Silverchair & Daniel Johns: Ranking The Albums
A lot was made of Silverchair’s ages (14/15) when they released the monumental Frogstomp in 1995. It was an incredible feat for 3 teenagers, especially given the quality of what they produced - but their age often went against them by becoming the focal point. Daniel Johns is a genuine musical genius, with a creative approach to melody and orchestration that has led to a huge range of music to discover. This list combines Silverchair, The Dissociatives and Daniel Johns solo, with a playlist that includes b-sides and obscure tracks. If there is anything you haven’t heard yet, you’re in for a treat!
‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Rock!’ is an EP by Daniel Johns and Paul Mac, released in 2000 between Silverchair’s Neon Ballroom and Diorama albums. It was an experimental collaboration that is almost impossible to track down in a physical format, but can be streamed in reasonable quality on YouTube - and it is well worth a listen (link below).
Silverchair had started to expand beyond the boundaries of rock / metal on their exquisite 3rd album ‘Neon Ballroom’, but Daniel Johns was itching to create something totally different, and his new-found partnership with producer Paul Mac led to a collaboration which hinted at what they would go on to create a few years later with The Dissociatives.
‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Rock!’ is a patchwork quilt of ideas which don’t seem quite fully formed, but hint at brilliance. ‘Staging A Traffic Jam’, for example, features a beautiful falsetto vocal which Daniel Johns would utilise on ‘Diorama’ and his debut solo album ‘Talk’. ‘Home’ is built around a pulsing, low-fi electronic beat and haunting synths. Best of all is ‘Take Her Out’, which starts out as a dreamy pop song and evolves into a crushing, Nine Inch Nails-esque grind with noisy synths, Neon Ballroom-flavoured screams and carefully-placed studio banter.
There is nothing here for casual Silverchair fans - but that was the point. It’s an intriguing listen to explore the inner workings of a musical prodigy.
Standout Tracks: ‘Take Her Out’, ‘3’, ‘Staging A Traffic Jam’
In hindsight, the announcement that Silverchair were on ‘hiatus’ could have been handled much better.
One minute, Daniel, Ben and Chris were in the studio working on the follow-up to ‘Young Modern’, and the next everything was put on hold for an undetermined period, and for no clear reason. This led to a lot of frustration and will-they-won’t-they speculation, which didn’t do much for the public perception of the band. Things have since become clearer with the release of the ‘Who Is Daniel Johns?’ podcast (check it out here), but back in 2010-2015 it became a very frustrating period for Silverchair fans.
Eventually, Daniel announced the release of his debut solo album, ‘Talk’, which tellingly included ‘Going on 16’ which Silverchair had played live in their very last live shows, and had presumably planned for their since-scrapped 6th album.
‘Talk’ is very much a change in direction away from the guitar-led rock of Silverchair, and it has some incredible moments. Opener ‘Aerial Love’ is a pristine, delicate pop song with impossibly high falsetto vocals. ‘By Your Side’ and ‘Dissolve’ feature immaculate choruses; and ‘New York’ is a cinematic, orchestral piece that calls to mind the adventures of ‘Diorama’. However, unfortunately the album is overly long, crowded with too many mediocre R&B numbers such as ‘Chained’, ‘Warm Hands’ and ‘Imagination’, where the attempt to channel Stevie Wonder and Prince doesn’t quite work. ‘Talk’ was an admirable album, based around inventive melodies, but the minimalist, synth-heavy production made it hard to sustain interest for the whole thing. Annoyingly, one of the best songs from this era, ‘Late Night Drive’, was left off the album and can only be found on the ‘Aerial Love’ EP - it is well worth hunting down, as is included in the playlist above.
Standout Tracks: ‘Dissolve’, ‘Cool On Fire’, ‘Late Night Drive (b-side)’
No-one considered at the time that ‘Young Modern’ would be Silverchair’s final album. It felt fresh and inventive, and the start of a new chapter that was less indebted to Helmet and more akin to the pop-rock fellow Aussies Midnight Oil.
‘Young Modern’ is a great record, with some of the band’s best-ever moments - but with the benefit of hindsight it is the least good (we wouldn’t call it ‘worst’) album because it struggles somewhat with an identity crisis. In a way, the songs can be split into 3 categories.
If you want serrated, garage rock guitars then ‘Young Modern Station’, ‘The Man That Knew Too Much’, ‘Insomnia’ and ‘Mindreader’ buzz with a nervous energy that sits in a strange place somewhere between the metal of ‘Freak Show’ and the early 00s indie of Jet and The White Stripes. Dan’s voice is almost unrecognisable from the elegance of ‘Diorama’ and ‘Neon Ballroom’, sounding more like The John Spencer Blues Explosion. An acquired taste.
Silverchair then touch on Diorama’s majesty with the incredible, 3-part 'Those Thieving Birds’, and the playful closer ‘All Across The World’; and they experiment with something that sounds like a Disney musical retold by Tim Burton on the baroque ‘If You Keep Losing Sleep’. These are the moments of genuine musical brilliance.
And then we have the straight-up pop rock of ‘Straight Lines’, ‘Reflections Of A Sound’, ‘Low’ and ‘Waiting All Day’, all of which are great but pale in comparison to the bombast of ‘If You Keep Losing Sleep’ and ‘Those Thieving Birds’.
Originally a Daniel Johns solo album, and then re-focused by making it a Silverchair record, ‘Young Modern’ is a wild ride - but there is a lingering feeling of a band that didn’t quite know which direction to choose.
Standout Tracks: ‘Those Thieving Birds’, ‘If You Keep Losing Sleep’, ‘Low’
The review of ‘Young Modern’ referred to the identify crisis that Silverchair seemed to be going through in 2007. ‘Identity’ is very much the theme of ‘FutureNever’, but not in the sense of it being a ‘crisis’. Instead, the theme seemed to be an attempt to resolve, once and for all, the question “Who is Daniel Johns?’.
Musically, ‘FutureNever’ is all over the place. For the the listening experience to truly make sense, it is helpful to first listen to some of the ‘Who is Daniel Johns?’ podcast (find it here). This rollercoaster of a podcast, released in 2021, gave Silverchair’s enigmatic singer and songwriter the platform to talk about his experiences as a teenager being thrust into the spotlight, touring the world and releasing some of rock music’s best and most intriguing albums, all in his teens and 20s. It also explores the uncomfortable breakdown of the relationship with Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou, who of course went through all the same things with Daniel - only, they received much less personal attention.
Understanding some of the history helps ‘FutureNever’ make sense - because, let’s face it, without context it comes across as a playlist of several different artists, not an album by one person. Each song is born from a different collaboration, which means there is a lot of variety in both sonic production and genre - and it doesn’t always work.
‘Reclaim Your Heart’ is a weary cousin of ‘Emotion Sickness’ (and it really suffers from not having Ben on drums). ‘Cocaine Killa’ is psychadelic synth pop reminiscent of MGMT. ‘Stand ‘Em Up’ is punk rock by way of The Prodigy, which curiously sounds like it was recorded underwater. ‘FreakNever’ is a frightening retelling of 1997’s ‘Freak’. ‘D4NGRSBOY’ is a lacklustre attempt at The Weeknd and is best forgotten. ‘Someone Call An Ambulance’ sounds like an offcut from The Dissociatives - good, but not great. And the forced vocals on closer ‘Those Thieving Birds, Pt 3’ are, unfortunately, a sign that Dan’s voice isn’t what it used to be.
The best songs, by far, are ‘Emergency Calls Only’ and ‘When We Take Over’ - powerful, beautiful songs that recall the inventive orchestration of ‘Diorama’ - and the funky ‘I Feel Electric’ which was the closest thing we got to a single.
Overall, ‘FutureNever’ is an intriguing artistic statement - and the fact that even exists in the first place is a triumph. There are flashes of brilliance, but it isn’t an easy listen.
Standout Tracks: ‘I Feel Electric’, ‘Emergency Calls Only’, ‘When We Take Over’
It is still hard to believe how 3 boys aged 14 & 15 managed to create an album as accomplished as Frogstomp. Not only are the songs themselves well crafted and memorable, but these guys could play. The chemistry between drums, guitar, bass and vocals throughout is incredible, sounding wild, live and raw, but also controlled and always doing what is best to serve the song.
Silverchair won a songwriting talent competition with an early version of ‘Tomorrow’, which was developed further for official release as the lead single here. It is a fantastic, strident song with a deceptively unconventional structure and a bold chorus that showcases Daniel Johns’ stunning voice.
‘Tomorrow’ was no flash in the pan, though, and isn’t even the best song here. We have the glorious ‘Israel’s Son’ with its frantic ending, the chaotic instrumental ‘Madman’, punky closer ‘Findaway’, riff-heavy ‘Leave Me Out’, majestic ‘Pure Massacre’ and mature ‘Shade’.
‘Frogstomp’ suffers from some non-descript, teenage lyrics (especially ‘Suicidal Dream’); and the quality dips slightly with ‘Undecided’ and ‘Cicada’ (which might have been better replaced by superb B-side ‘Acid Rain’). But this is nit-picking, really. 'Frogstomp’ is a bona-fide classic - and not just because Daniel, Chris and Ben were teenagers.
Standout Tracks: ‘Israel’s Son’, ‘Findaway’, ‘Tomorrow’
Is it controversial to rank ‘Freak Show’ above ‘Frogstomp’? They are both fantastic albums, made in quick succession by 3 ridiculously talented Australian teeangers, taking the best elements of Helmet, Pearly Jam, Nirvana and Black Sabbath and distilling them into a heavy but instantly accessible sound.
What gives ‘Freak Show’ the slight edge over ‘Frogstomp’ is that it pushes slightly further in every direction. The heavy parts are heavier (see ‘No Association’ and ‘Learn To Hate’). The fast parts are faster (especially the brilliant, Discharge-influenced ‘Lie To Me’). And the depth of songwriting Silverchair had demonstrated with ‘Pure Massacre’ and ‘Shade’ was embellished on their 2nd album by a broader range of guitar sounds and inventive instrumental textures - see ‘Abuse Me’ and ‘Cemetery’.
Lead single ‘Freak’ is an all-time Silverchair classic, with a simple, brutal riff, nonsensical-yet-brilliant lyrics (“No more maybes, your baby’s got rabies, sitting on a ball in the middle of the Andes”) and accompanying artwork that sold thousands of t-shirts.
‘Petrol and Chlorine’ felt like something of an outlier at first, but as Silverchair’s career evolved it has actually become one of their most enduring songs, signposting the creativity they would explore more on ‘Diorama’ (tellingly, they didn’t play ‘Petrol and Chlorine’ live until the Diorama tour).
You want a brilliant example of 90s post-grunge? Listen to ‘Freak Show’. You want youthful energy? Listen to ‘Freak Show’. You want brilliant rock songs? Listen to ‘Freak Show’.
Standout Tracks: ‘Freak’, ‘The Door’, ‘Petrol and Chlorine’
Taking some of the ideas from their ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Rock’ EP and pushing them to the extreme, ‘The Dissociatives’ is a fantastic record that combines Daniel Johns’ mastery of melody and Paul Mac’s inventive approach to production.
Silverchair were on an extended break following the global ‘Diorama’ tour cycle, and Daniel’s well-documented struggle to recover from reactive arthritis. Retreating to the studio with Paul Mac, with no real commercial pressures, the duo came up with a unique collection of songs with elements of The Beatles, Radiohead (particularly the production of ‘Kid A’ and ‘Amnesiac’) and whimsical pop music. Opener ‘We’re Much Preferred Customers’ is a great introduction, with pulsing beats, multi-layered vocals and an unpredictable structure.
The album’s highlight is ‘Horror With Eyeballs’, which starts with a double-tracked, immaculately-harmonised vocal and builds to a howling rock song with creepy sound effects, surprising key changes, lyrics that are utterly bonkers, and an ending that is simultaneously uplifting and unsettling.
We are treated a couple of quirky instrumentals, ‘Lifing The Veil From The Braille’ and ‘Paris Circa 2007 Slash 08’ which are straight-up fun. Elsewhere, Daniel’s voice is probably the best element of the album, providing textures, otherworldly sounds, pristine harmonies and a comprehensive repertoire of singing styles from across his whole career to that point. Simply put, ‘The Dissociatives’ is an absolute masterpiece and an exciting curiosity for anyone wanting to explore the sound of Daniel Johns beyond his work in Silverchair.
Standout Tracks: ‘Horror With Eyeballs’, ‘We’re Much Preferred Customers’, ‘Forever And A Day’
‘Freak Show’ had hinted at a more orchestral sound with ‘Cemetery’, but the biggest foreshadowing of ‘Neon Ballroom’ came from ‘Untitled’ a standalone song that was released on the Godzilla Soundtrack. ‘Untitled’ went from a beautiful, haunting ballad with orchestral flourishes, to brutally heaviness in the middle. 'Neon Ballroom’ took this juxtaposition of styles and spread it over an entire album, to miraculous effect.
If it wasn’t for the absolute behemoth of ‘Diorama’ at Number 1, ‘Neon Ballroom’ would be at the top spot in this list - and it would be the best album of most other bands.
From the very opening seconds of ‘Emotion Sickness’, the listener is in for something special. Yes, there were guitars, but they were surrounded by piano, violins, cellos, flutes and lush countermelodies. Suddenly Silverchair were catapulted to a whole new sound, beyond the guitar-bass-drums of the first two records; and when the song does explode into life after the second chorus, it sounds enormous.
‘Emotion Sickness’ alone, with its stirring pleas to ‘Get Up Get Up’, the majestic piano flourishes and gorgeous coda, is enough to leave an impact. But this is just the beginning. ‘Anthem For The Year 2000’ is a balls-out rock song for stadiums. ‘Ana’s Song (Open Fire)’, with its subject matter around anorexia, is a defiant, stirring ballad. Later, we have ‘Black Tangled Heart, ‘Point Of View’ and ‘Paint Pastel Princess’ which all follow a similar sonic template but do so brilliantly; and fans of Silverchair’s heavier side will love ‘Satin Sheets’ and ‘Spawn (again)’, showing that Silverchair hadn’t completely moved away from their Minor Threat, Soundgarden, Helmet and Pantera influences.
Oh, and just a reminder. The band were still only teenagers.
Standout tracks: ‘Emotion Sickness’, ‘Ana’s Song (Open Fire)’, ‘Point Of View’
If you haven’t been through the door into ‘Diorama’, you NEED to do it - and things may never be the same again.
There is a compelling argument for ‘Diorama’ being the greatest album of all time. Even more so when you have heard the podcast ‘Who Is Daniel Johns?’ which dissects the album in depth and features an interview with Van Dyke Parks, whose orchestral arrangements (informed by his work with The Beach Boys) helped ‘Diorama’ to transcend the limitations of what we believe rock music can / should sound like.
“Neon Ballroom’ expanded Silverchair’s sound with its addition of piano and strings. ‘Diorama’ took this to a whole new level, not only integrating lush orchestral instrumentation into most of the songs, but also shifting the overall tone of their music. The album artwork is a great indication of what is to come: Opening a door from a drab, dirty room, into an explosion of light and a full spectrum of colour.
‘Luv Your Life’ is the most upbeat song in Silverchair’s history, and even with its “Do Do Do”s it avoids being cheesy because it feels so genuine and authentic. Similarly, ‘My Favourite Thing’, ‘Across The Night’ and ‘Without You’ have an multi-coloured atmosphere full of hope, love and wonder - something we never encountered in ‘Neon Ballroom’.
Daniel’s lyrics were still cryptic, but inviting and poetic (“All the bridges in the world won’t save you, if there is no other side to cross to” - ‘World Upon Your Shoulders’).
‘One Way Mule’ and ‘The Lever’ showed that Silverchair still knew how to bring the heaviness - but it was on their terms. This was their world (Diorama is literally a world within a world), and we were being invited in.
From the opening words of ‘Across The Night’ to the shivers-down-your-spine conclusion to ‘After All These Years’, ‘Diorama’ is utter perfection.
Standout tracks: ‘Tuna In The Brine’, ‘Without You’, ‘Across The Night’
