First up will be Gish, Siamese Dream and Pisces Iscariot. Next year it's Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, the Aeroplane Flies High box set (Jesus—that thing was five discs) and Adore. Then in 2013 it's Machina/The Machines Of God and Machina II: The Friends & Enemies Of Modern Music.
Sorry, Zeitgest. (Save for two songs, that one was pretty much a misfire anyway. There is also a new album on the way in September called Oceania, which is essentially the next 10 tracks from the 44-song work-in-progress that Billy Corgan has been releasing here and there over the past two years.)
I can't begin to explain what an impact the "peak" years for the Pumpkins had on my own life; being seduced by Siamese Dream as an innocent college sophomore, just as Nirvana completely imploded; adjusting to and navigating the ups and downs of life as an openly gay man, with Mellon Collie as the soundtrack; living in Pittsburgh and free-falling through a turbulent, post-college introspective period with Adore, the year before I moved to Los Angeles.
I miss everything I'll never be. — "Rocket"
I actually didn't buy Gish till way later, and still have never heard Machina the whole way through. I did, however, stand in line at the Sunset Blvd. Virgin Megastore with my friend Mike the night before the latter was released, so he could buy it during the midnight sale. Despite not owning a copy, I firmly believe "Stand Inside Your Love" off that one is a total fucking heart-breaker. Likewise, "Rhinoceros" off Gish is an absolute classic.
My List Of The 15 Essential Guitar-Crunching And/Or Mind-Blowing Smashing Pumpkins Jams, In No Particular Order:
"Here Is No Why"
"Cherub Rock"
"Soma"
"Today"
"Love"
"Rhinoceros"
"Stand Inside Your Love"
"The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning"
"Crestfallen"
"Ava Adore"
"Tonight, Tonight" (*My karaoke standby!*)
"Mayonaise"
"Rocket"
"For Martha"
"Hummer"
Personally, I just can't wait to finally have Siamese Dream with decent sound quality.
