a clip of Billy Corgan talking about Black Sabbath (my favourite band) and Tony Iommi's guitar playing being a huge inspiration and was like huh I don't hear any sabbath influence or even metal from the tracks I had heard, oh boy how wrong was I! Went down a rabbit hole starting with Gish but ultimately Siamese Dream was the one that turned me into a fan, some of the biggest heaviest guitar tones I've ever heard!
Mayonaise made me choke up a bit listening to it too. There are so many really soft, tender moments on this record that elicit so much emotion, it's really incredible.
I saw SP live in summer 2000 after they already announced they were breaking up at the end of the year so people at that show knew this would - at that time - be potentially the last time we'd seen em live in our city. When they played Mayonnaise I saw all sort of people openly crying.... A rock festival with 35,000 people. That song must effects people!
It's one of my favorites, along with Drown... which was a tune from the soundtrack "singles." it definitely belongs to this early version of their sound.
Yes yes yeeees! I suggest not skipping Pisces Iscariot which came out after this just because it's B-sides. It fits perfectly in listening to them chronologically.
Top 5 record for me! I've been listening to it for almost 30 years, and it still feels fresh. Billy's songwriting on this album is absolutely mind-blowing. Thanks, Molly! Edit : A mellon collie feeling, you say?😄
Agreed, this album does not sound 30 years old! Such a fresh sounding record. The songwriting is impeccable, a very poetic and dreamy album. There's something about it that really sticks with you long after you finish listening to it.
Definitely a top 5 album for me in the 90’s. One of my other top five albums from the 90’s is melancholy and the infinite sadness double album by yes…smashing pumpkins. Nirvana-Nevermind, soundgarden- superunknown, Veruca salt-Eight arms to hold you
The pattern of their songs going soft and quiet and then suddenly getting intense and loud (I am not a musician so I don't know the technical term for it) was a hallmark of 90s grunge/rock. Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana both did this in a lot of their songs. And it traces back to another band called the Pixies who was a big influence on most of the 90s bands.
It’s called distortion or in SP case “fuzz” (literally what it is called). They are guitar pedals that you step on to turn on the “fuzz” (loud, aggressive sound) and then step on it again to turn off the fuzz and get the softer, “clean” sound as it is called.
Jimmy Chamberlin is one of the greatest drummers to come out of the grunge era, and I'd still put him up there with one of the greatest drummers still living and working. People say Chamberlin isn't a drummer. He's artillery lol. He trained as a jazz drummer.
Wholeheartedly agree. You could debate endlessly about what is position is in the pantheon of great drummers, but he's one of my personal favorites because I find his drumming has such a distinct character to it. I could listen a ton of different drumming tracks, and instantly pick out the ones he's played because his style has such a distinctive flair and sense of timing to it.
I had the biggest grin on my face watching this video and hearing your insights. It almost takes me back to when I heard this for the first time myself. And yes, Pumpkins excel at the union of opposites: light and dark, smooth and hard, pretty and ugly. You get it. 😊 I’d really love to hear you react to Soundgarden at some point. They’re a band that tends to get overlooked in the modern era despite how influential and respected they were back in the day.
Aw, that makes me happy to hear that you enjoyed the video so much! This album really blew me away, every second of it was enthralling. Soundgarden is definitely a band I want to get to in the future, I'll have to do some videos for them soon.
I've loved this album since high school in the 90s. In my opinion, S.P. has an extremely unique sound, and the distortion and guitar tone on this album are definitely among my favorites!
They really do have a unique sound. In listening to Gish and Siamese Dream I can hear so many different styles blended together, to the point where they almost create their own genre. And yes, I love that fuzziness too! It adds a nice softness to their sound.
Smashing pumpkins was really good up until Oceania, then they switched their sound up, made pretty damn good albums and then fell epically hard with the Atum series.
I've listened to this Album thousands of times and I must say that your musical intuition is fantastic. I know 'Pisces Iscariot' is B sides and Rarities Album but I would highly recommend you give that a listen before the Masterpiece that is 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness'.
Some of the most beautiful songs ever written are on this album. I had Siamese Dream on cassette as a kid, I probably listened to it every day until it wore out. Spaceboy still hits me as hard as it did back then, probably even harder.
If I had a dollar for every time I've heard Siamese Dream.... Absolutely fantastic album! Came out the year I finished High School here in Australia. 'Soma', 'Mayonnaise', 'Silverfuck' are awesome tracks on an album where every track is brilliant. As an album it struck many a chord. Gish is also fantastic, Mellon Collie is a great album too, but it's a little 'grandiose' and went mainstream for the Pumpkins. Us Alt/Indie/Metal kids liked our secret gems. Thanks Molly 😉🇦🇺👌
The "fuzziness" that you love comes from a fuzz pedal called the Big Muff. You actually commented on it in the Gish reaction video, it was used on Siva for a small part but they loved it so much they used it on almost every guitar part on Siamese Dream, Pisces and melancholy. It became their signature sound and the $50 second hand Big Muff pedal shot up to hundreds of dollars and is now a bit of a collectors item. Billy got the idea from Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine and it is a huge part of the shoegaze sound. You have very good ears Molly!
Actually, they used to share a rehearsal space with the Chicago band, Catherine. Catherine was using the Op-Amp version of the Big Muff and when Billy heard it, he went to get one. Listen to Catherine's album SORRY!. The song SAINT sounds like a Pumpkins tune.
I think you would really enjoy Blind Melon. I don't hear them mentioned much and it's such a shame, they have some fantastic music. Unfortunately they didn't end up releasing too much due to the passing of their lead singer.
Old 90's lonely emo kids secret favorite album of theirs will always be Adore. It perfectly fits that "I dont deserve him/her" self pity vibe. Massively underrated imo. Daphne Descends will make you miss being in a old relationship you never had.
Awesome! We're eagerly anticipating the next one, Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness is the full enchilada. Pact with so much rich spicy flavor, you'll be amazed by the value your getting for just one album. You won't be able to finish it in one sitting.
I love the innocent and totally-not-an-expert description you've provided us. The vocabulary you use to describe the songs, for us pumpkinheads, is almost like a familiar echo of what we all thought the first time we heard the band! So glad TSP can still attract new fans! 😊
I feel not enough people have told Billy how truly great this album is. I've heard he thought it was disappointing to him, if only he knew how successful he was. It's truly a great album.
So glad you loved this album! It really is a masterpiece of alternative rock. Jimmy’s drumming on geek USA is a joy to follow, matching the speed and rhythm of the guitars. Soma is the rhinoceros sequel to me, both amazing slow burners
Yeah something about this album just really stuck with me, it's unforgettable in that way. Just a beautiful blend of so many sounds and styles. The drumming is such a standout, an almost militaristic speediness at times but there's always this loose, relaxed quality to it as well. Good stuff!
A really good single was also released by Smashing Pumpkins around this time. Drown from the Singles Soundtrack. It's a really great song and that entire soundtrack is a must listen for your channel, imo.
Jeez this album is incredible. I've purchased very few albums in my life but Siamese Dream was one of my first on cassette. I'd sit in bed with it playing. From beginning to end it's amazing.
Yes, this album is masterpiece. Will you react to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, next? I hope you to react Pisces Iscariot as outtakes and B sides, and MACHINA someday.
The mark of a great album is one where even the non-singles are regarded as some of the bands best work. Nothing epitomises this more then Siamese dream in my book
Still one of the greatest albums of all time! All the tracks are amazing, but Soma & Geek USA are two of the most underrated songs ever recorded. So unique! Billy’s lyricism is among the best of all time (and he’s an underrated guitarist).
Billy is monster on guitar. People don’t realise how good he is. He can shred with the best of them, but what makes him even better is that he is an amazing songwriter. I prefer their guitar driven music though.
One of the best things about The Pumpkins is the drummer, Jimmy Chamberlain. He is an absolute beast on the drums, and he's also a total sweetheart. I met Billy, James, and Jimmy back in 2000, and while they were all amazing, Jimmy made a huge impression on me.
I give many thanks to a high school friend who put me on to this album in 2009. Yes, I’m young considering when this came album came out in ‘93. Nonetheless, I used a cd player to listen it haha. This album is a fresh, calm, adventurous record that opened up my musical organs. A must listen to all peoples. Long live the smashing pumps
I know you probably won't see this four months later, but you turned me onto the Smashing Pumpkins after I saw this video the day you uploaded it, and since then they've become one of my favorite bands. It's always great finding a band that's new to me, and they've been one of my most listened to bands this year!
This has always been my favorite album ever... I'm sure listening it as a teenager has a lot to do with that, but it's also truly a timeless masterpiece. It was really fun watching you react to all of it. I just saw them in Sacramento on their current tour a number of weeks back, it was so damn great... nothing will ever top the show they put on at the Universal Amphitheater in 2000 though, the night after Billy Corgan announced they were breaking up after that tour on KTLA in the afternoon. They really put on a special show that night, I feel very fortunate to have been there.
Mayonaise. What a great SONG. Lyrics and melody is just perfect. It paints a rather dysfunctional family though. When I read this lyrics, I just want to give Billy a hug. Adolescent trauma delivered on a gold platter here folks. Perfection.
I've listened to a lot of albums by a lot of artists/bands over the years, and I can say that Siamese Dream is my all-time favorite album, hands down. I've always loved the dreamy aspect to the album (like the beginning part of Soma with that dreamy guitar) mixed with the psychedelic and shoegaze elements, which makes it very unique. Spaceboy is one of my all-time favorite songs too, the string parts you hear was played by Billy Corgan on a Mellotron, which is a keyboard/synthesizer that uses tapes of pre-recorded instruments like strings (and those tapes only last 8 seconds if I recall, once you hit the end you'll hear the Mellotron stop playing the part and rewind the tape). The tapes don't exactly sound 1:1 with the original instruments and have this unique sound to them, hence why they were popular with some musicians over the years. However there's something about those Mellotron parts that make Spaceboy kinda melancholy in general, especially the part after the first chorus. Siamese Dream was a nightmare to mix, Soma alone has over 40 overdubbed guitar parts. Billy Corgan had horrible writer's block during the album's recording and was suicidal, hence why Today is very dark lyrically. Thankfully he made it through that period and created some of the best music ever, if you ask me.
Thanks for the info! Yeah, this album is absolutely spectacular. Can't believe it took me this long to finally listen to it. The fuzzy shoegaze punctuated by the punchy rock elements creates such a unique blend of sounds, it's really hard to pin this album into one genre. And that's crazy about Soma, it sounds so minimalistic and pulled back with its sound that I never would have guessed so much went into its recording process.
The way Quiet just kicks off is one of my favorite moments on the whole album. Great review. Your opinions on almost all these tracks are the same as mine, especially with Geek USA, It's definitely the punchiest track on Siamese.
8:05 Quick note: The high pitched squeal that you hear when the song stops, is from Billy's cheap guitar that was broken. The problem with the guitar is exactly what you just heard ... if you don't continue to play the guitar, the guitar squeals unexpectedly. Billy decided to intentionally harness that sound for the purpose of those pauses in this song. Basically, Billy took something that was broken, and used it as a feature.
First video Ive seen of yours. This was one of the first albums I owned as a young teen, and a large reason I became a shoegaze/alt musician. I just have to say, that your insight on all the guitar work and sounds is fantastic. I would love to just sit down and show you the magic behind a guitar/ bass guitar pedal board, and all the cool pieces of equipment and techniques that make these sounds you talk about. You have an ear for it.
I'm so happy we're finally getting to some Smashing Pumpkins! It's my favorite band ever! They're great!!! Each album is pretty different. Siamese Dream and Gish were both produced by Butch Vig who also produced Nirvana's album 'Nevermind'. There's a BIG wall of guitar sound on this album. It's sonically a unique achievement. ALSO, the drummer, Jimmy Chamberlain, is one of the very best! The band wouldn't have the same 'feel' without Jimmy's drumming. This can't be said about all rock bands.
Also - The string sounds on Space Boy are an old keyboard called a mellotron. Those keyboards were made in the 60s and used by bands like the Beatles a lot. You can hear it in Strawberry Fields Forever as an example. I think Space Boy was a song dedicate to BCs brother. Mayonaise famously has these short breaks with a guitar feedbacking. They had a guitar in the studio that would feedback all of the time and used it in those pauses. The sound of Siamese Dream uses a lot of fuzz pedals. Notably, the op amp big muff is used a lot. It has more of an aggressive attack compared to other big muffs. Some other pedals are used, too. The Fender Blender is used and different phasers and flangers.
Butch is a drummer too so it makes sense that he'd make the drums sound so good, haha. Billy claimed to have taught him how to produce drums during Gish but he always said stuff like that
It's a special album, Butch Vig really did his thing and captured both the angst and creativity of the band. I've always admired the way the Pumpkins sounded both like they fit in and out of their era. As some bands started to sound a bit "samey" the Pumpkins were distinctly unique. I'm really, really interested if/when you get to Adore what you'll think.
My heart flutters every time I see someone mentioning Adore. It's an untapped resource for reactors having so many great sounds and things to comment on.
@@RoCkHeAd316 Reading through the comments for this video, and seeing how Adore still resonates with so many people makes me really happy. I hate sounding like a hipster and saying it's one of those things that you just have to "get" but I don't know how else to describe it. I remember it being pretty divisive at the time and folks not really knowing how to feel about it but that's the thing with music, sometimes it takes a really long time to grow to appreciate something.
Yes, such a gorgeous record! It flows beautifully from track to track. I can't wait to see what I'm going to think of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
@18:21 Corgan said in an interview that he bought a cheap guitar in a pawnshop for 90 dollars. That explains why they got that excess feedback sound whenever he mutes his guitar with his hand.
I haven’t read all the comments, and maybe someone has mentioned this already about Mayonnaise: 1. The title was originally “My Own Eyes”. 2. Billy had an old guitar that would squeal every time he suddenly stopped playing it, so he incorporated that sound into the recording. On most days, I would call this my favorite song of all time.
@@mollyesanborn oh sure You already did 2 of them with Siamese Daydream and Pinkerton, but the other 3 are Emergency & I by The Dismemberment Plan Madvillainy by Madlib & MF DOOM And Is this it? by The Strokes
This was so artistically massive, anyone who heard it in the time period rode the Pumpkins wave far past its relevance. Huge parts of my brain are still encoded in this rhythm.
Despite Siamese Dreams being their most famous and loved album. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is their biggest album with most of their biggest hits. They feel more seasoned on that album. I have a feeling you'll like it better.
Oh man I'm so excited to hear it! Although I can't imagine a record surpassing Siamese Dream, this album was just spectacular. Who knows though, maybe Mellon Collie will end up being my favorite. We'll have to see!
it's a double album. it has more radio play tracks by virtue of sheer quantity, and probably just as many good non-radio tracks as siamese dream, but there are very obvious reasons why so many people prefer siamese dream to mellon collie (not gonna spoil).
@Rob Geach I get the album is a bit stretched out, but if you're a fan of their music, Infinite Sadness is like a fans paradise. Like you said, many of the non radio songs are also good on this one, too but you get more. But I also feel like their music evolved a bit in this album, like they honed and matured their sound more.
@@mollyesanborn Mellon Collie is like 70% filler songs, it's not that great at all, it pales in comparison to Siamese Dream. Perhaps if they released it as a single album maybe it could have been near as great as Siamese Dream.
@The Supernatural Anaesthetist 70% filler songs? The first disc alone is amazing. Almost every song delivers. This is considered one of their best albums for reason. The second disc may not be as good but still has some amazing tracks. I do agree that's it's a bit stretched out, but I would say maybe 30% are fillers which come mostly from disc two. If they were to cut some of the fat disc two, then this would probably be the superior album.
No band made a more musical use of distortion than the Smashing Pumpkins did. The next release, their third album, Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, is their best. It's a double album with no filler. Can't wait till you get to that one.
Billy has been vocal about My Bloody Valentine being one of the primary influences on his guitar sound. I could never get into MBV though while SP is one of my favorite bands ever.
I personally am more of a Mellon Collie fan (I love the variety and scope of that album) but Siamese Dream is 100% considered their biggest classic. Glad you're liking the Pumpkins so much!
Also that fuzziness that you're hearing is from a guitar pedal called the "Big Muff" it's like a distortion pedal but makes everything sound fuzzy. It can be turned on and off or combined with other effects. So they can go from heavy to light really easily
I remember going to their concert in 1993/1994, nobody knew them back then in Germany. They played a small venue and were able to transport their energy they have on their album. Even know 2/3 of the crowd didn't know almost any song at all, people were jumping up an down for almost 2hrs. Their later albums got too melancholy for me, but boy, Billy knows how to write riffs, remarkable melodies and keeps you on your heals all through the songs. Remarkable piece of music. I will play some songs to my kids one day. What great lyrics all over. They mirror Billys feelings and really match the distortion and change of speed within the music. Thanks Molly
Siamese dream is an absolute masterpiece. Fun fact about why they have a track called Mayonaise, Billy Corgan was looking in his fridge one night and saw a jar of mayonaise and thought it would be a funny name for a song. Ironically i think its their greatest song and my all time favourite song. Great vid btw.
I think it’s that mayonnaise is so ubiquitous that it works with everything. It’s always a support ingredient, and for a person that lives that life, we sometimes just want to be ourselves and be acknowledged for our own qualities. We are special too, just in our own way.
Smashing pumpkins has been my all-time favorite band since high school. Seeing you react to this jewel of an album brought tears to my eyes. You brought back many memories of simpler times, listening to this album. Thank you. :D
What a cool find tonight on my feed. This was a real delight. You felt all the things we felt back in the day when we first heard this album. It is a monumental piece of music. IMO, the best album of the 90's and one of the top 5-10 of all time. Its nostalgia city for me as well since me and my friends listened to this 1 million times.
I remember being about Molly's age when this came out. I will never forget hearing Mayonaisse for the first time in '93 by myself right after I got my driver's license
It's crazy to see how you reacted to Disarm. Your facial expression was so sad at time and you picked on the lyrics "i used to be a little boy, so old in my shoes" which is very interesting when you know that the song was written about Corgan being abused by his parents growing up. He managed to express that while not talking about it clearly in the song.
I wish SP still sounded like this. Ever since oceana they had a different sound and I think it’s Billy’s vocals that bother me so much. He needs to go back to butch vig. Also the way you describe the sound of the songs is absolutely perfect! Keep it up
Yep name a shoegaze album that isn’t a shoegaze album. It would be Siamese Dream for me. It’s the fuzz distortion on this album that gives me a warm sinking into honey 🍯 feeling 😂
Siamese Dream is the perfect album. I remember seeing the video for Cherub Rock on 120 mins on MTV in the 6th grade. Blew my mind. I still listen to this album on the regular today. My kids love it now too.
You know one of my college buddies turned me on to Smashing Pumpkins and he said listen to that which was Gish and I was blown away because to me they didn’t sound like anyone else. Billy’s vocals were very unique, his and James guitar 🎸 playing very original and inspirational, Darcy with her own ice Queen vibe, and Jimmy’s very unique approach to playing aggressively and then quietly and then amazing dexterity with ghost notes on the snare and toms with jazz flavoring! So to sum up they didn’t sound like any group at their time not grunge, soft rock, not alternative, not Progressive rock just their own unique sound which was unheard before ala Van Halen or Jimi Hendrix where right of the Shute as a listener you were going what’s this? I don’t know but I like this! Saw the Gish tour and then Siamese Dream tour as part of LOLLAPOLOOZA! Love the guys! I do miss Darcy though! Just sayin 💔
Ooh I'm early, nice. I dont know what can be said about this album that hasn't been said already. Such a great blend of grunginess and shoegazey alternative rock.
Yep, so much variety on this record! It really can't be pigeonholed to a single genre. It's got the punchiness, the dreamy quality, and those tender emotional moments as well.
All this beautiful music and all these dark themes, so softly and sweetly cradled: Disillusionment, suicide, child abuse survival, family loss, grief, heartbreak. One of the best albums of all time. The epitome of gen x laid out and left alone.
Ooh, that's a hot take! I think Siamese Dream has the edge on variety, Dirt is a more strongly grunge album while Siamese Dream kinda floats all over the genre-sphere. But both are so fantastic, that's such a hard pick.
You can't really find any Smashing Pumpkins albums in any record store anywhere in the world anymore. Especially the 90s ones. There's a reason for that. You heard people a decade ago pointing to bands like Zeppelin when talking about the greatest rock albums of all time. Albums like Siamese Dream started to be referenced in that same league and for good reason. Siamese Dream truly is one of the best rock albums ever made