Sound of Silver
Sound of Silver | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 12, 2007 | |||
Recorded | 2006 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 55:55 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | The DFA | |||
LCD Soundsystem studio albums chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Sound of Silver | ||||
|
Sound of Silver is the second studio album by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. The album was released jointly through DFA and Capitol Records in the United States and EMI elsewhere, first on March 12, 2007, in the United Kingdom. Sound of Silver was produced by the DFA and recorded during 2006 at Long View Farm in North Brookfield, Massachusetts and DFA Studios in New York, New York. Upon release, Sound of Silver received acclaim from music critics, and it was later nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. The group's later released EP, entitled A Bunch of Stuff, was composed entirely of songs from this album.
Recording and composition[]
James Murphy recorded Sound of Silver at the Long View Farm in Massachusetts, where he had previously recorded LCD Soundsystem's eponymous debut album. Murphy was uncomfortable recording his own vocals, calling the experience "horrifying".[1] Murphy covered the entire studio in silver fabric and tin foil. For the recording of LCD Soundsystem's following album This Is Happening, Murphy brought one of the original pieces of silver fabric to the album's recording studio in Los Angeles and hung it in Rick Rubin's recording den, the Mansion.[1]
Musically, Sound of Silver has been described as dance-punk,[2][3] dance-rock,[4][5][6] electronica,[7][8] electronic rock,[8][9] and indie rock.[10] The song "Someone Great" takes its instrumental from one part of the band's six-part, 46-minute long 2006 composition "45:33".[11] The album was dedicated to "the memory of Dr. George Kamen (1942–2006), one of the great minds of his or any generation."[12] The Bulgarian-born doctor was a pioneer of group therapy and had opened a practice in New York City.
Release[]
For several weeks before and after the album's release the entire album was available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The video for the track "North American Scum" was also posted to the band's MySpace on February 8, 2007. On March 12, 2007, to coincide with its official UK release, an underground remix version of the album was released online in aid of charity.[13]
Reception[]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 86/100[14] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [15] |
The A.V. Club | B+[16] |
Entertainment Weekly | A−[17] |
The Guardian | [18] |
Los Angeles Times | [19] |
NME | 8/10[20] |
Pitchfork | 9.2/10[21] |
Q | [22] |
Rolling Stone | [23] |
Spin | [24] |
Sound of Silver received widespread critical acclaim and holds a score of 86 out of 100 on the review aggregation website Metacritic, based on reviews from 41 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[14] The Guardian's Dorian Lynskey singled out the "devastating emotional punch" of "Someone Great" and "All My Friends" for praise and described the album as "dance-rock for grown-ups: extraordinary."[18] Andy Kellman of AllMusic felt that Sound of Silver, compared to LCD Soundsystem, was "less silly, funnier, less messy, sleeker, less rowdy, more fun, less distanced, more touching."[15] Los Angeles Times critic Ann Powers wrote that Murphy "succeeds by stretching in two directions -- finding a new musical center, and showing his humanity beyond the laughs."[19] Mark Pytlik of Pitchfork complimented Murphy's production sense and the album's "deep, spacious, and full-blooded" sound, concluding that "it's an absolute joy to listen to, for every possible reason, not the least of which is because, these days, those epiphanies feel like they're coming fewer and farther between."[21]
Tim Jonze of NME wrote that while "Murphy's wise enough never to let his showing off spoil the fun, he can't avoid investing these songs with heart and soul ... that's what'll keep you hooked long after the beats have worn you out".[25] Uncut's John Mulvey stated that "Murphy's talent is to proudly flaunt his influences, and to mix them up with belligerence, an exhilarating grasp of rock and dance dynamics, and a powerfully snarky sense of humour."[26] Robert Christgau, writing in MSN Music, remarked that the album contained "one song so irresistible it makes you think the other tracks are songs too, which sometimes they are,"[27] later assigning it a two-star honorable mention rating.[28]
By the end of 2007, it was ranked by Metacritic as the tenth best-reviewed album of the year.[29]
Commercial[]
James Murphy stated that he would like the album to be in the top 40 on the U.S. Billboard Charts. It debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 46.[30] As of January 2016, the album has sold about 225,000 copies in United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. About 123,000 of those are physical copies, and about 101,000 of those are digital copies.[31] The album reached number 28 on the UK charts.
Accolades[]
In December 2007, Sound of Silver was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album, eventually losing to We Are the Night by The Chemical Brothers.[32] The album was also nominated for the 2007 Shortlist Prize, where it lost out to The Reminder by Feist.
It was also named album of the year by The Guardian,[33] Uncut[34] and Drowned in Sound.[35] Pitchfork named two of the album's tracks ("Someone Great" and "All My Friends") in the top ten tracks of 2007[36] and the album itself was named the second best album of 2007.[37] Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone[38] both ranked it as the 7th best album of 2007.[39] In 2008 Entertainment Weekly ranked it as one of the top 50 albums of the last 25 years. In January 2008, it was named the album of the year in both the 2007 Village Voice Pazz & Jop and Idolator Pop '07 polls.[40] Time magazine named "All My Friends" one of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at #4.[41] The album placed fifth in The Wire's annual critics' poll.[42]
In 2009, Pitchfork named the track "All My Friends" as the second best song of the decade,[43] while a month later Sound of Silver was ranked at number 17 in the website's list of the best albums of the 2000s. Rhapsody ranked the album at number five on its "100 Best Albums of the Decade" list.[44] It was also named the twenty-third best album of the decade by Resident Advisor.[45]
In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 395 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[46] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[47][48]
In 2019, The Guardian ranked the album at number 5 on its list of 'The 100 best albums of the 21st century'.[49]
Track listing[]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Get Innocuous!" | 7:11 | |
2. | "Time to Get Away" |
| 4:11 |
3. | "North American Scum" | Murphy | 5:25 |
4. | "Someone Great" | Murphy | 6:25 |
5. | "All My Friends" |
| 7:37 |
6. | "Us v Them" |
| 8:29 |
7. | "Watch the Tapes" | Murphy | 3:55 |
8. | "Sound of Silver" | Murphy | 7:07 |
9. | "New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down" |
| 5:35 |
Personnel[]
Credits adapted from liner notes.
- LCD Soundsystem
- James Murphy – vocals (all tracks), drums (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8), percussion (tracks 2, 3, 6-8), bass (tracks 2, 5, 7, 8), programming (tracks 1, 3, 4, 8), piano (tracks 1, 5, 7, 8), synthesizers (tracks 1, 4, 8, 9), claps (tracks 3, 6-8), guitar (tracks 2, 5, 9), organ (tracks 2, 3), Casio (tracks 2, 7), guitar bass (tracks 3, 7), Clavinet (track 2), glockenspiel (track 4), electronic percussion (track 5), fun machine (track 6), kalimba (track 8)
- Patrick Mahoney – drums (tracks 2, 6, 9), percussion (tracks 6, 9), claps (track 6), vocals (track 7)
- Tyler Pope – guitars (tracks 1, 6), bass (tracks 3, 6, 9), fun machine (track 6), claps (track 6)
- Nancy Whang – vocals (tracks 1, 3, 6)
- Phillip Mossman[a]
- Additional musicians
- Eric Broucek – claps (track 3), vocals (track 6)
- Marcus Lambkin – claps (track 3)
- Morgan Wiley – piano (track 9)
- Justin Chearno – guitar (track 9)
- Jane Scarpantoni – cello (track 9)
- Lorenza Ponce – violin 1 (track 9)
- Amy Kimball – violin 2 (track 9)
- David Gold – viola (track 9)
- Production
- The DFA – production
- James Murphy – mixing
- Dave Sardy – mixing
- Geoff Pesche – mastering
- Eric Broucek – assistance
- Matthew Thornley – engineering assistance
- Ian Neil – engineering assistance
- Jimmy Robertson – mix assistance
- Daniel Morrison – mix assistance
- Release
- Michael Vadino – art direction, photos
- Keith Wood – management
- Craig Averill – legal
Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
|
Year-end charts[]
|
Certifications[]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[63] | Gold | 100,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
A Bunch of Stuff[]
A Bunch of Stuff | |
---|---|
EP by | |
Released | 18 September 2007 |
Genre |
A few months after the release of Sound of Silver, the band released the digital-only compilation EP A Bunch of Stuff, released on September 18, 2007 . It is a US-only release as all the songs on the EP were included on the Someone Great" single which was released in all other territories (excluding the Franz Ferdinand cover of "All My Friends", which since became a B-side to their 2008 single "Can't Stop Feeling").
Track listing[]
- "All My Friends" (Franz Ferdinand version)
- "Get Innocuous!" (Soulwax remix)
- "Sound of Silver" (Carl Craig's c2 rmx rev.3)
- "Us v Them" (Any Color U Like remix by Windsurf)
- "Time to Get Away" (Gucci Soundsystem remix)
- "Us v Them" (live on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic")
Notes and references[]
- Notes
- ^ Mossman is credited as a member of the band during recording, but is not attributed to any contributions.
- References
- ^ a b Harris, Sophie (March 12, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem's 'Sound of Silver': 10 Things You Didn't Know". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ Goldner, Sam. "How LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver Became the Gold Standard for Modern Dance-Punk". The-dowsers.com. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- ^ Kosik, John (March 31, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem's dance-punk groove remains tight on "Sound of Silver"". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- ^ "LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver · Album Review". Resident Advisor. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ "CD: LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver". The Guardian. March 9, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ "LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ Little, Michael (July 17, 2015). "Graded on a Curve: LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver". The Vinyl District. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- ^ a b Carroll, Jim (March 9, 2007). "CD of the Week: LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver". The Irish Times. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- ^ "Yes, I Am a Tornado Chaser". The Holland Project. February 5, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- ^ "Top 100 Indie Rock albums of the '00s". Treblezine.com. July 12, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ Bendall-Jones, Richard. "LCD Soundsystem - 45:33". DIY. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
- ^ CD liner notes.
- ^ "sounds like silver : lcd soundsystem remixed". Archived from the original on March 16, 2007. Retrieved March 12, 2007.
- ^ a b "Reviews for Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem". Metacritic. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Sound of Silver – LCD Soundsystem". AllMusic. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- ^ Matos, Michaelangelo (March 27, 2007). "LCD Soundsystem: Sound Of Silver". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
- ^ Adams, Jason (March 16, 2007). "Sound of Silver". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
- ^ a b Lynskey, Dorian (March 8, 2007). "LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver". The Guardian. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
- ^ a b Powers, Ann (March 18, 2007). "A shock to his 'System'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
- ^ Jonze, Tim (March 9, 2007). "LCD Soundsystem: Sound Of Silver". NME. Archived from the original on March 22, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
- ^ a b Pytlik, Mark (March 20, 2007). "LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 19, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
- ^ "LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver". Q (249): 110. April 2007.
- ^ Ringen, Jonathan (March 9, 2007). "Sound Of Silver". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
- ^ Walters, Barry (March 2007). "On the Edge". Spin. 23 (3): 98. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
- ^ "LCD Soundsystem: 45:33". NME. December 11, 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
- ^ Mulvey, John (March 6, 2007). "LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver". Uncut. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (June 2007). "Consumer Guide". MSN Music. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
- ^ "Metacritic: Best Albums of 2007". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 2, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
- ^ Katie Hasty, "Modest Mouse Steers Its 'Ship' To No. 1 Debut", Billboard.com, March 28, 2007.
- ^ Molanphy, Chris (January 22, 2016). "Can LCD Soundsystem Finally Fulfill James Murphy's Dream of a Number One Album?". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ "50th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominations List". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2007. Retrieved December 8, 2007.
- ^ "2007's Best Albums" The Guardian. December 7, 2007.
- ^ Harvell, Jess (November 30, 2007). ""Uncut" Sings The Praises Of Sound Of Silver". Archived from the original on December 1, 2007.
- ^ Diver, Mike (December 23, 2007). "DiS's albums of 2007". drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
- ^ Pitchfork staff (December 17, 2007). "Top 100 Tracks of 2007". Pitchfork. p. 10. Archived from the original on May 19, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Pitchfork staff (December 18, 2007). "Top 50 Albums of 2007". Pitchfork. p. 5. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert; Fricke, David; Hoard, Christian; Sheffield, Rob (December 17, 2007). "Top 50 Albums of 2007". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 26, 2007.
- ^ "The Best (and Worst) Albums of 2007". EW.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2007.
- ^ "Idolator Pop 07: Albums". idolator.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2008.
- ^ Josh Tyrangiel (December 9, 2007). "Top 10 Songs - Top 10 Everything of 2007". Archived from the original on March 28, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
- ^ "2007 Rewind: Records of the Year Top Ten". The Wire. No. 287. London. January 2008. p. 37 – via Exact Editions. (subscription required)
- ^ Pitchfork staff (August 21, 2009). "The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ "Rhapsody's 100 Best Albums of the Decade". Rhapsody. December 9, 2009. Archived from the original on January 10, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
- ^ "Top 100 albums of the '00s". Resident Advisor. January 25, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2010.
- ^ Wenner, Jann S., ed. (2012). Rolling Stone - Special Collectors Issue - The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. USA: Wenner Media Specials. ISBN 978-7-09-893419-6
- ^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (2014). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
- ^ In 2013, NME named Sound of Silver the 49th greatest album of all time.
- ^ "The 100 best albums of the 21st century". TheGuardian.com. September 13, 2019.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ "Charts.nz – LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ "LCD Soundsystem | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
- ^ "LCD Soundsystem Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
- ^ "LCD Soundsystem Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
- ^ "Top Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- ^ "British album certifications – LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 16, 2017.Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Sound of Silver in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
External links[]
- 2007 albums
- LCD Soundsystem albums
- DFA Records albums
- Capitol Records albums
- Albums recorded at Long View Farm