Siamese Dreams

The Smashing Pumpkins

Siamese Dream is considered by many to be a rock classic, and it's not hard to see why. The album has withstood the test of time for a few reasons. For one, Billy Corgan is undoubtedly a guitar hero on this record. His riff game is undeniably top tier and that's showcased on a number of tracks here. Cherub Rock's sliding octave riff is one of rock's all-time greatest; one of those special riffs that can go on endlessly and you would never tire of hearing it. Hummer's riff is also really impressive with how tight the double tracked guitars sound with all the bends and harmonies. And then you have tracks like Rocket which is perhaps not the most stunningly written riff, but when played in its unique fuzzy, high-gain, sunburned distortion tone, it's one of those moments where you know this is exactly the way it was meant to be. In addition to the riffs, Corgan is a tremendously expressive player. The solo on Soma is devastating with all the dramatic bends that scream out. On the other hand, you have the solo at the end of Hummer, which is absolutely serene.

Another reason why this album still holds up is due to the impeccable performances in the rhythm section. You've got Jimmy Chamberlin behind the kit who's jazz chops gave the band's songs way more groove and feel compared to other alternative rock bands of the era. His performances during the more subdued verses of Today are awesome, the laid back groove on Rocket further perpetuates this sense of weightless suspension, and on Silverfuck, Chamberlin shows that he can still perform with a lot of intensity. Even the bass parts, which sadly weren't performed by D'arcy Wretzky despite a mountain of evidence from live shows around this time proving she was more than capable, have so much attitude on many of the tracks I already mentioned.

Another thing going for this album is how incredibly versatile it is. You've got your alternative rock bangers; Cherub Rock, Rocket and Hummer which I've already talked about quite a bit. You've also got the more driving grunge tunes like Quiet and Geek U.S.A.. The album ends with some slower, more dreamy material; the heavily chorused Sweet Sweet is a nice little sonic reprieve and Luna incorporates some string pads and sitar to bid us farewell on a peacefully soothing note. Disarm brings a whole heap of drama with the string arrangements, orchestral bells, and the rumbling timpani. Lastly, you have tracks like Silverfuck which are incredibly dynamic. This nine minute monster takes us on a journey through primal grooves built from toms and bass, ethereal spots with delayed guitar and distorted swells, and explosions of uninhibited energy expelled through crashing cymbals, distorted guitars, and Corgan's searing voice.

Siamese Dream has so many amazing tracks that I would never argue with someone over whether it's a classic or not. For me personally though, this record does have a few tiny issues that keep it from being perfect in my eyes. Quiet's riff is not the most impressive as it's just a rising chromatic pattern and I also think it has my least favourite vocal performance from Corgan, especially in the verses. Mayonaise does have a decent riff but I can't help but feel like it has corny rock-ballad energy. Lastly, I also don't like Corgan's vocals on Spaceboy, which is unfortunate because I do like that song instrumentally. Despite these few nitpicky things, even I can't deny how awesome this record is as well as it's importance in the greater rock pantheon. Whether you're working on your riff game, how to play bass with conviction, or working on your feel behind the kit, consider Siamese Dream to be Rock 101.