Gish is the debut album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Released in 1991, frontman Billy Corgan described Gish as a "very spiritual album."[2] Despite peaking at only number 195 on the Billboard 200 upon its release,[3] Gish is currently certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[citation needed]
Recording
Gish was recorded from December 1990 to March 1991 in Butch Vig's Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin. Whereas many albums at the time used drum sampling and processing, Gish used unprocessed drum recordings, and an exacting, unique guitar sound.[4] The album was recorded quickly by Pumpkins' standards, largely because of the group's inexperience.[5] The recording sessions put an intense strain on the band, with bassist D'arcy Wretzky later commenting that she didn't know how the band survived it, and Corgan explaining he suffered a nervous breakdown.[5] The recording cost was $20,000.[6]
"I Am One", "Rhinoceros", "Daydream", and "Bury Me" were previously recorded as demos by the band in 1989. All four songs were re-recorded for Gish.
The following songs were written and recorded for Gish but did not make the final cut.
- "Blue" (released on Lull and Pisces Iscariot)
- "Obscured" (released on Pisces Iscariot)
- "Slunk" (released on Lull)
- "Why Am I So Tired?" (released on Earphoria)
- "Jesus Loves His Babies" (Never officially released, appears on Mashed Potatoes bootleg, a five-disc set assembled by Billy Corgan and given to band and staff as a gift for Christmas 1994)
- "La Dolly Vita" (originally the B-side to "Tristessa", re-released on Pisces Iscariot)
Composition
Gish was recorded towards the end of Billy Corgan's psychedelic influence, while the band's post-punk roots had almost entirely evaporated. It introduced the hard rock sound and heavy dynamic shifts that would characterize later Pumpkins work. The inclusion of a massive production style reminiscent of ELO and Queen was unusual for an independent band at the time.[7]
Corgan would later say,
The album is about pain and spiritual ascension. People ask if it's a political album. It's not a political album, it's a personal album. In a weird kind of way, Gish is almost like an instrumental album - it just happens to have singing on it, but the music overpowers the band in a lot of places. I was trying to say a lot of things I couldn't really say in kind of intangible, unspeakable ways, so I was capable of doing that with the music, but I don't think I was capable of doing it with words.[5]
Title
The album was named after silent film icon Lillian Gish. In an interview, Corgan said, "My grandmother used to tell me that one of the biggest things that ever happened was when Lillian Gish rode through town on a train, my grandmother lived in the middle of nowhere, so that was a big deal..."[2] Later, Corgan jokingly asserted that the album was originally going to be called "Fish" but was changed to "Gish" to avoid comparisons to jam band Phish.[8]
Reception
Gish was met with largely enthusiastic reviews. Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune called Gish "perhaps the most audacious and accomplished" of all 1991 albums released by local bands.[6] Rolling Stone called it "awe-inspiring" with "meticulously calculated chaos" and a "swirling energy."[9] Despite an inauspicious start, the album sold 100,000 copies in less than a year, far exceeding the expectations of indie label Caroline Records.[10] After being reissued on the band's new label Virgin, the album went on to achieve platinum status.
Track listing
All songs written by Billy Corgan, except where noted.
- "I Am One" (Corgan, James Iha) – 4:07
- "Siva" – 4:20
- "Rhinoceros" – 6:32
- "Bury Me" – 4:48
- "Crush" – 3:35
- "Suffer" – 5:11
- "Snail" – 5:11
- "Tristessa" – 3:33
- "Window Paine" – 5:51
- "Daydream" – 3:08
Chart positions
- Album
- Singles
Release history
The first mastering of Gish on CD was from Digital Audio Tape and appeared on Caroline Records. In 1994, after the success of follow-up Siamese Dream, the album was given a slight remaster and redesign and was reissued on Virgin Records.[12] Both editions credit Howie Weinberg as mastering engineer. In 2008, a box set re-release of the album was announced, but never materialized.[13]
| Region |
Date |
Label |
Format |
Catalog |
| United States, Germany, The Netherlands |
01991-05-28 May 28, 1991 |
Caroline |
LP |
CAROL-1705-1 |
| Cassette tape |
CAROL-1705-4 |
| Compact Disc |
CAROL-1705-4 |
| South Korea |
01991 1991 |
EMI |
LP |
VKPL-0089 |
| United Kingdom |
01991-08 August 1991 |
Hut |
Cassette tape |
HUTCS2 |
| Compact Disc |
HUTCD2 |
| LP |
HUTLP2 |
| Japan |
01991-09-21 September 21, 1991 |
Virgin |
Compact Disc |
VJCP-28068 |
| 01994-08-10 August 10, 1994 |
Virgin |
Compact Disc |
VJCP-25129 |
| United Kingdom |
01994-10-03 October 3, 1994 |
Hut |
Cassette tape |
HUTCSX2 |
| Compact Disc |
CDHUTX 2 |
| LP |
HUTLPX2 |
| United States |
01994-10-04 October 4, 1994 |
Virgin |
Cassette tape |
7243 8 39663 4 9 |
| Compact Disc |
7243 8 39663 2 5 |
| LP |
7243 8 39663 1 8 |
Personnel
- The Smashing Pumpkins
- Additional musicians
- Production
- ^ Rolling Stone Album Guide, 2004
- ^ a b Caro, Mark (December 28, 1990). "Smashing Pumpkins Finds a New Home at Caroline Records". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ a b "Discography - Smashing Pumpkins - Gish". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=5700&aid=15731. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
- ^ Jones, Nick (January 9, 1992). "Fuck Off... We're From Chicago!". Spiral Scratch.
- ^ a b c MTV Rockumentary: Smashing Pumpkins. Aired 1995/10/17.
- ^ a b Kot, Greg (June 21, 1991). "Out of the Patch for Smashing Pumpkins". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Thomas, Richard. "Signal to Noise: The Sonic Diary of the Smashing Pumpkins". EQ Magazine. October 2008.
- ^ Corgan, Billy. Caller Q&A. Rockline Radio Show. Broadcast 1998/07/13
- ^ "Meticulously Calculated Chaos". Rolling Stone. August 8, 1991.
- ^ Gooch, Marshall (April 7, 2008). "Smashing Pumpkins: Worst Case Scenario." Reflex.
- ^ "Artist Chart History - The Smashing Pumpkins". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=5700&model.vnuAlbumId=155886. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
- ^ Corgan, Billy (March 1997), "10 Most Influential Productions", Musician Magazine, http://www.pumpkins.it/billyinter.html
- ^ "Smashing Pumpkins ready debut album box set". New Musical Express. 2008-06-23. http://www.nme.com/news/nme/37559. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
External links
