GISH, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS

I first heard Gish in 1996. I was in 7th grade, and if you'd told me there was any music besides Smashing Pumpkins and Weird Al, I'd have called you on your bullshit. This was the Pumpkins' debut, out in May of '91 — barely four months before Nirvana's Nevermind, also produced by Butch Vig. Busy year for that dude. There are hints here of what the band would pull off over the next few years, but the shoegaze-inspired guitar fuzz mostly got shunted off to the B-sides (check out "Hello Kitty Kat" on Pisces Iscariot). Knowing where they ended up, I was surprised by how sparse this one is. An excellent piece of neo-psychedelia and one of my favorite records, Gish should not be overlooked.

Favorite Tracks: Rhinoceros, Snail, Crush

—Tom