Diorama (album)
Encyclopedia
Diorama is the fourth studio album
by Australian alternative rock
band Silverchair
. Released on 31 March 2002 by record label Eleven
, the album was co-produced
by Daniel Johns
and David Bottrill
. While Bottrill had worked on albums for a variety of other bands, Diorama marked the first production credit for lead singer Johns.
Johns wrote most of the album at the piano
instead of his usual guitar, while the band took a 12-month break following their previous studio album, Neon Ballroom
. Silverchair worked with composer Van Dyke Parks
on Diorama; the album contains numerous orchestra
l arrangements and power ballads, a change from the post-grunge
music typical of their earlier work, but consistent with the band's previous orchestrations on Neon Ballroom
. The album's title refers to "a world within a world". Five singles were released: "The Greatest View
", "Without You
", "Luv Your Life
", "Across the Night
" and "After All These Years". All except "After All These Years", a promotional single, appeared on the Australian singles chart.
Diorama was successful in the charts but was not as well received by critics as the band's earlier albums. It reached number one on the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) Albums Chart and received a 71% rating on review aggregator Metacritic
. It was certified triple-platinum by ARIA, selling in excess of 210,000 copies, and won five ARIA Awards in 2002
. Diorama was nominated for "Highest Selling Album" in 2003
, and three songs from the album were nominated for awards over the two years.
, who replaced Nick Launay
. Though Launay had produced the band's three previous albums, lead singer Daniel Johns decided that he needed someone "who understood where he wanted to go". Johns believed Diorama would be "the kind of record that people were either going to be into or were really going to hate", and needed a producer who would understand the band's new direction. He interviewed several candidates, eventually choosing Bottrill and taking the role of co-producer himself.
Johns initially recorded eight songs, only to delete the files thinking they were too similar to tracks on the previous album, Neon Ballroom
. Leaving the security and darkness of his earlier work, he restarted from scratch to create something more uplifting. Diorama represented a radical change in Silverchair's musical structure; the heavy post-grunge
influence on their prior work was replaced by string and horn ensembles and highly complex song structures. Johns felt more comfortable in making this radical change rather than a minor one, finding it helped him to regain his passion for music, which had diminished during the grunge days. Johns wrote much of the album at a baby grand piano; he had previously taught himself the instrument and composed songs on it for the first time with Diorama. This change in songwriting technique had a significant effect on the sound of the album; Johns commented on the difference in how his vocals resonated with piano as compared to guitar. He worked with others in developing the album; Van Dyke Parks
(Beach Boys, U2
) collaborated on orchestra
l arrangements, and the pair spent much of their recording time attempting to describe the music in metaphorical terms, with Johns describing Parks' orchestral swells as "tidal waves" and violins as "a flock of birds". The pair described the collaborative experience as "mind-blowing". A DVD
entitled Across The Night: The Creation Of Diorama was released in 2002, featuring interviews with Johns and Parks.
Several songs on Diorama were inspired by Johns' then-girlfriend Natalie Imbruglia
, but he cautioned against possible misinterpretations of the songs, stating "Everyone will think that any lyric that's about someone in a positive light will be about her" and noting that there were other people he cared for about whom he wrote the songs. Johns denied rumours that he had written songs intending Imbruglia to sing them.
Silverchair intended to tour supporting Diorama following its release, but plans were postponed when Johns developed reactive arthritis
; causing his joints to swell
and making guitar playing and singing too painful. After performing "The Greatest View
" at the 2002
ARIA Awards, Johns said that he wanted "to perform [Dioramas] 11 songs at least once in front of an audience" before laying the album to rest. He travelled to California
to receive treatments for his arthritis, including daily physiotherapy.
, Diorama reached number one on the ARIA Albums Chart on 14 April, making it Silverchair's fourth chart-topping album. It went on to be certified triple-platinum by ARIA
, indicating sales in excess of 210,000 copies. The album peaked at number seven in New Zealand, thirteen in Austria, forty in Switzerland, and 116 in France. Diorama reached number ninety-one on the U.S. Billboard 200
.
The first single
, "The Greatest View
", was released in advance of the album on 28 January 2002. It reached number three in Australia, where it was also certified gold, and number four in New Zealand and Canada. It charted at number thirty-six on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks in 2007 when re-released alongside the band's next album, Young Modern. Johns wrote "The Greatest View" as a response to the media "always watching [him] in different way". It was not intended to be aggressive, rather a straightforward commentary on the media frenzy that had surrounded the band for many years.
On 13 May 2002, "Without You
" was released as the second single. It peaked at number eight in Australia, but dropped to number twenty-nine the following week, only spending five weeks on the chart. The song was first announced by Silverchair bass guitarist
Chris Joannou
in November 1999, when he told fans the band had "a very small cache of recorded material stored away", including "Without You". "Without You" was followed by "Luv Your Life
", which peaked at number twenty in Australia after its 20 September release. The inspiration for the song came to Johns during a therapy
session, based on the idea that "there were people in the world who needed treatment but couldn't afford therapy." Johns composed most of the song's lyrics while listening to a therapist. In a performance at London
's Shepherds Bush Empire
, Johns jokingly said "Luv Your Life" was dedicated "to all my ladies".
"After All These Years", a promotional single, followed "Luv Your Life", but failed to reach the charts. The last track on Diorama, it was also the longest, at 9:53. The final single "Across the Night
" was released on 11 March 2003. The song, which Johns wrote over nine hours on a sleepless night, peaked at number twenty-four on its three weeks on the Australian chart. The arrangement by Parks features twin keyboards
and a string ensemble. The band's much-delayed tour in support of Diorama took its name from "Across the Night".
, based on nine reviews. Australian radio station Triple J
listeners voted the album number one on their Top 10 Albums of 2002, while Triple J staff Rosie Beaton and Gaby Brown placed it third and fifth respectively.
Music magazine Rolling Stone
gave Diorama three out of five stars. Reviewer Mark Kemp
praised Silverchair's development, saying that the band had developed a strong, independent musical ability, in contrast to their heavily influenced debut album, Frogstomp
. Kemp spoke highly of the "heavy orchestration, unpredictable melodic shifts and a whimsical pop sensibility", also noting Parks' arrangements gave the music "more breadth and depth". He argued that the album's strength centred around Johns' confidence, resulting in high quality on "World Upon Your Shoulders", "Tuna in the Brine", and "After All These Years". However, "Without You
" saw Silverchair slip into "old habits", according to Kemp, and contained an "MTV
-approved hook".
Bradley Torreano, of review website Allmusic, gave Diorama four stars, labeling it an AMG Album Pick. He began by noting that Silverchair's improvement from the Frogstomp era was impressive, and that Diorama saw the band "finally growing into their own skin." Bottrill's production was praised, and the result likened to Big Country
and U2
, while Johns showcased "his rich voice and shockingly catchy tunes with a gusto missing from their earlier albums". Torreano's criticism was reserved for two songs on the album; he described the apparent Goo-Goo Dolls influences on "Without You" as "an unwelcome twist", and felt that on "One Way Mule", the band reverted "back to their grunge sound".
James Jam, of music magazine NME
, was critical of Diorama, calling it "over-produced Aussie rock". Jam compared Silverchair to Bryan Adams
in their attempt to "venture boldly into exciting new musical landscapes". "Tuna in the Brine" was "grossly pretentious and overblown", while he saw the album as a whole as inoffensive, especially in comparison to the band's past post-grunge. According to Jam, the band were not trying to make a mature musical statement with the album, but rather to "impress their parents".
Nikki Tranter of pop-music website PopMatters
called the album mature, praising everything from the cover art to the "finely crafted pop melodies". Tranter praised Diorama for standing out in the "very similar" Australian music scene. The majority of songs on the album were rated highly; she thought "The Greatest View
" was a stand-out with "orchestral twangs", and "After All These Years" had "sweeping horns, introspective lyrics and soft, haunting vocals".
Rob O'Connor of Yahoo!
's music website
gave Diorama a positive review, agreeing that the band had matured greatly since their early high school releases. The pop songs on the album, "Luv Your Life" and "Too Much Of Not Enough", were said to "glide", and O'Connor praised Johns for "whisper[ing] his lyrics with grace and subtlety" where in the past he would "shout in angst", drawing comparisons to Elliott Smith
. His main critique of the album was that it still contained some "obligatory 'grunge' efforts"; he felt eliminating those would allow the band to reach its full potential.
.
Additional personnel
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Australian alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Silverchair
Silverchair
Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...
. Released on 31 March 2002 by record label Eleven
Eleven: A Music Company
Eleven: A Music Company is an Australian record label known for its small but successful roster, including Silverchair and Missy Higgins. The company was founded on 11 November 2000 by leading artist manager John Watson.-History:...
, the album was co-produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Daniel Johns
Daniel Johns
Daniel Paul Johns is an Australian musician, vocalist, composer, guitarist, and pianist, best known as the frontman of the rock band Silverchair. He is also part of The Dissociatives...
and David Bottrill
David Bottrill
David Bottrill is a Canadian record producer. He has won three Grammys. Currently, he owns Rattlebox Studios in Toronto, Ontario with producer Brian Moncarz...
. While Bottrill had worked on albums for a variety of other bands, Diorama marked the first production credit for lead singer Johns.
Johns wrote most of the album at the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
instead of his usual guitar, while the band took a 12-month break following their previous studio album, Neon Ballroom
Neon Ballroom
Neon Ballroom is the third studio album by Australian alternative rock band Silverchair and was released on 8 March 1999. The album debuted at number-one on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified 4× platinum by ARIA. It was also certified Gold in the United States...
. Silverchair worked with composer Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile....
on Diorama; the album contains numerous orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l arrangements and power ballads, a change from the post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
music typical of their earlier work, but consistent with the band's previous orchestrations on Neon Ballroom
Neon Ballroom
Neon Ballroom is the third studio album by Australian alternative rock band Silverchair and was released on 8 March 1999. The album debuted at number-one on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified 4× platinum by ARIA. It was also certified Gold in the United States...
. The album's title refers to "a world within a world". Five singles were released: "The Greatest View
The Greatest View
"The Greatest View" is the first single by rock band Silverchair released from their fourth album, Diorama, which was released in 2002, as was "The Greatest View". The song was released as a single and a video was made in which the band plays in hotel room representing Daniel John's inner space...
", "Without You
Without You (Silverchair song)
"Without You" is the second single released by Australian rock band Silverchair from their fourth album, Diorama, released in 2002 . It was written in Db major and was actually written during the recording of the band's third album Neon Ballroom but was not used.The video is composed of many...
", "Luv Your Life
Luv Your Life
"Luv Your Life" is the third single by Australian rock band Silverchair from their fourth album Diorama, which was released in 2002. The song was released as a single and a video was made in which the band was portrayed as animated characters...
", "Across the Night
Across the Night
"Across the Night" was the fifth and final single released by rock band Silverchair from their fourth album, Diorama. It is the first track on Diorama, and is a major departure from their previous, grungy sound which was featured on Frogstomp, which was released in 1995. This more progressive type...
" and "After All These Years". All except "After All These Years", a promotional single, appeared on the Australian singles chart.
Diorama was successful in the charts but was not as well received by critics as the band's earlier albums. It reached number one on the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) Albums Chart and received a 71% rating on review aggregator Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. It was certified triple-platinum by ARIA, selling in excess of 210,000 copies, and won five ARIA Awards in 2002
ARIA Music Awards of 2002
The 16th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 15 October 2002 at the Sydney SuperDome.-ARIA Awards:...
. Diorama was nominated for "Highest Selling Album" in 2003
ARIA Music Awards of 2003
The 17th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 21 October 2003 at the Sydney Superdome.-ARIA Awards:*Album of the Year**Powderfinger – Vulture Street...
, and three songs from the album were nominated for awards over the two years.
Recording and production
On Diorama, Silverchair worked with a new producer, David BottrillDavid Bottrill
David Bottrill is a Canadian record producer. He has won three Grammys. Currently, he owns Rattlebox Studios in Toronto, Ontario with producer Brian Moncarz...
, who replaced Nick Launay
Nick Launay
Nick Launay is an English record producer and recording engineer. He is currently one of the most sought after producers in the world due to his current success with recent albums by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds...
. Though Launay had produced the band's three previous albums, lead singer Daniel Johns decided that he needed someone "who understood where he wanted to go". Johns believed Diorama would be "the kind of record that people were either going to be into or were really going to hate", and needed a producer who would understand the band's new direction. He interviewed several candidates, eventually choosing Bottrill and taking the role of co-producer himself.
Johns initially recorded eight songs, only to delete the files thinking they were too similar to tracks on the previous album, Neon Ballroom
Neon Ballroom
Neon Ballroom is the third studio album by Australian alternative rock band Silverchair and was released on 8 March 1999. The album debuted at number-one on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified 4× platinum by ARIA. It was also certified Gold in the United States...
. Leaving the security and darkness of his earlier work, he restarted from scratch to create something more uplifting. Diorama represented a radical change in Silverchair's musical structure; the heavy post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
influence on their prior work was replaced by string and horn ensembles and highly complex song structures. Johns felt more comfortable in making this radical change rather than a minor one, finding it helped him to regain his passion for music, which had diminished during the grunge days. Johns wrote much of the album at a baby grand piano; he had previously taught himself the instrument and composed songs on it for the first time with Diorama. This change in songwriting technique had a significant effect on the sound of the album; Johns commented on the difference in how his vocals resonated with piano as compared to guitar. He worked with others in developing the album; Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile....
(Beach Boys, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
) collaborated on orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l arrangements, and the pair spent much of their recording time attempting to describe the music in metaphorical terms, with Johns describing Parks' orchestral swells as "tidal waves" and violins as "a flock of birds". The pair described the collaborative experience as "mind-blowing". A DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
entitled Across The Night: The Creation Of Diorama was released in 2002, featuring interviews with Johns and Parks.
Several songs on Diorama were inspired by Johns' then-girlfriend Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
, but he cautioned against possible misinterpretations of the songs, stating "Everyone will think that any lyric that's about someone in a positive light will be about her" and noting that there were other people he cared for about whom he wrote the songs. Johns denied rumours that he had written songs intending Imbruglia to sing them.
Silverchair intended to tour supporting Diorama following its release, but plans were postponed when Johns developed reactive arthritis
Reactive arthritis
Reactive arthritis , is classified as an autoimmune condition that develops in response to an infection in another part of the body. Coming into contact with bacteria and developing an infection can trigger the disease. Reiter's syndrome has symptoms similar to various other conditions collectively...
; causing his joints to swell
Swelling (medical)
In medical parlance, swelling is the transient enlargement or protuberance in the body and may include tumors. According to cause, it may be congenital, traumatic, inflammatory, neoplastic or miscellaneous....
and making guitar playing and singing too painful. After performing "The Greatest View
The Greatest View
"The Greatest View" is the first single by rock band Silverchair released from their fourth album, Diorama, which was released in 2002, as was "The Greatest View". The song was released as a single and a video was made in which the band plays in hotel room representing Daniel John's inner space...
" at the 2002
ARIA Music Awards of 2002
The 16th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 15 October 2002 at the Sydney SuperDome.-ARIA Awards:...
ARIA Awards, Johns said that he wanted "to perform [Dioramas] 11 songs at least once in front of an audience" before laying the album to rest. He travelled to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to receive treatments for his arthritis, including daily physiotherapy.
Album and single releases
Following a 31 March 2002 release on record label ElevenEleven: A Music Company
Eleven: A Music Company is an Australian record label known for its small but successful roster, including Silverchair and Missy Higgins. The company was founded on 11 November 2000 by leading artist manager John Watson.-History:...
, Diorama reached number one on the ARIA Albums Chart on 14 April, making it Silverchair's fourth chart-topping album. It went on to be certified triple-platinum by ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
, indicating sales in excess of 210,000 copies. The album peaked at number seven in New Zealand, thirteen in Austria, forty in Switzerland, and 116 in France. Diorama reached number ninety-one on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
The first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "The Greatest View
The Greatest View
"The Greatest View" is the first single by rock band Silverchair released from their fourth album, Diorama, which was released in 2002, as was "The Greatest View". The song was released as a single and a video was made in which the band plays in hotel room representing Daniel John's inner space...
", was released in advance of the album on 28 January 2002. It reached number three in Australia, where it was also certified gold, and number four in New Zealand and Canada. It charted at number thirty-six on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks in 2007 when re-released alongside the band's next album, Young Modern. Johns wrote "The Greatest View" as a response to the media "always watching [him] in different way". It was not intended to be aggressive, rather a straightforward commentary on the media frenzy that had surrounded the band for many years.
On 13 May 2002, "Without You
Without You (Silverchair song)
"Without You" is the second single released by Australian rock band Silverchair from their fourth album, Diorama, released in 2002 . It was written in Db major and was actually written during the recording of the band's third album Neon Ballroom but was not used.The video is composed of many...
" was released as the second single. It peaked at number eight in Australia, but dropped to number twenty-nine the following week, only spending five weeks on the chart. The song was first announced by Silverchair bass guitarist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Chris Joannou
Chris Joannou
Christopher John Joannou is a Macedonian Australian musician, best known as the bass player for the successful alternative rock band Silverchair. Born in Newcastle, New South Wales, he has a twin sister and an older sister. He has a nephew and two nieces. He was the first of the three band...
in November 1999, when he told fans the band had "a very small cache of recorded material stored away", including "Without You". "Without You" was followed by "Luv Your Life
Luv Your Life
"Luv Your Life" is the third single by Australian rock band Silverchair from their fourth album Diorama, which was released in 2002. The song was released as a single and a video was made in which the band was portrayed as animated characters...
", which peaked at number twenty in Australia after its 20 September release. The inspiration for the song came to Johns during a therapy
Therapy
This is a list of types of therapy .* Adventure therapy* Animal-assisted therapy* Aquatic therapy* Aromatherapy* Art and dementia* Art therapy* Authentic Movement* Behavioral therapy* Bibliotherapy* Buteyko Method* Chemotherapy...
session, based on the idea that "there were people in the world who needed treatment but couldn't afford therapy." Johns composed most of the song's lyrics while listening to a therapist. In a performance at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Shepherds Bush Empire
Shepherds Bush Empire
The O2 Shepherds Bush Empire is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, run by the Academy Music Group. It was built in 1903, as a music hall, and in 1953 became the BBC Television Theatre...
, Johns jokingly said "Luv Your Life" was dedicated "to all my ladies".
"After All These Years", a promotional single, followed "Luv Your Life", but failed to reach the charts. The last track on Diorama, it was also the longest, at 9:53. The final single "Across the Night
Across the Night
"Across the Night" was the fifth and final single released by rock band Silverchair from their fourth album, Diorama. It is the first track on Diorama, and is a major departure from their previous, grungy sound which was featured on Frogstomp, which was released in 1995. This more progressive type...
" was released on 11 March 2003. The song, which Johns wrote over nine hours on a sleepless night, peaked at number twenty-four on its three weeks on the Australian chart. The arrangement by Parks features twin keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and a string ensemble. The band's much-delayed tour in support of Diorama took its name from "Across the Night".
Response
Diorama received a score of 71% on review aggregator MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, based on nine reviews. Australian radio station Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
listeners voted the album number one on their Top 10 Albums of 2002, while Triple J staff Rosie Beaton and Gaby Brown placed it third and fifth respectively.
Music magazine Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave Diorama three out of five stars. Reviewer Mark Kemp
Mark Kemp
Mark Kemp is an American music journalist and author. A graduate of East Carolina University, he has served as music editor of Rolling Stone and vice president of music editorial for MTV Networks...
praised Silverchair's development, saying that the band had developed a strong, independent musical ability, in contrast to their heavily influenced debut album, Frogstomp
Frogstomp
Frogstomp is the debut album of Australian rock band Silverchair. It was released in Australia in early 1995, when the members were only 15 years of age, by a subsidiary of Sony Records and reached number one on the album charts. On 20 June 1995, Frogstomp was released by Epic Records in the U.S...
. Kemp spoke highly of the "heavy orchestration, unpredictable melodic shifts and a whimsical pop sensibility", also noting Parks' arrangements gave the music "more breadth and depth". He argued that the album's strength centred around Johns' confidence, resulting in high quality on "World Upon Your Shoulders", "Tuna in the Brine", and "After All These Years". However, "Without You
Without You (Silverchair song)
"Without You" is the second single released by Australian rock band Silverchair from their fourth album, Diorama, released in 2002 . It was written in Db major and was actually written during the recording of the band's third album Neon Ballroom but was not used.The video is composed of many...
" saw Silverchair slip into "old habits", according to Kemp, and contained an "MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
-approved hook".
Bradley Torreano, of review website Allmusic, gave Diorama four stars, labeling it an AMG Album Pick. He began by noting that Silverchair's improvement from the Frogstomp era was impressive, and that Diorama saw the band "finally growing into their own skin." Bottrill's production was praised, and the result likened to Big Country
Big Country
Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1981. They were most popular in the early to mid-1980s, but they still release material for a cult following...
and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, while Johns showcased "his rich voice and shockingly catchy tunes with a gusto missing from their earlier albums". Torreano's criticism was reserved for two songs on the album; he described the apparent Goo-Goo Dolls influences on "Without You" as "an unwelcome twist", and felt that on "One Way Mule", the band reverted "back to their grunge sound".
James Jam, of music magazine NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, was critical of Diorama, calling it "over-produced Aussie rock". Jam compared Silverchair to Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
in their attempt to "venture boldly into exciting new musical landscapes". "Tuna in the Brine" was "grossly pretentious and overblown", while he saw the album as a whole as inoffensive, especially in comparison to the band's past post-grunge. According to Jam, the band were not trying to make a mature musical statement with the album, but rather to "impress their parents".
Nikki Tranter of pop-music website PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
called the album mature, praising everything from the cover art to the "finely crafted pop melodies". Tranter praised Diorama for standing out in the "very similar" Australian music scene. The majority of songs on the album were rated highly; she thought "The Greatest View
The Greatest View
"The Greatest View" is the first single by rock band Silverchair released from their fourth album, Diorama, which was released in 2002, as was "The Greatest View". The song was released as a single and a video was made in which the band plays in hotel room representing Daniel John's inner space...
" was a stand-out with "orchestral twangs", and "After All These Years" had "sweeping horns, introspective lyrics and soft, haunting vocals".
Rob O'Connor of Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
's music website
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
gave Diorama a positive review, agreeing that the band had matured greatly since their early high school releases. The pop songs on the album, "Luv Your Life" and "Too Much Of Not Enough", were said to "glide", and O'Connor praised Johns for "whisper[ing] his lyrics with grace and subtlety" where in the past he would "shout in angst", drawing comparisons to Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
. His main critique of the album was that it still contained some "obligatory 'grunge' efforts"; he felt eliminating those would allow the band to reach its full potential.
Charts and certifications
Diorama charted highest in Australia; spending 50 weeks on the ARIA Albums Chart including a week at number one. This popularity was not matched in other countries; it spent 10 weeks or less on all other charts, though reaching number seven in New Zealand.| Chart | Peak | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1 | |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
7 | |
| Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
13 | |
| Switzerland Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
40 | |
| France Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
116 | |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
91 |
Track listing
All songs written by Daniel JohnsDaniel Johns
Daniel Paul Johns is an Australian musician, vocalist, composer, guitarist, and pianist, best known as the frontman of the rock band Silverchair. He is also part of The Dissociatives...
.
- "Across the NightAcross the Night"Across the Night" was the fifth and final single released by rock band Silverchair from their fourth album, Diorama. It is the first track on Diorama, and is a major departure from their previous, grungy sound which was featured on Frogstomp, which was released in 1995. This more progressive type...
" – 5:37 - "The Greatest ViewThe Greatest View"The Greatest View" is the first single by rock band Silverchair released from their fourth album, Diorama, which was released in 2002, as was "The Greatest View". The song was released as a single and a video was made in which the band plays in hotel room representing Daniel John's inner space...
" – 4:06 - "Without YouWithout You (Silverchair song)"Without You" is the second single released by Australian rock band Silverchair from their fourth album, Diorama, released in 2002 . It was written in Db major and was actually written during the recording of the band's third album Neon Ballroom but was not used.The video is composed of many...
" – 5:17 - "World Upon Your Shoulders" – 4:37
- "One Way Mule" – 4:15
- "Tuna in the Brine" – 5:40
- "Too Much of Not Enough" – 4:43
- "Luv Your LifeLuv Your Life"Luv Your Life" is the third single by Australian rock band Silverchair from their fourth album Diorama, which was released in 2002. The song was released as a single and a video was made in which the band was portrayed as animated characters...
" – 4:29 - "The Lever" – 4:22
- "My Favourite Thing" – 4:14
- "After All These Years"
"Outro" (hidden trackHidden trackIn the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
) – 9:53
Personnel
- Daniel JohnsDaniel JohnsDaniel Paul Johns is an Australian musician, vocalist, composer, guitarist, and pianist, best known as the frontman of the rock band Silverchair. He is also part of The Dissociatives...
– vocals, guitars, piano, harpsichord, orchestral arrangements (tracks 2, 4, 10) - Ben GilliesBen GilliesBenjamin David Gillies is an Australian musician, best known as the drummer of Australian rock band Silverchair.Born in Merewether, a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, he started as a quad drummer in the band The Marching Koalas, before forming the band Innocent Criminals at the age...
– drums, percussion - Chris JoannouChris JoannouChristopher John Joannou is a Macedonian Australian musician, best known as the bass player for the successful alternative rock band Silverchair. Born in Newcastle, New South Wales, he has a twin sister and an older sister. He has a nephew and two nieces. He was the first of the three band...
– bass
Additional personnel
- David BottrillDavid BottrillDavid Bottrill is a Canadian record producer. He has won three Grammys. Currently, he owns Rattlebox Studios in Toronto, Ontario with producer Brian Moncarz...
– production - Van Dyke ParksVan Dyke ParksVan Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile....
– orchestral arrangements (tracks 1, 6, 8) - Larry MuhoberacLarry MuhoberacLarry Muhoberac is an American musician, producer and composer who at various times has also been known as Larry Owens and Larry Gordon....
– orchestral arrangements (tracks 2, 4, 10) - Rob Woolf – hammond organ (tracks 3, 10)
- Michele Rose – pedal steel (track 7)
- Paul MacPaul MacPaul Mac is a musician, producer and music remixer from Sydney, Australia. He was classically trained at Sydney's Conservatorium of Music. Paul Mac formed the bands Smash Mac Mac, Itch-e And Scratch-e, The Lab, and The Dissociatives, as well as releasing two records under his own name...
– piano (tracks 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10) - Jim MoginieJim MoginieJames "Jim" Moginie is an Australian musician. He is best known for his work with Midnight Oil, of which he was a founding member, guitarist, keyboardist and leading songwriter...
– keyboards (tracks 2, 5), piano (track 5)