Artwork by me: Enrique Seemann
Even though LCD Soundsystem's first album was great and a big success, James Murphy had a funny epiphany: 'I need to make the second record better.' He returned to the same farm where he had recorded the first album to do just that.
The first thing he did differently was try to achieve a less 'woody' sound. “With the first record, I went to a farm and I walked away from it and I listened to the record and I thought it sounded too woody. With 'Sound of Silver' (the second album), I went to the farm again and covered the whole studio in silver fabric and tinfoil so it would be more silver.” James Murphy, Clash (2010) Interviewer: Matthew Bennett That’s where the name of the second record comes from.
The process of making the album was heavy on James. It's a really personal album that touches on deep themes, principally different kinds of loss: loss of someone you care about, loss of youth, or a sense of societal loss. “Making Sound of Silver was very emotional at times, where I just hated making that record. In the first half, I wanted to kill myself.” James Murphy, Clash (2010) Interviewer Matthew Bennet
One of those songs is 'Someone Great'. This song was written because James’ therapist, Dr. George Kamen, passed away during the recording of the record. Dr. Kamen was an extremely important person in James' life, pivotal in helping him overcome his self-doubt and anxieties about making his own music.
Before I knew this song was about his therapist, I thought it was a grief song, perhaps about a romantic relationship coming to an end. But ever since I learned about the context, it just made much more sense. Especially these lines
“I wish that we could talk about it But there, that's the problem With someone new I couldn't start it Too late, for beginnings”
“You're smaller than my wife imagined Surprised, you were human”
During the song, James reflects on how everything remains normal even though someone great has gone.
“The worst is all the lovely weather I'm stunned, it's not raining The coffee isn't even bitter Because, what's the difference?”
And concludes:
“We're safe, for the moment Saved for the moment.”
Putting into perspective the fragility of life.
The deepness of his reflections and themes in the album made James very depressed.
Luckily he got a break from it, as Nike commissioned him to be part of its iTunes-only “Original Run” series in 2006, making the one-track 45:33 album. (Fun fact, it actually is 46:04 long). You can even hear a teaser for “Someone Great” 9:43 minutes in.
“That just calmed me down, and the second half of the record was just a breeze,” James Murphy, Clash (2010) Interviewer Matthew Bennet
He even attributes the Nike track for Sound of Silver’s wideness “Then I remembered the lessons I had learned on ‘45.33’ and I learned to calm down and that helped me make this record a little bit more. ‘45.33’ allowed ‘Sound of Silver’ to become wide.” James Murphy, Clash (2010) Interviewer Matthew Bennet
His epiphany came true: 'Sound of Silver' mixed all these ingredients that made it much better than its predecessor. It is personal, it has a more cohesive sound between every song; it just feels like this is the album where James found his style or voice. It’s a masterpiece.
My personal thoughts and other LCD’s songs I’d recommend:
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