For a spell during the early ’90s, it seemed like every month (week?) brought another new, outstanding, original-sounding alt-rock artist to discover – or a now-classic album hitting the record store racks. The Smashing Pumpkins were certainly one shining example.

From 1991-1993, the Pumpkins (singer/guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin) were responsible for two all-time classic albums – Gish and Siamese Dream – and also joined the likes of Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden as some of the most successful and popular alternative bands to hit the stage, charts, and media. However, this was an era fraught with turmoil both behind the scenes and in the public eye, which would eventually fracture the line-up just a few years later. And while it was their massive 1995 double album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, that made the Pumpkins a household name, many a fan would probably single out their first two albums as their true creative and artistic peak.

I Am One: The Smashing Pumpkins Story, 1988-1994 focuses on the early years of the band: telling the backstory of all four members, how the Pumpkins formed, the stories behind two of rock's all-time classic albums, tours, and the many highs and lows in between.

Featuring quotes past and present – including several interviews conducted exclusively for this book with renowned musicians and admirers of the band, I Am One: The Smashing Pumpkins Story, 1988-1994 revisits this stellar period of Corgan and company.