'Siamese Dream'

Looking back now, I realize that just about every local band I knew of or saw when I was in high school in the mid- or late-1990s were more Smashing Pumpkins influenced than any other band of that era like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam or Soundgarden.

Mostly, this is due musicianship. Those bands are so complex and talented way more so than the Smashing Pumpkins.

This is a clusterfuck of an album. It's OK in the end, but I can find at least 10 other albums that are better than from that era.

However, it's the drama behind that makes it interesting. Jimmy Chamberlin is a fanastic drummer and "Siamese Dream" is as good as he ever was. But he was neck deep in heroin, leaving sessions for days at a time on benders.

James Iha and D' arcy Wretzky had just broken up. Tensions ran high during sessions with manic depressive Billy Corgan going nuts re-doing parts and just being a nut like he was and always is.

It was a nutcase of a production and I couldn't imagine working in that environment.