David Ames' Genre 10 - Rock Albums: #6: Smashing Pumpkins

David Ames digs through his music collection to count down his top ten favourite albums in a specific music genre. This time, he salutes those about to rock and at #6 it's Smashing Pumpkins with Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness...



From a young age, I have had a close association with the rock genre. My father would listen to classic rock almost constantly when I was younger and so from basically my infancy I have been listening to Led Zeppelin, Kansas, The Who, The Beatles, Bad Company, Journey, Foreigner, and many others. My father was also the first to introduce me to bands like Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Bush, three of the bands that have influenced me more than any others. Rock will always hold a special place in my heart because of its incredibly impactful presence in my life. I know all of you wonderful readers will recognize at least 80 percent of this list and here’s hoping that it triggers some pleasant memories of days gone by.


Find the other albums in David's Genre 10 Rock Albums

#6: Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness



Few bands from the 90s have the diversity in theatricality and musical variety than the Smashing Pumpkins. This was another band that Scot showed me and I have to admit, at first I wasn’t sure what to make of them. I enjoyed the music but the vocals were a little strange. Even so, Siamese Dream (their second release) gained some heavy rotation in my cd player years after its initial release. Then, in 1995, as my musical awakening was beginning, Smashing Pumpkins dropped a massive double-album called Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, with music heavily featuring strings. The album feels like the soundtrack to a Steampunk paradise somewhere in the annals of time where Billy Corgan’s haunting vocals stream out of speakers on every street corner. This album’s scope is impressive. If you have ever heard of the Smashing Pumpkins, you are aware of the songs on this album. From the beautiful “Tonight, Tonight” to the angry and rage-filled “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” this album spans almost all musical genres and deserves a listen if for nothing else than to marvel at the sheer scope and presence of the album and the genius therein.



Singles:



“Bullet with Butterfly Wings”







“1979”







“Tonight, Tonight”







“Zero”







“Thirty-Three”







Best non-single track:



“Here is No Why”

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