On 1997 my borther’s friend gave him a CD as a present for his birthday …. It was very weird but artistic, it had this green frog on the cover with a white background, very simple but interesting at the same time. The name of the band was Silverchair.
At that time my brother didn’t want me to touch his stuff so I hardly ever had the opportunity to play the CD and hear that grunge-ish band, beside at the time I wasn’t into that kind of music bit I slowly started to like it. The next year we got cable at home so I had the chance to see music videos on Mtv and Much Music, this last channel … made me fell in love with Silverchair and their song : Tomorrow.
This Australian band began as many other bands in the 90’s, with a grunge sound, it was clear the influence Nirvana had on the 15 year old boys! But hey! Let’s be clear about this, they never copy them, they always had a different sound …this “something” special, that to this day, I can’t describe. Frogstomp was a success and introduce them to new followers around the world.
After that album I couldn’t stop,then Freak Show was released on 1997, I bought it in a Miami record store. I’ll never forget that day, specially because my mother and father freaked out when they saw the album cover (an illustration of Grady Stiles, Jr., a sideshow performer afflicted with ectrodactyly. His stage name was "The Lobster Boy") . I remember my mother looking at the songs tittles like : Freak and Abuse me. She looked at me like “WTF” she was disgusted and said “Oh my God, I can’t believe you are buying this” (but it was for my brother-he gave me the money, that way I could listen to it too).
Freak Show had this very dark songs, I could say ... depressing but very strong at the same time. FS was not a grunge album, it was a garage sound, if you know what I mean. It said many things I though or felt, but as many Silverchair fans know, the lyrics were not literal or plain simple, there were sentences written in code,codes which made us imagine and dream.
When Neon Ballroom came out in 1999 I was committed to good bands and rock sounds, so I bought the album, the first SC I owned!. This album was more alternative and experimental, this album was definitely a bet on a new sound, something that separated them forever from their grunge background.
Then It came 2002 ,we survived the end of the world, and Diorama was born. The band showed how mature SC was with a symphonic sound. Another ballsy album that made them win many awards, the album wasn’t that popular on the U.S. but who cares! Who are they anyway? I loved this album because it has many artistic and experimental songs, and great videos came with this album.
On 2007 Silverchair after 5 years the FINALLY made another great album; Young Modern. This time the songs and sound were more intellectual and uber mature, it was very different from their last album. I have to admit that I wish they made albums steadily, I missed them and I needed a familiar sound throught the 2000’s.
All I have to say, is that from the first time I heard Silverchair and their song Tomorrow, I was irrevocably in love with them, with that special sound that they always had.
Today, fans are sad over the "indefinite hibernation" they decided to take and the “deep sleep” we will have to ensure for…who knows how long, but as long they give us hope for Silverchair waking up from their "break", we will be waiting.
Sweet Dreams.
The Fans.
No comments:
Post a Comment