CD2 / RARITIES
Background information and lyrics
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Talkshow. Previously unreleased. Spellbound by the work of various
excellent vocalists (Bobby McFerrin, Mike Patton, Björk etc.) Silence
toyed with the idea of recording an a cappella track – a track comprised
exclusively of vocals – for a long time before "amassing the
necessary amount of experiences and arrogance", as Benko put
it. The band decided to "vocalize" Talkshow, an old
Silence track from the Unlike A Virgin period. The subject of
the lyrics – the uncanny power of voices – perfectly suited the idea.
Read
the lyrics
Puta Royale is the ultimate testament to the power of
good news. The song was written immediately after Benko read a newspaper
article announcing that Stanley Kubrick (of whom Benko is a die-hard fan)
started working on his new film, Eyes Wide Shut. Mesmerized by
the title (and devoid of any additional information regarding the film)
Benko wrote the song in less than 30 minutes with an assorted selection
of images dancing before his eyes: apes creeping around a black monolith,
Jack Nicholson wielding an axe… The track's lyrics – Benko's take on romantic
disillusionment – was inspired exclusively by the movie's title. Nevertheless,
it is remarkably close to the issues addressed by the movie's screenplay
(based on Arthur Schnitzler's novel). The song was recorded in 1998, during
the production of the band's second album, Unlike A Virgin. However,
due to an excess of material and some highly subjective reasoning, Puta
Royale never made it onto the album. Read
the lyrics
Der Untergang, Les Égoistes and The
Last Dance were all written for Lulubaj, a theatre play
based on Frank Wedekind's expressionist novel Lulu. All three
tracks are variations of the same song. Each track illustrates the emotional
state of the cast at the focal points of their imaginary journey throughout
Europe. The most interesting thing, though, is that Der Untergang
and Les Égoistes represent Hladnik's lyrical debut, as well as
Benko's first encounter with German and French. Read the
lyrics:
Der Untergang
Les Égoistes
The
Last Dance
Photo: Joze Suhadolnik
God Forsaken Country originally appeared on Silence's
second album, Unlike A Virgin. The version featured on this album,
performed by the Rozmarinke string quartet, was written for the
ensemble's 2004 debut album.
3 besede / 3 Words was written for the Vain – A Tribute
To A Ghost album. The track was inspired by the concept of Joni Mitchell's
Both Sides Now, a record that traces the arc of a modern romantic
relationship (from initial flirtation to the relationship's eventual disintegration)
through 12 beautiful remakes of classic love songs. Following the same
premise, 3 Words focuses on the transition between two extremes
of human sentiment: love and hate. Each strophe is a separate confession
– one of love, the second of hate. Benko wrote the first confession in
Slovene – his mother tongue. Why? In his own words: "Expressing
love or writing about it in English always sounds somewhat impersonal,
as though the language itself distances you from what you've written.
Ordinarily, this works perfectly for me. Actually, that's an excellent
question: why did I write the first strophe in Slovene?" The
slow-paced ballad was eventually excluded from the album in order to avert
an excessive drop in the record's overall tempo. Read
the lyrics
Subaquea and Transition Blues were originally
written for Nunca Mais, a documentary film about the sinking
of the oil tanker Prestige off the shores of Galicia in 2003.
The project was never finalized.
Piano Theme #3 was written for Wrestling Dostoievsky,
a theatre play based on Dostoievsky's Crime And Punishment. This
subtle piano miniature was performed by Hladnik on a vintage, slightly
de-tuned Friedrich Ehrbar grand piano.
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