Freak Show (album)
Encyclopedia
Freak Show is the second studio album
from Australian rock
band Silverchair
. Freak Show was released on 3 February 1997. The album also gives listeners a glimpse into the band's experimental side, as can be heard in "Petrol & Chlorine" and "Cemetery". Early vinyl pressings also included a precursor to "Anthem for the Year 2000" entitled "The Millennium Bug".
began recording their second studio album, Freak Show, in May 1996 while experiencing the success of their debut album, Frogstomp
, in Australia and the US. It was produced by Nick Launay
(Birthday Party, Models
, Midnight Oil
) and was released in February 1997. The album reached number-one in Australia and yielded three Top 10 singles – "Freak", "Abuse Me
", and "Cemetery
". Its fourth single, "The Door
", reached No. 25. The songs focused on the anger and backlash that the expectations of Frogstomp brought upon the band. Freak Show was certified gold in the US, 4× platinum in Australia and global sales eventually exceeded 1.5 million copies.
All lyrics by Daniel Johns.
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...
from Australian rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
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...
. Freak Show was released on 3 February 1997. The album also gives listeners a glimpse into the band's experimental side, as can be heard in "Petrol & Chlorine" and "Cemetery". Early vinyl pressings also included a precursor to "Anthem for the Year 2000" entitled "The Millennium Bug".
Background
SilverchairSilverchair
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...
began recording their second studio album, Freak Show, in May 1996 while experiencing the success of their 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...
, in Australia and the US. It was produced by 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...
(Birthday Party, Models
Models (band)
Models were an alternative rock group formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1978 and went into hiatus in 1988. They are often incorrectly referred to as The Models. They re-formed in 2000, 2006 and 2008 to perform reunion concerts. "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", their only No. 1 hit,...
, Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
) and was released in February 1997. The album reached number-one in Australia and yielded three Top 10 singles – "Freak", "Abuse Me
Abuse Me (Silverchair song)
"Abuse Me" was the second single from Silverchair's second album, Freak Show. In the United States, Sony chose "Abuse Me" as the first single from Freak Show despite protests by the band's manager. "Freak" was the Australian lead single and the preferred lead single from the album. It was also...
", and "Cemetery
Cemetery (song)
"Cemetery" is a single by the Australian alternative rock band Silverchair. The song is found on the band's second album Freak Show. It was also included on their Best of Volume 1.-Background:...
". Its fourth single, "The Door
The Door (song)
"The Door" is the fourth and last single off the band Silverchair's second album, Freak Show. It is also one of only a few songs from Frogstomp and Freak Show that the band still plays live.-Track listing:...
", reached No. 25. The songs focused on the anger and backlash that the expectations of Frogstomp brought upon the band. Freak Show was certified gold in the US, 4× platinum in Australia and global sales eventually exceeded 1.5 million copies.
Reception
Track listing
- "Slave" (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...
, 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...
) – 3:57 - "Freak" (Johns) – 3:49
- "Abuse MeAbuse Me (Silverchair song)"Abuse Me" was the second single from Silverchair's second album, Freak Show. In the United States, Sony chose "Abuse Me" as the first single from Freak Show despite protests by the band's manager. "Freak" was the Australian lead single and the preferred lead single from the album. It was also...
" (Johns) – 4:03 - "Lie to Me" (Johns) – 1:22
- "No Association" (Johns, Gillies) – 3:56
- "CemeteryCemetery (song)"Cemetery" is a single by the Australian alternative rock band Silverchair. The song is found on the band's second album Freak Show. It was also included on their Best of Volume 1.-Background:...
" (Johns) – 4:04 - "The DoorThe Door (song)"The Door" is the fourth and last single off the band Silverchair's second album, Freak Show. It is also one of only a few songs from Frogstomp and Freak Show that the band still plays live.-Track listing:...
" (Johns) – 3:38 - "Pop Song for Us Rejects" (Johns) – 3:15
- "Learn to Hate" (Gillies) – 4:21
- "Petrol & Chlorine" (Johns) – 4:00
- "Roses" (Johns, Gillies) – 3:34
- "Nobody Came" (Johns, Gillies) – 6:08
- "The Closing" (Gillies) – 3:27
All lyrics by Daniel Johns.
- The album has a limited vinyl edition; it was coloured yellow in EuropeEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, and black in AustralasiaAustralasiaAustralasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
.- There is also a limited cassette edition of the album.
Trivia
- The CD release of Freak Show is an Enhanced CDEnhanced CDEnhanced CD, also known as CD Extra and CD Plus, is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players....
that includes interactive CD-ROMCD-ROMA CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
media from the making of the album. The material found on the Enhanced CD is accessed when placing the disc into the CD-ROM drive of a computer. - Many Freak Show songs such as "Slave", "Freak", "No Association", and "Nobody Came" were performed live two years prior to their release on the album.
- Several of the songs also had different titles prior to the album's release. These include: "Cat and Mouse" ("The Closing"), "The Proxy Song" ("The Door"), and "Punk Song #1" ("Lie to Me"). A song entitled "Punk Song #2" was recorded but not re-named; it later appeared on the "Freak" single. "Punk Song #3" ("Satin Sheets") was originally recorded for Freak Show, but was omitted from the album and included on Neon BallroomNeon BallroomNeon 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...
instead. - The release of Freak Show was originally slated for the autumn of 1996; it was later pushed back to avoid competition from Pearl JamPearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
's No CodeNo CodeNo Code is the fourth studio album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on August 27, 1996 through Epic Records. Following a troubled tour for its previous album, Vitalogy , in which Pearl Jam engaged in a much-publicized boycott of Ticketmaster, the band went into the studio...
. - Although Freak Show was shelved until February 1997 for the general public, European and Australian promotional pressings were officially circulated throughout the music press in late October/early November 1996.
- Frontman 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...
described the album's title in 1997 by comparing the on-the-road life of Silverchair to that of a traveling carnivalTraveling carnivalA traveling carnival is an amusement show that may be made up of amusement rides, food vendors, merchandise vendors, games of chance and skill, thrill acts, animal acts or sideshow curiosities. A traveling carnival is not set up at a permanent location, like an amusement park, but is moved from...
. - Johns also stated that some of the lyrics were toned-down for release on Freak Show. Although, the majority of the songs found on the album still retain dark and morbid themes that include diseaseDiseaseA disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
, drug abuseDrug abuseSubstance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
, and suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. - An unreleased song entitled "Slime" was recorded during the Freak Show sessions, but has yet to see release of any kind.
- The existence of "Slime" can originally be traced back to the 1996 late October/early November European press release where it is listed amongst the rest of the Freak Show track listing. The song was described in the press release as "similar to 'No Association'" but "more melodic". Thematically-speaking, it was described as the "linchpin" of the entire album.
- In 2007, Johns referred to Freak Show as "some kind of dark" "skeleton" in the band's "closet"
- The album was available in Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
pressed on yellow vinyl and limited to 3,000 copies worldwide. - A demo version of "Freak" is featured in trailers for the 1995 space combat film Screamers. This is one of the aforementioned Freak Show songs that Silverchair debuted live as early as January 1995.
- "No Association" is featured in BlackrockBlackrock (film)Blackrock is a 1997 Australian film directed by Steven Vidler and written by Nick Enright. Internationally, it is best remembered as the first prominent role of actor Heath Ledger.-Origin:...
.
Additional personnel
- Jane ScarpantoniJane ScarpantoniJane Scarpantoni is a classically trained cello player who has played on a number of alternative rock albums.She was a member of Hoboken, New Jersey's Tiny Lights in the mid-'80s, then went on to play with other musicians especially those associated with the Hoboken underground rock scene of the...
(track 6), Margaret Lindsay (track 10) – cello - Amanda BrownAmanda Brown (musician)Amanda Gabrielle Brown is an Australian composer, classically trained musician, singer and songwriter, renowned for her role as the violinist of the band The Go-Betweens and more recently a session musician and soundtrack composer....
and Ian CooperIan Cooper (violinist)Ian Cooper is an Australian Violinist. He was commissioned to compose the "Tin Symphony" for the opening ceremony of the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney and is proficient in many musical styles including Classical, Gypsy, Jazz, Irish & Country music...
(track 8), Lorenza PonceLorenza PonceLorenza Ponce is an American violinist, vocalist, string arranger and composer. She has recorded five albums of her own music and is well known for her collaborative and supporting roles with other musicians, most notably as a touring musician with Bon Jovi and a member of the Jon Bon Jovi ...
, Elizabeth Knowles, Todd Reynolds and David MansfieldDavid MansfieldDavid Mansfield is an American violinist, mandolin player, guitarist, pedal steel guitar player, and composer....
(track 6), Ravi Kutilak (track 10) – violin - Matthew Pierce (track 6), Rudi Crivici (track 10) – viola
- Pandit Ran Chander Suman – tampura, tabla (track 10)
- Ruk Mali – sitar (track 10)
- String arrangements by Jane Scarpantoni (track 6), Nick Launay and Daniel Denholm (track 10)
- Produced & recorded by Nick LaunayNick LaunayNick 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...
. - Mixed by Andy WallaceAndy Wallace (producer)Andy Wallace is a Grammy Award-winning music studio engineer with a long track record of successful productions, beginning with the 1986 production of the Run-DMC/Aerosmith collaboration on "Walk This Way" with Rick Rubin...
except "Petrol & Chlorine" and "The Closing" mixed by Nick Launay. - Recorded at Festival Studios, Sydney.
- Mixed at Soundtrack, NYC.
- Assistant Engineers: Mark Thomas & Matt LovellMatt LovellMatt Lovell is a notable Australian record producer and mixer for many artists, such as; Something for Kate, The Mess Hall, Tom Morgan and Shihad...
(Sydney), Steve Sisco (NYC). - Mastered by Bob LudwigBob LudwigBob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
at Gateway Mastering. - Art direction: John Watson, John O'Donnell, Kevin Wilkins & Silverchair.
- Inside photos by Sophie Howarth, Adrienne Overall & others.
- Cover art by Lydia Kullik.
- Front cover image is an illustration of Grady Stiles, Jr.Grady StilesGrady Franklin Stiles, Jr. was a freak show performer. His deformity was ectrodactyly, where the fingers and toes are fused together to form claw-like extremities. Stiles' stage name was the "Lobster Boy"....
, a sideshow performer afflicted with ectrodactylyEctrodactylyEctrodactyly, sometimes referred to as the “Lobster-Claw Syndrome” involves the deficiency or absence of one or more central digits of the hand or foot and is also known as split hand/split foot malformation...
. His stage name was "The Lobster Boy". The illustration is courtesy of Circus World Museum, Baraboo, Wisconsin. - Released on CD, cassette, and 12" vinyl (black & limited edition yellow).
Chart positions
| Chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian 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... Albums Chart |
1 |
| 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... |
12 |