Before Billy Corgan and the original incarnation of the Smashing Pumpkins were the biggest rock band on the planet, and before Corgan's name was ubiquitous with all manner of cliche and arrogance, there was the band's debut album: Gish. Released in 1991 before the advent of Nirvana's Nevermind, Gish shows the incredible potential SP would soon unleash upon the rock world, with a set of not only explosive grunge-guitar workouts but also beautifully psychedelic pieces of early nineties rock and roll.
By this point, if you don't know who the Smashing Pumpkins are, you either don't care to know or aren't a fan of rock music. It was almost impossible to avoid Billy Corgan and his band throughout the 90's, due mostly to a string of VERY successful singles, sold-out tours, multi-platinum albums, and Billy's own admissions of control-freak excess and rock god status. The band has somehow been lumped into the eponymous "grunge" category, but like a lot of the early forerunners, the Pumpkins weren't just about heavy layered guitar sounds and angsty adolescent lyrics. The Smashing Pumpkins showed a measured variation of sounds on their debut, while staying within the rock and roll framework. Put it this way: if Nirvana drew influence from 70's punk and 80's new-wave, the Pumpkins were pulling from the pool of late 60's guitar rock & psychedelia, 70's arena-rock, and 80s shoe-gaze. Of course the heavy grunge guitar sound is something Billy is well known for, but it isn't the only trick in the bag.
Gish is a memorable and beautiful record because of these varying shifts in mood and atmosphere. The songs I Am One, Siva, Bury Me, and Tristessa show the aggressive, grunge-tinged side of this album. But don't for a minute assume that means one-dimentional. Even when shooting straight for the jugular, Billy Corgan and the Pumpkins are savvy songwriters and the arrangements not only go for maximum guitar rattle and impact, but build texture and marry that with great hooks. These songs are literally a blast- just try not to grin from ear to ear and jump out of your skin when cranking these tunes. It's almost impossible, and that's a testament to just how uncompromising the band is when defining their core sound. Right out of the gate, they want you to know they mean business-- and it's obvious. On the other hand, Rhinoceros, Crush, Suffer, and Window Paine offer a dreamier, slower, introspective side of the band. The layering of the guitars and the textural songwriting is taken to another level, with dashes of subtle psychedelia as a sign post to the band's (but mostly Billy's) influences. The few songs left in-between successfully tie these two sides of the band together, and what results is a cohesive and stunning debut album.
If it's obvious how much I love this album, then I've done my job well. Although the Smashing Pumpkins may have made bigger albums, or written better songs, there is a distillation of their essence that comes out every time I play Gish, which is only made more apparent through the lens of the band's later work. If you've ever been a fan of the Smashing Pumpkins, 90s alternative rock, or just rock and roll music in general, but haven't given Gish at least one thorough listen, turn off whatever you're listening to now and get your hands on this record. It is truly a masterpiece in it's own right.
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