•
Rating:
THE REVIEW
Gish is the explosive debut of the greatest band from Chicago (and beyond), whose prestigious position was heavily affected by the simultaneous release of a "certain" Nevermind. Gish came out in the height of the grunge era (and you can tell), it may not have the emotional impact of Siamese Dream or the presumption of Mellon Collie, but it remains a great debut.
The band has yet to develop that characteristic sound that will make them unique in the world but is still heavily influenced by '70s rock, leaning more towards the Black Sabbath side than the Led Zeppelin side; the main characteristic of the album is represented by the psychedelic excursions (sometimes excessive) and the ultra-technical and furious solos of bass and guitar.
The album starts in a memorable way: the much-maligned (by Corgan) I Am One is a damn rock'n'roll track old style, with a chorus that just won't go away; Siva is splendid, built on the calm-explosion model and characterized by Corgan's skill in the solos; Rhinoceros starts with oriental-style arpeggios and leads into wild electric explosions; with Crush and Suffer the tension drops a bit but not the quality level; in Tristessa the rhythmic guitar by Iha dominates, and an interesting melodic opening can be glimpsed; Window Paine is the classic experimental track of every pumpkin album. After Daydream (sung by D'Arcy) we have a fun ghost track where Billy prophetically sings "I'm going crazy...".
In essence, this album does not deserve top marks because it is the debut of a band that has yet to find its own identity, a strong creative urgency is felt, it feels like a star has been born destined never to set.
Loading comments slowly
Summary by Bot
Gish is the vibrant debut of Smashing Pumpkins, released during the grunge era and influenced by '70s rock. While it lacks the unique sound of later albums, its psychedelic elements and technical instrumentals stand out. The album features memorable tracks and highlights the band's early potential and creative urgency.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
The Smashing Pumpkins
American alternative rock band formed in Chicago and led by Billy Corgan, famed for 1990s albums such as Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.50 Reviews
Other reviews
By PortoFolio
"I AM ONE, a spectacular intro with bass and guitars at their limit that promises a crazy CD."
"Really a good debut... as a debut for the greatest band of Chicago it’s acceptable."
By SilverInRehab
"Gish is the excellent and underrated debut of the Smashing Pumpkins, dated 1991 (a truly blessed year!)."
"In these desolate 2000s, I still haven’t found a debut album that conveys to me the same passion combined with equal quality of the tracks."
