Monster Smash

Grunge is now an acknowledged lifestyle, but as a rock V roll movement it was pretty much kaput. That is, until Smashing Pumpkins dropped their second disc, Siamese Dream. The Pumpkins leave the cominess to Pearl Jam, the "punk" to Nirvana. This Chicago quartet create their unique brand of mellow drama, most of which springs from the ambitious, eclectic mind of singer-songwriter-guitarist Billy Corgan. "I try not to get hung up on questions like: Is it loud? Is it wimpy? I can be all of those things," claims Corgan. The wildly varied Siamese Dream ebbs and flows between white noise and ambient serenity—sometimes at the expense of the good ol' three-minute pop song. "A three-minute song can be really cool. But sometimes you gotta stretch it," says Corgan. Listen to the nine-minute "Silverfuck" from Siamese Dream and you'll know what Corgan means by "stretching it." Sweet Dreams.

BOB MACK