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25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Open Your Eyes, October 23, 2001
If you haven't yet heard of this remarkable comeback album by one of pop's most underrated and talented stars, you're doing yourself a huge disservice. I remember when Billboard magazine said that this CD was 2000's answer to Alanis Morissette's 'Jagged Little Pill'. I'd go a step further and say that 'The Color of Silence' is what 'Jagged Little Pill' wanted to be, but couldn't. I am extremely pleased that this CD is available for sale on Amazon, and glad that Tiffany Darwisch finally gets her work marketed to a wider audience.You may remember Tiffany from her mall hits in 1987, but if you're approaching this album with that mentality, you're bound to be surprised. I've heard of Tiffany fans saying 'Give her a chance. Listen to the album before forming an opinion of her'. This was because most people wrote her off even before attempting a listen to 'The Color of Silence'. Well, what I say is DON'T give her a chance. You don't need to. The music speaks for itself. And if you don't find this music appealing, then you're either extremely old and senile, or you're into heavy metal. Then again, if you were either of those things, you wouldn't even be on this page, would you? This beautiful album opens with Tiffany's 2001 college hit 'Open My Eyes'. Upon first listen, her new style strikes you as reminiscent of Alanis and Melissa Etheridge. Only her voice is MUCH better than either of those singers. I love it that Tiff wrote most of the songs on here, unlike her work a decade ago by that awful producer. 'Open My Eyes' is by far the catchiest little ditty Tiffany has put out, and you'll be humming this one for weeks. Deborah Gibson should listen to this CD before attempting something as dismal as her new 'M.Y.O.B' CD. The next track is the first single release from the CD - 'I'm not sleeping'. In an age where a young chanteuse's pairing with a black rap star almost always results in a No. 1 (case in point : Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule on 'I'm Real' and Mariah Carey with Mystikal on 'Don't Stop'), this track should have been 2001's big hit, but radio passed on it, and in the process missed out on what could have been the biggest song of the year. Tiffany sings with Krayzie Bone on this track - its a very melodious, multi layered song that is quite involving. On the rare occasions where the album falters, it does so with a sense of humor. This is best embodied on 'Piss U Off', a track where Tiffany complains about her ex - a sort of poppish take on 'You Oughta Know'. This is a pretty enough pop song with a singalong chorus, but the entire mood is pretty much destroyed when Tiffany brings in bagpipes (literally). I don't know what they were thinking when they recorded this, but you'll have such a swell time listening to it that you'll forgive them for what they've done. Infectious! Tiffany's Nashville aspirations mix with her pop persona on the next two tracks - 'I Will Not Break Down' and 'Keep Walking', both which reiterate the theme of a strong woman who is unwilling to back down and take abuse from either society, men, or just nature in general. However, Tiffany's message never gets self-indulgent. The lyrics are always thoughtful and well-meant, and the music is just so multi-faceted that you're bound to give in to the album's sheer energy. Really, I haven't been this involved with an album since Alanis Morissette's 'Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie' and this one is a million times better than that. I must also bring to your attention that this album holds the best ballad that Tiffany has ever recorded. 'If Only', currently breaking airplay records in the Orient, is the most sonically and lyrically challenging track that Tiffany has recorded. Its a personal track, and even if you haven't lost anyone important, its obvious that Tiffany is singing this for someone special. I was instantly reminded of Tiffany's ballad from the early 1990s called 'If love is blind', but 'If Only' holds its own. If you're tired of sappy love songs and goodbye hymns sung by tired divas like Celine Dion, please take my word for it and check out 'If Only'. You'll also realize that the best voices are found in the most unexpected places. The title track, which is shortened down to 'Silence', is a rock opera-style track that sounds great on hi-fi equipment. In related information, the production values on this disc are exceptionally high, and you could use this as a reference disc for your equipment. Sort of like 'The Fifth Element' for the CD world. On 'Silence', Tiffany continues her theme of emancipation and the right of a woman to choose. She also points a knowing finger at people who laugh at her attempts to come back after such a long lapse, and also, I think, at people she thought were her friends but weren't : "All my little merry friends / Have turned their backs on me / Excuse me if I'm jaded / I'm so tired of people telling me / How it should be / Their promises have faded". The next song also stresses the importance of silence in life. 'All The Talking' is the song that deals with the problems that crop up when theres too much unnecessary communication in a relationship. This is an interesting concept, and I'm glad someone addressed it. What is most evident here is that you finally feel that Tiffany has lived what shes singing about. So while its still great to listen to 'Promises made promises broken' from the first LP, you get the feeling that the person we're listening to is the real Tiffany Darwisch. The next track is very reminiscent of Thievery Corporation and Milla Jovovich, for some reason. 'Good Enough For Me' is a song that has everything going for it and would do amazingly well on radio if someone chose to release it. It also seems to be inspired by Mirwais and the electronic sounds of the Euro scene, and this all works well to give the song an unmistakably modern feel. Beautiful work. 'Christening' was supposed to be the first video release from the album, but got shelved once the management got caught up in the 'Open My Eyes'/'I'm Not Sleeping' discussion. Its a fabulous rock song, and I was reminded of 'Hair'. I'd love to see Tiff do a totally rocked out performance of this song. If theres one rock track on this album worth checking out, its this one. The next track ranks up there with the best folk songs of the 60s. I have no idea how Tiffany managed to capture the mood of an entire flower child generation in one four minute classic. 'Betty' is the song in question (note how Tiffany has one song with a name featured in it, on every album shes released : 'Danny' on her first LP, 'Oh Jackie' on her second, 'Tiff's back' on her third', 'Sam loves Joann' on her fourth, and now this one.) 'Butterfly', which closes the US edition of this CD, is a simple pop-rock song about 'flying away' to become your own person. However, Tiffany has apparently recorded a bunch of new songs that all feature on various editions of this record. This particular version of the CD has the following tracks : 'As I Am', 'Falling', and 'Flown'. Other versions of the CD contain a track called 'Sometimes' in place of one of these songs, plus another one called 'All I Wanted'. Well, the bottom line is, if you're sick and tired with the music scene the way it is now, you may want to pick this one up. Its truly original, and is a solid album from start to finish. Its not often that you find an album that really has something to say, and 'The Color of Silence' will definitely make you realize that there are true artists out there who go unnoticed due to unjust preconceived notions. Trust in Tiffany Darwisch, open your eyes, and enjoy the best album released this year. You won't have reason to be disappointed. Thank you, Tiffany.
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~ Tiffany
by Tiffany 
