Gish [Deluxe Edition]

These lovingly remastered and richly expanded editions of the Smashing Pumpkins 1991 debut Gish and 1993's mainstream breakthrough Siamese Dream soundly prove that the band's place in rock history is firmly cemented.

Manages the not-at-all-easy feat of sounding remarkably undated and, well, timeless. [#39, p. 72]

Bob Ludwig's remastering punches up the drums and adds clarity and volume to the mix without overblowing it or excessively altering the overall sound, and the result is that these two albums sound incredibly modern, relevant, and invigourated... The Gish standouts include a demo of Daydream with Corgan on vocals in place of D'arcy Wretzky and an extended version of Drown with blistering alternate guitar solos.

As for the deluxe aspects of this release, the record sounds about as good as it always did.

It's pretty impossible to be disappointed with the result here: crisp remastering of the original 10 songs, plus 18 Gish-era tracks, demos and live versions, many of which are being released officially for the first time here.

A gift for fans who want to dig deep into the Smashing Pumpkins archive.

They were unadulterated shredders, too, as Capitol's extensive reissues of Siamese Dream (1993) and its predecessor, Gish (1991), remind us in bountiful fashion.

Gish remains among the more sensual hard-rock albums of the decade.

In its weaker moments, Gish relies on generic, boogie-friendly classic-rock retreads ("Siva," "Bury Me") but the physicality of Chamberlain's drumming-rivaled at the time only by Dave Grohl-gives even the bum tracks a powerful kick.

These two releases [Gish and Siamese Dream] still resonate, as both a nostalgia fix underscoring how it was so easy to fall for Smashing Pumpkins in the first place, and as the best introductions to their music any newcomer could want.

No other LP is more evocative of the raw essence of the Smashing Pumpkins' unique fusions of feels than this ten track collection, by far and away the most collaborative album in their canon.... This deluxe edition of Gish is chock-a-block with quality bonus material.

The bonus material on both albums offer up further evidence that this was the Pumpkins' purple path. [Jan 2012, p.130]

Bob Ludwig's remaster job adds fine detail, and a second CD collects 18 tracks, mostly diverting. [Jan 2012, p.97]

Remastered, here, and packaged alongside demos, radio sessions, alternative mixes and a live DVD, it shows the breadth of the band's early ambitions. [3 Dec 2011, p.50]

Captured here, however, the band is still full of the future, and as fascinating and beguiling as such things always are.

Two decades later ... these weighty collections still earn and own those [accolades].

Fans will adore the numerous B sides and demos, and the concert DVDs provide a fun, flannelly time capsule.