Internationalist (album)
Encyclopedia
Internationalist is the third studio album
by Australian alternative rock
band
, Powderfinger
. The album was released on 7 September 1998 and was often labelled Powderfinger's most adventurous work, with greater experimentation than in previous works.
Internationalist followed in the success of its predecessor, Double Allergic
, and was certified five times platinum
in Australia. Internationalist received four ARIA Music Awards
, including "Album of the Year". The album produced four singles for the band; "The Day You Come
", "Don't Wanna Be Left Out/Good-Day Ray", "Already Gone
" and "Passenger
", which all appeared on Triple J
's Hottest 100
poll in two consecutive years.
Internationalist received fairly positive reviewers in the Australian press, and cemented Powderfinger's position on the local music scene; however, the album failed to launch the band in the overseas market.
, after the success of Double Allergic
. Songwriter Bernard Fanning
then spent much of 1997 writing songs for Internationalist in Brisbane
, drawing on inspiration from a mid-1997 band trip to the United States.
The album's title refers to escapism
—namely, the ability that an "internationalist" has to escape from racial
and social
tension. When asked in a Juice interview, Bernard Fanning
summarised the title of the album by stating;
's Sing Sing Studios, with Powderfinger accompanied by American producer
Nick DiDia
for the first time. As the band had already prepared "about 30 or 40" songs when they entered the studio, DiDia's task was relatively minor. Bassist
John Collins
said of DiDia; "Nick was really good. The way Nick based the record was that he wanted to record the band how we were at that particular moment, he didn't want to play around too much." As a result of this attitude, the band only spent one month in the studio, and the album was mixed
by DiDia soon after. Powderfinger used the extra time to play table tennis
, which was the band's recreation of choice during the Internationalist and Odyssey Number Five
recording sessions.
Collins described the album as not being as easy listening as their previous work, and that it contained numerous experiments in songwriting that they had not put into previous albums. Fanning later said Internationalist was "a better record" than Double Allergic
, but acknowledged that it was not as easily likeable—it was just an improvement in songwriting. Collins and Fanning acknowledged that the album's experimental nature could lose them some old fans, but the pair drew parallels with bands such as U2
, who Collins said had "constantly re-invented themselves, and with success". He said Powderfinger's reinvention was as much for the band's own interest as it was for the "public's perception". Meanwhile, guitarist
Ian Haug
described the album as a "moderation" between Parables for Wooden Ears
("the complicated beast") and Double Allergic ("totally simplified"), Powderfinger's two previous albums. He also agreed that the album was much more experimental, and described the album as the band's "most successful", as well as stating that the album that best replicated "the sound we have live".
Numerous songs on Internationalist were politically
and socially
influenced, although the band denied it being a deliberate motif
. Fanning explaining that the band did not intentionally discuss political issues, saying "we don't try to do anything in particular". He noted, however, that the songs, as his emotional responses to recent events, could inevitably be interpreted as being political. When "The Day You Come
" was released, there was speculation that it alluded to Pauline Hanson
's One Nation political party
, although the band claimed the song was vague and didn't specifically refer to one person. Fanning said of "The Day You Come";
", a politically and socially influenced song. The band did not intend for it to be the first single, and released it only when they could not decide on anything else. Haug said it being "a pretty inoffensive song musically" helped Powderfinger make that decision. "The Day You Come" spent nine weeks on the ARIA Charts
, peaking at #25.
The second single was the double a-side, "Don't Wanna Be Left Out/Good-Day Ray
", released on 9 November 1998. "Don't Wanna Be Left Out", a song about a friend of Fanning's who had difficulty in social situations, was one of the roughest Powderfinger songs to date. 'Don't Wanna Be Left Out' could be comfortably ranked with other Powderfinger songs such as 'Lighten My Load' and 'Rise Up'. Drummer Jon Coghill
described it as the most difficult Powderfinger song to play live at the time, because it was so "fast and offbeat". The music video for "Don't Wanna Be Left Out" was unpopular and drew criticism from band members. "Good-Day Ray" was dedicated to Australian television presenter Ray Martin
and his public disagreements with former Media Watch host Stuart Littlemore
. Its lyrics verged on punk
, though Coghill denied that Powderfinger were a punk band. He also described the music video
for "Good-Day Ray" as being one of the better videos the band had made.
Internationalists third single was "Already Gone
", released on 12 February 1999. The song was a tribute to The Beatles
and their influence on Powderfinger's music. The fourth and final single from the album was "Passenger
", released on 9 August 1999. "Passenger" was influenced by Elvis Presley
, and included a big horn section, as well as backing vocals from folk
group Tiddas
. "Passenger" won the ARIA Award for "Song Of The Year" in 1999. The song's music video was one of Powderfinger's first to feature computer graphics, and was produced by Fifty Fifty Films. "Passenger" spent 11 weeks on the ARIA Charts, peaking at #30. It appeared at #48 on Max's top 100 songs from the 90s list.
band Swervedriver
and fellow Brisbane band Not From There
in capital cities across Australia. In 1999, the band also toured with Something for Kate
and Alex Lloyd
. Collins described the process of choosing who the band would play with as a simple matter of choosing whose music the band preferred, stating "we had played with most of the bands, and if you're going on tour with someone you may as well go with someone you get along with and whose music you enjoy." Despite being fans of Swervedriver, who were renowned for "their capability to reproduce their album sound perfectly in the live setting" according to Beats Neala Johnson, Fanning said Powderfinger would never attempt to replicate them, because he believed their live shows to be much more "emotionally powerful" than recordings.
With Internationalist, Powderfinger first set their sights overseas, appearing at numerous music festival
s in the U.S., including South by Southwest
in Texas
. While in the U.S., Powderfinger played several showcase performances to record-label representatives in Los Angeles
and New York City
. In a later interview in Australia, Fanning said these shows were difficult due to the lack of any homegrown fan support. He also said the band were not focused at the shows, and thus they did not go as well as he had hoped. Coghill, however, described the showcases, and the performances in Austin
, as "worthwhile" and "fun". After performing in the United States, Powderfinger completed a tour of Canada. Fanning described the band's overseas outlook as a necessity for an Australian-based band, as "people [in Australia] are going to get sick of you pretty quickly if you're going to do five tours a year, so that you can sustain yourself financially."
in its first week, selling over 35,000 copies. It then went on to go platinum, and is currently certified platinum five times, for 350,000 copies. At the 1999 ARIA Awards, the album received three awards—"Album of the Year", "Best Rock Album", and "Best Cover Art". "The Day You Come" also won "Single of the Year". In 2000, "Passenger" was nominated for three awards, but did not win any.
Haug said he was amazed with the highly positive critical response the album had received, surprised that "even Molly[ Meldrum] gave it nine out of ten." The positivity of the album's reception created a feeling of surrealism, and Haug told Juice "I wish someone would write a really bad [review]." Nonetheless, he appreciated the credibility the album helped Powderfinger develop. Coghill agreed with Haug on the album's popularity, stating "you couldn't ask for much better", and saying he really took notice of the album's positive critical commentary. Juices Benedict Watts said it received "a level of universal praise not yet dished out on an Australian release since You Am I
's Hi Fi Way
". Despite Polydor telling the band the album would be heavily marketed, Fanning still found its success surprising. HITs Teresa Bolster suggested Fanning feared the worst during songwriting; "Celebrity Head", a song on the album, was seen as a "pre-emptive, scathing attack on music writers", which he argued was intended as a joke.
Internationalists critical reception was positive, following in its chart success. The Courier-Mail
s Nicola Six called it the band's most diverse album yet, using "The Day You Come" as an example; its "opening staccato
guitar riff
to the way the bass blends with Bernard Fanning's almost-falsetto
in the final chorus" made it the "perfect first single". Watts said it "brilliantly pre-empts the mood and progressive nature of the album", and Allmusic's Jonathan Lewis described it as the best track on the album. The Weekend Australians Iain Shedden said it was "one of the best Australian rock songs of the decade".
"The Day You Come" was not the only single to draw praise; "Don't Wanna Be Left Out" was described as "surf guitar-fuelled", "Good Day Ray" as "thrashy", and HITs Teresa Bolster wrote that the released of the two as an a-side displayed the album's true scope to the public. Allmusic approved of the "rocking" "Don't Wanna Be Left Out", but said Powderfinger sacrificed their uniqueness on "Good Day Ray", which Lewis argued was heavily Foo Fighters
influenced. Lewis approved of the "melodic" "Already Gone", while Juices Simon Wooldridge said it and "Passenger" demonostrated Powderfinger's "flair for the big hook".
Beats Neala Johnson compared the album's political motifs to the Manic Street Preachers
—"an earnest, sometimes cynical, social and personal conscience displayed in the lyrics". Noel Mangel of The Courier-Mail said it had "a lightness of touch and boisterous spirit", especially compared to the distorted guitars on debut album Parables for Wooden Ears
. Time Off
s Geoff Nicholson said Internationalist was "a blend of shimmering pop songs and thought-provoking probing".
25th birthday celebration in October 1998.
from the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) in two consecutive years.
from the Australasian Performing Right Association
, and "Passenger" was won the same award the following year. The same year, the tracks "Already Gone", "Good-Day Ray" and "Passenger" all featured in Triple J
's Hottest 100
list, and "Don't Wanna Be Left Out" and "The Day You Come" featured in the list in 1998. Australian music magazine Juice selected Internationalist as #80 of their top 100 albums of the 1990s.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Australian alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, Powderfinger
Powderfinger
Powderfinger was an Australian rock band that formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their breakup the band lineup consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bassist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill....
. The album was released on 7 September 1998 and was often labelled Powderfinger's most adventurous work, with greater experimentation than in previous works.
Internationalist followed in the success of its predecessor, Double Allergic
Double Allergic
Double Allergic is the second studio album by Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger. Released in Australia on 2 September 1996 Polydor, the album was produced by Tim Whitten and widely considered Powderfinger's mainstream breakthrough....
, and was certified five times platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in Australia. Internationalist received four ARIA Music Awards
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
, including "Album of the Year". The album produced four singles for the band; "The Day You Come
The Day You Come
"The Day You Come" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 10 August 1998.-History:...
", "Don't Wanna Be Left Out/Good-Day Ray", "Already Gone
Already Gone (Powderfinger song)
"Already Gone" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 12 February 1999.Australian Idol's first season runner-up Shannon Noll performed "Already Gone" in the 22 September episode of Australian Idol 2003 as his contribution to the Australian...
" and "Passenger
Passenger (Powderfinger song)
"Passenger" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 9 August 1999, and reached #30 on the Australian music chart. The single was nominated for Single of the year in 2000 at the Australian ARIA Music Awards...
", which all appeared on Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's Hottest 100
Triple J Hottest 100
The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music poll, based on the votes of national Australian radio station Triple J listeners, in order to determine their favourite song of the year. Voting is conducted by the internet and begins roughly two weeks prior to the new year for the previous year's songs...
poll in two consecutive years.
Internationalist received fairly positive reviewers in the Australian press, and cemented Powderfinger's position on the local music scene; however, the album failed to launch the band in the overseas market.
Background
Powderfinger spent much of early 1997 touringConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
, after the success of Double Allergic
Double Allergic
Double Allergic is the second studio album by Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger. Released in Australia on 2 September 1996 Polydor, the album was produced by Tim Whitten and widely considered Powderfinger's mainstream breakthrough....
. Songwriter Bernard Fanning
Bernard Fanning
Bernard Joseph Fanning is a musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and frontman of Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989 to its dissolution in 2010....
then spent much of 1997 writing songs for Internationalist in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, drawing on inspiration from a mid-1997 band trip to the United States.
The album's title refers to escapism
Escapism
Escapism is mental diversion by means of entertainment or recreation, as an "escape" from the perceived unpleasant or banal aspects of daily life...
—namely, the ability that an "internationalist" has to escape from racial
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and social
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
tension. When asked in a Juice interview, Bernard Fanning
Bernard Fanning
Bernard Joseph Fanning is a musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and frontman of Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989 to its dissolution in 2010....
summarised the title of the album by stating;
Recording and production
Internationalist was recorded at MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
's Sing Sing Studios, with Powderfinger accompanied by American producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Nick DiDia
Nick DiDia
Nick DiDia is an American record producer mostly known for his work with Australian rock group Powderfinger and American pop-rock group Nine Days...
for the first time. As the band had already prepared "about 30 or 40" songs when they entered the studio, DiDia's task was relatively minor. Bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
John Collins
John Collins (Australian musician)
John Andrew Collins is the mainstay bass guitarst for Australian rock band Powderfinger since 1989. He is one of the founding members of the band, along with guitarist Ian Haug, forming at their high school, Brisbane Grammar School as a three piece. Powderfinger has released seven studio albums, a...
said of DiDia; "Nick was really good. The way Nick based the record was that he wanted to record the band how we were at that particular moment, he didn't want to play around too much." As a result of this attitude, the band only spent one month in the studio, and the album was mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
by DiDia soon after. Powderfinger used the extra time to play table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
, which was the band's recreation of choice during the Internationalist and Odyssey Number Five
Odyssey Number Five
Odyssey Number Five is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band Powderfinger, produced by Nick DiDia and released on 4 September 2000. The album was the band's shortest yet, focusing on social, political, and emotional issues that had appeared in prior works, especially Internationalist.The...
recording sessions.
Collins described the album as not being as easy listening as their previous work, and that it contained numerous experiments in songwriting that they had not put into previous albums. Fanning later said Internationalist was "a better record" than Double Allergic
Double Allergic
Double Allergic is the second studio album by Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger. Released in Australia on 2 September 1996 Polydor, the album was produced by Tim Whitten and widely considered Powderfinger's mainstream breakthrough....
, but acknowledged that it was not as easily likeable—it was just an improvement in songwriting. Collins and Fanning acknowledged that the album's experimental nature could lose them some old fans, but the pair drew parallels with bands such as U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, who Collins said had "constantly re-invented themselves, and with success". He said Powderfinger's reinvention was as much for the band's own interest as it was for the "public's perception". Meanwhile, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Ian Haug
Ian Haug
Ian David Haug is a lead guitarist and backing vocalist in the Australian rock band Powderfinger. Mainstays Haug and bass guitarist John Collins formed the band in Brisbane in 1989. During a hiatus in Powderfinger's career, Haug worked on a side project, The Predators, with Collins and original...
described the album as a "moderation" between Parables for Wooden Ears
Parables for Wooden Ears
Parables for Wooden Ears was the debut studio album released by the Australian band Powderfinger. It was released on 18 July 1994 by Polydor Records, after recording at Melbourne's Metropolis Studios in February 1994....
("the complicated beast") and Double Allergic ("totally simplified"), Powderfinger's two previous albums. He also agreed that the album was much more experimental, and described the album as the band's "most successful", as well as stating that the album that best replicated "the sound we have live".
Numerous songs on Internationalist were politically
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and socially
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
influenced, although the band denied it being a deliberate motif
Motif (narrative)
In narrative, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative aspects such as theme or mood....
. Fanning explaining that the band did not intentionally discuss political issues, saying "we don't try to do anything in particular". He noted, however, that the songs, as his emotional responses to recent events, could inevitably be interpreted as being political. When "The Day You Come
The Day You Come
"The Day You Come" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 10 August 1998.-History:...
" was released, there was speculation that it alluded to Pauline Hanson
Pauline Hanson
Pauline Lee Hanson is an Australian politician and former leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, a political party with a populist and anti-multiculturalism platform...
's One Nation political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
, although the band claimed the song was vague and didn't specifically refer to one person. Fanning said of "The Day You Come";
Single releases
The first single from the album was "The Day You ComeThe Day You Come
"The Day You Come" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 10 August 1998.-History:...
", a politically and socially influenced song. The band did not intend for it to be the first single, and released it only when they could not decide on anything else. Haug said it being "a pretty inoffensive song musically" helped Powderfinger make that decision. "The Day You Come" spent nine weeks on the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, peaking at #25.
The second single was the double a-side, "Don't Wanna Be Left Out/Good-Day Ray
Don't Wanna Be Left Out/Good-Day Ray
"Don't Wanna Be Left Out" and "Good-Day Ray" are songs from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. These songs were released together as a single on 9 November 1998.-Music video:...
", released on 9 November 1998. "Don't Wanna Be Left Out", a song about a friend of Fanning's who had difficulty in social situations, was one of the roughest Powderfinger songs to date. 'Don't Wanna Be Left Out' could be comfortably ranked with other Powderfinger songs such as 'Lighten My Load' and 'Rise Up'. Drummer Jon Coghill
Jon Coghill
Jon Coghill is an Australian drummer best known for his work with Australian rock band, Powderfinger, although he has also toured with Regurgitator. Coghill replaced Powderfinger's original drummer Steven Bishop in 1991 when Bishop wanted to pursue further studies...
described it as the most difficult Powderfinger song to play live at the time, because it was so "fast and offbeat". The music video for "Don't Wanna Be Left Out" was unpopular and drew criticism from band members. "Good-Day Ray" was dedicated to Australian television presenter Ray Martin
Ray Martin (television presenter)
Raymond George "Ray" Martin AM is an Australian television journalist. He is best known for his various on-air roles on Channel Nine from 1978 to 2008. In 2011 he returned to 60 Minutes....
and his public disagreements with former Media Watch host Stuart Littlemore
Stuart Littlemore
Stuart Littlemore QC is an Australian barrister and former journalist and television presenter. He is best known for his time as writer and host of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Media Watch program, which he presented from its inception in 1989 to 1997...
. Its lyrics verged on punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, though Coghill denied that Powderfinger were a punk band. He also described the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Good-Day Ray" as being one of the better videos the band had made.
Internationalists third single was "Already Gone
Already Gone (Powderfinger song)
"Already Gone" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 12 February 1999.Australian Idol's first season runner-up Shannon Noll performed "Already Gone" in the 22 September episode of Australian Idol 2003 as his contribution to the Australian...
", released on 12 February 1999. The song was a tribute to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and their influence on Powderfinger's music. The fourth and final single from the album was "Passenger
Passenger (Powderfinger song)
"Passenger" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 9 August 1999, and reached #30 on the Australian music chart. The single was nominated for Single of the year in 2000 at the Australian ARIA Music Awards...
", released on 9 August 1999. "Passenger" was influenced by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, and included a big horn section, as well as backing vocals from folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
group Tiddas
Tiddas
Tiddas are a three piece all-girl folk band from Victoria, Australia.-Biography:Originally the three women, Amy Saunders , Lou Bennett and Sally Dastey combined their vocal talents as backing singers for Aboriginal band Djaambi, led by Saunder's brother Richard Frankland in 1990...
. "Passenger" won the ARIA Award for "Song Of The Year" in 1999. The song's music video was one of Powderfinger's first to feature computer graphics, and was produced by Fifty Fifty Films. "Passenger" spent 11 weeks on the ARIA Charts, peaking at #30. It appeared at #48 on Max's top 100 songs from the 90s list.
Touring and promotion
Powderfinger went on a nationwide tour after the release of Internationalist, performing with BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band Swervedriver
Swervedriver
Swervedriver are an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band went on hiatus in 1998 before reforming in 2008 for a world tour, which included a performance at the high-profile Coachella Festival...
and fellow Brisbane band Not From There
Not From There
Not from There is an Australian indie rock band formed in 1991 in United Kingdom, but relocated to Brisbane, Queensland by 1992. They had success in the late 1990s with their 1998 single, "Sich Offnen", featured on radio station Triple J's Hottest 100 and their debut album, Sand on Seven winning...
in capital cities across Australia. In 1999, the band also toured with Something for Kate
Something for Kate
Something for Kate are a rock band from Melbourne, Australia. Members include songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Paul Dempsey, drummer Clint Hyndman and bassist Stephanie Ashworth...
and Alex Lloyd
Alex Lloyd
Alex Lloyd is an Australian singer-songwriter. His most popular album Watching Angels Mend, which includes the songs "Amazing" and "Green", was released in 2001 went double platinum. His third album Distant Light released in 2003 featured three songs that made the Australian top 40 singles charts...
. Collins described the process of choosing who the band would play with as a simple matter of choosing whose music the band preferred, stating "we had played with most of the bands, and if you're going on tour with someone you may as well go with someone you get along with and whose music you enjoy." Despite being fans of Swervedriver, who were renowned for "their capability to reproduce their album sound perfectly in the live setting" according to Beats Neala Johnson, Fanning said Powderfinger would never attempt to replicate them, because he believed their live shows to be much more "emotionally powerful" than recordings.
With Internationalist, Powderfinger first set their sights overseas, appearing at numerous music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
s in the U.S., including South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. While in the U.S., Powderfinger played several showcase performances to record-label representatives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In a later interview in Australia, Fanning said these shows were difficult due to the lack of any homegrown fan support. He also said the band were not focused at the shows, and thus they did not go as well as he had hoped. Coghill, however, described the showcases, and the performances in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, as "worthwhile" and "fun". After performing in the United States, Powderfinger completed a tour of Canada. Fanning described the band's overseas outlook as a necessity for an Australian-based band, as "people [in Australia] are going to get sick of you pretty quickly if you're going to do five tours a year, so that you can sustain yourself financially."
Reception
Internationalist debuted at the top of the ARIA Albums Chart, and was certified goldMusic recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in its first week, selling over 35,000 copies. It then went on to go platinum, and is currently certified platinum five times, for 350,000 copies. At the 1999 ARIA Awards, the album received three awards—"Album of the Year", "Best Rock Album", and "Best Cover Art". "The Day You Come" also won "Single of the Year". In 2000, "Passenger" was nominated for three awards, but did not win any.
Haug said he was amazed with the highly positive critical response the album had received, surprised that "even Molly
You Am I
You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by vocalist/guitarist and main songwriter Tim Rogers. They were the first Australian band to have three albums successively debut at #1 on the ARIA Charts, and are renowned for their live performances.-History:Tim Rogers formed the first...
's Hi Fi Way
Hi Fi Way
Hi Fi Way is an album by Australian rock band You Am I, released in 1995. The album reached #1 on the local albums chart and is one of the most influential and critically acclaimed Australian albums of the last twenty years, inspiring the likes of Jet, the Vines and Wolfmother...
". Despite Polydor telling the band the album would be heavily marketed, Fanning still found its success surprising. HITs Teresa Bolster suggested Fanning feared the worst during songwriting; "Celebrity Head", a song on the album, was seen as a "pre-emptive, scathing attack on music writers", which he argued was intended as a joke.
Internationalists critical reception was positive, following in its chart success. The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
s Nicola Six called it the band's most diverse album yet, using "The Day You Come" as an example; its "opening staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
guitar riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
to the way the bass blends with Bernard Fanning's almost-falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
in the final chorus" made it the "perfect first single". Watts said it "brilliantly pre-empts the mood and progressive nature of the album", and Allmusic's Jonathan Lewis described it as the best track on the album. The Weekend Australians Iain Shedden said it was "one of the best Australian rock songs of the decade".
"The Day You Come" was not the only single to draw praise; "Don't Wanna Be Left Out" was described as "surf guitar-fuelled", "Good Day Ray" as "thrashy", and HITs Teresa Bolster wrote that the released of the two as an a-side displayed the album's true scope to the public. Allmusic approved of the "rocking" "Don't Wanna Be Left Out", but said Powderfinger sacrificed their uniqueness on "Good Day Ray", which Lewis argued was heavily Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
influenced. Lewis approved of the "melodic" "Already Gone", while Juices Simon Wooldridge said it and "Passenger" demonostrated Powderfinger's "flair for the big hook".
Beats Neala Johnson compared the album's political motifs to the Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
—"an earnest, sometimes cynical, social and personal conscience displayed in the lyrics". Noel Mangel of The Courier-Mail said it had "a lightness of touch and boisterous spirit", especially compared to the distorted guitars on debut album Parables for Wooden Ears
Parables for Wooden Ears
Parables for Wooden Ears was the debut studio album released by the Australian band Powderfinger. It was released on 18 July 1994 by Polydor Records, after recording at Melbourne's Metropolis Studios in February 1994....
. Time Off
Time Off
Time Off is a free weekly tabloid-sized music magazine that is released in Brisbane, QLD, Australia. Time Off is the oldest free music/entertainment weekly in Australia. Time Off began on campus at the University of Queensland, and was originally printed on A4 glossy stock. In the late 70s, Time...
s Geoff Nicholson said Internationalist was "a blend of shimmering pop songs and thought-provoking probing".
Track listing
- "Hindley Street" (Fanning/Powderfinger) – 3:41
- "Belter" (Fanning/Powderfinger) – 4:13
- "The Day You ComeThe Day You Come"The Day You Come" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 10 August 1998.-History:...
" (Fanning/Powderfinger) – 4:00 - "Already GoneAlready Gone (Powderfinger song)"Already Gone" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 12 February 1999.Australian Idol's first season runner-up Shannon Noll performed "Already Gone" in the 22 September episode of Australian Idol 2003 as his contribution to the Australian...
" (Fanning/Powderfinger) – 3:28 - "PassengerPassenger (Powderfinger song)"Passenger" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 9 August 1999, and reached #30 on the Australian music chart. The single was nominated for Single of the year in 2000 at the Australian ARIA Music Awards...
" (Fanning/Powderfinger) – 4:20 - "Don't Wanna Be Left OutDon't Wanna Be Left Out/Good-Day Ray"Don't Wanna Be Left Out" and "Good-Day Ray" are songs from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. These songs were released together as a single on 9 November 1998.-Music video:...
" (Fanning/Middleton/Powderfinger) – 2:12 - "Good-Day RayDon't Wanna Be Left Out/Good-Day Ray"Don't Wanna Be Left Out" and "Good-Day Ray" are songs from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. These songs were released together as a single on 9 November 1998.-Music video:...
" (Coghill/Fanning/Powderfinger) – 1:58 - "Trading Places" (Fanning/Powderfinger) – 4:27
- "Private Man" (Fanning/Powderfinger) – 3:40
- "Celebrity Head" (Fanning/Powderfinger) – 2:20
- "Over My Head" (Middleton) – 1:36
- "Capoicity" (Fanning/Powderfinger) – 5:44
- "Lemon Sunrise" (Fanning/Middleton/Powderfinger) – 3:34
P2K bonus disc
The second release of pressings of the album were released in late November 1998 which included a bonus disc featuring a live recording of Powderfinger's performance at the Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
25th birthday celebration in October 1998.
- "Passenger" – 4:42
- "Private Man" – 4:01
- "Don't Wanna Be Left Out" – 2:55
- "Pick You UpPick You Up"Pick You Up" is the first single released from Powderfinger's second album Double Allergic. The single was released on 13 April 1996, and was Powderfinger's first moderate success both on commercial and Indie radio stations, and the most successful single from the album reaching #23 on the ARIA...
" – 5:51 - "The Day You Come" – 4:36
Personnel
- Bernard FanningBernard FanningBernard Joseph Fanning is a musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and frontman of Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989 to its dissolution in 2010....
– vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Darren MiddletonDarren MiddletonDarren Stuart Middleton is an Australian lead guitarist for alternative rock band Powderfinger. He is also the lead singer for Drag....
– backing vocals, guitars, piano, keyboards, lead vocal on Over My Head - Ian HaugIan HaugIan David Haug is a lead guitarist and backing vocalist in the Australian rock band Powderfinger. Mainstays Haug and bass guitarist John Collins formed the band in Brisbane in 1989. During a hiatus in Powderfinger's career, Haug worked on a side project, The Predators, with Collins and original...
– guitar, handclapsClappingA clap is the sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often in a constant drone to express appreciation or approval , but also in rhythm to match sounds in music and dance...
, backing vocals - John CollinsJohn Collins (Australian musician)John Andrew Collins is the mainstay bass guitarst for Australian rock band Powderfinger since 1989. He is one of the founding members of the band, along with guitarist Ian Haug, forming at their high school, Brisbane Grammar School as a three piece. Powderfinger has released seven studio albums, a...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, bass and organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
pedals, backing vocals - Jon CoghillJon CoghillJon Coghill is an Australian drummer best known for his work with Australian rock band, Powderfinger, although he has also toured with Regurgitator. Coghill replaced Powderfinger's original drummer Steven Bishop in 1991 when Bishop wanted to pursue further studies...
– drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, percussion, handclaps, backing vocals - TiddasTiddasTiddas are a three piece all-girl folk band from Victoria, Australia.-Biography:Originally the three women, Amy Saunders , Lou Bennett and Sally Dastey combined their vocal talents as backing singers for Aboriginal band Djaambi, led by Saunder's brother Richard Frankland in 1990...
– backing vocals - Nick DiDiaNick DiDiaNick DiDia is an American record producer mostly known for his work with Australian rock group Powderfinger and American pop-rock group Nine Days...
– productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineeringEngineeringEngineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, mixing - Lachlan "Magoo" Goold, Mark McElligott – additional engineering
- Michael Mucci – artArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
work - Sophie Howarth – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
ARIA Awards
Internationalist and singles from it have been nominated to win ARIA Music AwardsARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
from the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) in two consecutive years.
| Year | Work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Internationalist | Best Cover Art | Won |
| Best Rock Album | Won | ||
| Album of the Year | Won | ||
| Best Group | Nominated | ||
| "The Day You Come The Day You Come "The Day You Come" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 10 August 1998.-History:... " |
Single of the Year | Won | |
| 2000 | "Passenger Passenger (Powderfinger song) "Passenger" is a song from Powderfinger's third studio album Internationalist. It was released as a single on 9 August 1999, and reached #30 on the Australian music chart. The single was nominated for Single of the year in 2000 at the Australian ARIA Music Awards... " |
Best Cover Art | Nominated |
| Best Group | Nominated | ||
| Single of the Year | Nominated |
Other awards
In 1999, "The Day You Come" was nominated to win the "Song of the Year" APRA AwardAPRA Awards
The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually....
from the Australasian Performing Right Association
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
, and "Passenger" was won the same award the following year. The same year, the tracks "Already Gone", "Good-Day Ray" and "Passenger" all featured in Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's Hottest 100
Triple J Hottest 100
The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music poll, based on the votes of national Australian radio station Triple J listeners, in order to determine their favourite song of the year. Voting is conducted by the internet and begins roughly two weeks prior to the new year for the previous year's songs...
list, and "Don't Wanna Be Left Out" and "The Day You Come" featured in the list in 1998. Australian music magazine Juice selected Internationalist as #80 of their top 100 albums of the 1990s.
See also
Powderfinger albums- Full discographyPowderfinger discographyThe discography of Powderfinger, an Australian rock group, consists of seven studio albums, twenty-four singles, four extended plays, three live albums, one "best of" album and four video releases....