In the first month of my Freshman year in high school, my friend/bandmate, Jason Kinney, lent me "Siamese Dream." I had heard the Pumpkins before, but only a few of their tunes, i.e. "1979" "The Beginning is the end is the Beginning." I took the c.d. home, put it in the c.d. player and listened to it from start to finish three times. I'll never forget hearing "Quiet" for the first time; I immediately rushed to my guitar and learned the riff... The next day, I returned the c.d. and went to the local record store to buy a copy of my own. Since then, my instrumental focus has switched to the drums instead of the guitar, and Jimmy Chamberlin remains one of my heroes.

I am a Pumpkins fan because the music is honest, intense, and downright incredible. Billy Corgan is a genius, and the chemistry of both the original line-up and this new incarnation is truly astounding! When I first listened to "Siamese Dream," I knew from that moment that the Smashing Pumpkins were about to become my favorite band. Now, I'm a music performance major and Siamese Dream is still my favorite album of all time.

Song Title: In The Arms of Sleep
Artist: Smashing Pumpkins