Episode 1

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Published on:

8th Apr 2025

The Smashing Pumpkins - Gish (Pt. 1)

And we're back. Welcome to the next season of Anyone Can Play Guitar. After learning every Radiohead song on guitar (and maybe promising to repeat the process) this time we are digging into another mainstay of 90s alternative rock, The Smashing Pumpkins. Hope you're ready for some riffs because they are relentless on the band's debut album, Gish. 

Why The Smashing Pumpkins? Nick lays out why he believes the band deserves the deep dive, from the astonishing drumming of Jimmy Chamberlin to the guitar heroics of Billy Corgan. But can he convince Austin? Get ready for a ludicrous number of solos and an examination of Corgan's unique voice.

23:50 - "I Am One"

34:00 - "Siva"

40:02 - "Rhinoceros"

J. S. Bach: Sonata No. 4 in E Minor BWV 528 | Pedal Clavichord

Smashing Pumpkast

Pitchfork's review of William Patrick Corgan's Ogilala

The Discographers

The Smashing Pumpkins "Siva" music video

The Smashing Pumpkins - Siva (Outtakes & Commentary)

The Smashing Pumpkins - Rhinoceros (Official Music Video)

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About the Podcast

Anyone Can Play Guitar
Learning every Radiohead song on guitar in order
Listen along as writers in Chicago and Switzerland learn to play songs from The Smashing Pumpkins on guitar. To prove they've put the time in, they're forcing themselves to record versions of each track to play for all to judge. Armed with this knowledge, they'll discuss each song, while simultaneously admitting to potentially embarrassing personal stories from more than 20 years of fandom.

In the first season, Nick and Austin learned every officially released Radiohead song. For season two, they are making their way through The Smashing Pumpkins from 1991 to 2000. While we'd love to learn every one of the band's songs on guitar, Billy Corgan is simply too prolific. We apologize.

About your hosts

Austin Diaz

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I've trained for this music podcast by teaching Latin and English in German in Switzerland for the past nine years. I ride my bike a lot, but not for fun. I live in the same apartment as my wife and two sons.

Nick Kindelsperger

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Like all good music podcast hosts, I have been a food and dining reporter for the Chicago Tribune since 2016. Most days I can be found eating a questionable number of meals for research purposes.