Music Review by Bill Rendall

Siamese Dream - Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins burst on to the music scene around the time that grunge was becoming popular but they drew upon a more diverse range of musical styles than most grunge bands. Their main influences were seventies bands which many people considered uncool in the early nineties.

Many of the Smashing Pumpkins' songs are too lengthy for mainstream radio format, encompass a lot of dynamic variation and don't have easily identifiable choruses. The lyrics may seem obscure to the uninitiated but make more sense if you know about Billy Corgan's unhappy childhood.

The Smashing Pumpkins have been categorised as an "alternative" band. I would describe them as a hybrid of seventies rock styles such as heavy metal, progressive rock and art rock. They combine the heavy guitar sound of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin with the thickly layered guitar sound of Boston and Queen.

The second Smashing Pumpkins album, Siamese Dream, is a masterpiece and a great example of their musical diversity. It has been claimed that the album is virtually a solo effort by Corgan but I think Jimmy Chamberlin's contribution on drums is vital.

Siamese Dream opens with 'Cherub Rock.' I would not describe this song as cherubic as it features a heavy guitar sound reminiscent of Black Sabbath and the lyrics deliver an attack on the music industry's promotion of alternative rock.

The instrumentation of 'Disarm' is particularly interesting. It features acoustic guitar, cello, violin, bells and tympani-style drum rolls. The musical style contrasts sharply to the venom of Corgan's vocal delivery. He is very bitter and sings of abandonment by his parents when he was a little boy.

'Soma' is my favourite Smashing Pumpkins song. Corgan wrote this after breaking up with his girlfriend and he really hangs his emotions out. Soma is a drug from Huxley's 'Brave New World' which provides an escape from pain and distress.

The order of the songs on Siamese Dream is very effective. The album begins with the more accessible songs. The later songs reward the more intrepid listener. Corgan gets mellow for the last two songs. It seems that he has worked through all his angst and is ready to unwind with some peace and love.

To confirm the prog rock influence Siamese Dream was followed by the double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. It even has arty titles of 'Dawn to Dusk' and 'Twilight to Starlight' for the two discs. Corgan intended this to be a nineties version of Pink Floyd's The Wall.

I am wary of double albums as I believe that most would be better pared down to a single album. Mellon Collie is no exception. There are some very good songs, such as 'Zero', 'Bullet with Butterfly Wings' and 'Tonight, Tonight.' The video for 'Tonight, Tonight' is noteworthy. It is based on the classic Georges Melies film A Trip to the Moon made about a century ago.

The quality of songs is patchy on the second disc of Mellon Collie. My favourite song on the second disc is 'Thru the Eyes of Ruby' which includes a reprise of the album's opening title track. Mellon Collie ends with a lullaby called 'Farewell and Goodnight.' I don't think it is just coincidence that the last song on the Beatles' white double album was a lullaby called 'Goodnight.'

To follow up Mellon Collie the Smashing Pumpkins could have continued with their winning formula. Another option was trying something different at the risk of alienating their fans and suffering commercial failure. They chose the latter option with Adore which deviated from their trademark aggressive guitar sound. To make matters worse Chamberlin had been sacked due to drug problems. Not surprisingly they did suffer commercial failure.

Machina is a bit of a return to their earlier form but doesn't have the musical variety of Siamese Dream or Mellon Collie. The only really interesting song is the lengthy 'Glass and the Ghost Children' which includes a recording of Corgan talking to a psychotherapist about his problems. Jimmy Chamberlin returns as the drummer but sadly not with the free flowing style that punctuated previous Pumpkins' songs. Instead he is a slave to the backbeat.

I highly recommend Siamese Dream as the best example of the Smashing Pumpkins' music. Mellon Collie is also a worthy offering but there are a number of misfires on it. At least the weaker songs are due to Corgan being a bit too adventurous or experimental rather than being uninspired. I could easily select a single album's worth of songs to rival Siamese Dream.