Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
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Free Music Notes for Siamese Dream
Free Music Review: Siamese Dreamy
Hit: 5 Stars
"Siamese Dream" was The Smashing Pumpkins' breakthrough album, spawning a few modern rock mainstays and even a crossover pop hit. The production here is given a "Wall of Sound" treatment. The songs are wrapped in layers of noisy guitars, creating a dense, dreamy sound.
There's also a heavy emphasis on melodies and hooks. The anthematic opener "Cherub Rock" is perfect evidence. It's loud and powerful, but it has an irrestible hook.
"Today" juxtaposes blissful pop verses with a heavy chorus to perfection. And the ballad "Disarm" is pure chamber pop - sweeping strings, bells, pounding percussion, etc.
Songs like "Quiet" and "Geek U.S.A." are noisy affairs that aren't overtly catchy at first. The musical prowess displayed in the latter always blows me away - there's an absolutely incredible guitar solo, and some of the most awe-inspiring drumming you'll ever hear (courtesy of Billy and Jimmy, respectively).
There's a few epics on here too: "Hummer" (a dreamy, laid back song that culminates in a hypnotic groove), "Soma" (gentle ballad that explodes into a psychedelic haze), and "Silverf*ck" (which ranges from whisper quiet to headache-inducing noise. Awesome stuff).
Other highlights include "Space Boy" (accoustic pop with swirling orchestral flourishes), "Mayonaise" (melancholy, guitar-driven bliss), "Sweet Sweet" (sugary dream pop fluff at its best), and "Luna" (a gorgeous, Middle Eastern-tinged ballad).
"Siamese Dream" is The Smashing Pumpkins' most consistent album from top to bottom. It's also one of the landmark albums of the 90's that no rock fan should be without.
Best Songs: Mayonaise, Hummer, Soma, Geek U.S.A, Silverf*ck.
Free Music Review: An extremely emotional and beautiful experience
Hit: 5 Stars
It would be something of an understatement to say that this album means a lot to me. Of all the albums that I own, few have quite the same importance attached to them in my mind. This album was given to me as a belated gift for my fifteenth birthday just before Thanksgiving by my aunt. I had recentely purchased Mellon Collie and was astounded. But this album blew me away. The melodic beauty and pure satisfaction of "Today," the heartbreak of "Spaceboy" and "Disarm" the textured, shifting soundscapes of "Hummer" and "Soma" and the isolation and sadness of "Mayonaise" all hit home very hard. Just following that Thanksgiving, my grandmother died of lung cancer. It was expected, and that entire vacation was colored by her illness and eventual death as we had known it would be and meant it to be. We had come down to Texas for Thanksgiving to say goodbye, and it was a very sad time, to which "Siamese Dream" was a soundtrack for me. Since, the songs have taken on new meanings and I associate them with other things as well, but few other pieces of music are as evocative for me as this album. It is without a doubt one of the best that I own and I would recommend this to any and all fans of intelligent, beautiful rock music. The album has so many transcendent moments: the intro to "Cherub Rock," the abrupt dynamic shift at the beginning of "Today," the rambling, hushed clean tone solo at the end of "Hummer" (enhanced, brilliantly, with a digital delay), the violin in "Disarm," the distorted rush of "Soma"'s climax, the interludes of "Geek U.S.A." and "Mayonaise" . . . and on and on. This album is best experienced as a complete piece of music, but all the songs are standouts. I cannot recommend it enough.Free Music Review: Most likely the best band of the last 20 years
Hit: 5 Stars
In an era where musical creativity has hit an all time low it is incredible to look back to a band that seemed to put considerable effor tinto every aspect of the music they were making. The Smashing Pumpkins, thanks to Billy Corgan, were one of the most influential and groundbreaking bands of the last generation. If you sit and listen to the tracks on Siamese Dream you will not know what to expect next. This is what makes this band so great: they can go from a hard hitting anthem to a slow melodic gem all in one album. However, one cannot listen to either of the tempos and decide that The Smashing Pumpkins should stick to one style or the other, for they do both with impecable skill. It is impossible to name the best songs on this album because they are all masterpieces! The guitar work is exquisite, although in most songs it is very simple save the solos. This is gleaming proof that quality not quantity is the most desirable path. Enough said for the music. The most catching and intoxicating part of this album, and all Smashing Pumpkins songs for that matter, is the lyrical geneous! Billy Corgan, while being one of the most incredible guitarists of our time, is also one of the most overlooked poets of our time. Most will not take the time to read and desypher his verses of squalor, maudlin, and angst, but would be very pleased if they did. Corgan deals with many issues in his songs from religion (Hummer) to heartache (Soma). With the devotion in his lyrics it is easy to see why he "...never released a song that didn't mean something to [me]." If you like rock music, I strongly encourage you to pick this up. All Smashing Pumpkins records are incredible, save maybe Machina.Free Music Review: not the same pumpkins who appear later
Hit: 5 Stars
many people say that this album is overrated. many say that mellon collie is better. many say that it is just screaming guitars. the problem with all of these statements is they are usually from the mouths of listeners who first heard of the pumpkins with mellon collie and the infinite sadness. this is not that album. this is better. mellon collie had the radio airplay which made "tonight, tonight", "zero", "1979" and "bwbw" such big hits. when siamese dream came out in 1993 the only 'hits' were "today" and "disarm". this is a great album but it is not nearly as mainstream or radio-friendly as mc. i have tried to sell people on this album after they have heard mc, and the problem is this is not the same band. mellon collie is over the top demanding your attention, while siamese dream hits you in the gut to leave you in the fetal position on the floor and could care less if you even knew it was coming. as for the screaming guitars they are here aplenty; however, it is not 80s big hair, nor is it heavy tool, it is euphoric. give a listen to jimi hendrix's star-spangled banner to get the idea. over all this album is like the beatles "abbey road" (big complement) in the fact there are about two songs everyone knows and the rest is lost on the listener who wants the entire album to be like "come together" or "here comes the sun". that listener misses out on the subtler hits like "maxwell's silver hammer" and "you never give me your money". there are hits here that only some will ever appreciate while others will simply stick to tracks 3 and 6. what a shame.Free Music Review: And the winner is....
Hit: 5 Stars
When reviewing a CD, it's difficult sometimes to balance its immediate appeal with its lasting appeal. Unlike a book, a good CD must be listened to over and over, and must not grow stale. Trying to judge the quality of a recently released recording without giving it the test of time really only amounts to half a review. It takes some perspective to be truly objective.But Siamese Dream has it all. Over a period of seven years, it has continued to be fresh and original. This tour de force is a one-of-a-kind treasure, among the Pumpkins albums and among rock music.
Immediate appeal? I was driving home from work one day in 1993 and I heard Cherub Rock on the radio. I had no idea who Smashing Pumpkins were at the time; all I know was that I was completely floored. I simply had to own this! The driving force of the music and the melodic hooks held me like flypaper. Never had I heard such overwhelming power and delicate restraint, not just in the same song, but at the exact same time. As soon as the song ended, I turned around and went and bought the disc. No other time have I had that sort of reaction.
Lasting appeal? This disc never leaves my car. Rarely does a week go by when I don't listen to this through beginning to end. Somehow it has never grown old. I can't think of a single other album that has given me as much enjoyment in my entire life.
So if you are at all a fan of this genre and don't own this disc, buy it. Even if you have been disappointed by their weaker recent efforts, buy it. The test of time has indicated that this CD is destined to be a true classic. Quite simply, it is the best album of the nineties.