SUPER FURRY ANIMALS

The 'we can do anything we want' rock-pop sprezzatura of RATW was my first album/non-singles exposure to sfa and it blew me away, though I totally understand the -no longer insurgents- ref by deflatormouse.

I really like Phantom Power tho not as much, and then subsequents were to me a bit deflated and uninspired versions of that.

As to Guerilla Radiator et al., I enjoy them a lot, but given my exposure point to the band, they seem mostly formative. Maybe it's like afp seemed to say, "how you see this band depends on where you came in."

As to Guerilla Radiator et al., I enjoy them a lot, but given my exposure point to the band, they seem mostly formative

ok, that actually makes a lot of sense. i could see that.

the thing is, i kinda prefer RATW over some of their later records because it still has traces of that insurgent edge, and it's totally absent in anything they did afterwards. But the softening of it was much more striking at the time than the continuity, and it put me off them. i like a few of the songs, mainly Alternate Route to Vulcan Street and Juxtapozed with U. but, though i enjoy it less, i see Love Kraft as the culmination of what they started doing here.

i think the first 3 or 4 albums are ultimately expressions of anger. however cartoonish or indirect, on some level they're "about" how to process and deal with anger. how do you bring it out into the world in a constructive way? that's the question at the heart of their cartoon mania. And then on Mwng the anger and the mania is tempered somewhat by a surprising tenderness they hadn't really shown before (disregarding Fire in My Heart because it totally sucks).

i remember something imago (i think?) said about RATW as really "going for it" in the sense that they channeled the sonic experimentation into more cohesive songs. i couldn't get my head around that, because i always thought their big, bold push to infiltrate the mainstream on Guerilla was "really going for it", and on RATW they seemed to have picked a lane made the decision to stay in their lane from then on (i get that chart positions don't necessarily tell this story).

i guess what i'm saying is yeah, i can see how the perspective changes depending on where you came in.

about arriving fully formed or not, i believe Smokin' and TMDGAF were both written and demoed before Fuzzy Logic, and it may be more a case of the song selection obfuscating their identity. i've def always thought there's a strong case to be made that it's their worst album. it's obviously not my least favorite for reasons i've already enumerated.

Also lol @ "RATM" :)

I mean, tense verse, heavy bluesy chorus, repeated use of "fuck"... "The Man Don't Give a Fuck" is basically a RATM song

Just bought this.

https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/a6f2c85b-12ea-4590-b445-f7c3dff96766/Hei%20Vidal%204000x4000%20cover%20jpeg.jpg/:/rs=w:1500,h:1500,cg:true,m/cr=w:1500,h:1500

Originally released in 1992, Hei Vidal! is the third album by revolutionary DIY Cymraeg pop band Ffa Coffi Pawb. Formed in Bethesda in 1986 by sixteen year old friends Gruff Rhys and Rhodri Puw (later joined by Gruff’s Super Furry Animals’ bandmate Dafydd Ieuan and Dewi Emlyn).

Made by a bunch of 21 and 22 year olds, Hei Vidal! is an album that distills the band’s obsessions with early ’70s power-pop (all the B’s from Bowie, Bolan and Big Star) as well as Neu! and My Bloody Valentine into a sound that predates the fuzzed out return to glam a few years later. It merges motorik grooves over saturated shoe gazing fuzz with impressionistic studio manipulation, orchestral synthesiser arrangements and brutal yet surreal imagery and word play in the Welsh language.

Having signed their songs over to a local publisher who eventually disappeared off the face of the Earth, Ffa Coffi Pawb’s music has been out of print for decades (with the exception of the 2004 compilation album Am Byth, released on the SFA associated Placid Casual label). After untangling a complicated web of time, Hei Vidal! will be available on streaming services and vinyl for the first time having only been on cassette and very few CD copies on its original release on Ankst in 1992. The reissue marks the 30th anniversary of the band’s final show at Builth Wells Memorial Hall in August 1993 (supported by a young Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci).

Single available on Spotify is p good!

Any news on the Phantom Power 20th anniversary reissue? Hoping that's coming this year.

I heard September.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbd5UthzCX4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-hRc51pvPc

Produced by the band, 'Phantom Power', celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023,keeps a much lower profile than the band's previous work.The album, for the most part, is awash with pedal steel, acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies. But if you think the creative juices have ceased, you could barely be more wrong. Gruff Rhys' songwriting moves a step forward on 'Phantom Power', with playful story-based lyrics about turtles, mingers, ninjas and cabbages contrasting with lines about death, radiation and war. This 2LP heavyweight black vinyl deluxe reissue, with original artwork and die-cut sleeve,has been carefully remastered from the mixdown tapes and includes liner notes from the album's executive producer Kurt Stern.

cd1
1. hello sunshine
2. liberty belle
3. golden retriever
4. sex, war & robots
5. the piccolo snare
6. venus & serena
7. father father #1
8. bleed forever
9. out of control
10. cityscape skybaby
11. father father #2
12. valet parking
13. the undefeated
14. slow life
cd2
1. father father #3
2. summer snow
3. blue fruit
4. cowbird
5. sanitizzzed
6. motherfokker feat. goldie lookin chain
7. lost control
8. the man don’t give a fuck (live)
cd3
1. father father*
2. hello sunshine*
3. aluminum illuminati
4. cabbages (retitled cityscape skybaby)*
5. golden retriever*
6. hummingbird (retitled cloudberries)*
7. billy’s gone (retitled out of control)*
8. head first (retitled paddling pools)*
9. no go (retitled summer snow)*
10. father father*
11. sex, war & robots**
12. bluebird 1**
13. bluebird 2**
14. bluebird 3**
15. bluebird 4**
16. walk you home**
17. the undefeated**
18. every building has been built**
19. blue fruit**
20. valet parking**
21. valet parking***
22. out of control ***
23. paddling pools***
24. miami vice***
25. slow life***
*stiwdio ofn demo, gwanwyn 2002
**av happenings demo, chwefror 2002
***rockfield rough mix, mai 2002

Pretty wild set of demos/b-sides/whatevers. Lots of Love Kraft tracks. Out 8 September.

At the time to me it didn’t feel less creative, it felt dulled down. Tho with several great songs.

I like most of it. Golden Retriever is the dud of the bunch but it’s still alright.

as do i (and i am ok with golden retriever even)

Lots of great discussion on the poll thread , Golden Retriever even got a vote. I'm always happy with theses rereleases and they are including their wonderful B-sides. Some of the best in the business.

Took me forever to get into this album, but chuffed to get the deluxe & vinyl

Definitely more of a 'fans' album than something like RATW

Was a great tour. I didn’t get to see them live til Phantom Power rolled around.

I remember being hugely disappointed with this album when it was released. It took me a bit to realize that it's only the first three tracks which are a bit boring and after that it goes from great to amazing. What a weird track sequence on this one.

And yes, saw them on tour for this one and it was amazing.

Do I have to do the same post again

I mean fuck it, they've turned the reissue grift into an artform, go off lads

It's coming out within a week of the side project. Seems like the best circumstance for that bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAAxXMc54cw

another new one

Here with the latest on the doings of this band:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEYYcuufoWE

Fascinating demo. I hope the rest sounds a bit like this. Very cool.

Phantom Power is their greatest album and I won’t hear otherwise. Lyrically deep, their best harmonizing, and the epic that is “Slow Life.” “Cityscape Skybaby” is so amazing. The reissue is immaculate. Great demos, live TMDGAF.

wait what thread is this? it isn't bands who are ANIMALS??

I need to check this reissue out. I saw them on tour for this album and live TMDGAF in particular was amazing.

Phantom Power is their greatest album and I won’t hear otherwise. Lyrically deep, their best harmonizing, and the epic that is “Slow Life.” “Cityscape Skybaby” is so amazing. The reissue is immaculate. Great demos, live TMDGAF.

― afriendlypioneer,

I got the vinyl reissue and I'm close to agreeing. My second favourite after Radiator these days. The reissue sounds so good.

The vinyl is fantastic.

The CD version has some interesting extra tracks, particularly the creepy 30-minute ambient track at the end of Disc 2. Some say it came from the DVD?

They uploaded the American Sasquatch documentary in full here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LXPZSF07pM

Das Koolies album is out tomorrow. I like everything I've heard. They did a nice job without Gruff. He would've written them lyrics, but I like their sound.

Heavy on the style, lower on the substance. Some interesting synths & swirly bits. I imagine the 17-track album will be a bit of a trip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y1DC0B0csA

It's like a toy box for people who just like listening to all the extra bits. That's how I see it. Definitely not the next level of SFA but I imagine Gruff being involved might've gotten them there.

The Das Koolies album is an unequivocal mess and also fucking brilliant, without Gruff. I’m proud of these guys. They went far beyond my expectations. There are several fantastic tracks on there - Montezuma and Shakedown are the stands outs for me.

the phantom power super set is interesting to me. as perfect as the original album songlist is for what it's doing there, a lot of the bsides on _solvent abuse aw_ disc are doing many of the things that i really seek sfa in order to get. style disjunctions and instrumental collisions which are creatively sfa-like to me. glc not needed but eh that's not shocking

The Das Koolies album is so good.

I’m sad nobody wants to talk about it.

Guerrilla on a bit of a modern kick and lots more acid, with a dash of glam and prog. The whole band is so talented.

Best listened to loud, booming out your speakers. Absolutely the best they’ve sounded on the rhythm section. Bunf brings the catchy ditties, no Back on a Rolls here. What a triumph.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSnzMD9Sl8U

I want to hear this next time I go out. But I won't. That synth line. That goes.

i'm finally ready afp! i never have insightful observations, but i can tell you soon if i like it :-)

Gruff's back to steal Das Koolies' shine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv5jwu_RdQw

I'm into the DK sound right now. This sounds pleasant enough, though. I can see there's little artistic harmony between the 4 and the 1.

Gruff: Piano, strings, lyrics about something or other

Das Koolies: Synth, bass, chaos, "snow on the mountain, sand by the sea" lyrics X 10.

I don't get Gruff's obsession w/ double-necked guitars. He's done that gag a few times and never actually uses it for anything.

Yeah this is v good and enjoyable and it’s taken me through a couple 3 hr rides on repeat. but all i can do is like, refer to some techno touchstones to which it feels sorta like? It’s like outta genre for me

And all the more great for it.

It’s candy and I love that they’re threatening to deluge us with more. They’re apparently just a recording machine right now, like they were when they were SFA. About time.

"Gruff buggered off and we still wanted to play together" - DK speak out on the Riley session

I guess it’s just simple artistic differences. I remember when Dark Days came out the PR mentioned Daf banned the use of pedal steel guitar.

Gruff did promote the DK album in the mail blast I got about his new song and album.

Yeah I notice he likes some of their social media stuff and the other members posts. Was just funny to hear it blurted out that way

Das Koolies are excellent. Thirsting for more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhp7Vk7d8bw

Might be my favorite track in a long, long time. Hits the sweet spot.

the fusion of core groove with the outlier bleeps blorps satisfies a portion of my sfa love that sfa really migrated away from over time.

ha i have played this album quite a lot in backcountry rides and nordic ski sessions. good for my focus.

New Gruff Rhys album out today. Had no idea one was even on the horizon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OprFcUKXzJs

Liking it so far, potentially more memorable that his other previous stuff in this vein