Arriving several months before
Nirvana
's
Nevermind
,
the Smashing Pumpkins
' debut album,
Gish
, which was also produced by
Butch Vig
, was the first shot of the
alternative
revolution that transformed the
rock & roll
landscape of the '90s. While
was a
punk
band,
and guitarist/vocalist
Billy Corgan
are arena rockers, co-opting their metallic riffs and epic
art rock
song structures with self-absorbed lyrical confessions. Though
Corgan
's lyrics fall apart upon close analysis, there's no denying his gift for arrangements. Like
Brian May
and
Jimmy Page
, he knows how to layer guitars for maximum effect, whether it's on the pounding, sub-
Sabbath
rush of
"I Am One"
or the shimmering, psychedelic
dream pop
surfaces of
"Rhinoceros."
Such musical moments like these, as well as the rushing
"Siva"
and the folky
"Daydream,"
which features
D'Arcy
on lead vocals, demonstrate
' potential, but the rest of
falls prey to undistinguished songwriting and showy instrumentation. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine