Listen to Billy Corgan’s isolated guitar on The Smashing Pumpkins song ‘Cherub Rock’
Since it first rose out of the underground in the 1980s, alternative rock has been one of the most fruitful fields in music. Ostensibly a guitar-led genre, not only has the music given contemporary culture some of its most commercially successful acts but also a host of movers and shakers. A collection of innovators who are wholly deserving of their place in history. Of course, the most famous band to come under the wing of alternative rock would be Nirvana, with the rest of the “grunge” scene in Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam not far behind. Outside of these Seattle-based outfits, another group sits towards the top of the significance rankings, The Smashing Pumpkins.
One of the last survivors of alternative rock’s glory days in the 1990s, still flying the flag alongside Pearl Jam, Dinosaur Jr. and Melvins, The Smashing Pumpkins have a history more twisting than almost anyone else in rock music. Full of romance, infighting and drugs, at points, things got so tense between the band members that the Chicago natives even threatened to give music’s most eminent warring dynasty, Fleetwood Mac, a run for their money.
However, the extra-musical aspects of The Smashing Pumpkins’ career are mere subplots. This aside, focusing exclusively on the music, their style bridges the gap between the pulsating psychedelia of Jimi Hendrix and the bleak spirit of grunge. With that, they also have a distinctly metal edge, influenced by frontman and creative mastermind Billy Corgan’s lifelong love of the form.
The band’s oeuvre is so far-reaching that the question of their best record has constantly polarised fans, with it clear that it is one of their first three. However, the majority laud their sophomore album, 1993’s Siamese Dream, as the ultimate masterpiece. Boasting cuts such as ‘Today’, ‘Disarm’ and ‘Rocket’, it’s hard to argue against this record being their most consistent work.
One of the highlights of Siamese Dream is the opening track ‘Cherub Rock’. Kicking off with the snare roll of Jimmy Chamberlin, one of the band’s best riffs promptly cuts through the mix before the big muff fuzz is stamped on. A six-string masterclass, the guitars remain the song’s most scintillating aspect, with Corgan’s chorus-drenched solo remaining one of his best.
Luckily for fans, Corgan’s isolated guitar track has been unearthed. It shows the extent of his brilliance as both an axeman and songwriter, adding to the claim that Siamese Dream is the best Smashing Pumpkins work.
