Rolling Stone- Siamese Dream (1999)

The Smashing Pumpkins' second album and major-label debut proved that guitar virtueosity - a curse from 70s - didnt have to be a masturbatory undertaking. Charged be the spirit of Jimi Hendrix and the 10-ton wrath of Black Sabath, singer Billy Corgan cranks out grinder guitar psychedelia backed with loads of raw emotion and irresistible arena-rock hooks. Abetted by violins, cellos and kettledrums, the music dips from contemplative lulls to explosive rages, as Corgan alternately grating and soothing vocals swing from depression to elation. Unlike most self-effacing flannel-clad 90's rockers, Corgan was unapologetic about his love for classic rock. He not only embraced the tired genre, he reinvented it for a new generation. ~1993, Virgin