Written, pictorial and (most importantly) auditory stimuli from an American expatriate living in Brisbane, Australia.

I play, write and collect music, have a background in music journalism, do community radio (The Punk Show, 8-10 Monday nights on 4ZZZ 102.1 FM) and study Creative Writing. People tell me that I give awesome hugs.

Inside the Whale
Vassals

10th January 2012

Audio post with 27 notes - Played 127 times

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This is the isolated guitar track from “Cherub Rock,” the first track from Smashing Pumpkins’ second album Siamese Dream, one of the best albums in the history of ever.

For the nerdier amongst you, this sound was created by playing a Fender Stratocaster equipped with Lace Sensor pick-ups into a late 70s v.4 op-amp Big Muff Pi into a 100w Marshall JCM 800 running off KT88 tubes. Oh, and layering that combination many, many times under the sharp eye of Butch Vig.

To me, this is the perfect combination of abrasive fuzz and beautiful, melodic playing. Billy Corgan may be known more for being crazy, prejudiced jerk these days, but before he went absolutely bat shit insane he was one of the greats.

Tagged: smashing pumpkinssiamese dreamcherub rockbilly corgan90sbig muff

  1. bigbenjo reblogged this from kepttheskin and added:
    Yes this. I think things would...very different if Corgan had died instead
  2. widewingsbrightfire reblogged this from kepttheskin
  3. sorryimlate reblogged this from kepttheskin and added:
    awesome. This song also has my favorite
  4. enemyfire reblogged this from kepttheskin
  5. 216chris reblogged this from kepttheskin and added:
    sick artifact right here....all big muff running in front
  6. unicorn-faggot reblogged this from kepttheskin and added:
    literally gives me chills…
  7. mysparrow reblogged this from smashing-pumpkins-archive and added:
    i am absolutely convinced that this is the greatest song of the 90s. i get chills every time that hard part cuts in....
  8. likerottenapples reblogged this from kepttheskin and added:
    Long story short,...legendary sound. kepttheskin:
  9. supernatural-ecstasy reblogged this from smashing-pumpkins-archive and added:
    Cherub Rock (guitar) - Smashing Pumpkins
  10. smashing-pumpkins-archive reblogged this from kepttheskin
  11. kepttheskin posted this