Silent Night was released in 1996 and was the band's first studio double album.
Black, the first disc, uses a repetiitive, doom-laden riff shared between Swanton's bass, the low end of Abrahams' piano and Buck's pulsing and menacing drumming. Further instrumental additions are gradually introduced alongside ambiguous field recordings and half-heard snippets of dialogue - the latter two elements adding a "concrete" dimensionality that gives rise to a brooding, film noir-like experience for the listener. This is perhaps the starkest recording released by the group.
White is closer to a live performance - recorded, with extra production, in the studio. Here, The Necks' music follows its own path through changing timbral and rhythmic textures - always compelling, always slowly morphing.
credits
released April 3, 1996
Recorded and mixed 3-10 September 1995
Edited at Loopy Green, Alexandria
Mastered at Sony Music, Huntingwood
Written-By – Abrahams*, Swanton*, Buck*
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Lloyd Swanton
Drums, Percussion, Drum Programming – Tony Buck
Piano, Organ, Synth [Programming] – Chris Abrahams
Edited By – Colin Wright
Executive-Producer – Gerry Nixon
Mastered By – Daniel Segal (2)
Producer – The Necks
Recorded By, Mixed By – Guillaume Bourgeois
Artwork [Cover Painting] – Tom Stitt
Graphic Design – Paul McNeil, Ray Maras
Thanks to Anne Zahalka, Gerry Nixon, Robert Scard, Lindsay Barrett
YES! The bass and the drums together with the horn section and a voice and message that goes straight through your spine. What an unbound force! Every track a gem. neltz
Composer John-Robin Bold transforms both sacred and secular music into gorgeously liminal soundscapes on this fascinating LP. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 27, 2020
Mary Halvorson is a genius composer and guitarist who has developed her own musical language, and with Code Girl she has incorporated poetry into that language. Incredible compositions and lyricism (each track is a different kind of poem). Halvorson's playing is as great as usual, and all the other members of the band sound great. Robert Wyatt's singing in particular works extremely well in the tracks he's featured. Highly, highly recommend. rat