VOA常速英语2007-Nickelback CD Hits 8-Million Global Sales Mark

By Larry London
Washington
01 October 2007
 
One of the most recent musical success stories is the comeback of the band Nickelback.  In 2001, they achieved major success with their album, Silver Side Up, with 10 million copies sold worldwide.  In 2005, Nickelback released All The Right Reasons, which recently reached eight million in worldwide sales.  VOA's Larry London talked with Nickelback lead singer Chad Koreger about the band's latest tour and next album.

With nine Juno awards (Canada's top music award), an MTV Video Music Award, World Music Award for World's Best-Selling Rock Artist, and three Billboard² Music Awards, Nickelback is now enjoying the success of their most-popular album.  All the Right Reasons was re-released on July 10 with additional live tracks.  It is their fifth album, with work on a sixth already underway.

Band member, Chad Kroeger, said, "Yeah, we are tossing³ around some ideas.  I hope we never stop coming up with ideas.  I do not know when we will be releasing that (sixth album). They kind of shape themselves. 

"It is really funny," he continued.  "You really think you have a clear picture as to how you think that next (album) … or any song for that matter is going to sound.  Once you start putting the meat on the bones (writing and recording) and putting the icing on the cake (finishing your album), it really starts to shape itself." 

Chad wrote most of the songs for All The Right Reasons on a tour bus between cities.  At the time, he was going through a difficult relationship. "I try to draw from personal experiences for a lot of stuff on the Nickelback albums," he explained.  "It is so much easier than talking about something you have no clue about.  'Rockstar'  for instance.  I was on the back of my [tour] bus, and I had a guitar.  I was trying to think, because we meet a lot of people just traveling on the road.  We meet actors and we meet sports stars and NASCAR (racing) drivers.  It is so funny that all of them lean into you at one point in time, and go, 'I would love to switch jobs with you, even for a week.'  That is amazing.  I do not want to switch jobs with anybody."

Chad's brother and fellow band member, bass⁴ guitarist Mike Kroeger. actually came up with the group's name.

"At the coffee shop where my brother was working, everything [cost} $1.95, $2.95, $3.95, $4.95 or whatever it was.  So all day long, it was, 'Here is your nickel¹ back.'  [ed. note - A nickel equals $.05.] Mike called me up and asked, 'What do you think of the name Nickelback?'  And I am like, 'What does it mean?', and he said 'It does not mean anything!'  It was perfect!” Chad said.

Nickelback's career boasts over 25 million records sold around the world, making them the third best-selling Canadian band in music history, behind Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive.  Chad describes the band's highlight.

"We were just in Toronto, and we were inducted to the Canadian Walk of Fame, which is like getting the star on Hollywood Boulevard [California landmark], but it's the Canadian version. It was really, really special," he said.  "When we went up after they showed a lot of footage of the band and us doing everything we have done, then we went up to accept the award.  I was choking back tears so hard.  They showed a clip⁵ of my mother, and I did not actually see the show, but she was just bawling⁶ [crying,] and I am like so choked up and trying not to cry.  It was such an honor."

Nickelback is donating the revenue⁷ from digital sales of their song "If Everyone Cared" to charity.  "Where do you go?  Where do you focus when you can help?  Where do you send some money or help out in any way?  We sat down for a long time and thought between (band member) Ryan (Peake) wife's charity, International Children's Awareness⁸, it would be great to sort of go "halfers" (50 percent), and allow Amnesty International to take half the proceeds."

So far the song has been downloaded more than 600,000 times.  Nickelback has been on tour for two years.  Chad says he loves making a connection with their international fans. "We were just in Quebec, and we played to our largest crowd ever.  I think it was 100,000 people.  The whole time I was thinking, in the seventh grade I took French but why didn't I pay just a little more attention because this would be so much cooler.  If I could just scream a couple more phrases."

For now, Nickelback continues to tour and write songs for their next album.

1 nickel   

n.镍，（美国和加拿大的）五分钱

参考例句：

• Nickel can be used for making coins.镍可做成钱币。
• May I have a nickel?能给我五分钱吗？

2 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

3 tossing   

v.（轻轻或漫不经心地）扔( toss的现在分词 )；（使）摇荡；摇匀；（为…）掷硬币决定

参考例句：

• Poor Joan has been tossing around all night with that fever. 可怜的琼因发烧而一整夜辗转不能入睡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The two boys agreed to decide the matter by tossing a coin. 这两个孩子同意用掷硬币的方法来决定这件事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

5 clip   

n.夹子，别针，弹夹，片断；vt.夹住，修剪

参考例句：

• May I clip out the report on my performance?我能把报道我的文章剪下来吗？
• She fastened the papers together with a paper clip.她用曲别针把文件别在一起。

6 bawling   

v.大叫，大喊( bawl的现在分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物）

参考例句：

• We heard the dulcet tones of the sergeant, bawling at us to get on parade. 我们听到中士用“悦耳”的声音向我们大喊，让我们跟上队伍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "Why are you bawling at me? “你向我们吼啥子？ 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

7 revenue   

n.总收入，财政收入，税收；税务局

参考例句：

• The country diminished the revenue by reducing tax.这个国家通过减税而使税收减少了。
• A government's revenue and expenditure should be balanced.政府的财政收入和支出要平衡。

8 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。