Gene Wilder copies of Mel Brooks films, while "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" was not a commercial success, although it later gained a cult following and an Oscar nomination for Best Score, as well as a Golden Globe award nomination for Wilder. When Woody Allen offered him a role in one segment of "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)", Wilder accepted, hoping this would be the hit to put an end to his series of flops. "Everything ... " was a hit, grossing over $18 million in the United States alone against a $2-million
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence would eventually be heard by producer Ross Robinson. Robinson, impressed by the material, would then show up to a rehearsal, after which he offered them studio time at Indigo Ranch and convinced Roadrunner Records to sign the group. Recording sessions for the album lasted for about two months total. While all material for the album was written by the band before production began, Robinson did influence arrangements of the tracks "Hurting and Shoving (She Should Have Let Me Sleep)" and the album's title track. The album has been noted for its overall angry and negative tone in terms of lyrics.