| Author |
It's good to be wrong |
Chronic Harlot
Administrator
Posts: 1613
Location: Illinois
Joined: 26.05.06 |
| Posted on November 25 2007 06:22:31 |
|
|
The setting is 1995. Seattle rock was in. Ya know, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice, and my long-time favorite Soundgarden were burning up the charts. Pale imitations followed, of course; among them Aussie boy-band (literally) Silverchair. They had a song called 'Tomorrow' that, while not great, was surprisingly decent considering that they were each only 15 years old. Anyway, I forgot all about them.
Fast forward to 2007. Ivy and I are driving home from visiting a friend of her's that used to work at the club and, on the radio, a song I'd never heard before is played (I never listen to radio and I dont have television). I liked it a lot. I heard elements of Radiohead, T Rex, Coldplay, Postal Service, Bowie etc and I intended to go home and see if I could find out who the artist was on-line. The hook was an example of the sort of thing songwriters strive for every time they sit down to write.
Well, the song was called 'Strait Lines', and to my complete surprise it was from that forgettable band of 15-year-olds trying to sound like Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains in 1995: Silverchair. I couldn't believe it. Then I remembered...that was 12 years ago; they weren't 15-year-olds anymore.
Let me make a confession: I'm a music snob. For whatever reason, if an artist (like Radiohead) is a critical favorite fawned over by the likes of Rolling Stone or any of the other arrogant know-it-all rock critics, you can rest-assured that I too am fawning all over them as well. Maybe I should get a job as a rock writer...I seem to know (without reading a single review) what the critical 'industry' defines as good. Call it my jaded professional history or whatever, but I tend to always unknowingly agree with rock critics. So imagine my surprise that I was in love with a song from a band that was despised by rock critics 12 years ago...and that, completely without my knowledge, had grown to become critical darlings starting in 2002. More on that in a moment.
Anyway, I got a hold of the album 'Strait Lines' is from: 'Young Modern', and to my even greater surprise, the rest of the record is even better than the single. Check out 'If You Keep Losing Sleep'. Great songcraft. Also, I discovered that the band had not been hermetically sealed in three oxygen tanks either...they'd grown up into three adult men. In fact, they look like this:
I've since sort of 'back-engineered' the band, going back and learning everything I can about them. Over the passed week, I've had a crash-course in Silverchair. I had no idea that they are the biggest band in Austrialia's history; they they've won more ARIA awards than any other band; or that their last two records are some of the best reviewed albums in rock. They're the U2 of Australia. Seriously. And it's well-deserved. How did I happen to not catch a single song from Diorama? I was a musician for most of these years and I had no idea they released that record in 2002. It's a shame...I hate it when I miss out on great music.
Singer/guitarist/songwriter Daniel Johns has come so far. In spirit, Silverchair's frontman and songwriter reminds me of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Johns has followed the same course from a cute teenybopper to a troubled young man with a mad-genius sort of songwriting prowess plagued by an eating disorder, depression and health issues...just like Wilson. Also, there's the evolution of his voice. As vocalists, he and I have so much in common. His natural vibrato is identical to mine and we both have a five-octave range with our comfort-zone resting in the alto/tenor area. Very strange. I never would have thought that that punk in 1995 had this sort of potential. Wow.
Also, the band's progression is very reminiscent of the Beatles, in that they began as a cute boy-band with broad-based appeal that then evolved over three records into a completely new entity. Silverchair's third release 'Neon Ballroom' is their 'Rubbersoul' (a sign of things to come, but not exactly a breakthrough); their fourth release 'Diorama' (my personal favorite) is their 'Revolver' (a daring progression that critics adore); and their most recent record 'Young Modern' is their Sgt. Pepper, completeing the evolution with commercial success (unlike the record that preceded it).
Diorama in particular is flat-out amazing. I had a hunch that Jeff Buckley (my all time favorite artist ever) was an influence, and I was proven right when Daniel mentioned him in an interview. Here's the second track on the record: 'The Greatest View'. If you dont dig this, you have no taste.
Anyway...Silverchair is my new obsession. Go figure.
The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my
skin. But as the embers of the summer lost their breath
and disappeared, my heart went cold, and only hollow
rhythms resounded from within.
Edited by Chronic Harlot on November 25 2007 06:42:10
|
 |
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
Tupperfan
Administrator
Posts: 670
Location: Montréal, Québec
Joined: 10.07.06 |
| Posted on November 25 2007 06:42:27 |
|
|
Agreed, my best friend kept tabs on them and would tell me every now and then how they've grown as a band.
On one of our regular drinking nights, we'd try, as usual, to get the other into our favourite musicians (we have different tastes and we meet on a very narrow line in the middle) and he made me listen to many recent Silverchair songs. It surprised me, I loved it.
This post was "obviously" written "under the influence":
tupperfan.blogspot.com
Edited by Tupperfan on November 25 2007 06:45:41
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
Rich
Member
Posts: 492
Joined: 30.05.06 |
| Posted on November 25 2007 11:15:54 |
|
|
|
Let me make a confession: I'm a music snob.
Is this like when a blatantly feminine guy tells everyone he's gay and then everyone replies "Yeah, I know"? 
"The way to a girls bed is through her parents. Have sex with them and you're in."
-- Zapp Brannigan
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
SpiritOne
Member
Posts: 198
Location: Tyler TX
Joined: 18.07.06 |
| Posted on November 25 2007 17:59:05 |
|
|
I haven't listened to "radio" for a little over 4 years now, I have been a Sirius subscriber for a while now. One thing I love about satellite is how well they keep you up to date with newer music. Sometimes, it pisses me off how long I have to wait from when I hear a song on Sirius and I can actually buy it, but anyways...
I was listening to Alt Nation and noticed Silverchair was playing and it was a song I wasn't familiar with (meaning that Tomorrow song from the 90's), so I took a listen, it wasn't too bad, but I have only heard it once or twice. So I haven't had time to obsess over it.
Im still in my White Stripes groove.
|
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
SpiritOne
Member
Posts: 198
Location: Tyler TX
Joined: 18.07.06 |
| Posted on November 25 2007 18:01:29 |
|
|
by the way, I have been watching a lot of Futurama lately, and I read the title of this post as "It's good to be Wong".
|
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
Moeskido
Member
Posts: 61
Joined: 13.10.07 |
| Posted on November 26 2007 00:38:06 |
|
|
Thanks for the recommendation, J. I'll have a look at these gentlemen.
I don't listen much to radio, unless I'm cleaning house and can tune in the Columbia University jazz station. I rely upon trusted sources to point me at new stuff that matters, like the Sound of Young America radio/podcast show, and a couple of the Scoobies at work.
Also: it took me awhile to understand what Radiohead was doing, being as relatively sheltered as I am, and predisposed to ignoring whatever is the Current Huge Thing. I ignored the press about these guys until a week of temping at an ad agency's studio where one of the other production artists kept shoving Radiohead CDs into the player. I was sold; they're theatrical storytellers.
Heh. That reminds me. The rest of the regular crew pooled design skills to fabricate a backstage pass for her, which she used successfully at a Radiohead concert in Germany, as I remember. Neat.
Edited by Moeskido on November 26 2007 00:42:42
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
Forsythe-1
Member
Posts: 95
Location: New Jersey
Joined: 04.11.07 |
| Posted on November 26 2007 20:01:03 |
|
|
I "rediscovered" them with 'Neon Ballroom'. Funny you mention Brian Wilson, as Van Dyke Parks, Wilson's musical partner in the late 60s/70s helped do some arranging on that album...I found it to be a great surprise. Daniel Johns has progressed quite a bit, and is still quite young, so who knows what's in store.
( Good call on Soundgarden, Jeremy!)
"Listen, man. Sleep gives you cancer. Everyone knows that."
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
Forsythe-1
Member
Posts: 95
Location: New Jersey
Joined: 04.11.07 |
| Posted on November 26 2007 20:01:04 |
|
|
I "rediscovered" them with 'Neon Ballroom'. Funny you mention Brian Wilson, as Van Dyke Parks, Wilson's musical partner in the late 60s/70s helped do some arranging on that album...I found it to be a great surprise. Daniel Johns has progressed quite a bit, and is still quite young, so who knows what's in store.
( Good call on Soundgarden, Jeremy!)
"Listen, man. Sleep gives you cancer. Everyone knows that."
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
Chronic Harlot
Administrator
Posts: 1613
Location: Illinois
Joined: 26.05.06 |
| Posted on November 26 2007 20:49:58 |
|
|
|
Moeskido wrote:
Also: it took me awhile to understand what Radiohead was doing, being as relatively sheltered as I am, and predisposed to ignoring whatever is the Current Huge Thing. I ignored the press about these guys until a week of temping at an ad agency's studio where one of the other production artists kept shoving Radiohead CDs into the player. I was sold; they're theatrical storytellers.
Yeah, I didn't pay them much mind at all with their debut Pablo Honey (although of course everyone knew Creep). It wasn't until I saw the video on 120 Minutes for the first (and really only) single from 'The Bends': Fake Plastic Trees, that I jumped out of my seat (figuratively speaking of course) and went out and bought the cassette. I broke that tape from playing it too much, then bought the CD when I got my first CD player.
I've been a huge devoted fan of Radiohead since then. OK Computer is my favorite record from a rock band since...well, ever. Jeff Buckley is my favorite solo artist, though. He and Radiohead are both a giant influence on pretty much everything I've done. I also listen to them a lot when I'm writing ST(R); there's got to be something to that, I would think.
The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my
skin. But as the embers of the summer lost their breath
and disappeared, my heart went cold, and only hollow
rhythms resounded from within.
Edited by Chronic Harlot on November 26 2007 20:53:56
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
Rich
Member
Posts: 492
Joined: 30.05.06 |
| Posted on November 26 2007 22:14:28 |
|
|
|
(and really only) single from 'The Bends':
I don't really get that, "Just" and "Street Spirit" were much bigger as singles than "Fake Plastic Trees" was. Hell, "Just" is almost as well known as "Creep".
"The way to a girls bed is through her parents. Have sex with them and you're in."
-- Zapp Brannigan
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
Chronic Harlot
Administrator
Posts: 1613
Location: Illinois
Joined: 26.05.06 |
| Posted on November 26 2007 23:28:17 |
|
|
|
I don't really get that, "Just" and "Street Spirit" were much bigger as singles than "Fake Plastic Trees" was. Hell, "Just" is almost as well known as "Creep".
Maybe that was the case in Europe, but not in the States.
The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my
skin. But as the embers of the summer lost their breath
and disappeared, my heart went cold, and only hollow
rhythms resounded from within.
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
Chronic Harlot
Administrator
Posts: 1613
Location: Illinois
Joined: 26.05.06 |
| Posted on November 26 2007 23:30:43 |
|
|
Also, if memory serves, you didn't used to like Radiohead.
The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my
skin. But as the embers of the summer lost their breath
and disappeared, my heart went cold, and only hollow
rhythms resounded from within.
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
Rich
Member
Posts: 492
Joined: 30.05.06 |
| Posted on November 27 2007 07:59:40 |
|
|
|
Jeremy wrote:
Also, if memory serves, you didn't used to like Radiohead.
I don't know where you got that from - I've always liked Radiohead, I even remember talking to you about them when we first used to chat on MSN with Smoke. They're not my favourite band, and I don't particularly care for their latest release, but I've always liked a lot of their music - even if my dad's a bigger fan than I am.
My tastes have diversified a lot in general these last few years though. I never thought I'd ever like Motley Crue back when I was in my Nirvana phase, but there you go.
"The way to a girls bed is through her parents. Have sex with them and you're in."
-- Zapp Brannigan
Edited by Rich on November 27 2007 09:03:51
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
Sam Cogley
Member
Posts: 880
Location: Missouri
Joined: 13.06.06 |
| Posted on November 27 2007 08:28:36 |
|
|
Rich wrote:
(and really only) single from 'The Bends':
I don't really get that, "Just" and "Street Spirit" were much bigger as singles than "Fake Plastic Trees" was. Hell, "Just" is almost as well known as "Creep".
Over here, "Fake Plastic Trees" got a huge amount of airplay.
Up there we were heroes, fighting robot bitches...
Priest: Great wall of prophecy, reveal to us God?’s will that we may blindly obey.
Crowd: Free us from thought and responsibility.
Priest: Your words guide us.
Crowd: We are dumb.
|
|
| Author |
RE: It's good to be wrong |
Rich
Member
Posts: 492
Joined: 30.05.06 |
| Posted on November 27 2007 08:54:22 |
|
|
Our music charts are based exclusively on sales (A song's popularity can't be truly measured by how many DJs like it). "Street Spirit" was one of their highest charting singles in this country, it did even better than "Creep" did, and "Just" is definately one of their best remembered.
"The way to a girls bed is through her parents. Have sex with them and you're in."
-- Zapp Brannigan
|
|
Search 
Guests Online: 2
v6.00.307 ? 2003-2025