Rings Around The World

This one was all over the place, but enjoyable overall.

I totally misjudged Super Furry Animals. In my head, I had categorised them as some light entertainment - enjoyable, but not particularly interesting. A decent enough seventies sound, and that was about it. I was very, very wrong. The songs on “Rings Around the World” are indie pop on the surface, but something stranger and far more interesting on a subterranean level. What elevates everything miles above the simple and enjoyable melodies are the absolutely fascinating sonic textures used throughout. There are reverberating self-oscillating whooshes, programmed drum loops, delay and echo effects, vocoders, glossy synth textures… I could go on and on. But it’s all so unexpected and surprising. We’re constantly kept on our toes, never knowing what’s coming up next. “Sidewalk Serfer Girl” starts off sounding like a guitar-heavy indie pop song, before a drum machine mixes things up, and then halfway through, the melody switches unexpectedly to a searing sawtooth synth sound. The title song, “(Drawing) Rings Around the World” sounds like Hawkwind and The Beach Boys had an illegitimate song-child, where bright vocal harmonies are surrounded by the whoosh of a wind tunnel. “Touch Sensitive” is like a song from a different genre that drifted in by mistake. It feels more like hip-hop or electronica than any of the other songs on this album. “No Sympathy” starts off as a dark folk song, with even darker lyrics, before descending into a nutty sound-effect collage. “Run Christian, Run!” is a gorgeous, mellow song. A repeating riff starts off sitting buried in the mix, but grows in intensity, and becomes more and more drowned in spacey phaser effects. It's a sound that matches something Johnny Greenwood might have come up with on OK Computer, and coming from me, that's one of the highest compliments possible. Before this album came up in this list, I had already heard “Receptacle for the Respectable”. I had Shazam-ed it after hearing the song played on BBC 6 Music, wondering what the hell I'd just experienced. It’s so insane. It's a smorgasbord of different songs stitched together, morphing into something incredible at the end. Things build-up towards the end of the song to a proper rock-out, before everything collapses into itself, like a black hole imploding. It's mind-blowing and the best part of the album. Apparently Paul McCartney features on the song too… chewing celery and carrots. The Macca link is relevant. There’s a lot of similarities here to something The Beatles would have come out with around the Magical Mystery Tour period. There’s intense sonic experimentation, but nothing is taken too seriously. Irreverent humour front-and-center, but surrounded by intense musical innovation. I absolutely love it. 4.5 stars

I don't get it like in many ways I don't get the album, I don't get why it's on the list, I did not get the genre, I don't get the Super Furry Animals. Looking at the review spread it seems like I'm also not the only one who did not get this. I feel I should also note that I fucking "get" Throbbing Gristle.

this just felt messy and all over the place. if it was shorter it would probably have been more palatable but it’s not so…….. one star

Found it a bit boring 2.5

One really nice song in Run Christian Run. Not much else to remember

Better than expected given the band name

O álbum não é ruim. Músicas bem trabalhadas e tal... Só não é algo que curti tanto. Celest Phoenixcall.

Never heard of this band but I loved this album so creative and every song was unique I loved the electronic parts a lot

Boring Oasis/Radiohead imitation with some synthesizers that give some depth but result in a tedious experience.

Really enjoyed some of the songs and some really weren’t my thing and there were a few I thought I liked until they changed partway through. An interesting listen, but I don’t think I’d come back to the full album. Fav song: It’s Not the End of the World? Least fav: Sidewalk Serfer Girl

Had never heard of this band before now. Some decent sounding snippets in there but others feel like bad experimental Gorillaz. Specific rating - 3.5 Fav song - shoot Doris day Least fav- run Christian run

They're one of my aunt's favourite bands, so much so that she came to London to see their reunion tour (something notoriously difficult to get her to do). It's not at all what I expected and it's fun to imagine her in her 20s loving this album. I however do not love it- I kept liking starts of songs and then they'd get weird and annoying. Favourite song: Presidential Suite Least: No Sympathy

Have I listened to this album before No How familiar am I with this album Completely unfamiliar How do I feel about this artist? I have no idea who this is Pre-Listen Thoughts: This is one of those things, it could be a two star or a five star. I really have no way to predict it. This is a complete unknown for me so we’ll see what happens. Favorite track(s): Title track, No Sympathy Post-Listen Thoughts: I liked this quite a bit, a few parts dragged but I was mostly into it. Definitely will look up this artist.

Syntheciser Rock, 2001 -> 2

When I read the wiki blurb and saw this album was going to feature a mix of all these genres I expected it to be wackier. Like more akin to what the band Igorrr does. While there are some wacky moments to the back half, the majority of this album is just a mediocre prog rock album at best. 2.5 rounded down to a 2/5

Lots of cool sounds whizzing around on this record but do they really need to pile up like that on every song? The arrangements are gorgeous and meticulous, but trying to hear the song is a little like trying to find the keys you dropped in Versailles.

Orchestral freakout British pop. I hear echoes of bands ranging from the Beatles to ELO, Gorillaz (the singer sounds like Damon Albarn), Flaming Lips and Seals & Croft, with brief forays into trip hop, drum & bass, disco and a little death metal for good measure. So it feels a little overstuffed, like a band that can’t decide where to focus, even if there are definitely some good things stuffed in here.

Had never heard this band. Kinda all over the place, but appealing on first listen.

Quite varied

Singer reminds me of Peter Gabriel, while the sound overall makes me think of Flaming Lips. With elements of the Beatles. Is that their angle? They're trying to be a modern version of the Beatles? I can hear it- all the studio experimentation and odd instrumentation paired with the vocal harmonies and pop sensibility. It's fun so far. Ten tracks in, and they're really trying to show their range.... We get a Burt Bacharach-style pop tune with "Presidential Suite," which is sequenced right after the super-70s pop workout of "Juxtaposed"...... This album is all over the place, with one foot squarely in the past and one in the future. It does work for the most part...... Ok now we're getting a country-infused ballad. This is a well-produced album, with some strong songs. And while I might recommend this to a couple of folks that I know will enjoy this, I don't know when I'll ever put it on again. THREE STARS

Super Furry Animals aus Wales nahmen ihr fünftes Album 2000 an zwei denkbar unterschiedlichen Orten auf: im Monnow Valley Studio in Rockfield, wo vorher schon Queen und Oasis gearbeitet hatten, und im Bearsville Studio im US-Bundesstaat New York. Gemischt wurde in den Metropolis Studios in London – dann erschien das Album 2001 bei Epic Records, dem ersten Major-Label der Band. Man hört den Ortswechsel förmlich: walisische Folklore trifft auf Elektronik-Basteleien, dazwischen kippt vieles in breitwandigen Pop, ohne dass die Band lange bei einer Idee bleibt. Der Opener "Alternate Route to Vulcan Street" startet mit vokodierten Stimmen und Streichern und wird dann zum straffen Popsong – dieses Auf-und-Ab bestimmt das ganze Album. "Juxtapozed with U" flirtet mit Soul und Vocoder-Gesang und wurde die erfolgreichste Single der Band. "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" schiebt Glam-Rock-Gitarren unter einen Text über Umweltverschmutzung. "Presidential Suite" braucht über fünf Minuten, um irgendwo im Prog-Territorium zu landen. Und dann, mittendrin, "Miniature": vierzig Sekunden, mehr nicht – als hätte die Band kurz mit sich selbst gestritten, wie ernst man das Ganze eigentlich nehmen soll. Ein roter Faden fehlt eigentlich, und das ist vermutlich der Punkt. Gruff Rhys pendelt textlich zwischen politischer Beobachtung und Nonsens, die Produktion bleibt trotzdem klar und aufgeräumt, fast diszipliniert im Kontrast zu den vielen Richtungswechseln. Für ein Major-Label-Debüt ist das ziemlich unbequem gedacht – und genau deshalb hört sich das Album auch über zwanzig Jahre später noch nicht abgestanden an. Ein Album, das sich weigert, eines zu sein, und trotzdem zusammenhält.

Wtf compilation

3.5 - pretty good

Don’t want to

I really enjoyed this! It’s not the end of the world is so so good.

Jam band without the jam

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿Waw, cerddoriaeth wych o Gymru!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 I had to look up where Super Furry Animals were from, and Cardiff somehow feels exactly right. 𝘙𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘈𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 is the kind of late-90s/early-2000s British indie pop that really works for me: melodic, playful, ambitious, and just strange enough. The album keeps throwing new ideas into the mix without ever sounding unfocused. There are big hooks, psychedelic touches, electronic details, and plenty of unexpected turns, yet it all still feels unmistakably like the same band. Inventive without becoming exhausting and catchy without playing it safe. This is how adventurous UK indie pop should sound.

Some alright songs but SO INCOHERENT! You can have a beautiful acoustic ballad right next to the world's most techno jargon

I have a memory of one of my skateboard friends in the early aughts playing 'Presidential Suite' for me because he thought the lyrics were so funny. If he hadn't pointed out the part I was supposed to hear I don't know if my attention span would have enabled me to hear it. These tracks just plod on for me. I had gotten it in my head at some point that this band was weirder but listening to this all the way through was honestly pretty boring. In terms of the recording quality, skill and performance it's probably 3 or 4 stars but in terms of how I feel about the songs it's a 2.

I'm mystified as to why such a basic ass band that sounds like fifty other bands on this list gets TWO albums but Tool has zero. Giving it a one star since the end No Sympathy annoyed the shit out of me.

Real long but actually pretty decent and got better as it went along.

Not bad but also not good or memorable

This is my first time listening and the electronic drum kit sounds stood out in every song. I loved the unique sound the samples lent to the rhythmic underpinning of every song, and how each song was different but internally repetitive enough that I was humming along by the end!

I can appreciate an album where the back half is way stronger. I am not into psychedelic music generally, but I liked a lot of the tracks here, e.g. "[A] Touch Sensitive".

Pretty meh

Nothing outstanding. Nothing too annoying. It was fine

Wow this is some fluffy shiet, not sure yet if it is on the right or wrong side of the weighing pan. I'm always applauding the effort however to create something unique and non-commercial, but it feels a little to uneven for me to revisit this extremely super furry mammals.

This is a band whose I only knew the name (indeed quite memorable) until a few weeks ago. Then this project proposed me Fuzzy Logic, which I found utterly unremakable (besides a couple of songs). This one is way more interesting with a good mix of invention/experimentation, pop melodies, genre variety. Still, I am not probably going to listen to it very often...

Really dull. No idea how this made it into the 1001 list. This is the first album here that I couldn't be bothered to listen to.

Juxtaposed with U is an absolute banger. Kinda forgettable otherwise. Did see these guys live a few times

Some songs were really great

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: It's Not the End of the World?, Juxtapozed with U Okay, lets get some stuff out of the way. The band probably never predicted that the term Furry would go on to mean something entire different over the course of the past 20 years. But even still, terrible band name. Next, the album cover isn't much to write home about. Psychedelic, but lacking in meaning. Why the gold tooth, lightning bolts and skull? Meh. With the album composition, we're covering a lot of ground in a single album. Progressive rock, trip-hop, a weird song that devolves into some form of metal. If the Gorillaz never existed, Super Furry Animals could have possibly filled the spot. I could have even sworn that it sounded like Damon Albarn on one or two of the tracks. The song Juxtapozed with U (can I just say how much I loathe 90s and early 2000s "internet-style" shorthand writing in music track names) sounds like it could be off an Isley Brother's album soul track. There's even proper autotune... in the year 2000 long before autotune became popular. The whole album put together just makes for an exceptionally bizarre experience. I couldn't ever really anticipate where the album was going next. Kept me on my feet that's for sure. Especially when the death metal bit hit at the end of Receptacle for the Respectable. Should it be on the list? Sure. It's certainly unique. Categorically weird. Will I ever listen to it again? Probably not. I can listen to any number of other bands that focus on a particular genre, and do it better.

No to experimenting for experimenting

Bandet kjente eg bare til namnet på, og plata hadde eg aldri høyrt. Forventa lite, fekk kanskje litt meir for det var ikkje så verst dette. Trur eg hadde likt det godt som ung og lovande i 2001, men vaksenutgåva vert ikkje så veldig engasjert.

Mangler de gode poplåtene som krydrer de aller beste Super Furry Animals-albumene, men fortsatt veldig solid.

Så det er slik desse høyrest ut altså. Juxtapozed with U har eg visst høyrt før, utan at eg hadde eit voldsomt behov for å høyra den igjen. Lite minneverdige låtar som berre glir forbi, medan produksjonen stressar ræva av seg for å få dei til å festa seg. Her må det skje noko heile tida. På sitt beste minnar dei kanskje litt om eit Blur heilt på det jamne, men ikkje noko meir.

Havnet veldig i middelhavsland, den her. De har åpenbart brukt tid med å skru finurlig rundt på detaljer og slikt, og det er en slags psykedelisk inspirasjon som skiller det fra en del annet storbritanisk søl fra samtidige. Men ved et første møte med det her er spørsmålet hvor mange ganger jeg vil gi dette ytterligere sjanser. Hadde vel landet på 5/10 på en litt mer ekspansiv skala.

Var hos min nye fastlege i dag og han skulle jo vite faen meg alt av historikk. Lira av meg de «enkle» tingene; allergi, astma og litt eksem. «Å ja, du er atopisk». Glemte å legge til allergi mot britpop på lista.. burde gjort det i allefall for det tror jeg jaggu jeg har. Enkelt å gjøre noe med dag så lenge man holder seg borte fra sånne prosjekter som det her som trer faenskapen over hodet på en. Dette var attpåtil en skikkelig fæl variant.

Super Furry Animals står nok øverst på listen min over band jeg en eller flere ganger har tenkt at jeg skal sjekke ut, men så har det aldri blitt sånn. Jeg tror vi kunne blitt gode venner om vi møttes på 90-tallet. Utslagsgivende for at det ble litt vanskelig for oss å bli venner, er at jeg hadde bestemt meg for at utgivelsene jeg først og fremst ville ha var singelen The Man Don't Give a Fuck og ep-en Ice Hockey Hair. Tøffe omslag! Raffe titler! Men dessverre ikke så tilgjengelige i butikk de gangene jeg kom på å gjøre noe med saken. På denne plata er ingen av disse med. Det var jo teit. Og litt fint, dermed kan jeg fortsette å leve i trua på at det finnes noe bra SFA der ute et sted.

Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World Eit sånt band eg “alltid” har visst om, men aldri hadde kunne tatt på quiz. Dei liknar jo litt på både Flaming Lips og Badly Drawn Boy frå samtida si (og ja, han syns likt Damon Albarn), men det fins sjølvsagt spor av dødsbo her og. Pink Floyd, til dømes? Love? ELO? Ja, det trur eg så definitivt. Litt for ofte blir denne musikken nedlessa av orkestrering og synth-effekt, men av og ti så er no låtane verdt å høyre på, syns eg. I alle fall “Run! Christian, Run!” og tittelporet. Men jamnt over er det dumt at dei fleste av desse songane forsvinn litt når dei er ferdigspelt. 5/10

This oscillated between really good and really long. It ended up pretty good but REALLY long.

Loved this. Great voice, good tunes.

Neo-prog pop melodies, with some country and death metal thrown in. Jumping around genres makes for an interesting album, but my attention wandered. I'll aim to see them at the upcoming EOTR Festival, but my attention may wander.

Grew into this

Well it's indie, but not as we know it. Plenty of ambition and intent on this album but each song is so different as a result. Sometimes in a good way. Sometimes in a 'this might take some effort' way. A playing-for-time 3*

It was fine, I liked the layered vocals in some of the tracks. Favorite song was Juxtapozed with U

uneven for me. i think the less orchestral and less singy songs were better, some worse. 2.5

Some of this sounded like Elvis Costelli (derogatory) 2.5

This is the kind of album that should be right up my alley. Feels like the kind of experimentation that was much more interesting and alluring at the time of its release, but at this point feels like experimentation for the sake of it when it might have been better to be more restrained

Sometime ok sometimes annoying sometimes background music. Probably won't listen again.

A combo of sleepy mellow sounds and aggressive loud sounds seemingly invented to piss me off. There is a clear Oasis (and by transference, Beatles) influence to much of it. Is this innovative? All I can hear are the influences.

Garbage

The genre of this was kinda all over. It was kinda fun to listen to and has some 00s auditory hallmarks, but I don't think I'd listen to it again.

Solidly meh. Once you're far along in this list, you feel like you've heard this same type of album a ton.

Very fine.

zu chaotisch, hat mir nicht gefallen

Gar nicht mal so schlecht, aber auch nicht mehr.

Mal angenehmer UK Rock

245. ok

This is #day730 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I don't think an early-'00s take on '60s psychedelia, peppered with modern pop and electronic sensibilities and whatnot, is something I must hear before I die. If I feel like listening to some acidic stuff, I know where to go, and this record wouldn't be the place. The growl on "Respectacle for Respectable" was a real WTF moment, though. I'm going with a 1 out of 5 eventually. Looking forward to #day731.

Interesting at times. A lot going on Standout songs: Presidential Suite Sidewalk Serfer Girl

Rings Around the World was a pleasant surprise. I went in not knowing exactly what to expect, but I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. What stood out most was how naturally Super Furry Animals blend different genres. The album moves between psychedelic rock, electronic music, pop, and experimental sounds without feeling disjointed. Instead, the variety keeps it fresh and unpredictable. The production is ambitious, with layered arrangements and plenty of creative ideas packed into each track. Even when the songs take unexpected turns, they usually feel purposeful rather than random. There's a playful quality throughout the album, but it's balanced with strong melodies and thoughtful songwriting. Not every experiment landed for me, and a few moments felt more interesting than memorable, but the album's willingness to take risks is one of its greatest strengths. It's the kind of record that rewards repeat listens because there are always new details to notice. Overall, I liked Rings Around the World. Its genre-blending approach, inventive production, and adventurous spirit make it a unique listening experience that's well worth checking out, especially for anyone who enjoys albums that refuse to stay in one musical lane.

Can easily place this in the 00's even though it is new to me. The title track stood out to me, but otherwise average

This list needs to stop giving me albums I don't like and start giving me albums I do like

There must be something in the water in Wales. Two of the most ambitious, quirky, 21st-century psychedelic bands are Welshmen Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and Super Furry Animals. Like Gorky's, SFA have been around for a while -- creating bold psych-pop gems with little notice, at least from North America. 1999's Guerrilla was their OK Computer, experimenting with electronica without the hyperbolic hype. Last year, when third-rate Radiohead copycats Coldplay were celebrated, SFA quietly confounded and charmed the lucky few who heard the lovely Mwng, sung entirely in Welsh. With their fifth album, Rings Around The World, SFA have reached an extravagant peak. The songs are tied together by some vague theme of global communication and information pollution. More: https://fastnbulbous.com/super-furry-animals-rings-around-the-world/

Trying to do a lot of different things and none of it really works

Started out weird, got interesting, then boring again

low 3, outside of some moments it was meh. Juxtapozed with U was solid.

A lot happening here. The kitchen sink is also included. There’s ambition, and then there’s indulgence. I can kind of understand the odyssey they’re trying to take us on here, but this is too incoherent of a listening experience to be moved, excited, or impressed. The songs feel less like songs and more like thought experiments. It results in there being cool *moments*, but no greater whole.

With my first Super Furry Animals album, I had more patience for it than I should have. I'm not making that mistake again.

Very nice listen. Just enough weirdness to keep things interesting.

Overall Rating - 2.83/5 (5.67/10). Just middle of the road music of the early 2000s.

Slightly panicked when I saw almost four hour runtime, and annoyed to realize that spotify likes to only make deluxe versions available. It's a bit cozy but boring, "Juxtapozed with U" has some promise but ruined by vocals. There's something about british rock around this period which just doesn't click for me.

Слабее прошлого альбома, но есть свои моменты

Another album where there’s nothing wrong, and nothing that awes me. The occasional surprise sound was nice and kept this from being a completely bland early 2000s UK pop record. But I didn’t hear anything defining or innovative.

I used to run to a few songs from this album. I was eager to hear more from what was on there. A friend claimed it felt like a Blur/Gorillaz rip off. I think he might have been onto something. But I was enjoying it none the less. However, it chopped and changed a lot. I can see what they were going for, but it felt a little inconsistent. I think if I listened a few more times, I'd be way more into it. Sadly, that's not how this works. 4 Stars.

This is like being in a space shuttle marvelling at the beauty of the universe, only for all systems to fail at once. Your peaceful glide through the universe is abruptly interrupted by all sorts of alarms going off. You scramble to put out one fire, only for another to start. Occasionally you manage to sort everything and get a second to take a breath, but then a new problem arises. Eventually you come to terms with the fact that you aren’t surviving this. You have one last look out the porthole to Earth, before making peace with God, and ripping the hatch open to get this over with.

Reminds me Goriilaz or any of the Blur side projects. Very ambitious and some nice tunes. A good listen overall

Lame ass british electronic pop soft rock 😴.

First half is good and second half is ok.

gostei bastante bem produzido, gostosinho, embalou meu fim de tarde no trecho

bacana demais! eh bem variado, né. vários gêneros e pa. e muito bem feito, na real. não eh cansativo e acho foi um álbum bem sólido, até

Just can't get into these guys at all

Yep its no for me Im not sure what it is that I dont like about them I dont think theyre bad, its just that id rather chew off my own feet than listen to them.

This was a rather dull listen. Nothing much else to say really

psychedelic vibes at moments, which are enjoyable at times but overall gets tiresome. nice blend of electronic and pop.

This album maxes out at good, but falls short of great. It is pretty musically interesting, but the songs could be just a touch stronger to really elevate the whole thing. So, a good album it is.

With all due respect, this album does not belong in this list.

waarom

Nothing really stands out from this album, but it was an overall pleasant experience.

🎧It’s like Ween if Ween took themselves seriously (and sucked).

Like other commenters have said, this record isn’t bad, but it doesn’t do anything really memorably. It’s ok, and Super Furry Animals does make some legitimately interesting choices, but those choices rarely, if ever, result in a song I actively want to listen to twice. And, of course, this is like the 4th day in a row that I’ve got Brit rock; there’s an obvious pro Brit bias that I don’t really understand. 6/10

To obscure for me

Please just give me one album that isn’t completely mediocre

I was expecting something a bit different, more experimental. So ultimately I'm disappointed. Rather formulaic. Shame.

Tråkigt album. Den enda låten som jag ens minns är Juxtaposed with U som var helt ok. Resten? Meeeh... Snabbt glömt för min del.

Struck me as something akin to the Flaming Lips with a slightly more conventional vocalist. Not exactly the sound I was in the mood for today, but not bad either.

Like their first album, they surround ok music with annoying sound instead of making better music.

This is a weird album with A LOT of variety in the style of music offered. Almost like a sampler platter. Good but not life changing and I doubt I will come back to it

6/10

2 I had high hopes for this one? It looked interesting, was expecting some sort of electronic groove. But overall, long boring and kinda bland.

1.8/5 I liked a fair few of their more rock sounding tracks, but they lost me when they played their more electronic songs.

experimental. they could make better music if they wanted

I didn't listen to this when it came out, but I think you can tell roughly when it came out and that it is part of the UK scene of the time. It has a lot going on and with more listens would rank higher. For now I'm going high 3.

I like the genre hopping and arguably this is most fun for me when it drifts furthest away from Brit pop. High 3

Super Furry Animals are doing a couple of things here. The bulk of this album is amiable rock music with plush, dramatic production and a sunny disposition; then there’s moments which shoot off into something a bit more explorative, weirder and unanticipated. It’s the modifications on the form that fascinate me - screaming into the microphone, passages of ambiance, glitchy keys. Its a shame they don't stick with and dig into any of these other modes as while the songs themselves are solidly enjoyable, it’s these flourishes that provide all of the intrigue for me.

My first Super Furries album is getting some kind of 4, a Welsh band i’ve been meaning to listen to for a decade and I immediately enjoy it a lot and can hear it’s impact on some of my Welsh favourites.

Mid to high 4 - so textured and so whimsical good lord!

Fuck Blur for making this genre popular

I liked maybe one song here. They sound like they're trying way too hard to sound whimsical.

Whatever good will this album earned throughout its long run time (there’s a handful of songs I thought were okay to good at best)…totally wiped away by what I think are three of my least favorite songs in the entire 400+ albums so far. It was like a literal poison

Probably the worst part of 2001 was this album’s release. Nothing else comes to mind.

It’s good, it sounds different, it’s even fun. Just thought a band with that name and some of those song titles would sound a little… zanier?

1005 - "Here's your juice box and orange slice. Thanks for coming."

Yeah, this has been meh. Not sure I get why this is included. It has some variance in style, but you ultimately have to be good in at least one of them, and they just are mediocre in all of them.

Buena mezcolanza de estilos bien producida. Me gusta

I have no idea how this made the list. I should have known from the band name alone that it was kinda gonna suck. It sounds like Blur and Flight of the Conchords had a really crappy baby with none of Damon Albarn's genius nor FotC's humor. It's like they're trying to fill a void that Albarn certainly did NOT leave unfilled, so I'm not really sure where this band fits in music history or why it even exists. Giving it 2 stars, but it's more like 1.5. Favorite tracks (I guess?): [A] Touch Sensitive

Mid

iwie voll gut/ interessanter als andere random "rock" alben, vor allem weils aus den 2000s ist

I'm quite impressed with how creative this record was. It feels like this record touched a bunch of genres, and it ended up being pretty tasteful. Favourite Track(s): [A] Touch Sensitive, Shoot Doris Day Least Favourite Track(s): Sidewalk Serfer Girl, Alternate Route to Vulcan Street

This is the second time I’ve listened to this album since I recently bought the CD. I haven’t listened to any other music from Super Furry Animals but I adore this record. It sounds like if Damon Albarn was in the Flaming Lips. So many different styles and sounds are incorporated into this album. I gotta listen to more of these guys. Favorite track: Juxtaposed with U

Disappointing false advertisement. It’s not super furry or animalistic. Pretty lame.

A strange band, that are highly regarded from the sounds of it. But not for me

Second half started to win me over a bit more but I had to stop and restart 2-3 times to finish this

7.5/10 Quite enjoyed this album, specifically it’s not the end of the world, really enjoyed the harmonies on receptacle for the respectable. Some songs gave me a sort of Beatles/ELO feel which goes a long way with me. The first album so far where I’ve gone back and listened to a song.

7.5/10 = maybe i'm biased because my dad loves super furry animals and gruff rhys so it reminds me of my childhood a lot but i do love this album, juxtaposed with u is one of my fav songs i always play it at pres and in the car etc its just so unanimously liked when i play it, but i wasnt as familiar with the others so was nice to hear them again, very fitting with the sunny weather too, def think super furry animals are quite underrated in terms of britpop-esque bands

Another old friend. Love the first two songs with their spliffy, melodic vibes. Juxtaposed With U's lyric " I'm not in love with you but I won't hold that against you." is beautifully wise.

Inventive songwriting. Tracks like "Sidewalk Serfer Girl", "It's Not the End of the World?", "Receptacle for the Respectable" and "Shoot Doris Day" evince an eclectic, wide-ranging style. As a result, I never got bored.

Album 247. Rings Around The World (https://open.spotify.com/album/6g6WBTqT5gE4fAcwRljpjc?si=Ck3jczHeQuyffP5yNuRA3w) — Super Furry Animals (2001) It's pretty boring rock/britpop 2/5 Liked: — Juxtapozed with U

midd, no sympathy is cool

3.5

I really enjoyed this album and it's almost like every song has a turn in if there's several songs on here that I think the way it starts makes me think okay this is where the album's going to fall apart but then it will shift into something that I just absolutely love to me the ebb and flow of this album is what really makes it special for me I don't think it's quite an all-time Banger because of some of the slower Parts but it is definitely one I can listen to over and over again (9.4) ★★★★½

A bit too psychedlic for me at times, but when it is good, it is really good. 4 stars

This is a pretty cool album. It kind of reminds me of a neo-psychedelic Blur. Favorite track is "Run Christian Run", but it's pretty solid throughout. 4 stars.

Every dog has its day but these super furry critters should have 100 days in this random 1001 generator for all of their studio albums plus multiple relistens of each studio albums of theirs. Ridiculously high quality tunage with rampant brilliance and variety throughout. Teeming with so many crazy cool ideas. Juxtaposed With U is like the sexiest 00s pop anthem. Should be in a James Bond movie… The World Is Not Furry Enough or summat. James Bond will return in Phantom Power and you can catch him elsewhere on this list with Fuzzy Logic.

Within the first few minutes of listening, I thought to myself “this reminds me of something I heard on Yo Gabba Gabba”. Looked into it and they were performers on one of the episodes. Music is a bit out there for me. I didn’t dislike it, but I’d need to be in a very specific mood to want to listen to it. A handful of the tracks were a bit irritating though.

Im kinda seeing the hype behind them

nothing here remarkable

Ёбаные фурри

I think there's a reason I've never heard these guys before; I wish it could have stayed that way.

If only the whole album was how it started. This really is a 3 star given the range of genres on show here. 3/5 Top tracks: alternate route to Vulcan street, a touch sensitive

This was pretty good, strong second half

alright

OK yeah I enjoyed this but to be honest I don't connect with them somehow. Perhaps something to give another shot to down the line. There's a lot going on here and it would be better to take more time to understand the context and dissect.

Toto sa mi celkom páči. Miestami mi to pripomína Blur.

Of all the albums ever made this is definitely one of them.

Was meh on it going in to work. Had a crap day at work. The album felt like a hug for my brain on the drive home. Not sure what to make of that. Everything has its place I suppose.

The album confused me near the end when it started becoming beep boop beep boop. The first half was pretty good tho I enjoyed it. They kinda lost me at the second half. One of the first tracks had phone ringing sounds and it confused me so much because I was listening to this album while at work.

Fine I guess

There's something strange about this band

Actually a very solid album and not at all what I was expecting. Another album that feels like a precursor to run of the mill Williamsburg Indie. But I really did dig the harmonies. Nothing incredible, but really solid. Highlights: It's Not The End of The World, A Touch Sensitive

It's hard for me to imagine anyone loving EVERY song on this album, since it's such an eclectic mix. By the same token, it seems impossible to absolutely HATE everything here. Listening to the first track ("Alternate Route to Vulcan Street"), I was prepared to be bored and completely underwhelmed. But the next two tracks ("Sidewalk Serfer Girl" and "(Drawing) Rings Around the World") were delightful. I'd say be prepared for that kind of experience. In the end, the underwhelming outweighed the delightful for me, but there's nothing to really fault about this effort.

They always sound like such a music critic band to me. All their reference points are so carefully curated and present. Despite their drug addled wild bunch reputation it all sounds a bit too self consciously cool. I prefer this to the other one on the list for its longer in the studio lushness, but maybe if they'd recorded it through a tin can it would be better.

It sounds like hold music. Good hold music, but hold music never the less.

Completely new music for me. They seem to be going to great lengths to avoid being formulaic, while staying within the bounds of sounding good. I respect this. The song I find still running through my head is Its Not the end of the World… which is reminiscent of For Forever by the Beach Boys. My only complaint for this album is that there are so many downtempo songs… I have to be in just the right mood for this much mellow.

A strange, entrancing project that isn’t quite like anything I can remember hearing before. The result of the risks and leaps taken here is a complete, well-executed psychedelic journey. Amongst all the weird effects are many highly enjoyable, sticky musical passages. I actually do hear some similar DNA to Damon Albarn and his creation, Gorillaz, at points, which I can only appreciate. Funnily enough, one of the tracks here happens to sample one from The Stooges’s self titled from before. I look forward to exploring this further and I expect my appreciation to only grow. It’s all smiles in my corner. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: Shoot Doris Day, Presidential Suite, It’s Not the End of the World?, Juxtapozed with U, Run! Christian, Run!, (Drawing) Rings Around The World

Expectation: -> No clue what today's album will entail. After listening: -> After an impatient start to my listen, had this at a 1. Then realized this isn't a 1, planned a 2. Then gave it more time and I'm starting to dig this. 3 it is. Maybe in another week it will be a 5? Not likely but glad I didn't commit too early. Found this fun, odd, and kinda memorable. Extra points for the band name. Track ranking: Juxtapozed End of the World Sensitive Sympathy Rings Serfer Receptacle Doris Presidential Run Vulcan Fragile Miniature

meh, not really my thing, I can appreciate the experimentation though

This was... interesting. I liked the blending of genres, even if it felt a bit unintentional, but there were some grating bits that made certain songs difficult to listen to. I did, however, finally get a chance to listen to the song where Paul McCartney is credited as playing the carrot and celery, so that was an absolute highlight.

Best Track - "Juxtaposed With U"

Never played an album before that I have absolutely no opinion of. Maybe played it at a bad time. Will re visit it

This is a weird Welsh rock album that's more fully formed in its songwriting and pop sensibility than typical "weird rock" albums. The singer reminds me of Damon Albarn, and some of the weirdness reminds me of Of Montreal and maybe The Flaming Lips. But there's a lot of refreshing electronica music wrapped into this Welsh rock as well, and acts as some of the highlights of the album.

a good attempt

Oh no, this is the second album I've gotten so far from this band, and I've kind of loved both of them. How embarrassing...

2.5 rounded down as I just didn't get along with the mishmash of songs in the album, meaning for me it felt like it went on a bit too long

I think if they stripped out some of the extra grating backing sounds it would have been a real set of bangers for me. But still enjoyable!

Goofy and made me want to dance :)

Very strange but not unenjoyable!

It’s a fine top 20 album of 2001 album, but I suppose in the first 50 years that the book started chronicling from that’s more than enough to get it in. Does feel like padding though.

Kind of all over the place hard to be good at something when you’re doing everything.

On the whole I liked the album. Not one I would run out and buy, but if one of their songs came on the radio, I wouldn't turn it off.

There were some fun songs on this album, but overall nothing spectacular. I have no idea how this is supposed to be one of the most influential albums of all time.

That was all over the place and messy. Not bad.

Couldn't get into it.

I enjoyed the song Rings around the world. Other stuff did not stand out.

Probably a low 4 stars. Wasn’t super interested at first but it grew on me as the album went on. I liked the super electronic turn of the track No Sympathy.

very damn good. I was incredibly surprised since I've never heard of these guys whatsoever

Not bad and somewhat interesting. It mostly held my attention until the last 2 or 3 songs when my interested started to wane. I might like this more after a few more listens.

Muy chido!!

Day 301. Album I’m very familiar with, love the furries. Highlights Sidewalk serfer girl A touch sensitive Presidential suite

This album cover is terrible oh my god. Yk what? Whats forcing me To listen to an album by a band called the fucking super furry animals ? This shit is obviously gona suck and I dont want to listen to it. Anyway, I listened to it, was bad. Its trying so hard to be weird. I feel like they really thought they were making something really cool,epic and experimetal but its really not the case. Its more annoying than anything really... sometime even laughably terible. Worst song? yes /5

I found "Rings Around the World" to be a somewhat eclectic and eccentric album. It is a progressive pop record in the XTC sense - and all of these attributes are thoroughly positive. There are two standout tracks for me, and when taken together, they perfectly display the varied nature and eccentricity of the album: - "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" is a great title track, opening with a Hawkwind Silver Machine-inspired introduction before opening out into a melodic and catchy Beach Boys-influenced number. - "[A] Touch Sensitive" is an atmospheric electronic instrumental driven by a pulsing bass and distorted synths. Other moments that incite comment include: - "Alternate Route to Vulcan Street" is an odd choice to start an album, but in a way, it perfectly introduces how the record will unfold. - "It's Not the End of the World?" features a 1960s pop production style, with the vocals sung in a traditional pop/crooner fashion. - "Juxtapozed with U" has a sleek, radio-friendly sound, aided by a Philadelphia soul-inspired combination of strings and brass. "Rings Around the World" is an enjoyable and often surprising listen. It is an album that consistently refuses to follow convention. The quality remains high throughout, without ever quite reaching "essential" status. 1 "Alternate Route to Vulcan Street" (3/5) 2 "Sidewalk Serfer Girl" (3/5) 3 "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" (5/5) 4 "It's Not the End of the World?" (4/5) 5 "Receptacle for the Respectable" (4/5) 6 "[A] Touch Sensitive" (5/5) 7 "Shoot Doris Day" (3/5) 8 "Miniature" (3/5) 9 "No Sympathy" (3/5) 10 "Juxtapozed with U" (4/5) 11 "Presidential Suite" (3/5) 12 "Run! Christian, Run!" (4/5) 13 "Fragile Happiness" (3/5) Total - 47 Average - 3.62 344/1001 185/344 albums reviewed were new to me.

Fine, just wondering why it's on the list.

- dude im so bricked today i gotta stay celibate - the music i say is pretty calming - could be study music - how does anyone think of this many songs

Vocally trash but good instrumentals (get unc off the mic)

- well these dudes are everything. Heavy, funk, pop, electric, rock. Idek how to feel but its cool - music vid for every song is mad cool - idk how to feel about the saitanic ts of run christian run but lol whatever uh like ok

3.5

Maf album maar wel vet

I should like this, but it wasn’t great.

It wasn't good enough to cross the line into "quirky-good" and stayed squarely in the "quirky-annoying" realm.

Flaming Lips, but from the pound shop. Album art 4/5

The Flaming Lips light

SFA are a vibe. I need to be in a certain mood in order to enjoy their records. Fortunately today was one of those days. I recall Rings Around The World coming out and enjoying the distinct diversity of the record. It really is a hodgepodge of ideas with some working better than others. Rings Around the World is a terrific alternative-pop Jesus And Mary Chain inspired track, Sidewalk Serfer Girl is catchy as well with a touch of Lincoln era They Might Be Giants song structure and sound. And that I think is the point - SFA albums all sound like the good parts have been lifted from somewhere else. Juxtaposed With U could have been lifted from a Spanish disco record although I’m reminded of Yvonne Ellinan’s track on Saturday Night Fever. As I said it’s a weird ass record because no two songs fit a the same genre and the subject matter is all over the place. It’s a good album but truly you have to be ready to listen in the moment leaving your preconceived notions about what a record is meant to be in the hands of super furry animals masquerading as SFA. 3.5/5

There was a time in the 90s when South Wales was the place to be for upcoming bands. Manics, Catatonia, Gorkys etc.... SFA were in the midst of this, of course it didn't last, the music world is far too fickle these days. Being a Newportonian myself it was quite interesting at the time. With this album the Furries found a major label and a period of success. The album draws on lots of influences and is probably worth a listen if you've got time..... or not..... whatever.

The best descriptor I can think to come up with for this album is, like... "Power pop Gorillaz?" That's not me mistaking the vocalist for Damon Alabarn or anthing (though, funny enough Gruff here **was** on 'Plastic Beach'). It's just... The sonic vibe I get from this album.Or maybe "British Fountains Of Wayne" would be better? Either way, in my book those descriptors both mean this album gets a 5/5 from me.

Dunno what to say. It's just a damn good album, simple as. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

You know what? I think I’m really at a 10. It just clicked that nicely for me, and I’m really, REALLY impressed by the growth shown here in crafting a top-to-bottom flowing album compared to my original perception of these guys back on “Fuzzy Logic”. I might owe that album another attempt at a relisten, because I’m stunned it’s the same band. Obviously, part of it is the lean towards a mix of Radiohead’s more moody stylings on “Kid A”, though with less of a melancholic potency that seems to be depressed about the prospect of living, and with more of a Beatles-esque curiosity looking to answer all the questions that start with a “Why” with a smile. A track like “It’s Not the End of the World?” is obviously making a point that the status quo we live in is technically a better outcome than death & annihilation, but it begs the question of why we settle for that status quo. It does it with a bubbly Beatles-esque instrumental, and that dichotomy between the two is pervasive throughout this entire album. It’s a dichotomy I really, really enjoyed. It’s also a dichotomy that exists in even more potent instrumental ways, perhaps most effectively done on “No Sympathy”, which is probably my favorite track on this entire album. The folksy ways in which he calmly & coldly sings “You deserve to die” struck a great chord, and the potently calm hatred that they (the song is gender neutral) learned to live with as a strength really made the first half pop. The way everything speeds up & shifts into folk-inspired dubstep for *2001* is fucking incredible, and the anger releasing itself in such a wild turn made for my favorite moment on the entire album. It comes out of nowhere, and the production work is really, really impactful. A lot of the production work throughout the album manages to make some kind of impact, & the way it’s all blended together with such a wide variety of styles from track to track just leaves me impressed as hell. It also helps that the writing has taken a clear step forward, as each track generally has a concise meaning. When it doesn’t, I happened to really like the sandbox each soundscape allows for. Let me quote myself from my “Fuzzy Logic” review, as it seems like a review for an entirely different group at this point. I called that album “soulless music”, “chasing commercially successful sounds and aping other people’s styles” in a way that never found its own identity. It’s ironic, because I’ve praised this album for doing exactly the latter, yet I could not possibly describe this as “soulless” at all, and this album absolutely has an identity behind it. That was 586 days ago, so I probably owe “Fuzzy Logic” another listen with a more enlightened sense of who the Super Furry Animals are as a band. Either that, or it really does suck as a debut album, I dunno. 5 years can make a difference. Regardless, I’m just highly impressed by what’s here. The pacing is great, the lyrics are great, the vocal performances are good, & the production work just feels like it’s fully realized for 2001 in a way that makes this feel complete. It’s a great album, and for me, it really does feel like it’s worth giving a 10.

this was so over the place lmao but i’m intrigued…… i think i must relisten…..

I quite enjoyed this today - a concoction of Britpop sixties like melodies with psychedelic elements and moments of the unexpected. A lot of sixth form academic boys in the late 90s championed this band song with other Welsh outfits and this album got marmite reviews - some of their best and worst - and the mainstream advent of TV based talent show pop put this group back to the margins. The appearance of the Paul McCartney and John Cale certainly gave Gruff and the boys the kind of credibility that Will Young and Gareth gates could only dream......

I just love Gruff's voice. This is a bit all over the place / very eclectic but there are some absolute cast iron tunes in there. They are consistently ambitious. The celery player is pretty good too.

Weird music. Didn't like his voice or the sounds.

Kai kurios geros, kai kurios meh, iš balso primenia Domantą.

Nah

Ring ring! 📞 Ring ring! 📞☎️ Rings around the wooorld 🌎🌏🌍 (Drawing) Rings Around The World is the best! It has a sound that I've been looking for, but didn't know where to find. I don't have the vocabulary for it, so I will just say its awesome possum.. Why isn't there a possum emoji? Here's a skunk 🦨 I also like Receptacle For The Respectable! I thought the death growl-like vocals in the end were an unexpected, but super cool addition. I like the song No Sympathy too. I don't like it one as much as the former, but the electronic outro was neat! It came out of nowhere too!!! Like it was all acoustic, and then all of a sudden it turned into a Ryoma Maeda song 😆😆😆 This album was so much fun! 😃😃😃 Thank you! 💗 Thank you! 💗 Thank you! 💗

Solid listen

Decent neo-psychedelic album with some cool trip hop elements and such, but not really something I'm clamouring to listen to again.

Completely passed me by without making an impression. Not terrible I guess.

It's alright! It's interesting to hear them juggling so many genre influences and still coming out with a decently cohesive album. Paul McCartney apparently showing up to play a carrot and celery might lowkey be the most remarkable thing about it all. Standouts: Sidewalk Serfer Girl • [A] Touch Sensitive • Juxtapozed With U • Run! Christian, Run!

Every once in a while I come across an album that I really inexplicably dislike and this was that one.

Niet echt mijn smaak ook al zitten er paar hele leuke nummers op dit album zoals '[A] touch sensitive' en 'Miniature'

Going back and forth on this one. Some of it is pretty good, but it changes too often with no clear throughline of music or emotion. Some folks will be really into this. I was hovering between a 2 and a 3 but then they started whistling x

Meh

This has like crazy cool moments, but also has some slop between them

This is a band that on paper I should really like, but I always kind of like any time I’ve listened. This is absolutely a solid album, and I think I would have been into it if I were an adult and not a tween at the time of its release, but I think the early 2000’s had much better products in this style than this one. I respect it, it has some strong moments, and is delightfully weird and Welch. My ears hear a 3 with 4 potential with more listens.

An incredibly mixed bag. Turns out I didn't know at all what SFA sounded like. Some great, some shit!

Totally new to me, thanks!

first listen forgettable

Pretty unique, I enjoyed most of it.

Enjoyed it 👍

Some interesting bits but mostly annoying. Why is this on this list.

One of many bands that picked up 1 element of the Beatles’ sound (triumphant, high energy psychedelic party pop) and ran with it. It’s fine but pretty limited and a bit derivative. A 2.

Their style is all over the place, but I dig most of it

Not sure on this one. There's an eclectic mix of genres and styles. I get a hint of Blur and The Doves throughout which, imo, highlights the melodic qualities of some of the tracks. The diversity is a little jarring, but I guess it has a little something for everyone in that respect. Overall, it's good, but doesn't quite grip me.

A decent Neo-psychedelia album, with some very disorienting moments and catchy melodies. I want to say that this album is very different from other projects of the same style, due to how incredibly strange and out there are some of its moments, in addition to the combination of the great amount of effects and electronics used. However, they also have some very recognizable and standard melodies, riffs, orchestration and compositions, so it isn't as unique as it might sound. Either way, I'll give them that this truly feels very psychedelic, much more than many other attempts from other bands I had to listen to. So what makes this album stands out are some incredibly weird parts, like the endings of "Receptacle for the Respectable" and "No Sympathy" (specially the latter feeling like some of the most chaotic pieces Aphex Twin has ever put out) or even the robotic singing of "Juxtapozed with U". There are also some nice spacey parts, such as the intro, "[A] Touch Sensitive" and the interlude "Miniature", which can be very relaxing and immersive. What I didn't really liked about the record are the standard and cliché elements. Not that they are badly done, is just that I think they hold back a lot of the experimentation and makes the project less memorable. Furthermore, the album ends with three incredibly melodramatic tracks. Other than that, I think the album can be both fun and smooth, so overall, I think it is a good experience.

201 / 1089. Not every track lands, and some seem dated 25 years later. But there are some highs here worth exploring again. 6/10.

Nice enough to listen top twice on a Saturday afternoon, but I don't recall a single tune on Sunday morning.

I kindda like this, but nothing really exciting happens.

Didn’t go in with high expectations but actually really good. Liked the feel of the album and overall very interesting to listen to.

So many different genres but without ever feeling like too much of a mish-mash. Loved the vibe, will definitely return and get to know it better

4.5

The original around the world party animals.

Wonderful. I listened when I was young but never really got them. They were too hard to box in. Now I really see how inventive they were. Well worth a re-listen.

I listened to this album a lot back when it was released. SFA were one of my favorite bands at the time. I saw them perform on the tour for this album at The Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kansas. It was a great show in a small venue (IIRC, they were pretty big in UK but trying to break thru in US). I even caught one of the pieces of celery they tossed into the audience for the song Receptacle for the Respectable (because that is the song McCartney chewed celery for as a sound effect, which I think was a nod to The Beach Boys). It was great hearing this album again. I really like some of their other albums as well. I should also listen to those again.

I believe Ian was a bit of a Super Furry Animals fan back in college. This was fun, way more interesting than most of the British stuff coming in around the same time.

I was not familiar but enjoyed it a lot.

idk this kind of annoyed me. i feel like if i listened to it a couple more times it might grow on me but,,,,,,,,, i don't want to lol.

Went into this completely blind, but mostly enjoyed it. A little jazzy sometimes, a little Elvis Costello sometimes, and sometimes weird as hell.

This is a very very cool record. Like a kind of Welsh flaming lips I guess. There's a hard mix of breezy pop rock and some very cool experimental psychedelic noise stuff. No sympathy is some incredible artful beautiful noise. I think I wish that it stayed more in that experimental space rather than reverting to poppier stuff - but maybe it takes that contrast to make it work? Crazy good though.

Muzak that makes you laugh.

Not bad but nothing really great either.

The Super Zany Animals have improved since their impressive debut. Rings Around The World is another clever, witty, and fun listen. They have improved musically as well., sound effects too. (3.49*s) Didn’t hear Paul on the “celery and carrots”.

My only other exposure to these super furry animals is from the list with their debut album which was great. By their 5th release here they have slowed down but still experimental. Some cool electronica and weirdness thrown in for good measure. Not bad but not quite what I had expected or hoped for. Side B is a bit better. Still get an Albarn influence from these guys so feel like this will be right in jlbusch21's wheelhouse. 2.63 stars for still coming with something different. Need to check out their middle 3 albums if they don't show up on the list.

While I don't have great recollection of the prior Super Furry Animals entry, this second album doesn't appear to be in line with what was previously featured. Rings Around The World appears to be an attempt for SFA to get a little too artsy and out of the box. Maybe it was seen as a valid attempt to evolve from Britpop sounds of the 90's upon release, but during this listen I found a lot of it to be messy. At times it seemed like they were trying too hard to break the mold and as a result I think the album was missing some of the fun and cohesion from their debut. As the tracks passed by one by one I found myself mostly unfazed despite their attempts to do something different and diverse. I don't know, not really a miss but also not really a hit for me here on Rings Around The World. Did we really need a song dedicated to the Monica Lewinksy scandal in 2001? 1.90 stars

weird in the best way possible

I remember SFA being a thing back in college and always dismissed it based on the people listening to them. Having actually listened to them now, I can see the appeal but it’s not my thing. British psych-pop. Well done but I’ll pass.

n achei q ia gostar tanto desse album, mas pra mim ele captura uma vibe mt específica dos anos 2000 e isso me traz um sentimento bom, além das letras em algumas músicas, gostei

bom ok nice

I’m not sure I get it, but there were parts I was very into. Want to listen a few more times.

Almost quit it after the first track but was pleasantly surprised

Some good songs on there. Pretty solid album!

Kinda trippy haha, not bad

A bit long but there were some cool tracks on this - definitely not a progressive pophead but this was decent!

This was alright! Never heard of them. Some tracks that sucked but a few tracks that were pretty good.

i’m back to this!! i was worried by the name of the band that i wouldn’t enjoy it but i had a GREAT time with this album. i’ll definitely be coming back to it. very beatle-esque and i could see john lennon doing stuff like this if he lived longer. big fan!

And i thought the last album i listened to was weird, Rings Around The World even managed to make that Devo album i listened to yesterday seem normal in comparison. This album feels like a really weird mix of Oasis, Radiohead and Gorillaz with it being a very alt-rock album on the surface but adding in loads of electronic elements to give it something to help it stand out. Unlike the Devo album with that being a mixed bag with it's weirdness, This album's weirdness did nothing but add to how good it was. Every song on offer feels incredibly creative and was an immense joy to listen to. I ended up really enjoying this album. Best Song: No Sympathy Worst Song: Miniature Side Note: I loved that every song here had an accompanying music video and they were all really good

This is one of those albums where you enjoy yourself as you're listening. But you also know you'll never listen to it again. A mix of Blur & Flaming Lips.

4.5/10

Damn but this had moments of good that were absolutely derailed by noisy bullshit crap.

This is what a band sounds like when they're at their creative peak and they fucking know it. The merging of genre is mind bending, out of the blue, and yet perfectly acceptable places for the song to go. "Receptacle for the Respectable" turns into death metal, and HOLY SHIT "No Sympathy" goes absolutely NUTS!!! Seriously, is there a more cool outro than that?! This album is fantastic, 52 perfect minutes, and I never would have found it without the generator

Unlike a lot of British alternative on this list, there's actual soul and feeling to this music. It's a record I would listen to all the time. Which is a nice change for me and most British alt rock.

A few interesting tracks, but overall not super memorable. Solid 3/5

niet onaardig maar ook niet echt wereldschokkend

ja ik hoopte op niet per se goede muziek hiervan, maar gewoon iets heel raars. helaas was het gewoon wat middelmatige rock

Big fan, though maybe not that big since I never heard this album before. From what I'm reading, that's akin to saying you're a big Beatles fan but never listened to Sgt Pepper's. Oops! Looking forward to making amends, early and often. Quick story: I saw them play roughly around the time this album came out, with Grandaddy at Irving Plaza in NYC. (is Grandaddy's The Sophtware Slump on this list? should be.) Great show. They performed in space suits, helmets and all. Must have been 1000 degrees in there! But as I recall it was a weeknight and we were all coming from work so we met up at the dive bar around the corner. Name escapes me but in proper dive bar fashion we only referred to it by its street address - maybe 119? Anyway, my friend Pat was a huge fan of both bands and so excited for the show, but he overindulged at 119 and passed out on a bench soon after we got inside the venue and missed both bands! 😂

An interesting album, although a bit disconcerting to discover that this is just one of two Super Furry Animals albums in the collection, as this one didn't seem interesting enough to warrant another one (although of course the other one is their debut album). I kind of liked the eclectic range of the tracks, and also kind of didn't like it that most of that range was pretty backward-looking in some ways; my favorites on the album were probably the not-so-retro "[A] touch sensitive" and "No sympathy". But props to them for getting Paul McCartney to chew carrots and celery on "Receptacle for the respectable" (apparently reprising a similar role he played on The Beach Boys song "Vegetables" (on "Smiley Smile")), and for getting John Cale to play piano on "Presidential Suite". And I like the amount of attention and time they spent creating a DVD with surround sound versions of the songs, although I'm not sure they should have included low-budget videos for every track, especially since most of the videos had no obvious connection to the songs. I also liked how they seemed a bit like a more positive/happy version of Radiohead.

Went in not knowing what to expect, and I really got into it. My notes read "slick" and then "Yo La Tengo a bit?" and then "Crosby Stills Nash?" and then I stopped trying to box them in and just enjoyed the great new-to-me music.

A gentle album that is also still quite diverse. One in my collection that I hadn’t heard for a while

Pretty awesome, I can't lie. Bad things: some songs dragged a bit, not all of the surprises or tonal shifts landed, and oftentimes the experimental parts of the album felt unoriginal, which is a bit of a paradox, BUT, the good things: it rocked, I had a great time listening, and no song was either boring or just plain bad. Overall, really enjoyed the album - not something I would have found myself, I don't think.

Kind of cool. Feels like a mix of Blur and Flaming Lips with some jam vibes.

2.5 - Meh

I liked this. It's weird, psychedelic, futuristic, like daft punk meets pink floyd kinda. It just got a bit long winded and boring at parts for me. Overall interesting though and I like the album cover

Not for me. Fairly dull. One good song. Think it's called No sympathy

It was ok! Some interesting sounds but mostly it just washed over me.

This album managed to constantly surprise me with its switches in style. It mostly pulls it off well, but there was a decent amount of tracks that just did nothing for me on a first listen. It does feel at times that they just threw on everything they could think of and hoped most of it will stick. Definitely something I will revisit in the future, though. Favourite track: Juxtapozed with U

Have you ever wanted to feel everything? I have, 5

I was pleasantly surprised for this album. These guys were doing this very avant garde take on alt rock at the same time as Radiohead, though I suppose a few years behind when Radiohead did it. I can hear ok computer influence all over this album. I feel like the weirdness of some sounds got in the way of the songwriting but I appreciate the effort. A little too wierd to get that pop appeal

Never heard of this band or this album. I liked it. Reminded me of a Ween album in it's variety. The singer reminded me of Damon Albarn.

Oh good. Another album where the big decision rests between a 2 or a 3 The fascinating thing about this one was that most of the songs start out sounding like a good song, and by the end it's not. It's either weird or just plain boring. Run Christian Run eventually veers over into "nice" after being impressively boring to start with. Fragile Happiness was a proper way to end the album. Almost pretty and very boring.

lame-o ish

Good

So very britpop, experimental, you never knew what you were getting with each song. Kinda loved it.

This one was a pretty good album. Honestly got no complaints with it other than I just don't think I'll ever go back to it. I don't know if I just started noticing it in the second half, but the first half definitely felt like a 90's take on the Beatles, with the second half still having that quality, but also taking on a kind of Yoshimi-era Flaming Lips sound (Fragile Happiness very much feels like a Yoshimi song). Honestly wouldn't be surprised if the Flaming Lips were influenced by this album on Yoshimi. But yeah, good album. Just not really something I'd find myself going back to.

Not bad. An eclectic mix of styles touching just about every genre there is in some way.

Such a cool concept of sounds.A mixture of classic sounds with a touch pf psycadelic and industrial sounds. Interesting album!

Alternate Route to Vulcan Street - 3.5/5 Sidewalk Serfer Girl - 4/5 (Drawing) Rings Around the World - 4/5 It's Not the End of the World? - 3.5/5 Receptacle for the Respectable - 3.5/5 (A) Touch Sensitive - 3.5/5 Shoot Doris Day - 3.5/5 Miniature - 3/5 No Sympathy - 3.5/5 Juxtaposed With U - 3.5/5 Presidential Suite - 3.5/5 Run! Christian, Run! - 3.5/5 Fragile Happiness - 3.5/5 A modern interpretation of psychedelia evolved from Pet Sounds and the Beatles, but it really overstayed its welcome. It sounded a lot like that era but really didn't have anything new to bring to the table outside of some synths. It's good, but not something I would ever listen to a second time. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Sidewalk Serfer Girl, (Drawing) Rings Around the World

Legg det til på lista over ting fra det tidligste 2000-tallet som hørtes akkurat ut som æ hadde tenkt at dem kom til å gjøre. Det e nu greit nok, men æ vet ikke om æ behøvde å høre det før æ dør?

I remember my dad bought this album and dvd because he was a huge Beatles fan and Paul McCartney played on the album. I always thought it was a weird album cover hiding some bizarre music. I was correct

Slow burn, but I'm really glad I discovered this

Really great album! First time I heard this group and they are talented lyricists and musicians!