Smashing Pumpkins - Gish (1991)

After my furore into the world of Paramore I think it's time
we returned to something a little more classic and here it is, with the Smashing Pumpkins legendary debut.
Like many I'm sure, I got into the SP through the Rotten Apples greatest hits and while that kept me satisfied long enough, after a while I had to dig back into the catalogue and Gish was the first studio album I checked out. From the first seconds of "I Am One" with its pounding drums, and ringing chord I was pretty certain that I'd be paid back for my interest. The next two tracks represented more familiar ground, as they were included on Rotten Apples, but the haunting feedback at the end of "Rhinoceros" leads you into the rest of the album perfectly. Of course, the guitar work from Iha and, in particular, Corgan is breathtaking as well, not just your standard solos. "Bury Me" and "Tristessa" follow the same vain, just brilliant rock tracks with abit of groove as well, courtesy of D'arcy and Chamberlain. However, around these songs, there are a collection of beautiful slower tracks of which my favourite would have to be "Crush",

"And this feeling shivers down your spine
Love comes in colors I can't deny
All that matters is love, love, your love "

As a whole this is just a top album where every track plays its part and for me, even though this was recorded 16 years ago, it still sounds fresh today.

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