My First Time Listening to Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins | My Reaction

[@ohareport]

i never get tired of watching people fall in love with this record 🧡

[@amandinejuliaverger3986]

Same!!!!! 😄❤️

[@amandinejuliaverger3986]

Same!!!!! 😄❤️

[@Tdub0911]

Hell yes. Thirty years ago, I can't believe it's been that long.

[@youreatoilet]

I only properly discovered pumpkins recently, I'd always just thought oh that's the soft rock '1979' or 'Tonight Tonight' band and had never really given their music a real shot (Both still great songs btw just not a true representation of the bands overall sound imo). It was only after randomly seeing a clip of Billy Corgan talking about Black Sabbath (my favourite band) and Tony Iommi's guitar playing being a huge inspiration and was like huh I don't hear any sabbath influence or even metal from the tracks I had heard, oh boy how wrong was I! Went down a rabbit hole starting with Gish but ultimately Siamese Dream was the one that turned me into a fan, some of the biggest heaviest guitar tones I've ever heard!

[@ToneSherpa]

Siamese Dream is about as close to a perfect rock album as has ever been made imo

[@MistahMatzah]

Don't tell Billy, he'll yell at you.

[@johnnyrokkit]

No cap.

[@coma718ny]

Agreed.

[@yossimahler4650]

Agreed!

[@TheSiameseDreamers]

We wholeheartedly agree :)

[@SrSacaninha]

What an absolute classic. Mayonaise made me weep back in the day.

[@mollyesanborn]

Mayonaise made me choke up a bit listening to it too. There are so many really soft, tender moments on this record that elicit so much emotion, it's really incredible.

[@revylokesh1783]

Yeah, I'm not a huge SP fan, but I was a teen when this came out and Mayonaise is definetly a tear-jerker for me. It's just 90s-nostalgia overload.

[@sianspherica]

I saw SP live in summer 2000 after they already announced they were breaking up at the end of the year so people at that show knew this would - at that time - be potentially the last time we'd seen em live in our city. When they played Mayonnaise I saw all sort of people openly crying.... A rock festival with 35,000 people. That song must effects people!

[@j_freed]

It's one of my favorites, along with Drown... which was a tune from the soundtrack "singles." it definitely belongs to this early version of their sound.

[@davidlumgair3499]

Still does mate

[@RC_991]

Mayonaise has to be the greatest album track in the history of music, (the singles from this album were Cherub Rock, Today, Disarm & Rocket)

[@hudsonja]

Apparently it's a single now, as of November 2023. Guess they realized how much people absolutely love that song

[@googleislame]

The pattern of their songs going soft and quiet and then suddenly getting intense and loud (I am not a musician so I don't know the technical term for it) was a hallmark of 90s grunge/rock. Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana both did this in a lot of their songs. And it traces back to another band called the Pixies who was a big influence on most of the 90s bands.

[@FOURTYFIVERS45]

Also the fuzziness and distortion..

[@josephfinnegan3592]

It’s called distortion or in SP case “fuzz” (literally what it is called). They are guitar pedals that you step on to turn on the “fuzz” (loud, aggressive sound) and then step on it again to turn off the fuzz and get the softer, “clean” sound as it is called.

[@PopTartMan-dk2qq]

@@josephfinnegan3592 buddy I’m sure people know what fuzz pedals are man.

[@whatdothlife4660]

Yes yes yeeees! I suggest not skipping Pisces Iscariot which came out after this just because it's B-sides. It fits perfectly in listening to them chronologically.

[@mollyesanborn]

Thanks for the heads up! I'll have to plan on a video for Pisces Iscariot too.

[@MasterChiefFLY]

@@mollyesanborn also Aeroplane Flies High

[@johnnelson3665]

Mellon Collie is their masterpiece. But I love Siamese Dream as well.

[@ectoplasma5]

​@@johnnelson3665 Adore too.

[@johncrawford]

Totally agree! “Pisces” is a beautiful accompaniment to this album yet it is much more than a B-side album. It’s still great to this day!

[@cloudbloom]

As a 40 year old your channel always brings me back to the albums that defined my high school years i love it. Thanks Molly✌️

[@brettschacht4183]

Top 5 record for me! I've been listening to it for almost 30 years, and it still feels fresh. Billy's songwriting on this album is absolutely mind-blowing. Thanks, Molly! Edit : A mellon collie feeling, you say?😄

[@mollyesanborn]

Agreed, this album does not sound 30 years old! Such a fresh sounding record. The songwriting is impeccable, a very poetic and dreamy album. There's something about it that really sticks with you long after you finish listening to it.

[@Bentzel75]

And that’s why I listen to it again and again….this album is nostalgia.

[@tinflowers]

Yeah its def up there for me as well!

[@alex_skull123]

Billy wrote the lyrics of "Lost in the Woods" by Taproot? Anyone knows?

[@DPRyan-vd5pp]

Definitely a top 5 album for me in the 90’s. One of my other top five albums from the 90’s is melancholy and the infinite sadness double album by yes…smashing pumpkins. Nirvana-Nevermind, soundgarden- superunknown, Veruca salt-Eight arms to hold you

[@GreetTheSacredCow]

This is the one I had been waiting for. The greatest album of all time.

[@mollyesanborn]

Yeah I'm so glad I finally got to this album! Such an impressive record, the Smashing Pumpkins really outdid themselves with this one.

[@franksbtka1624]

Jimmy Chamberlin is one of the greatest drummers to come out of the grunge era, and I'd still put him up there with one of the greatest drummers still living and working. People say Chamberlin isn't a drummer. He's artillery lol. He trained as a jazz drummer.

[@Justinhomii]

You're into sp too?

[@typ044]

Agree 100%

[@operative2136]

Wholeheartedly agree. You could debate endlessly about what is position is in the pantheon of great drummers, but he's one of my personal favorites because I find his drumming has such a distinct character to it. I could listen a ton of different drumming tracks, and instantly pick out the ones he's played because his style has such a distinctive flair and sense of timing to it.

[@flangmasterj]

Is Siamese Dream one of the most complete albums ever? Every track is so damn good.

[@JayTheRed602]

Some of the most beautiful songs ever written are on this album. I had Siamese Dream on cassette as a kid, I probably listened to it every day until it wore out. Spaceboy still hits me as hard as it did back then, probably even harder.

[@nathanpadilla213]

Mellon collie and the Infinite Sadness is really just as good with the emotions. The opening is a "melancholy" piano piece.

[@mollyesanborn]

I can't wait to hear it! :)

[@MacStiles]

Mellon Collie. Please don't fuck up the actual name.

[@nathanpadilla213]

@@MacStiles better

[@jarlwhiterun7478]

What a record. I didn't even know what kind of value I got when I bought that double album as a kid.

[@jack-of-all-trades1234]

​@@MacStiles Boy you sure take this seriously.

[@inphanta]

I had the biggest grin on my face watching this video and hearing your insights. It almost takes me back to when I heard this for the first time myself. And yes, Pumpkins excel at the union of opposites: light and dark, smooth and hard, pretty and ugly. You get it. 😊 I’d really love to hear you react to Soundgarden at some point. They’re a band that tends to get overlooked in the modern era despite how influential and respected they were back in the day.

[@mollyesanborn]

Aw, that makes me happy to hear that you enjoyed the video so much! This album really blew me away, every second of it was enthralling. Soundgarden is definitely a band I want to get to in the future, I'll have to do some videos for them soon.

[@macizo25]

I've loved this album since high school in the 90s. In my opinion, S.P. has an extremely unique sound, and the distortion and guitar tone on this album are definitely among my favorites!

[@mollyesanborn]

They really do have a unique sound. In listening to Gish and Siamese Dream I can hear so many different styles blended together, to the point where they almost create their own genre. And yes, I love that fuzziness too! It adds a nice softness to their sound.

[@Remedy462]

Smashing pumpkins was really good up until Oceania, then they switched their sound up, made pretty damn good albums and then fell epically hard with the Atum series.

[@mtns340]

not to mention the drums

[@taylorkt333]

The guitar sounds are largely attributable to a fuzz pedal called Big Muff, which was rarely used until this album. It’s a great sound.

[@allybaapp1053]

@@Remedy462 For me, Smashing Pumpkins ended after Mellon Collie.

[@itschavez115]

One of the best albums that has ever created in music history!

[@mollyesanborn]

Now that I've heard it I can wholeheartedly agree. Every track is absolutely amazing!

[@georgetwine2261]

nice profile pic

[@murrayguitarpickups9545]

The "fuzziness" that you love comes from a fuzz pedal called the Big Muff. You actually commented on it in the Gish reaction video, it was used on Siva for a small part but they loved it so much they used it on almost every guitar part on Siamese Dream, Pisces and melancholy. It became their signature sound and the $50 second hand Big Muff pedal shot up to hundreds of dollars and is now a bit of a collectors item. Billy got the idea from Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine and it is a huge part of the shoegaze sound. You have very good ears Molly!

[@whatdothlife4660]

It's impressive how often she pinpoints stuff on her first listen of a few albums now.

[@rome8180]

The reissue Op-Amp Big Muff will get you really close to his sound. And it's still very affordable. Under $100 new. Around $60-70 used.

[@StompUnderFoot]

Actually, they used to share a rehearsal space with the Chicago band, Catherine. Catherine was using the Op-Amp version of the Big Muff and when Billy heard it, he went to get one. Listen to Catherine's album SORRY!. The song SAINT sounds like a Pumpkins tune.

[@Penaltybox66]

And Hummer is in a drop D Tuning

[@preston_s.]

​@@rome8180 The Nano Big Muff is also impressively faithful to the original's sound. Great pedals all around.

[@Saddartha]

I love the innocent and totally-not-an-expert description you've provided us. The vocabulary you use to describe the songs, for us pumpkinheads, is almost like a familiar echo of what we all thought the first time we heard the band! So glad TSP can still attract new fans! 😊

[@furmanb]

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard Siamese Dream.... Absolutely fantastic album! Came out the year I finished High School here in Australia. 'Soma', 'Mayonnaise', 'Silverfuck' are awesome tracks on an album where every track is brilliant. As an album it struck many a chord. Gish is also fantastic, Mellon Collie is a great album too, but it's a little 'grandiose' and went mainstream for the Pumpkins. Us Alt/Indie/Metal kids liked our secret gems. Thanks Molly 😉🇦🇺👌

[@UberFlambe]

'Geek USA' is quite possibly my favourite song of all time and this album sounds as good today as it ever did. Phenomenal stuff.

[@andrewface]

I can’t think of any other song that sounds like Geek. It’s a prog rock masterpiece. Without a doubt my favourite SP song.

[@greglynch391]

@@andrewfaceI think of it as SP’s Ace Of Spades

[@513Lindaddy]

Definitely my favorite SP album! Soma and Mayonnaise are my favorite Pumpkins songs.

[@mollyesanborn]

Soma and Mayonaise, those are two of my favorites as well. Although every track is a favorite haha! Such a fantastic album from start to finish.

[@jarlwhiterun7478]

Soma and mayonnaise are some of my favorite videogames and condiments too!

[@metalmania3678]

I know you probably won't see this four months later, but you turned me onto the Smashing Pumpkins after I saw this video the day you uploaded it, and since then they've become one of my favorite bands. It's always great finding a band that's new to me, and they've been one of my most listened to bands this year!

[@mollyesanborn]

This comment makes me so happy to read! I'm glad that you've discovered the Smashing Pumpkins as well, I guess we're both new to their music :)

[@Moody_82]

Please dive into the b sides my friend...

[@kb_78]

Love hearing this! Been my favorite band since 1995….damn I’m old. Such a diverse and genius band.

[@mercurymachines4311]

I've listened to this Album thousands of times and I must say that your musical intuition is fantastic. I know 'Pisces Iscariot' is B sides and Rarities Album but I would highly recommend you give that a listen before the Masterpiece that is 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness'.

[@rolaki]

I bought this album when I was 22 in 1993 and been pretty much listening to it ever since. Nice to see young folks digging it.

[@MasterChiefFLY]

i really hope you end up doing the rest of the classic Pumpkins records :) (Mellon Collie, Adore and Machina) great video!

[@mollyesanborn]

I'm planning on it! Can't wait to hear more from The Smashing Pumpkins, they're great :)

[@flangmasterj]

Jeez this album is incredible. I've purchased very few albums in my life but Siamese Dream was one of my first on cassette. I'd sit in bed with it playing. From beginning to end it's amazing.

[@radium05]

Jimmy is one solid drummer. Creative, consistent and hard hitting. If you enjoy this kind of drumming you'd love Matt Cameron (Soundgarden).

[@jucarcan]

A really good single was also released by Smashing Pumpkins around this time. Drown from the Singles Soundtrack. It's a really great song and that entire soundtrack is a must listen for your channel, imo.

[@mollyesanborn]

Noted, thanks for letting me know! I will have to check that out as well.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Drown is one of my favorite SP songs.

[@kcskoolz8312]

I'm obsessed with this album

[@Xenda]

My favorite track for the last 30 years has been Soma. This album is Smashing Pumpkins at their finest. Glad you liked this album!

[@redconfetti]

I just got the Neath the Darkest Eves on vinyl and it includes a really faithful version of Soma on piano.

[@TallTravels]

One of my favourite live performances kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3i4oqKlorZ3eJo

[@xx_theartfuldodger_xx1105]

I cry every time I hear it!

[@gabrieljohnson4213]

Soma is the most Smashing Pumpkiniest song they ever did.

[@Frodzon]

likewise - the song I listened to over and over as I tried to figure out the world

[@BLSFL_HAZE]

Those moments when you just swoon over the really gorgeous passages of this album....I felt those moments 😁 Great reaction, Molly!

[@mollyesanborn]

So just about every moment then, haha! Such an amazing record. Glad you enjoyed the reaction :)

[@geoffthompson9265]

So glad you loved this album! It really is a masterpiece of alternative rock. Jimmy’s drumming on geek USA is a joy to follow, matching the speed and rhythm of the guitars. Soma is the rhinoceros sequel to me, both amazing slow burners

[@mollyesanborn]

Yeah something about this album just really stuck with me, it's unforgettable in that way. Just a beautiful blend of so many sounds and styles. The drumming is such a standout, an almost militaristic speediness at times but there's always this loose, relaxed quality to it as well. Good stuff!

[@jedgrahek1426]

This has always been my favorite album ever... I'm sure listening it as a teenager has a lot to do with that, but it's also truly a timeless masterpiece. It was really fun watching you react to all of it. I just saw them in Sacramento on their current tour a number of weeks back, it was so damn great... nothing will ever top the show they put on at the Universal Amphitheater in 2000 though, the night after Billy Corgan announced they were breaking up after that tour on KTLA in the afternoon. They really put on a special show that night, I feel very fortunate to have been there.

[@MOGO8907]

Old 90's lonely emo kids secret favorite album of theirs will always be Adore. It perfectly fits that "I dont deserve him/her" self pity vibe. Massively underrated imo. Daphne Descends will make you miss being in a old relationship you never had.

[@mollyesanborn]

I can't wait to hear it! I'll definitely plan on continuing on with their discography :)

[@MOGO8907]

Awesome! We're eagerly anticipating the next one, Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness is the full enchilada. Pact with so much rich spicy flavor, you'll be amazed by the value your getting for just one album. You won't be able to finish it in one sitting.

[@16ozClawHammer]

Plus one for Adore. Sheila, Daphne and Martha. Stand out tracks.

[@whatdothlife4660]

Adore is in my top 10 albums of all time.

[@MOGO8907]

@@whatdothlife4660 What are the other 9?

[@Gump_Happens]

My favorite album of all time

[@jacobseal]

What a cool find tonight on my feed. This was a real delight. You felt all the things we felt back in the day when we first heard this album. It is a monumental piece of music. IMO, the best album of the 90's and one of the top 5-10 of all time. Its nostalgia city for me as well since me and my friends listened to this 1 million times.

[@bryanmartin1053]

I remember being about Molly's age when this came out. I will never forget hearing Mayonaisse for the first time in '93 by myself right after I got my driver's license

[@henergy96]

Basically the best album of all time

[@StalkingButler]

One of my favorites of all time. Was great to see someone react to the whole album! Brings me back when I first heard it.

[@GhostlyEcheveria]

One of the best things about The Pumpkins is the drummer, Jimmy Chamberlain. He is an absolute beast on the drums, and he's also a total sweetheart. I met Billy, James, and Jimmy back in 2000, and while they were all amazing, Jimmy made a huge impression on me.

[@psychosonic_misfit]

I feel not enough people have told Billy how truly great this album is. I've heard he thought it was disappointing to him, if only he knew how successful he was. It's truly a great album.

[@twelvemonkeys8786]

What a beautiful album.. There masterpiece awaits

[@mollyesanborn]

Yes, such a gorgeous record! It flows beautifully from track to track. I can't wait to see what I'm going to think of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

[@collapsing_star]

@@mollyesanborn you’ll have to do an extra long video or split it in two. It has 28 tracks.

[@carlitodebrooklyn4078]

I give many thanks to a high school friend who put me on to this album in 2009. Yes, I’m young considering when this came album came out in ‘93. Nonetheless, I used a cd player to listen it haha. This album is a fresh, calm, adventurous record that opened up my musical organs. A must listen to all peoples. Long live the smashing pumps

[@uvion]

Wish I could go back and hear it for the first time =)

[@mollyesanborn]

It really is an experience listening to this album. Every second is spellbinding.

[@davidhart6291]

Still one of the greatest albums of all time! All the tracks are amazing, but Soma & Geek USA are two of the most underrated songs ever recorded. So unique! Billy’s lyricism is among the best of all time (and he’s an underrated guitarist).

[@mikekorn2]

I will stand by my opinion that the solo in soma is the best guitar solo of all time

[@dawidvanstraaten]

Billy is monster on guitar. People don’t realise how good he is. He can shred with the best of them, but what makes him even better is that he is an amazing songwriter. I prefer their guitar driven music though.

[@psychoslingers8732]

I will forever love that album. It’s a complete masterpiece front to back.

[@XPoeticRenegadeX]

First video Ive seen of yours. This was one of the first albums I owned as a young teen, and a large reason I became a shoegaze/alt musician. I just have to say, that your insight on all the guitar work and sounds is fantastic. I would love to just sit down and show you the magic behind a guitar/ bass guitar pedal board, and all the cool pieces of equipment and techniques that make these sounds you talk about. You have an ear for it.

[@blondie2998]

This is a top three fav album of mine and tbh might even be #1 so I am SO pumped to watch this!!!!

[@koborattila2466]

I just discovered this channel but I'm invested in the great descriptions and narration and the vibe so I love this.

[@mollyesanborn]

Aw thanks! Glad you're enjoying the videos :)

[@celticspike2522]

The mark of a great album is one where even the non-singles are regarded as some of the bands best work. Nothing epitomises this more then Siamese dream in my book

[@mollyesanborn]

Very well said, I couldn't agree more. Every track is impeccable.

[@airwaydude014]

The way Quiet just kicks off is one of my favorite moments on the whole album. Great review. Your opinions on almost all these tracks are the same as mine, especially with Geek USA, It's definitely the punchiest track on Siamese.

[@mollyesanborn]

Yeah, Quiet is such a fantastic song! A very ironic track title, isn't it? It's such a punch of energy on this record.

[@rwestvang]

Mayonaise. What a great SONG. Lyrics and melody is just perfect. It paints a rather dysfunctional family though. When I read this lyrics, I just want to give Billy a hug. Adolescent trauma delivered on a gold platter here folks. Perfection.

[@nathanpadilla213]

Back to back Smashing Pumpkins. Awesome! 👍 They really are "Smashing" Aren't they?

[@mollyesanborn]

Yes, they certainly are quite smashing! 😂

[@dasninjastix]

It's a special album, Butch Vig really did his thing and captured both the angst and creativity of the band. I've always admired the way the Pumpkins sounded both like they fit in and out of their era. As some bands started to sound a bit "samey" the Pumpkins were distinctly unique. I'm really, really interested if/when you get to Adore what you'll think.

[@whatdothlife4660]

My heart flutters every time I see someone mentioning Adore. It's an untapped resource for reactors having so many great sounds and things to comment on.

[@RoCkHeAd316]

Adore is so criminally underrated. I fell asleep to that album for years as a teenager 💙

[@dasninjastix]

@@RoCkHeAd316 Reading through the comments for this video, and seeing how Adore still resonates with so many people makes me really happy. I hate sounding like a hipster and saying it's one of those things that you just have to "get" but I don't know how else to describe it. I remember it being pretty divisive at the time and folks not really knowing how to feel about it but that's the thing with music, sometimes it takes a really long time to grow to appreciate something.

[@beerwolf8518]

I'm so happy we're finally getting to some Smashing Pumpkins! It's my favorite band ever! They're great!!! Each album is pretty different. Siamese Dream and Gish were both produced by Butch Vig who also produced Nirvana's album 'Nevermind'. There's a BIG wall of guitar sound on this album. It's sonically a unique achievement. ALSO, the drummer, Jimmy Chamberlain, is one of the very best! The band wouldn't have the same 'feel' without Jimmy's drumming. This can't be said about all rock bands.

[@beerwolf8518]

Also - The string sounds on Space Boy are an old keyboard called a mellotron. Those keyboards were made in the 60s and used by bands like the Beatles a lot. You can hear it in Strawberry Fields Forever as an example. I think Space Boy was a song dedicate to BCs brother. Mayonaise famously has these short breaks with a guitar feedbacking. They had a guitar in the studio that would feedback all of the time and used it in those pauses. The sound of Siamese Dream uses a lot of fuzz pedals. Notably, the op amp big muff is used a lot. It has more of an aggressive attack compared to other big muffs. Some other pedals are used, too. The Fender Blender is used and different phasers and flangers.

[@cactustactics]

Butch is a drummer too so it makes sense that he'd make the drums sound so good, haha. Billy claimed to have taught him how to produce drums during Gish but he always said stuff like that

[@dbarron2624]

Your explanations of these songs were bang on and reminded me of my first time listening reactions ... and your expressions through my fav track 'Hummer' , .... i could see the feels hitting you 😊 oh and the answer to your many wonderings is most definitely a 'big muff' fuzz pedal

[@Dk_Linn]

I personally am more of a Mellon Collie fan (I love the variety and scope of that album) but Siamese Dream is 100% considered their biggest classic. Glad you're liking the Pumpkins so much!

[@mr_boo_berry]

I've listened to a lot of albums by a lot of artists/bands over the years, and I can say that Siamese Dream is my all-time favorite album, hands down. I've always loved the dreamy aspect to the album (like the beginning part of Soma with that dreamy guitar) mixed with the psychedelic and shoegaze elements, which makes it very unique. Spaceboy is one of my all-time favorite songs too, the string parts you hear was played by Billy Corgan on a Mellotron, which is a keyboard/synthesizer that uses tapes of pre-recorded instruments like strings (and those tapes only last 8 seconds if I recall, once you hit the end you'll hear the Mellotron stop playing the part and rewind the tape). The tapes don't exactly sound 1:1 with the original instruments and have this unique sound to them, hence why they were popular with some musicians over the years. However there's something about those Mellotron parts that make Spaceboy kinda melancholy in general, especially the part after the first chorus. Siamese Dream was a nightmare to mix, Soma alone has over 40 overdubbed guitar parts. Billy Corgan had horrible writer's block during the album's recording and was suicidal, hence why Today is very dark lyrically. Thankfully he made it through that period and created some of the best music ever, if you ask me.

[@mollyesanborn]

Thanks for the info! Yeah, this album is absolutely spectacular. Can't believe it took me this long to finally listen to it. The fuzzy shoegaze punctuated by the punchy rock elements creates such a unique blend of sounds, it's really hard to pin this album into one genre. And that's crazy about Soma, it sounds so minimalistic and pulled back with its sound that I never would have guessed so much went into its recording process.

[@the_hero7801]

This is such a masterpiece of an album from hard hitting start, to peaceful end.

[@jorgealbertotv]

Smashing pumpkins has been my all-time favorite band since high school. Seeing you react to this jewel of an album brought tears to my eyes. You brought back many memories of simpler times, listening to this album. Thank you. :D

[@songcovers4202]

One of my favourite albums! I reccomend listening to Pisces Iscariot next

[@f4644]

Yes, this album is masterpiece. Will you react to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, next? I hope you to react Pisces Iscariot as outtakes and B sides, and MACHINA someday.

[@mollyesanborn]

I will definitely plan on doing reactions to all three of these! Can't wait to hear them.

[@whatdothlife4660]

Mmm Machina

[@sammo2560]

don’t forget Adore!

[@Rcprobot]

One of the best albums of all time

[@matthewbritt8498]

My absolute favorite album of all time. It’s crazy how much this record means to me

[@TheSiameseDreamers]

Our namesake! I loved watching all the reactions and descriptions, and it makes me wish I could listen to it for the first time again. But after hundreds of listens (and rehearsals, and playing it live), it's still just as amazing.

[@davidmillschills]

I remember going to their concert in 1993/1994, nobody knew them back then in Germany. They played a small venue and were able to transport their energy they have on their album. Even know 2/3 of the crowd didn't know almost any song at all, people were jumping up an down for almost 2hrs. Their later albums got too melancholy for me, but boy, Billy knows how to write riffs, remarkable melodies and keeps you on your heals all through the songs. Remarkable piece of music. I will play some songs to my kids one day. What great lyrics all over. They mirror Billys feelings and really match the distortion and change of speed within the music. Thanks Molly

[@Xeroforte]

Ooh I'm early, nice. I dont know what can be said about this album that hasn't been said already. Such a great blend of grunginess and shoegazey alternative rock.

[@mollyesanborn]

Yep, so much variety on this record! It really can't be pigeonholed to a single genre. It's got the punchiness, the dreamy quality, and those tender emotional moments as well.

[@celebritykid4711]

I love that you singled out Luna, it's a gorgeous song that often gets overlooked imo.

[@stevo-dx5rr]

I got on a plane in 1996 to go on a vacation as a teenager, the first trip like that I had ever taken. I was so excited. Stepping off the plane, I was listening to this album. Getting into the taxi to the hotel, the sun appeared, bright and warm, as Today came on my headphones. It certainly was the greatest day ever. And just yesterday, after a warm sunny Sunday in the backyard with my 3yo, we came inside as the sun started to come down, and I threw Today on while we sat and ate a bedtime snack together. Afterwards, he said to me: “play that greatest day song again”. ❤ Thanks for sharing your reaction! Clearly, the KZbin algorithm works :) And one last thing (speaking of shoegaze); after having listened to Siamese Dream again after so long a time, I stumbled upon Loveless by my bloody valentine. Listening to that album was so surreal…I had never heard it before (I don’t quite know how I missed it during the 90’s, perhaps it came out a little bit too early in the decade for me), but I immediately identified with it as it clearly must have influenced so many artists I had listened to over the years. It was immediately familiar to me, like that feeling you get when you instantly click with someone you’ve just met; it hardly felt Loveless.

[@wacoblaze]

My favorite album of all time. With headphones on its incredible. Pumpkins forever!

[@georgefisher2048]

Siamese dream is an absolute masterpiece. Fun fact about why they have a track called Mayonaise, Billy Corgan was looking in his fridge one night and saw a jar of mayonaise and thought it would be a funny name for a song. Ironically i think its their greatest song and my all time favourite song. Great vid btw.

[@fernicusmaximus9282]

Can't wait for the next album. I'm listening along with you. 😁

[@dereks7745]

Can't wait for you to review Mellen Collie. My favorite record of theirs. 😁

[@Rigby545]

I think you would really enjoy Blind Melon. I don't hear them mentioned much and it's such a shame, they have some fantastic music. Unfortunately they didn't end up releasing too much due to the passing of their lead singer.

[@kcbyerly]

I haven’t read all the comments, and maybe someone has mentioned this already about Mayonnaise: 1. The title was originally “My Own Eyes”. 2. Billy had an old guitar that would squeal every time he suddenly stopped playing it, so he incorporated that sound into the recording. On most days, I would call this my favorite song of all time.

[@twistedcliffster9038]

In my head my own eyes sounds like mayonnaise in and Australian accent

[@jameswallace5235]

Fianlly got around to watching this, been a bit busy. Loved it. Couple of things: I loved you describing one of their songs as melancholy, when their next album is Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. They called it Mayaonise because mayo was the only thing Billy Corgan had in his fridge when he wrote it. And Spaceboy is about Billy Corgan's younger brother, who is autistic.

[@vincentrose9114]

Ooh gotta make some popcorn for this one! 🙂🍿 a once in a lifetime type of record. Soma is one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard. Mayonnaise is like etched into my soul. Can't rave about this album enough. Just a pinnacle record. Fun Fact: the intro to Quiet was sampled and manipulated from an old toy that Billy Corgan had that made race car sounds. Funny how you used the word 'rev' you nailed it once again! Great review!

[@ninemoonsband]

Loved this video. Felt like I was vicariously experiencing the album again for the first time! Great job 🙌

[@lichtfilme]

Butch Vig had the perfect clothes for the band. He knew how to produce those guitar-scapes and especially billy’s vocals.

[@NehemiahRyan]

I can't wait for MCIS! It's one of my favorite albums of all time and it's so so good. I think you'll absolutely love it!

[@andrewdyke5561]

Your face when something truely hit is amazing i love it.

[@TheAwesomepotatoes]

Top 5 album of all time, honestly.

[@mollyesanborn]

If you don't mind me asking, what's your full top 5 list? I'd love to check out the other four :)

[@TheAwesomepotatoes]

@@mollyesanborn oh sure You already did 2 of them with Siamese Daydream and Pinkerton, but the other 3 are Emergency & I by The Dismemberment Plan Madvillainy by Madlib & MF DOOM And Is this it? by The Strokes

[@BuddyDude0112]

​​@@TheAwesomepotatoes I would love her to do a reaction to "Is This It". Absolutely my favorite album of all time.

[@britva836]

Siamese Dream is the perfect album. I remember seeing the video for Cherub Rock on 120 mins on MTV in the 6th grade. Blew my mind. I still listen to this album on the regular today. My kids love it now too.

[@whatdothlife4660]

Tonight Tonight video blew my mind in 8th grade! SP had so many amazing songs and videos.

[@ninja_tony]

Holy crap, I can’t wait for her reactions to Pisces Iscariot and Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness! I’ve been enjoying these videos so much.

[@ericfilmsf8429]

As perfect and amazing as Siamese Dream is, the epic-ness and the emotional connection of Mellon Collie means it will always hold the top SP album spot in my heart. I can't wait til you get to hear it! I hope you do it in 2 parts since it's a double album.

[@djpown5117]

Amazing record. One of my top 10. Love your channel very much! Keep listening to amazing music!!

[@mollyesanborn]

Yes, this album is absolutely fantastic! Can't wait to dive into more of the Smashing Pumpkins' discography.

[@-LDK-]

This was literally the soundtrack of my teenage years. Even to this day as I’m in my 40’s I throw this on and it transports me back in time, and gives me raw, passionate emotions that few pieces of art can. Truly one of the best albums ever for me, and Smashing Pumpkins masterpiece, IMO. And that isn’t to take away from any of their other greats, but Billy Corgan honestly caught lightning in a bottle with Siamese Dream.

[@totalprocall6894]

Bravo on this reaction! It's heart warming to see someone of a younger generation get this album so completely...to the point of vocalizing moments, feelings, curiosities, i remember having regarding this wonderful album as a 13 year old kid back in 1994. It's truly my favorite album ever and an instrumental and sonic masterpiece. The way it shifts its emotions between loving delicacy, and harsh angry abruptness, while having that dreamy haze covering the tracks, is quite unlike anything else in rock. Great video.

[@robertnewett5932]

Great review. Thank you for acknowledging that you've heard Today, and Disarm before. Nobody would believe it if you said that you didn't. These songs were huge in 90's pop culture and it would be impossible to make it to adulthood without ever hearing them.

[@chosenone8408]

8:05 Quick note: The high pitched squeal that you hear when the song stops, is from Billy's cheap guitar that was broken. The problem with the guitar is exactly what you just heard ... if you don't continue to play the guitar, the guitar squeals unexpectedly. Billy decided to intentionally harness that sound for the purpose of those pauses in this song. Basically, Billy took something that was broken, and used it as a feature.

[@TornSoul062473]

I could listen to Mayonaise on an infinite loop. I don't know what it is about that song, but it just moves me in the right way. Easily top 5 album of my life. I remember being in high school and listening to this album for the first time and I was absolutely stunned by how amazing it was. Fantastic review of such an epic album. Pisces Iscariot is a do not miss album, but I'm really waiting for you to get to Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which has a lot of the same great music on Siamese Dream, but much more mature. It's also a double album, which is twice the Pumpkins in one sitting.

[@Christopher-Baltimore]

Mayonaise is amazingly beautiful!

[@Daishi13]

The Smashing Pumpkins is one of my favorite bands of all time. I remember the first time I listened to this album and I listened to it non-stop for months and still listen to it once a week to this day. I got lucky enough to work with the Pumpkins in the early 2000s on the 1979 & Perfect videos. I was also lucky enough to be invited to their private show at the Troubadour. The fuzz you keep hearing is from the Green Russian Big Muff which is such an amazing fuzz pedal. I bought one in the mid 90s and use it all the time. I purchased the reissue by Eletro-Harmonix and even though its still really good it is missing something. Anyways I loved the 2 reactions I saw of yours so far. (This & Gish) I can't wait to watch your older videos e.g. Incubus' Science (love that album) and see what else you listen to in the future.

[@josephdowling811]

That was fun, listening to your discovery of the best album ever made. I remember the days before I learned guitar, and before I dissected all these songs, the magic of listening to that wall of sound and wondering how the hell they made it. Your interpretations on the song names made me smile. Billy once said he came up with his song titles by tenuous association of something completely unrelated to the song's lyrics, almost like a word association game, so the real reasons for their names are mostly lost to all but imagination and Billy himself.

[@shoneie]

Great album! HUMMER is such a sick song.

[@twistedcliffster9038]

My favorite song from Shakespeare dream

[@Dankmemes555]

Also that fuzziness that you're hearing is from a guitar pedal called the "Big Muff" it's like a distortion pedal but makes everything sound fuzzy. It can be turned on and off or combined with other effects. So they can go from heavy to light really easily

[@papaglenford]

i just turned 23 when this came out. i was a drummer and guitarist, and i lived with a lap-steel player who filled the house with his haunting tremolo. i listened to this every day, all the way through, just as you did, for probably 18 months. it's such an unusual and emotional album. you noticed the Butch Vig thing where the aggressive growl comes across like a smooth wall. i saw them with the beasties at lollapalooza the next summer and it was such a great cap to my year of immersion. fucking. great.

[@shaint3232]

The gaziness of the guitars is amazing and the layering work done on this album is masterful

[@TheEternalSigh]

This album has been a close companion of mine for most of my life. Isn’t Soma incredible?

[@mollyesanborn]

Yes, Soma is indeed an incredible track! This entire album is really something else, I'm so glad to have finally heard it.

[@countquackula8539]

Despite Siamese Dreams being their most famous and loved album. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is their biggest album with most of their biggest hits. They feel more seasoned on that album. I have a feeling you'll like it better.

[@mollyesanborn]

Oh man I'm so excited to hear it! Although I can't imagine a record surpassing Siamese Dream, this album was just spectacular. Who knows though, maybe Mellon Collie will end up being my favorite. We'll have to see!

[@robgeach8105]

it's a double album. it has more radio play tracks by virtue of sheer quantity, and probably just as many good non-radio tracks as siamese dream, but there are very obvious reasons why so many people prefer siamese dream to mellon collie (not gonna spoil).

[@countquackula8539]

@Rob Geach I get the album is a bit stretched out, but if you're a fan of their music, Infinite Sadness is like a fans paradise. Like you said, many of the non radio songs are also good on this one, too but you get more. But I also feel like their music evolved a bit in this album, like they honed and matured their sound more.

[@rael2099]

​@@mollyesanborn Mellon Collie is like 70% filler songs, it's not that great at all, it pales in comparison to Siamese Dream. Perhaps if they released it as a single album maybe it could have been near as great as Siamese Dream.

[@countquackula8539]

@The Supernatural Anaesthetist 70% filler songs? The first disc alone is amazing. Almost every song delivers. This is considered one of their best albums for reason. The second disc may not be as good but still has some amazing tracks. I do agree that's it's a bit stretched out, but I would say maybe 30% are fillers which come mostly from disc two. If they were to cut some of the fat disc two, then this would probably be the superior album.

[@RC-gg1ib]

I was your age back in the glorious early 90s and am sooooo glad I got to see all these bands live... ahhhhhhhhhhh. So fun to hear your comments

[@jonlenzmeier5332]

Been a favorite album of mine since its release and such an important part of my early to mid teenage years. Good memories of sitting in my room and playing through the entire album on guitar and bass, beginning to end (except for a couple of guitar solos). Also an excellent album to drive around listening to. I think I speak for a lot of fans of The Smashing Pumpkins when I say we want Billy to get back to this level of immaculate production, with his airy/breathy vocals pushed back into the mix. It was fun watching you listen and react to it!