Siamese Dream [Explicit Lyrics]

Smashing Pumpkins | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 27, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B000000WJZ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (519 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,311 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Cherub Rock

2. Quiet

3. Today

4. Hummer

5. Rocket

6. Disarm

7. Soma

8. Geek U.S.A.

9. Mayonaise

10. Spaceboy

11. Silverfuck

12. Sweet Sweet

13. Luna

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

An introductory drum roll drops out and is replaced by a single suspended electric guitar, which is then paralleled by a snare, filled in with the bass, and--crash!--"Cherub Rock," the opening track, is enveloped in an explosion of metal guitar. So the journey begins. This album is pre-experimentation vintage Pumpkins. Produced by Butch Vig (Garbage, Sonic Youth, Nirvana's Nevermind), Siamese Dream is first about guitars. Lots and lots of guitars. A very close second is Jimmy Chamberlain's unquestionably excellent power drumming. Throughout each song, Billy Corgan delivers angsty lyrics in his signature breathy whine. "Disarm" is a nice intermission halfway though the album. As the title of the song suggests, it throws the listener into a different mood with its full string arrangements and radiant orchestral chimes. But then it is back to the aural masochism--a pain that rarely sounds so sweet. --Beth Bessmer

Product Description

1993 RELEASE

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 93 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Billy Corgan and His Way May 1, 2000

By Nathan Stradinger

Format:Audio CD

I have not been on the Smashing Pumpkins bandwagon for long. I missed the albums when they first hit; hell, the first song I heard by them was "Tonight, Tonight" from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Needless to say, I had some catching up to do. Thankfully, that catching up included listening to this album, which I now consider a seminal/pivotal/simply amazing point in rock history. Billy Corgan does away with pretension by twisting it into glorious rock anthems and beautiful alt-pop. The kicker is that, while people wrote them off as depressionists, almost every moment on this CD can be compared with euphoric joy. Even in moments of rage, the beauty of the music shines through. Straight-out rockers such as "Geek U.S.A." and "Quiet" are singular yet grand in their guitar riffs, creating a near-primal feeling. Softer numbers such as "Spaceboy", "Disarm", and "Mayonaise" cause reflection and introspection on the listener's part, creating a more balanced record. The true killers on this album, though, are "Today' and "Soma". The first is the most melodic alternative rock ever written, while the second is the most sobering alt-rock ever written. In closing, while the Pumpkins may not be sure who they are anymore, I'll always love them for who they were.

62 of 67 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure shoegazer-alt bliss. February 12, 2003

By Shotgun Method

Format:Audio CD

Although Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness was more ambitious and diverse, Siamese Dream is arguably the best album in the Smashing Pumpkins catalog.

In 1993, the Smashing Pumpkins were probably one of the most original bands of the alternative scene. With incredible soundscapes of guitar distortion, Billy Corgan's impassioned and ethereal vocals, and Jimmy Chamberlain's excellent drumming, these guys had a sound that was nothing like any alternative band of the time. Only My Bloody Valentine's Loveless (released in 1991) with its similar guitar-dominated sound could be considered as an influence, but Siamese Dream has its own distinct impact.

My, what a sound. Billy Corgan sounds better here than any other Pumpkins album--on later albums he sounded whiny; here he sounds obscure yet not overly shrill. The guitar playing is incredible (listen to the outro of Rocket) and the music grabs you by the collar and takes you in with its sweeping power.

Cherub Rock, with its slowly building opening leading to a bombastic arena rocker, is the perfect start to this album. After that, the double hit of Quiet and Today provides immense satisfaction. After Hummer and Rocket pass by leaving their audio imprint on you, the mood takes a sudden turn with the orchestral and haunting ballad Disarm which leads into the soft rock of Soma. The white-hot rage of Geek USA quickly rips through your ears before yielding to two more wonderful ballads--Mayonaise and Spaceboy. After that, the loud and powerful Silverf--k takes over. Finally, the album ends on a whisper with Sweet Sweet and Luna.

You won't be tempted to skip through a single track. Although future efforts were more ambitious, the Smashing Pumpkins never made an album this flawless again.... You can't lose by adding this one to your collection.

..By the way, there's nothing really "explicit" about the lyrics. Even Silverf--k contains no profanity, except for the barely audible interludes. Read more ›

77 of 90 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Dream" away February 25, 2004

By E. A Solinas HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

The drum rolls, then falls away for a building electric guitar, a drum, and a searingly vibrant wall of sound that rises before your very ears. This is the start of "Siamese Dream," a vintage Smashing Pumpkins album and one of the best, most underrated alternative rock albums ever released.

Opening with a bang is the dizzying "Cherub Rock," a song that serves as a perfect springboard into the heart of this album. It can shift in an instant between pulse-pounding (the deceptively-named "Quiet") and more progressive ("Hummer"). Corgan's range stretches even to the quiet ("Sweet Sweet"), the dramatic ("Disarm" with its bells and violins) or the catchy (the plaintive "Spaceboy").

Perhaps the most outstanding thing about the Pumpkins is their seamless blend of metal, neo-psychedelica and art-rock. The blasting electric riffs, sprawling melodies, and the whirling, sinuous guitars are all interwoven without so much as a sonic burp. At first glance, it seems like a fairly typical rock/metal album, but upon further listening, the alluringly complicated music begins to filter itself fully into your brain. Corgan's lyrics aren't for the perky among you -- angsty and introspective, while avoiding the trap of self-pity.

It's difficult to find a musical flaw with the Pumpkins in "Siamese Dream." Corgan's high voice flitters between murmuring and wailing. Backing him up are James Iha's layered, whirling guitar riffs and Jimmy Chamberlain's controlled, fast drumming. Acoustic guitar also gets to shine at the start of "Disarm." What sounds like church bells is even used.

Fiercely adventurious, brooding and expressive, "Siamese Dream" is a breathtaking ride into a majestic rock world all its own.... Inventive and enticing, this is a modern classic. Read more ›

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars when you can't decide what's on your mind, it's clear... December 12, 1999

By "boy_with_stick"

Format:Audio CD

I just listened to Siamese Dream (after a long haul w/o listening to it) a few days ago. And about the time I got the Geek USA, I realized how relaxed and at home I felt. I was just sitting at the computer, playing SimCity or something, letting the cool winds come in from the window, and listening to Siamese Dream. And though I was here at college, some 400 miles from my real home, I felt like I was in my room again, listening to the Pumpkins while doing my homework again. I feel that "Siamese Dream" is one the greatest albums ever, maybe only surpased by Radiohead's "OKComputer." I see the only reason people view MCIS as the best Pumpkin album is because it gives you what you wanted from "Siamese," but whole lot more of it. "Mayonaise" is my all-time favorite song. And it, as well as "Soma," are one the best Pumpkin songs ever...and there ARE a lot of them, believe me. I suggest you get this album, and never forget it, because once you listen to it, it will always have a place in your heart.