''The Color of Silence'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Tiffany, released on November 7, 2000. It represented a "comeback" for Tiffany, being her first studio album released in seven years, and the first released in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in ten years. It was released after Tiffany returned to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

after living in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

for a few years attempting to develop her career as a songwriter, as well as to make a return as a country music artist. The song "Open My Eyes" was used in the film ''

BearCity ''BearCity'' is a 2010 American gay-themed comedy-drama film directed by Doug Langway, and written by Langway and Lawrence Ferber. It stars Joe Conti as a young gay man in the " twink" category who fantasizes about larger, hairier men known as "be ...

''.

Background

After the success of her first two albums '' Tiffany'' and '' Hold an Old Friend's Hand'', Tiffany decided to change her musical direction from

teen-pop Teen pop is a sub genre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards preteens and teenagers.Lamb, Bill"Teen Pop". About.com. Retrieved January 28, 2007. Often, the artists themselves are teenagers during their breakout. While it c ...

to R&B and

new jack swing New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Te ...

for her third album '' New Inside''. Her frustration with the music business led her to develop a new, sexier image in an effort to take complete control of her work. ''New Inside'' was released on September 25, 1990, by

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...

. It received mixed reviews by critics, who disliked the "overproduced" songs and found Tiffany to be unconvincing as an R&B singer. The album proved to be a commercial flop; it did not chart in the US, and none of the singles appeared on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' charts. However, it did attain some moderate success in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. Her fourth album, '' Dreams Never Die'', reverted back to

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...

, but was only released on November 21, 1993, in

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

. Struggling with alcohol and drug problems, Tiffany was convinced by her longtime bodyguard, Frank D'Amato, to take a hard look at what she wanted in life. Exhausted by her residency at the

Las Vegas Hilton The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is a hotel, casino, and timeshare resort in Winchester, Nevada. Located near the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip, it is owned by Westgate Resorts. It opened in 1969 as the International Hotel, and was ...

and aware that the industry had moved on from her, she decided to take a break to focus on her family and reconnect to herself. In 1995, Tiffany moved to

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

to work on songwriting while attempting a comeback as a

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

artist. Tiffany started writing music with

Music City Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, located on the Cumberland River. Nashville had a population of 689,447 at the 20 ...

professionals who saw her potential. Tiffany began recording demos for country songs, although she felt that she "isn't a country kind of girl". Tiffany also stated that she was "always shy as a writer" and "didn't

new New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

how to put thoughts into lyrics." After a few years, she moved back to

to work on her fifth album, which gave her the most creative control she had ever had.

Production

After moving back to California, Tiffany met producer Brad Schmidt through a mutual friend. For the first three months, their working relationship struggled as Tiffany found it difficult to accept anyone's control over her career after years of self-sufficiency. Despite these issues, Tiffany managed to write several songs influenced by the works of

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...

and

Melissa Etheridge Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Her Melissa Etheridge (album), eponymous debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground success. It peaked at No. 22 on the Billbo ...

. Tiffany and

Tim Feehan Tim Feehan (born April 27, 1957 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, producer, mix master and Los Angeles area studio owner. Career Tim Feehan graduated from the University of Alberta in 1980 and began his recording/songwriting ...

met and collaborated on a handful of potential tracks for the album, but Tiffany felt that they were "too

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

" and chose not to use them. The first song written for the album, "Silence", survived her rocky relationship with Feehan, as they almost decided to split up due to creative differences. Tiffany stated that after this song, she felt "more confident" and that she had forged a "style" of her own through their collaboration. After Frank D'Amato died of cancer at the age of 34, Tiffany created the melody and wrote the first two lines of the lyrics of "If Only", which was later given to Joe Brooks. Tiffany once believed that the writing of the song helped her deal with mourning over D'Amato's death. Brooks wrote "Betty" and gave it to Tiffany since he wanted her to make it her own, although she thought that the original song was fine as it was.

Music and lyrics

Overview

''The Color of Silence'' is a reflection of Tiffany's life at the time. The main themes of the album included femme power messages and alternative angst. Recurring themes include pain, frustration, longing, and desire. ''The Color of Silence'' is a

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

album incorporated by

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

, and

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...

music. Tiffany co-wrote seven songs on the standard edition of the album. Her most

autobiographical An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

album to date, Tiffany stated in a November 3, 2000, interview with Shawn Winstan of ''Herald News Service'' that she not only lent her voice, but also her "heart and soul" to the album by writing majority of the tracks.

Songs

"Open My Eyes" is a "guitar-etched" pop rock song that sees Tiffany telling a guy to "open ereyes" to move on and find a resolution of herself. Tiffany explained that it is a "very strong song for a woman". I'm Not Sleeping" is an emotional, verbal abuse song from a female's point-of-view, expressing that she "lost a big chunk of herself and regained her power", but she emancipates and "doesn't go back to try and prove anything to him." Music critic Melissa Rugglerl stated that the song is the "first indication of maturity." The song includes a pop rock hook and accompanies "rocky" rhythms, African drums, guitar strums, "slow-building" basslines, and minimal keyboard effects. It features a guest rap by

Krayzie Bone Anthony Henderson (born June 17, 1973), better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Career Solo After finding success with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Krayzie Bone recorded his so ...

. According to Tiffany, the production of the song was inspired by " Voices Carry" by

'Til Tuesday Til Tuesday is an American new wave band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The band, consisting of Aimee Mann (lead vocals, bass), Robert Holmes (guitar), Joey Pesce (keyboards), and Michael Hausman (drums), was active from 198 ...

. Accompanied by melancholic guitars,

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...

cadence, and bagpipes, "Piss U Off" finds Tiffany being "dumped", as she "succinctly puts it, but with a twist." The lyrics compare two lovers to hateful neighbors. "I Will Not Breakdown" had Tiffany singing in a "decidedly-sassy mood", which was thrown by a "touch of

diva Diva (, ) is the Latin word for a goddess. Diva is a name from Roman mythology, and is associated with the nouns divus, diva, which means god, goddess, and the adjective divinius, which means divine or heavenly. It has often been used to refer t ...

attitude". The song tells that Tiffany refuses to breakdown her situations and circumstances, such as "

iving Iving may refer to: *Intravenous therapy Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonl ...

in to people and their negative opinions of er" Regarding the song's production, Rugglerl stated that the "ghost of nowiki/>Alanis Morissette">Alanis_Morissette.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Alanis Morissette">nowiki/>Alanis Morissettefloats through the insinuating guitars and beefy chorus". "Keep Walking" is a "bittersweet" love song. Michael Paoletta of ''

'' described the song's production as "reminiscent of an

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment "If Only" is a piano-driven ballad dedicated to Tiffany's bodyguard, Frank D'Amato. The first couple verses were Tiffany's reflection on how she felt on his death. "Silence" is an autobiographical rock song influenced by

Middle Eastern music The various nations of the region include the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East, the Iranian traditions of Persia, the Jewish music of Israel and the diaspora, Kurdish music, Armenian music. Azeri Music, the varied traditions of Cyp ...

. It tells a story about Tiffany grappling with her past. "All the Talking" is an acoustic pop song about dreams and realities. "Good Enough For Me" is about Tiffany's call for unity and being clearly nonjudgmental. "Christening" is a

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

song about female independence. "Betty" is a ballad that tells a "bittersweet tale" about a girl who committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

. "Cinnamon" is a

downtempo Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may ...

, guitar-slashed track about a girl who's a "

Jezebel Jezebel ()"Jezebel"
(US) and

nda big mess." "Butterfly" finds Tiffany in her own theme of

personal growth Personal development or self-improvement consists of activities that develops a person's capabilities and potential, enhance quality of life, and facilitate the realization of dreams and aspirations. Personal development may take place over the c ...

Release

Originally, ''The Color of Silence'' was going to be released by

Modern Records Modern Records (Modern Music Records before 1947) was an American record company and label formed in 1945 in Los Angeles by the Bihari brothers. Modern's artists included Hadda Brooks, Etta James, Joe Houston, Little Richard, Ike & Tina Turn ...

, but it was later switched to Eureka Records. The album was originally scheduled to be released on October 10, 2000. It was released on November 7, 2000.

Critical reception

''The Color of Silence'' received critical acclaim, becoming her best-reviewed album to date. A ''

'' front-page article called it "thoughtful, intelligent, and full of grace", and said that it could be considered "Tiffany's equivalent to

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, she became a cultural phenomenon during the mid 199 ...

's landmark ''

Jagged Little Pill ''Jagged Little Pill'' is the third studio album by Canadian-American singer Alanis Morissette, released by Maverick (company), Maverick on June 13, 1995. Recorded in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood at Westlake Recording Studios, Westlake wit ...

''." Music critic Melissa Rugglerl rated the album a "B+", praising "Piss U Off" as "clever". Peter Fawthrop of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

rated the album three out of five stars, highlighting the songs "Piss U Off", "Silence", and "Betty". Fawthrop praised "Piss U Off" for having "boasting, clever lyrics" and "one of the great melodies on an album filled with hooks", and stated that the album is "extravagant and unbridled, spilling with good ideas molded into eclectic rock pieces and passionate pop songs and ballads."

MTV Asia MTV was a pan-Asian music pay television channel that was launched on 5 May 1995 as a standalone pay television service. The channel was owned by Paramount Networks EMEAA. History Pre-launch The first incarnation of MTV Asia was launched on ...

also gave the album three out of five stars, picking "Open My Eyes", "I'm Not Sleeping", "Silence", and "Good Enough For Me" as "Choice Cuts".

Track listing

Personnel

* Tiffany – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 3, 7, 10, 12, 13) *

– keyboards (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 13, 15), electric bass (1–4, 7–9, 11–13, 15), drum programming (1–4, 7–9, 11–13, 15), backing vocals (1, 4, 7–9, 13, 14), synthesizers (3, 6, 9, 11),

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

(3),

bagpipes Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, N ...

(3), guitars (9), all instruments (16) * Cary Devore – acoustic piano (5) * Joe Brooks – guitars (1–3, 6, 8, 9, 11–13), backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 13), synthesizers (2, 6, 11),

Wurlitzer electric piano The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from 1954 to 1983. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is conceptually similar to ...

(3, 8), additional synthesizers (3, 9),

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...

(3, 8), acoustic piano (6, 11), keyboards (12) * David Frederic – additional electric guitars (1), guitars (4) * Gene Black – guitars (4, 7, 9, 15),

electric sitar An electric sitar is a type of electric string instrument designed to mimic the sound of the sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instru ...

(7) * John Thomas – guitars (5) * Cisco De Luna – additional guitars (10) *

Romeo Antonio Ray Romeo Antonio is an American filmmaker, musician, and author. Career Early career Romeo Antonio's early music career started in Sydney, Australia. His debut album, ''The Real Romeo'', was released in 1992 on A&M Records, with Antonio pl ...

– guitars (12) * Brent Hoffert – electric guitars (14) * Mark Dutton – bass (5) * Clark Souter – bass (14) *

Herman Matthews Herman Matthews (born December 28, 1960) is an American drummer and composer. Matthews works as a session and touring musician, most notably for Tower of Power, Kenny Loggins and toured with Tom Jones for more than 7 years. He began playing drums ...

– drums (2, 4, 7, 12) * Mark Wickliffe – drums (5) * Michael Fisher – percussion (2, 6, 9, 11),

kalimba Mbira ( ; ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and ...

(2),

vibraphone The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using Percussion mallet, mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone ...

(9), tambora (9) * David "Ovis" Means – percussion (5), backing vocals (5, 7), additional synthesizers (8), all instruments (10), keyboards (14), drums (14) *

– rap (2) * Doug Elkins – backing vocals (7) * Ked – backing vocals (8) * London Jones – backing vocals (9, 11, 15, 16)

Production

* Tiffany – production supervisor, exclusive management * Tim Feehan – producer (1–4, 7–9, 11–13, 15, 16), mixing (1–3, 6–9, 11–13, 15, 16) * David "Ovis" Means – producer (5, 14), mixing (5, 10, 14), recording (10, 14), Pro Tools mix engineer (10) * Joe Brooks – producer (6, 11) * Jerry Christie – recording (1–4, 6–9, 11–13, 15, 16), Pro Tools mix engineer (12) * Paul Wagner – recording (5, 10, 14) * David Frederic – Pro Tools mix engineer (1–9, 11, 13), recording (5), mixing (5) * Robert Biles – mixing (1–4, 6–9, 11–13, 15, 16) * Glenn Sweitzer – art direction, design * Ron Davis – photography, exclusive management * Brad Schmidt – exclusive management * Calvin Haugen – stylist * Lynn Rodgers – hair, make-up * Bulmaro Garcia – hair, make-up (center spread)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Color of Silence, The 2000 albums Tiffany Darwish albums