Smashing Pumpkins “Gish” 1991. Caroline records. Today, August 2nd, is producer Butch Vig’s birthday (b. Bryan David Vig 1955). We don’t have any vinyl Spooner (his Madison, WI-based band from the 80′s), Fire Town (ditto) or Garbage so spinning one of his earlier successful production efforts by Smashing Pumpkins. (Though he did start production work back in ‘82 with Die Kreuzen’s Internal).

Gish is Smashing Pumpkin’s debut release, named after silent screen star Lillian Gish, and it eventually was certified platinum. Filled with swirling psychedelic sounds, heavy guitar and pain, Gish’s recording and production was notable for its time and budget, long and big, for an indie label and studio (Smart Studios). My favorite track is “Bury Me” which has sound that basically sums up early 90′s music. (and the clip I’ve linked below is sooo 90′s: Ben Stiller and Janeane Garofalo introduce it).

Reading about the recording and production of Gish, along with all the other albums Vig worked on at Smart Studios in Madison, WI in the late 80′s and early 90′s always weirds me out a bit. I was living a block from the Capitol in Madison at that time while going to UW-Madison and very likely hung out at bars (I heard that Vig hung out at Cafe Montmartre which was around the corner from my apartment) and went to shows (like at R&R Station on Park St.) where members of Smashing Pumpkins, L7, Nirvana and Killdozer were hanging out (or not, but it’s fun to imagine).