Rings Around The World

Bof

Decent long but solid

This was interesting but I wasn't the biggest fan. It kind of just went by for me.

Honestly a bit too weird to keep my attention. At a certain point I couldn't contain the urge to just listen to Ween or The Flaming Lips. These guys seem like the Welsh version of the aforementioned bands. It's definitely interesting, but others have done this style better.

What a treat. I've never heard of these guys! Stylistically interesting with a dynamic range between songs. I was kept interested. Eventually the 4 hour Remastered album I was listening to devolved into remixes but I powered on. Really great stuff. I'm going to seek out more stuff the Super Furry Animals.

I’ve known about Super Furry Animals for a long time due to their involvement in McCartney’s Liverpool Sound Collage, and was aware that Paul subsequently contributed an all-time celery and carrot performance on this record. Still, despite knowing and liking the title track of this record, I’d never dove into them before this. And boy, do I feel silly for that now. What a wonderful journey this record is. More than anything, I appreciate how balanced it is. There are just the right amount of fast, slow, and mid-tempo songs; the electronic elements work perfectly alongside the largely organic frameworks; they’re often throwing the kitchen sink at these arrangements, but they do it in a way that never feels overly dense. This is especially apparent in “Receptable for the Respectable”, which borrows heavily from The Beatles and Beach Boys without venturing into parody or plagiarism. They throw in a little harmonica here, some horns there, some tasty synth for good measure, all while working their way through an ever-changing form…it’s so awesome. And for good measure, the outro is absolutely hilarious. There are just so many damn highlights here. “(Drawing) Rings Around the World” is a killer pop song dressed up with alternative psychedelia. “No Sympathy” is such a wild ride; again, going back to the theme of balance, the feedback permeating throughout the intro never fully overtakes or distracts from the gorgeous acoustic guitar/electric piano work, and the electronic shift in the outro is batshit insane in the best way. I also love the juxtaposition of the dark lyrics with the beautiful vocal melody. Speaking of juxtaposition, the unexpected Philly soul-inspired “Juxtaposed with U” features some of my favorite lyrics on the record (“I’m not in love with you, but I won’t hold that against you”). “Presidential Suite” is another lyrical gem, underscoring the sweeping music with hysterical commentary. I feel like I could talk all day about the soundscape of “Alternate Route to Vulcan Street” and dynamic masterclass of “Run! Christian! Run!”. It feels wrong to not mention the expertly crafted mood piece that is “[A] Touch Sensitive”, too. I’ve only listened to this album twice, but I’m quite enamored with it already. Very strong 4.5 stars for me. 4.5/5

Lite spännande mix av experimentella grejer vs lite mer normala låtar, överlag intressant men inget som stack ut supermycket. Helt ok!

Muppigt namn men lät bra

Great sound, really unique vibe. Sounds like spiritualized if there was some rock/alt influence

nope

Good album 8 out of 10

7.5

You can tell they cared about the mixing. +half a star for Paul McCartney chewing sounds

Really enjoyed this album. It’s now in my music library and one shall revist

We get it, you don’t tame yourself that seriously.

Some songs were unlistenable for me.

2.5/5

This was an odd listen. Not sure how to describe it; I liked parts of mostly every song, and also disliked parts of mostly every song. I enjoyed the more unique sound of blending rock with lo-fi eldctronica, but the songs go on for way too long and lose themselves in the longer runtimes. Would be much better if it was just more concise

Litt interessant kanskje, men først og fremst irriterande

Experimental stuff. I didn't expect to like it too much but it was strangely catchy. No real standout songs for me but it was pretty nice overall.

I really didn't like Fuzzy Logic when I got it, so wasn't very excited about this one. A pleasant surprise, actually quite liked it. I don't think it will ultimately become a favorite, but I will definitely listen again. Might have to go back and listen to Fuzzy Logic again too, maybe I was in a bad mood that day. Music is funny like that...

Very on the fence between 3 and 4

It was fine, but not that memorable to me.

I'll be honest here, I was fucking terrified when I saw "BRITPOP" in the tags for this album. Thank Christ it wasn't actually proper Britpop, this shit was so much more tolerable. In fact, not even just tolerable, this album was pretty awesome. For a band with such a shit name and a style looking like Britpop bands of the 90's, I was pleasantly surprised to note that it wasn't that, at all. I loved how the theme stayed similar yet all the songs differed. 52 minutes really felt like 30. There was definitely some weird moments, like on No Sympathy. The freaky steps into electronic and fast paced video game music / acid house wigged me the fuck out. I actually enjoyed that song way more than I expected though. Somehow it works. Rings Around the World and Miniature were probably the favourites here I think. They were super catchy and fresh. I actually can't believe I went into this thing expecting to hate it, especially seeing Britpop as the genre. But there was something about the weirdness and wackiness of the constant switch between song styles that really kept me plugged in and interested. This album had me focusing on it, I couldn't even get any work done to it because I was just sitting along enjoying the ride. If that's not tell of a great album, I don't know what is. I also really enjoyed the singers voice, it scratched a part of my brain that I didn't know needs scratching. He sounds similar to a singer I know, but I can't put my finger on it. It really annoys me that I can't figure out who. Update: HE SOUNDS LIKE FUCKING ELVIS COSTELLO CUNT THAT IS UNCANNY HOLY SHIT ITS LIKE IDENTICAL Anyways, brownie points for surprising me so well. This gets a 5. Definitely coming back to this to re-listen a few more times.

15 - Rings Around the World (Super Furry Animals) **** I like the idea of the authors tearfully crossing off different potential Bob Dylan/Neil Young deep cut albums so they can make space for more britpop on this list. This album gave me the same vibes as overly eccentric IPA brands you see at liquor stores called like ‘Kaiju Luchador’ or some other pricey bullshit. Much like those I’d have to say I enjoyed this a lot more than I would have originally cared to admit. It certainly has a lot more of an identity/sound to it than most other britpop on this list.

Your neutralness, a middle of the road album! My god. Issue a beige alert!

Woah, so this is what BritPop is meant to sound like. Too bad it's still distinctly British sounding and got that eating food after brushing your teeth sorta taste to it. The 303s on here go fucking insane tho. 7/10

I enjoyed the slower, more downbeat songs on here but if it were an album with only those kinds of songs from these guys I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much. The other songs did well to JUXTAPOZE and made the slower songs stand out more. A bit backloaded, but with a fantastic opener, this album is representative of an experience I have a lot with this project. 'I have never heard of these guys' which becomes 'Wow this shit rocks'. The band are clearly having fun exploring genres ands styles on this album and even in some songs (Receptacle for the Respectable and No Sympathy, though the former is kind of shit and when it started I thought it was a Smash Mouth song and feels as though it was made to play during a happy montage of a 2000s film). Well-produced, fun, a few misses here and there but a worthwhile listen and definitely something I would have dismissed if it came up on my Spotify radio. Glad we got this. Highlights: Alternate Route to Vulcan Street, Shoot Doris Day, No Sympathy, Presidential Suite, Run! Christian, Run!

I liked the first track. Rings Around The World felt really chaotic for me - it may have been the mood I am in. I have found the entire album a bit aggravating, I can't quite put my finger on why.

I don’t know why this is the first time I’ve listen to a SFA album. I really enjoyed this album and intend to listen to some of their other Albums off the back of this

This album hit....way harder than I thought it would after the name and the band name. Shows you what I know. I don't know if there was a standout track, but they were all solid. Definitely worth throwing in the rotation.

This album sounds bit like the English version of Wilco’s Yankee hotel foxtrot. The songs have deep connection to English pop tradition, but the album also has the experimental twist to it. I like it! Was thinking between 3 and 4 stars and i give it 4 because i think it is a grower. Will definitely listen to it again!

This is same as Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by Flaming Lips. Absolutely mess in one sense and same time this whispers to me attractively.

Didn't resonate to me in any level.

I was expecting a lot lighter experience, something akin to almost all other brit pop/rock I've so far heard on this project. I'm not hating it. I actually like that it has a lot of stuff on it, electronic stuff right after rock song and straight into a bond-theme-esque like pop song. But by the end of this how ever, I was more than ready to move on to other things. Wikipedia's description for this album still reads like... I don't know, stupid. Like "incorporating death metal", REALLY?! WTF does that even refer to?.

Ummm…

Um okay! It was kind of silly. It’s like rock artists who are silly. I would zone out and then be like… what am I listening to?

Couldn’t really get into this album, it seemed to be all over the place, hopping between genres and it just felt like it was trying to be too clever and it just came off as chaotic

Sounds like the backing track to a Gorillaz album

Dynamic, crazy, beautiful. With no prior experience with this band, I was blown away by the scope of sounds and craziness of the songwriting. Ranging from slow, melancholic folk to ear bleeding, brain spinning IDM within 5 minutes, Super Furry Animals are still able to pull it off in a massively fun and exciting way. Lead singer also sounds a lot like Damon Albarn. Best Tracks: - Alternate Route To Vulcan Street - No Sympathy - Fragile Happiness Worst Tracks: - Receptacle For The Respectable Rating: 8/10

started strong but fell off

Not familiar with Super Furry Animals at all. Knew of them but never bothered to explore them. So a blank piece of paper today when I listened. Album began brightly and grabbed my initial attention but soon tired and began to sound the same. An OK album but nothing special. 2.5/5 18/4/25

A mix of Foo Fighters, Shins, and other artists. Some good jams.

Цей альбом, напевно одна із найеклектичніших речей яку я коли-небудь чув. На ньому гурт, здебільшого поєднує електронну музику у вигляді джанглу та техно із класичним психоделічним попом кінця 60-х років у дусі Beach Boys та The Beatles. Із цікавих речей - тут записана телефонна розмова із Полом Маккартні під час якої він «хрумтить» селерою, а у треку Presidential Suite - можна почути ще одну легенду із The Velvet Underground - Джона Кейла, який грає в ній на фортепіано. У час свого виходу, він був виданий не тільки на CD, але і на DVD - Super Furry Animals бачили себе не просто як гурт, а як мультимедійне явище. Та навіть без візуального ряду Rings Around The World звучить немов "кінематографічна драма". Загалом усі його елементи тримаються разом якимось дивом, і тільки виключне відчуття мелодії учасників гурту дозволяє усій цій каші із різних звуків залишатися "стабільним". Якщо говорити про тексти, то тут ви знайдете багато "політичної іронії" на тему жорстокості правосуддя, глобалізації та і цинізму загалом, яка подана у вигляді попкультурних посилань, раджу зайти на Genius, знайдете для себе багато цікавого. Якщо говорити про загальне враження, то в першу чергу, це звісно виказання пошани до політично-активного та психоделічного поп/року минулого (про це каже і настрої, і "мелодійний фундамент" загалом), але більш осучаснене, що відображає безліч музичних та культурних течій останнього сторіччя, немов якась химерна "енциклопедія".

I was expecting electronica based on the band name, the album name, and the cover art, but was immediately surprised when I started listening. I enjoyed Alternate Route to Vulcan Street, but the second track was at least a minute too long and then I genuinely disliked the third. The fourth and fifth did not get any better until the outro of the fifth song. I did enjoy the instrumental sixth song, A Touch Sensitive, but then the 7th and 8th songs were entirely forgettable. Starts getting interesting again at No Sympathy (there's the electronica I was expecting!), then we go straight off the rails (in a bad way) with Juxtapozed with U. I kind of checked out after the last one, but Run! Christian, Run! was actually pretty good. Probably my favourite on the whole album. I want to like it, I really like the background noise and instrumentation, but I just can't stand the singing, the lyrics, or the songwriting. Overall, I think what I've learned most during this project so far is that I don't like britpop. Also, I was surprised to see the Paul McCartney made a cameo on this album, but turns out it was just some samples of him eating carrots and celery? Yeah, that tracks. Favourite tracks: Alternate Route to Vulcan Street, A Touch Sensitive, Run! Christian, Run!

Not at all what I expected. Very interstate vibe.

Definitely different and interesting. Did t really capture my imagination that much though.

Early 00’s psychedelia was alright. Man this a bit too British for my taste though.

pretty good but mostly a mixed bag

It was difficult to put into words how to describe my experience listening to this album. It was partly Indie Brit Pop, mixed with a heavy helping of Brit Rock, along with some psychedelic gibberish, electronica, lounge singing, and noise. It was all over the place. It was hot garbage.

This wasn't bad. I enjoyed the eclectic genre weaving throughout the album. This was a pleasant surprise for me.

This album is great. Combination of Beck and Puscifer.

Did not like it

Never heard of this group but I enjoyed the album and will check out some other stuff.

i get super whatever vibes from this. like i think there are neat elements but my overall vibe is whatever

TWO Super Furry Animals albums??be so for real right now

Solid album from a really great group

Maybe it's the lack of sleep last night, but this shit makes my head hurt. The early 2000s has a lot to answer for - I guess britpop was running out of steam so when damon albarn zigged, these guys zagged? Boring boring boring. Dig the JSRF lookin' cover, though. Wish the music lived up to it.

I have no idea who Super Furry Animals is but I was surprised to look up that the singer of the band is Rhys Ifans - Otto Hightower from House of the Dragon. Not sure what to expect so I'll just jump in. The album so far has a really unique blending of styles. It weirdly reminds me of The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour album - a blending of synth music, art-rock, and maybe even some electronic music with some lo-fi accompaniment. It also kind of sounds like Gorillaz without any rap or hip-hop presence. Each song on the album manages to have a similar and cohesive feel like also feeling weirdly distinct and nothing like the last song I just heard? Which I know sounds like a total contradiction but I find the familiar sound of the songs with added small elements here and there really refreshing to listen to. I listened through the entire album but noticed the album has a side 2 with more original songs on it - so I decided to listen through those as well. Overall, I enjoyed my time with this album and it's unique blending on musical styles to create a record that feels eclectic but not unpleasant. Standout tracks are: "(Drawing) Rings Around the World", "It's Not the End of the World?", "Shoot Doris Day" and "Juxtaposed with U".

I enjoyed a lot of this but Im a sucker for some of the more "out there" stuff. I do feel like they busted their crazy nut a little early, and didn't have out there ideas for the last few tracks. The throwback vibe and the fuzziness feels very early 2000s. I liked it enough that ill listen to more of their stuff, but some of it got too weird and other songs got not weird at all, so ill give them a high 3 rounded up.

The only way I see my self enjoying this is- it’s a live show Danny got us free tickets for and when we get there one of his friends with a name like Ebo, Cho Cho, Scruffy or Surge is in the parking lot with a nitrous tank and the year is 2009.

Solid album. Weird and artsy without being pretentious. An enjoyable listen with multiple styles that all fit together well.

There's some cool stuff in here. I liked some of it, but some of it was a bit too out there or a bit too plain. A little too disjointed for 4 stars - but not a terrible listen.

Very fun, bright, and colourful psych-pop album. I really do enjoy this turn-of-the-century "let's put everything in the song" kind of sound, also found on records by The Flaming Lips or The Beta Band from around the same time. Not really an essential listen, but a wholly enjoyable one. Key tracks: Sidewalk Serfer Girl (Drawing) Rings Around the World No Sympathy Juxtaposed With U

Surprisingly fun album. Thought it was weird at the start, but it brought me in through the runtime.

A diverse and lush soundscape that indicates a willingness to experiment. Sadly, some of it doesn't work.

The constant mingling of genres makes this hard to listen from all the whiplash. The one constant is the Costello-esque vocals. Like a George Lucas film, there is so much here but someone should have steered the ship to a direction instead of answering yes to every idea.

I didn’t overly enjoy much on this album, but I appreciated it keeping me guessing. Auto tune-laden poppy tunes, Beatles-esque British lilting, techno it’s all here. I particularly appreciated “Receptacle for the respectable” developing into ween-level weird at the end. While there were good moments, at the end of the day I couldn’t ride a wave long enough to consider myself surfing.

I wish I was able to find the "original" version of this and not the 20th anniversary that's 3 hours long...

Quite the unusual album, based on the cover I expected psychedelic electronic music, in the genres I saw indie and britpop and expected that, but in the end the album was something different for me altogether. One of the favorite things on the album for me was that it dabbles in prog, I think I would prefer it much more if it had more of these elements across the board. I liked all of the unexpected elements, death metal was mentioned, didn't think I would actually hear it after 4-5 pop songs, but it did come for a brief moment on vocals. There are also some blues/country elements, every now and again there is a nice guitar riff. Another genre which found it's way into the album is techno. Somehow, all of this works and nothing feels out of place on this album. I think the album had great potential, it manifested a whole lot, but not the whole thing, at least in my opinion. This could have been even more insane and wacky. Glad I listened to the album, one of the biggest surprises on the list so far.

Ok. [A] Touch Sensitive is a great song 2/5

i’m good on that thanks though

The stuff I thought was notable was when the band leans into the electronic sound. Past that, it's early 00's "indie" alt rock.

Thought I’d like this more than I did, but enjoyed listening to it.

Never heard this before! Loved it, what a great musical journey

Bueno

Weird but I liked it a lot !

Remember them being popular with NME etc back in the day.. idk, this couldn’t hold my interest for long. Nothing grabbed me and engaged my interest. Suspect it may be a grower but it’s never going to get the chance. Oh well

This is a band I’ve been exposed to in recent years and I’ve quick become a fan. I love this kind of upbeat, quirky pop, they’re kinda like a Welsh version of the Barenaked Ladies. Juxtaposed With U is a fantastic song, and after reading the wiki I had to listen to Receptacle For The Respectable again to catch the celery & carrot (it’s too buried in the mix). There were a few other head-boppers in this collection too. Great stuff.

It's ok but a bit noisy at times.

Perfect album.

Not available on Apple Music

Psychedelic, fun and funky. Elements from lots of genres and eras. A little noisy at times though

Not essential, for sure, but a really good, eclectic indie rock album from the 00s. 3.5☆

Weird and kind of all over the place, but not in a bad way. The latter half was better than the first IMO. I'll give it a 3.5/5 I wanna give it a 4 but its not quite there. Good album though

As I listened to this album I couldn't help but think about the strangely odd but catchy song design. Reminds me of Beck, but with lyrics that make a bit more sense. Some songs were a bit slow for my liking. Fs- Rade Winds

This band is like Gorillaz and Parquet Courts combined, and they write all their songs like the Beatles. No sympathy could be a Death Grips beat. I got quite a bit of enjoyment from this album. A bit long, but not bad.

This one's different. Like indiepop meets wild experimentation. I can only applaud cause this should be what every musician wants to make. My own subjectiveness says that the popside doesn't speak to me a whole lot but other than that, superb.

This was a lot of fun. Look forward to returning to it.

I used to be really into the British Music Magazines, like Mojo and Q - but Mojo primarily. I remember this record getting a lot of hype when it was released and purchasing it. I probably still have it somewhere in a box with other cds in my closet, untouched for 20 years or more, since George W Bush’s first administration and before some of you who are reading this were even born (no disrespect). I don’t think I really liked the UK bands that were being covered that much or had much interest in the UK music scene, it was just that there was a dearth of quality music journalism among the American magazines, at least when it came to music that was outside of the mainstream. As a result, I was buying a lot of records from UK bands like Super Furry Animals and the Beta Band, hoping to find something that pushed the right buttons for me. Almost invariably, I’d be left feeling let down by those records after a few listens. For whatever reason, those records don’t have a lot of staying power for me. This record is a great example. At first glance, I should like this. It’s got a strong Beach Boys influence and it kind of fits nicely with the sort of synth heavy experimental retro pop that Stereolab and Air were putting out around the same time. It even has some of the electronic craziness that you might find on Cornelius’ Fantasma (speaking of albums you must hear before you die, holy fuck…this one and its follow up, Point, should definitely be on the list). The thing is, to my ears, Stereolab, Air, Cornelius do it so much better and their records have held up really well in the decades since their release. Especially Stereolab, their records still sound fantastic and I think they really nail that sort of Beach Boys/ Bacharach-esque orchestral pop better than just about anyone else and they did it in such a way that it didn’t feel like it was just a superficial homage; they had deep understanding and love for the music and they were making something unique from that influence. It’s weird to me that they aren’t really talked about very much these days, they were a consistently great and innovative band. Rings Around the World feels like 2001 to me, like maybe it’s ok if it got left there. I don’t know. I guess I’m saying that I find it kind of boring and lacking depth, which doesn’t surprise me, because I felt that way about the record after living with it for a few weeks back in 2001. In closing, why don’t you give Cornelius’ “Fantasma” or “Point” as spin and forget about the Super Furry Animals?

Just awful music

Oh yeah! I recognize this Rings Around the World song. It's like a British version of whatever band that is that plays the theme song from Friends. After that track, it devolves into thrift store smash and grab. People call it eclectic, but it's just a lack of self-awareness and vision. One good thing that came out of this is that Spotify started playing Elbow's Cast of Thousands after this album ended. Extra star for that!

I’m familiar with the title track. It’s fine I guess. All was fine, until “Receptacle for the Respectable." Then things kind of went off the rails in genre experimentation. Those experiments in mashing in other genres are also obnoxious and bad examples of those genres.

Ok, so this is an electronica/ambient album. Wait no, this is rock album. No, this is definitely pop. Wait no, we are back to electronica. Wait, wtf is this random answering machine message or this autotuned elevator music? I don't even know how to categorize this. The smooth jazz saxophone, the beeps and boops, the moments of harder rock and sugary pop close harmonies mixed in...this album broke my brain. I get wanting to be unique, but this tripping over themselves to not be pinned down just comes across as a seriously debilitating fear of commitment. Clearly the "genre" of prog pop/rock/techno is not for me.

This is possibly the most juxtaposed sound I remember hearing. It doesn’t so much blend rock and electronic sounds as it jumps suddenly between them. Odd yet still intriguing.

This is like Bowie — I don't dislike it as much as I just disagree with the details. Still pretty good though!

..

I would probably give it a 3.5 but I can’t give it a four. There were parts of it that were outstanding. A very different and interesting album.

First time I listened to this I got bored. Second time (now) it was a bit better, maybe because I was in the mood for it. 7/10

Tod langweilig

Not good at all. Long and voice sucks.

Wow! Had heard Super Furry Animals before, but never really let it sink in. Actually listened to the whole 20th Anniversary Edition, including endless remixes, to cover up PG&E loudly doing work across the street all through the night 😴

I kind of admire the variety of styles, but nothing stood out.

Not sure if this is a top banger for me, but interesting enoiugh.

This started out pretty good. read a lot of buzz on it... but then... disc 2... nd then ... disc 3. Yawn.

I liked it. It's a bit long in the tooth, but overall had interesting instrumentals and vocal work. 'Juxtapozed with U' was my fave.

I’ve never been a fan of Super Furry Animals, so I expected this to be a tough listen. After not enjoying Fuzzy Logic at all, I was surprised to see them get a second album on this list—this band has just never clicked with me. "Alternate Route to Vulcan Street" has potential but never really gets going. From there, Sidewalk Serfer Girl follows, offering little more than standard UK rock of its time. It’s a dull start, and the album never picks up or improves from there. To be fair, the band experiments with different sounds throughout, but none of it really lands for me. Favorite song: Touch Sensitive—one of the few tracks I enjoyed. Juxtapozed With U was also a good one. These two tracks alone push the album to a 2/5 for me. Least favorite song: Receptacle for the Respectable—what an awful noise. Minature is also completely pointless. Album artwork: The cover gives off an electronic music vibe, but that’s not what you get at all. That said, it’s a great cover.

Niet geluisterd, te lang

Blije indiemuziek, met een stem die aan Elvis Costello doet denken. Wat gekkigheid hier, wat dromerigheid daar, kennelijk doet Paul McCartney mee op selder en wortel (whatever). Ik hoor er niet goed wat er zo bijzonder aan is, maar het luisterde wel aardig weg.

Ik lees nog even mijn luisteraantekeningen van het andere album van deze band na, want geen idee meer wat ik daar van vond. De term hanteerde ik toen nog niet, maar eigenlijk staat er vrij duidelijk: een vergeetbare 3. Dat is dan bij deze bevestigd. Dit album is nog wat gevarieerder dan het andere. Met name door elektronische toevoegingen. Dat zit wat meer in mijn straatje en omdat het hierdoor minder vergeetbaar wordt, zou ik snel aan 3,5 ster denken. Ze hebben echter ook teveel storende stukjes erin. Niet lang, maar kunnen we bijvoorbeeld de regel hanteren, dat als je de muziek expres laat overslaan, je niet in aanmerking komt om opgenomen te worden in dit boek?...Dit is al de zoveelste keer... De ergernissen zijn bij mij groot genoeg voor strafpunten. Kom ik toch weer op een 3.

Ik wilde schrijven dat deze vrolijke britpop wat weg heeft van Blur, toen ik me bedacht dat we de Super Furry Animals misschien al eerder gehad hadden. En verrek, dat is ook zo, en toen vergeleek ik het als een combi van Supergrass met Blur. Dat was dan ook het 90s album Fuzzy Logic. Inmiddels zijn we een aantal albums verder en in de 00s beland. En in die tijd past dit perfect. Het heeft wat artsy hoekjes erbij gekregen, Arcade Fire kwam in me op. Blur had dat natuurlijk altijd al. Het is dus iets minder Supergrass dan op hun debuutplaat. De zang als Elvis Costello is er nog wel helaas. Er zitten gelukkig af en toe nog gitaren in, maar op sommige nummers hebben ze die vervangen door (soms vervelende) geluiden uit de computer. Ergens is het een volwassener sound of in ieder geval meer met de tijd meegaand, aan de andere kant is het niet per se meer mijn smaak geworden. Al combineert de Staat in Nederland die muziekstijlen op een voor mij fijne manier. Het zit zoals wel vaker ergens tussen een 3 en een 4 in. Omdat ik al vergeten was dat we al een album van ze hadden gehad, ben ik bang dat dit wederom een vergeetbare 3 zal moeten worden.

That was so boring that I was falling asleep while walking

They certainly marshalled every available synth and sampler to create an album rich with musical flourishes. But alas it didn’t really connect with me.

Mighty weird that the best rated song on this album (“Tradewinds”) isn’t on this album. I found the majority of the songs on this album to be dense and symphonically psychedelic - full of skill but just not hitting an audio mark that I would denote as ‘excellent’, much less ‘must listen to before I die’. I’m noting the classic and influential albums not yet on this list and judging this one severely as a result. Shoot me.

The lead singer cant decide if he's Damon Albarn or Elvis Costello, and the band itself seems like they tried to bring the sixties british semi-psychadelic style rock to a then-modern 2001 with poor results. Too much going on here, and none of it flows together, and overproduced as hell. If they were going for that 60's feel like I think, its missing all of the warmth, for whatever sense that makes.

Mom can we get Blur? We have Blur at home. Another British whatever that’s only on this list because of there the author is from. We haven’t gotten a single Japanese, Chinese, Scandinavian, Brazilian, German, Portuguese, or other language album but we’ve gotten a ton of bland forgettable British pop/rock. Bad list? No! Bad YOU

Certainly infectious. I think I'm picking up on the Welsh renaissance vibes. Geez don't you have to love a guy named Gruff? The overarching pop presence serves their detours well. Inventive, expansive, engaging. No Sympathy shows just how crazy they can get.

You know how much I love my welsh bands. This was great when it first came out and although I haven’t played it in a while it’s still fresh and mad and eclectic. Not one dud and I especially loved No sympathy and Juxtapozed with you.

Slow start, strong finish. Although I must confess, I’m not even sure I’m listening to the right album because with Spotify it seems like all I can ever find are deluxe, remastered, and anniversary versions of albums.

I remembered that we had already spun a Super Furry Animals album, and I recalled liking it more than expected (still, I was slightly shocked to see I had awarded it 5 stars... I need to circle back to that). Something about the band's name makes me sure they suck, but, alas, once again, I'm learning that I can still learn. It just takes some reminding and repetition. I really like the sound of this record — the production is one part of that, but there's a real deliberateness to the musical arrangements and tones these guys use that really sparkles. It's clean and layered and creative. I think I need to hear this a few more times to determine where I stand with the songs on this album. I liked everything I heard, but I felt a bit distanced from it at the same time. Could be a first-time listening deal, or it could be I just related to the tunes on their debut a little more. Either way, another impressive record. I need to stop judging their band name.

I guess I just wasn't in the mood for this one. Had I heard this back when it came out, I think I would have enjoyed it. But today, I struggled to care. It seems fine enough: well thought out and lots of care put into it and all that. But it failed to find purchase in my excitement bin.

Maybe if I was British I would enjoy this more. Just nothing. Give me song 2 over and over again please. I should listen to blur

An album with an identity crisis Not sure what I was expecting, but this definitely wasn't this. This album is a disjointed illogical mess. This is an album with an identity crisis with sounds of emo, rock opera, prog rock, the ass end of the surfer band music (think 80s Beach Boys not 60s Beach Boys). There were a few good songs on the album, but there is more flow in a dry creek bed than there is in this album.

Groupe inconnu. Le premier morceau commence mal avec son orchestre de cordes, son rythme très mou et la voix trafiquée. Le morceau suivant n'est guère original, même si l'instrumentation est devenue plus standard. Des morceaux peu inspirés succèdent à d'autres morceaux peu inspirés. Une exception : "No Sympathy" m' a un peu surpris avec une seconde partie électro très inattendue (+1). Sinon j'ai trouvé l'album globalement ennuyeux (et trèèèès long), même si il n'est pas désagréable à écouter. =>2/5

This one is a real 🤷‍♂️ to me. It’s an early 2000s rock album and I listened to it

Caring very little, yet wanting to move this along, I punted my review to ChatGBT: Super Furry Animals’ Rings Around the World promised a groundbreaking journey through experimental rock, but unfortunately, the result feels more like a convoluted mess than a cohesive album. While their ambition is undeniable, the execution falls short, with tracks that seem more preoccupied with quirky sound effects and abstract arrangements than with any semblance of melody or structure. The album lacks the emotional depth or clear direction that made their earlier work memorable. Instead, the listener is left to wade through layers of overproduced noise and disjointed experimentation, which ultimately distracts from any real impact. For all the flashes of creativity, the album feels like it’s trying too hard to be weird without a solid core. While a few moments stand out—like the upbeat “Juxtapozed With U”—they’re few and far between in an album that overstays its welcome. It’s an ambitious attempt, but it feels like it’s trying to do too much, without ever delivering something truly satisfying. For fans of experimental rock, Rings Around the World might seem like an interesting curiosity, but it’s far from a must-have in the genre. If you’re looking for substance along with the style, you might want to look elsewhere.

Welsh rock with a twist. Pretty good

I like what they were going for with this album, but it’s not cohesive enough to work as a true masterpiece. Every song sounds like it could be a different band, especially in the first half of the album. I much prefer the psychedelia focused second half, which feels much more deliberate. 3.7/5

It was fine

Seriously, all this UK late-90's/early-00's crap sounds the same. Lots of reverb, whiny vocals... it's boring. Fine. Put one or two on the 1001 list to fill it out, but there's no need for so many. None of them are different; none of them are historically significant. I don't need to hear another one. 1 star because I'm sick of the same bloody sound day-in and day-out.

Their best, imo. So good

This was just a bit of an aimless mess, and I'm just not in the mood for that today.

Very Of Montreal. Kind of Surreal, Kind of pop, all wonderful.

never given these any time, for some reason I thought they were more britpop than this, turns out it's great!!

I listened to these guys a bit back when this album came out. The biggest hit on the album, Juxtaposed with U, is definitely my favorite. It's still has some appeal for me but thought I'd love it more than I did.

Just superb. Takes so many absurd and huge leaps and somehow lands every single one of them. Okay, maybe not every single one— I could do without Touch Sensitive— but as a whole this is pretty incredible and feels quite singular to me. I've always dismissed neo-psych as something that's 'not for me' but I consistently find releases in the genre to be stellar and overflowing with creative and surprising songwriting. The electronics on No Sympathy are fucking insane and I love it.

There’s so many British bands on this list that I’ve never heard of before and they’re almost all mediocre.

Cool - but I prefer their other albums actually

⭐⭐⭐ 5/10 Couldn't decide between 2 or 3 stars, but giving them the benefit of the doubt as it has some interesting parts in the album. Such as: the almost grunty vocals in 'Respectable for the respectable' and the strange acid synths at the endof 'No sympathy'. Surprising elements like these kept me from turn off the albums and give it 2 stars. The band reminds me of idiot pilot and Ned's atomic dustbin. Which, just like super furry animals are pretty average rock bands but have interesting elements. The bands are in no way influential (therefore it is strange that it made the list) but at least the listener can act cool and snobby by knowing the band.

It is good.

What a cool album. Definitely falls in line with the approach of The Beatles, ELO, Flaming Lips, and so on that explore the intersection between dreamy psychedelic vibes and utterly listenable pop rock. I wish there were a few more stand out tracks, but they do a great job and I love the production.

some bright spots but also some absolute headaches

Actually not all bad. Some nice stuff in there but won’t return

Listening to the first song I thought I wouldn't be listening long but it had some moments. Kind of odd but not terrible

No Sympathy goes hard... super eclectic and unexpected.

Unique, maybe give’em one or more chances in the future

I enjoyed this quite a bit more than their debut album, Fuzzy Logic. The vocals were simplified. The psych-folk sound is fairly chill overall but after a couple listens, nothing really stuck for me. I just don’t think Super Furry Animals is for me. My favourite track on this one is actually the one track with no lyrics at all, Run! Christian, Run! I just really enjoyed that they leaned into the Psych sound on that one. It was fine overall. 3 stars

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness. Oscar Wilde

Just an album that was truly all over the place. It was like 50/50 if I liked a particular song. No Sympathy was intriguing because I was digging the song and then it hard turned to a fiasco ending. I think there's enough I liked to give it a solid 3. Almost a 4...

I’ll give them credit, each song sounded different from the last. I didn’t like any of it but at least it didn’t feel like one long slog

I really enjoyed this one. Much more than their other offering on this list.

добро лютое, очень эклетично

This is a 3.5 Enjoyable album. Very likely to grow on me with a few more listens.

Never even heard of this band, pretty curious about it, sounds like it's British indie? I don't hate this, the songs are pretty great, the vocals aren't great and are pretty buried in the mix but I still kinda like it, it reminds me a little bit of some of the "power pop" albums I've had on here in the past.

Singer sounds a bit like Elvis Costello, at least to my very dumb untrained ears

I've heard a lot of Gruff Rhys collabs but never got into these guys. I dug it! A lot of stuff going on but it's just fun and weird. His vocals aren't anything amazing but it has that flaming lips sort of charm.

Wow, I actually ended up really enjoying this. Just incredible fun.

Not a bad album and fairly eclectic collection of ballads, pop, rock etc. But nothing that memorable either

Ok, first, this is a hell of a long album. Like, can we just not. 3 hours? No thanks. I listened to an hours worth. It's alright. Nothing that I'd be down to listen to again or all the way through ever unless I was forced to. High two, not worth a 3 for me.

This album is a lot more interesting than their other album on this list, but I'm still not super crazy about it. Something about his voice and the melodies he chooses is just a little too cheesy/cringy for me. A very creative album and a step up both song writing and production wise from their other album on this list. Also its Death Metal influence is highly exaggerated, which is a bummer. High 3.

Solid album. Enjoyed having it on and picked up a few new songs to go back to.

I don’t know what to make of this album. Great production though.

A bit all over the place, sometimes sounds like they're trying to imitate The Beatles, but overall I like it. I especially like the more Psych-Rock oriented songs.

It’s ok. They’re a Welsh band, which is mildly interesting. There’s definitely a wide range of sounds and influences here, from rock, to techno, to acoustic/folk. It’s not bad, it’s actually enjoyable for the most part, there just isn’t anything too memorable as far as I’m concerned. Nothing that screams “playlist” to me.

pretty good, fun sound. a good range of sound, as well

This was better than I thought.

Welsh alt-rock loveliness

Man. Unfortunate for this band that I'm not in a great mood rn bc SOME of the sound to me is nice but also it's so easy for me to fade it into the background in like a not positive way. 2 star

really good

Ring ring!

there once *were* rings around the world, you know

Aftur kemur þetta band og það losnar ekki við fordómahugsunina mína þar sem ég sé nafnið, plötuumslagið og ég hugsa að þetta hljóti að vera leiðinlegt band. Í þetta sinn hugsaði ég: "Ég hef séð þetta áður, bíddu var þetta ekki leiðinlegt?" Svo er þetta bara ekkert leiðinlegt. Þetta er bara fínt en það komu kaflar sem ég hefði alveg viljað sleppa að hlusta á.

Weirdly opens with a couple of less strong tracks. There are some belters on here though, Rings Around The World and Juxtaposed With You are classic britpop tunes if one can still use that word for 2001 SFA are a truly unique band, there's so much genre bending and interesting things going on in this album. Receptacle for the Respectable is almost like a prog song with the weird timings and parts, despite coming across a modest 4:32 Not far off giving this 5* but I didn't find every track great so 4* seems fair

ni fu ni fa, 2 o 3 estrellas. música alegre

It has some cool moments but I feel it’s bit repetitive and too long.

I loved this album especially juxtapozed with you. Definitely underrated artist.

Awful.

Nice vibe. I enjoyed this from start to finish.

"Rings Around the World" sounds like a sort of sibling album to Quebec, and no, it's not just because both albums feature cumming in someone's mouth (although it's pretty similar lurid ground). really, i think it's because both albums feel like reactions to the end of the Big Decade of the Future, the time when anything felt possible, before slowly realizing that there are limits to boundless optimism and cynicism. "Quebec" does this musically, keeping the goofiness in spots while also evolving into something more musically mature than you would normally get from Ween; you could argue they toned it down. i've only sort of heard another album from Super Furry Animals, Radiator, and it's got its moments of being silly, but never crude and rude like Ween are. really, i think they may have gotten weirder over time, with offbeat trip-hop and techno interludes in between glam and and straightforward 60's pop appreciation. its uplifting, manic starchild music and i loved almost every second of it. where i am it's January 14th, 2025. in six days, Donald Trump serves a non-consecutive term as President in an increasingly cruel and reactionary United States following a piss poor emergency campaign led by the faltering Democratic Party. just today, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested for an attempted coup that he performed because he was "lonely". two and a half decades ago, George Bush stole an election from Al Gore because the state his votes were contested in had the former's brother as governor. that last political event is the environment that "Rings Around the World" found itself released in, an age hit by the internet revolution and a brave new future for television, movies, and even video games. now the internet is run by fascist ghoul billionaires, and our the main media of planet Earth is provocateurs on Kick showering the Wal-Mart produce in wasp spray, and Mr. Beast. the albums of the 2000's like this and "Quebec" were the last hug out the door before we faced the cruelty of the coming future, much as people had been hugged in 2024 by Imaginal Disk or Diamond Jubilee or The New Sound -- the weird eventually gives way to sobering reality. it always has. it is easy to believe that we are slipping into dark times, or that we're living the new dark age now, but the truth is found in the album sitting between your bong and your record player, as per an old, wise doorman outside Abbey Road Studios: "Matter of fact, it's all dark. The only thing that makes it look light is the sun."

all over the place in a cool way Will I listen to again: 60%

What a nice surprise!

Interesting, somehow never heard them before, and there are at least a couple songs I'll revisit and enjoyed. +4.

Title track was the only good song I fear and that was still eh Fav Songs: Rings around the world

Listened to this twice, although neither time very closely. Vocals reminded me a lot of Damon Albarn (I feel like I say that a lot), with some interesting compositions bleeding psychedelic electronica with alternative rock. Some standouts to me were Sidewalk Serfer Girl, [A] Touch Sensitive, and Juxtapozed with U. Each of these for very different reasons... Server Girl I really liked the back and forth and layering to the production. [A] Touch Sensitive was an overt detour into trip-hop. And Juxtapozed was a bright little ditty with orchestral flourishes fit for summer listening. Ultimately, I enjoyed the variety, but don't think I'll be back for a third listen immediately. This is a soft 4 in my eyes.

Mostly chill album with some odd but enjoyable electronic dips. Loved "No Sympathy"

This album definitely gets a nod for its creativity and uniqueness that is for sure. This band must have completely changed their style from the other album that came up here because looking back I said it was pretty boring alternative. This was very far from that. There were some crazy sounds going on throughout this whole album. None more than the ending of No Sympathy, that was absolute madness. Not quite worth a 5 but it is a very high 4 and an album I will really want to relisten to. I wish on this website there was a thing that you could mark to flag an album to relisten to.

This is definitely weird. Going back to the other SFA review this one was a weird one but certainly unique. Had me pretty locked in for almost all of it gotta say. No Sympathy is your brain on drugs. That album was a trip. Feel like I need to check more of these guys' stuff out.

Tell em to bring out the mid eheehe

This was one genre blending thrill ride of a record. At times it felt dull and others it felt a little weird. Overall, I enjoyed listening to it and the good songs are fucking phenomenal.

probably ok, but I'm a little bored of this stuff.

I'm quite impressed with this. It's a really varied, eclectic record, with lots of interesting approaches and bits of detail. I like the vocal harmonies, the variance in instruments and just the general mood. It's quite floaty in places, but dramatic and bombastic in others.

super super cool!

This is a band that I was totally unfamiliar with…I liked some of the songs, and some parts of some of the songs. I still had about three more songs left to listen to when I wrote this review, but it is probably three stars for me. I may or may not give it another listen; I kind of wish that these selections came out every other day.

SUPER FURRY? That’s pretty furry. I’m going to spend this album wondering if they can live up to this moniker. How furry we talkin here? Like round sort of fat furry, or more of a shaggy type style? Hopefully the music doesn’t sound like Shaggy. Let’s go. I like the sounds in this first song. Interesting, understated yet interesting. Very cool atmosphere. Ooh. This might be up my alley of weird. Well. Maybe. I like the stabs of indie rock riffing. The “trip hop” sections are a little less cool but I am enjoying this one so far. The echoing vocal refrain sounds haunting. Trails off a bit, but mostly good. This one is fairly nice. Something I can’t put my finger on exactly that makes it a little Disney channel-y? Andy the repetition sort of takes it into the gutter for a bit. Nah this one is middling to poor. We do need a receptacle for the respectable. Good people in the trash. From now on, I want exclusively repugnant individuals running everything and being the loudest voices. Oh wait. Anyway, the song is not repugnant. Decent. Whoa. Straight from the streets of Cardiff buddy. Pretty cool instrumental hip hop song actually. So many genres here. Back to blah. This song is lifeless. 1-2-3-4 with lame lyrics. This didn’t need to be here at all. Alright, we’ve truly entered the boring song portion of the album. The tevirw can just stay the same here. Replete with bah bah bahs and not even cool ones. The trippy electronic ending is out of place but at least has elevated my heart rate from the coma like state I was existing in. Barry white and Oasis have a baby and then the singer comes in and is an AI Sublime. No that’s not AL sublime. We’re talking artificial intelligence. This song is terrible, but man is it an interesting combination of things. Can’t even hate it to be honest. Back to whatever. This review sucks, I deeply apologize to the loyal readers. I have to work. Only so much time in a day. A motivational Forrest Gump style request or a dire warning to people of a certain faith. These are the questions that get me through songs like this. Although I believe the inclusion of bad country completes the genres. They’ve all appeared on here. This song is nice. Beautiful melody, interesting sounds. The song has woken me up finally. What can you say about the super furry animals that hasn’t already been said?? Presumably almost anything as I’ve never heard anybody discuss this band even once. I suppose I don’t hang out in Welsh alternative music circles (often anyway). The album started out with a thrill and carried that spirit sporadically. I feel like there were a bunch of random, boring songs that had all momentum screech to a halt, but the interesting points were so odd, I’ll probably be thinking about this one for awhile. That alone makes Rings around the World a worthwhile experience. 2.5-3 HIGHLIGHTS: Alternate Route to Vulcan Street, [A] Touch Sensitive, Juxtaposed with U, Fragile Happiness

Pretty eclectic album, but not much worth listening to here.

A nice surpirse. Even though most of the songs are strangely melodically melancholic which is right up my alley, it's still missing something, but I enjoyed it nonethless. Juxtapozed with U was the best song.

Many songs sounded like end cutscene music where there is a feast in the town and the protagonist is happily reminiscing over their journey. Stand-out: Presidential Suite

Another suck-fest.

This is a bit mixed for me, there's some kind of boring, early 2000s indie kind of rock like Presidential Suite that I'm not too fussed about, but then you get some more weird and interesting tracks like Receptacle for the Respectable that starts laid back and sleazy and turns a bit gritty towards the end. You can't fault the dynamism; they definitely added plenty of layers and things going on It's also a bit inconsistent in quality. Alternate Route to Vulcan Street is a cool, dynamic opener, then I'm not crazy for anything for a few tracks until Receptacle. Good overall, though, could be a grower Highlights: Receptacle for the Respectable, Alternate Route to Vulcan Street

Um yea, I liked this more than I didn't, but the sound wasn't interesting enough to keep me locked in. Closer to a 3.5 than a 3.

This just sounded like random sounds. I am surprised that these albums sold.

In one word: lackluster or incoherent

I really liked this album. Thought it was a fun kinda funky slow dance for most of it. Liked the dude’s voice and the lyrics. Instruments were funky and very pleasant to listen to. Really liked.

elcectic and unique.....yes. really didn't care for it. discordant sounds, weird attempts at harmonizing falsettos, and tinny vocals. not sure why this is taking up a spot on this list..... 1.5 stars

Sounds ambitious but generally fails to land

I knew Super Furry Animals by name only. I had no idea what to expect, and this album kept me on my toes the whole time. I think it deserves another listen at some point. I liked tracks 2 and 3, and the transition between them was very satisfying. No Sympathy was the most surprising song. Those genres usually don't coexist. I think I dig it? Super Furry Animals, I don't know if I'm in love with you (yet), but I won't hold that against you. 3 stars for now.

Previously rated: Fuzzy Logic (4/5) ********************* Hmmm, I may have overestimated this band based on the other album. This one didn't do anything for me, really. Lots of nonsense like auto-tune and weird sound effects. Too pop, but not fun pop, boring pop. The singer sounds familiar. Elvis Costello? Won't listen to this one again.

Sounds out of date

Delightful weirdness from when the century was still shiny and new. I'd never listened to Super Furry Animals before, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to discover them.

The production is tremendously varied and clever. There’s a lovely old-school psychedelic feel to everything. That being said, I wanted to like it better, but in the end I felt that the melodies themselves were just ok, and after a while, it started to drag. Still, enjoyable, if not exactly everything I wanted it to be.

pfff

It was ok

It was fine. Few songs pretty good. Overall good. Nothing astounding.

asdf

I enjoyed this. It's got a lot of eclectic sounds on it but all from my era. I've not really listened to the Super Furry Animals before but would give it another go!

I wasn't really paying attention to this one because it didn't arouse my interest. Sure, it has some features that I should've enjoyed, but in reality, I just didn't. It follows the classic sound of 90s Britpop, especially Blur. However, it didn't exceed them. I don't know; it's just a feeling. Maybe it's just that I'm not in the mood for this.

Another great blast of nostalgia, this time added to the fact that this absolutely stands up on its own terms as a high-quality record. There are so many great songs on here, only let down (as SFA quite often do) by a few too many trips into all out psych for me. The big hits - Juxtaposed, the title track and Run Christian Run - are all standout, but there are gems across the board really.

If I listened to any individual song, I wouldn't be very impressed. But as an album it is fantastic how so many genres are woven throughout. You never know where they're taking you next and that gives it a lot of charm. Fun!

I loved the last album we had by SFA, Hanging with Howard Marx. This album was decent but a little too out there with spacey sound effects, and didn't have many stand out tracks. Favorite songs were: 3. (Drawing) Rings Around the World 10. Juxtapozed With U 5/10

This is our second album by Super Furry Animals, a band I had not heard of prior. "Receptacle for the Respectable" did not go the way I thought it would. I felt like I was descending into some sort of hellish prison camp for the last 45s. The album is nice and all of the songs are pretty pleasant. None of it really grips me, but it was all fun to listen to. 7/10

Very reminiscent of some of my favorite stuff: The Beatles, Tally Hall, They Might Be Giants. Every song is a great, and there's a huge variety in songs and sounds.

Not great. Drones or weird. Can't get a sense of it.

Необычная музыка, хотелось бы послушать еще раз

All over the place, but not bad.

I was closer to not liking this than liking it and there's nothing here that would make me want to listen again. Does it belong on this list? I don't think so. 2.5/5

A nothing album full of nothing tracks

Nice to see SFA’s in this project.

nope. I can hear how this band COULD be good but they aren't .

Budget "Flaming Lips" - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

Never heard of em, but genre wise I think I'll like it. The cover is quite weird and it's either hardly worked on or randomly made, dunno if it has history basically. Tho based on the name is it gonna be a little bit of everything of what world offers in music(?), I doubt that but that would be a cool project. Anyway no high expectations, still I'll prolly not dislike it as much. Now that I'm thinking, I guess I've heard of them, but I never gave them a listen so I don't know them in any way. First song, the start is slow already, it's giving Doves. Piano is quite good and now violins joined in. I like the vibes for now, we'll see how good of a voice the MS has. Really weird delivery and the way voice sounds. I like the delivery now, makes me want to learn the lyrics if they weren't so low in quantity. Not gonna add this song, it gave me nothing, but is a good start for an album I can say that. The sound didn't stop till the end and I thought there would be a transition but nope. Second song, he has an automatically sad voice, wooow the guitar guitaring randomly is really good. I feel this experimental beat and I love it. Delivery is good, but overall the song isn't catchy or smth it's just good with different standards. Obsessed with that random guitar coming in part. Third song, liked the start, but the continuation is less good. His lyrical delivery and sonicality overall is mid. There are diff people talking through the phone, touché I guess. The ending sonically is reaaally good, should have used that as a melody. I'd add this song just because of the last part, though not sure. 4th song, quiet start and a literal Vampire Weekend kinda song turned on after that. This probably had the best melodic delivery. Is this a woman's voice at the end? Liked the overall vibe, even though there was no catchy part, it's basically a grower and I'll one day like it moooore than now. 5th song, upbeat start and electric orchestra vibe with them background voices. Dunno the lyrics but it's a quirky song. It became less upbeat and a little slow though the flow is still fast, he's singing the chorus over and over too I think. Futuristic jazz vibes. Not one of em boring instrumental breaks basically. I'm sorry WHAAAT? METAL?! They're trying hard to make it metal, and it kinda is but also the fact that song was goofy af sonically and then became this, easily one of the best decisions idc. Favourite song for now, plus that ending gawd damnn. 6th song, futuristic sounds again. It's sonically eerie. It's fully instrumental I think, that made it worse. I hear moaning? That's less bad. Only piano stayed and everything else was quiet, then the whole orchestra came in, but the violin is the most dominant of the sounds. Not smth I'd relisten to, there are some parts for that but also no. 7th song, it's giving music(I'm rereading before I submit and I have no idea what music vibes is, probably my keyboard corrected it Goddd) vibes, and now it's sad. Each part is too different, the outro and intro specifically. It can be fun at some points, but then again there are too many sounds like this everywhere right, the delivery is the same, but I'd argue that I definitely sense smth more. 8th Interlude, quite a short of a song, I expect others being long AF from now on, but nothing I can do about that. It's ambient sad, kinda liking it. Still nothing wowy. 9th song, guitar on the left. Long AF song as I expected. Since they have time the intro is long as well, good choice I suppose. I hear a plane taking off kinda sound. His voice is really scratching my brain in the right places. The delivery is good basically. Electric orchestra vibes with these poly voice lyrical delivery. Love me some dark lyrics. I've had a pause before continuing listening so I don't fully remember other songs, but this is really good. Chorus is quite catchy. Lot's of instrumental breaks. Barapabas came in, and it's getting faster. Makes the song feel a little unserious. SHIT BECAME EXPERIMENTAL IN A SECOND. My right ear is getting a lot of attention. God damn this is good. It's rave club vibes I cannot believe this. It's giving Sophie and I simply don't believe it. They had the ability to do this and decided not to wtfff. 10th song, what a switch up goddamn, this is a little romantic rocky song and compared to what just happened 1 minute ago I meannn. The voice seems autotuned, not anymore, but still different from how he sounded in the last song. The violin is really good here. The lyrical delivery is fabulous, I just wanna sing alone with him atp. Suited ending. 11th song, a mellow guitar vibes. "Do we need to know if he really came inside her house"???!! What are these Prince lyrics girlll, love them tho. Song has a political message apparently. The trumpet is quiet, but does its job perfectly. It does become the main character at this point, but it's not as loud as it usually is so, not that it should be. The chorus is yet catchy af. Another perfect ending, plus we got some jazz vibes. 12th song, futuristic start tbh. A little new waveness came in. Looong af songs, they be entertaining tho. Voice has been quite the same after that Sophie song. Less interesting production and lyricalness. The chorus is too good now I can't decide if it's overall song is bad. Christian and not Christine apparently, the pronunciation caught my ear so I just noticed that in the title. There was only good part for now. Also I feel like this one is focused on the lyrics rather how good it actually sounds like. It ain't going anywhere, tho a little country vibes came in. Oohs are sang in a disappointing manner. Really should have experimentalised this song too, it is getting louder at the end(best part ig) but still. 13th song, finally that kind of sound came back. It's just satisfying to hear. Short song and it's the last one and honestly, it fits. Even though I don't fully remember the songs before 8th song, I think; I still loved most of the songs after 8, so I WAS thinking 5 stars, but that is a hard one to get, album has to have bop after bop for me to do that(or special occasions such as liking an artist unconditionally). Anyway, it's really good, I'm gonna do 4 stars because they had the chance to make some better and much more future-like sounds and they basically refused to delve into that subject, that's their only fault, alsoo the songs are too slow, one got close to rave but it should have lasted longer. Really didn't expect to like this as much as I did, I hope I'll get another album from these guys.

A pleasant surprise! Another blindspot from the early 2000s. An eclectic bunch of songs - hearing traces Flaming Lips, Spiritualized, Blur (vocals?), but all combined makes for one hell of an album.

I struggled with this because it wasn't bad, I just didn't find it very good. There's no comparison I can make to describe the sound, which I guess makes them unique?

Interesting. Very odd but surprisingly good. Some of the too-techno-y stuff was a bit overwhelming, but pretty good overall.

First album I've actually listened to in a while (too familiar with everything since). Gruff Rhys rules. John Cale featuring is an instant 20 cool points. Just on the arsty enough side of indie rock for me. 10 cymrus

Favorite Track: Receptacle for the Respectable

I love so much about these tracks individually, as songs. However they don't successfully come together as a full album. I enjoyed their debut a bit more

if you took the best harmonies from the beach boys, mixed them with the amazing inventiveness of the beatles and blended them together with a dash of post-millenium paranoia youd get this this IMMACULATE album. sfa forever. side note. if youre new to the super furries and like this, a. listen to their discography its damn near perfect.. and b. check out Das Koolies, after Gruff left the band went on hiatus or whatever so they started Das Koolies as a four piece and the album and single theyve put out are just as flawless

The late 90's/early 00's is probably my least favorite time period for music. I don't like the arrangements/productions, seems like all the albums are too long by like 1/3, it's just not my jam. This one had some ok songs but all the rest of it is still true

Honestly, pretty dull. Warmed up to me by the end

I can’t be mad at a band with this much creative energy but I wasn’t into this. The songs feel overproduced, overwritten and overstuffed with ideas. Sometimes that classic British pop charm would peek through. I can tell these guys are students of the classics (The Kinks, The Who, The Beatles) but there are too many extra bells and whistles, and too many moments that go bonkers with a genre switch or a wild production choice.

Very cool alternative sound that blends a lot of different genres in really enjoyable ways. Unfortunately I feel like this is a tale of two sounds; the instruments and the vocals. Throughout listening it feels like it is screaming for my attention at multiple points but continually falls short- I think the vocals are to blame, as a song like "Sidewalk Serfer Girl" will have some really cool electronic drums over acoustic guitars and then you get slammed with some heavy distorted hits, but the vocals don't change much or have these dynamic swings. "Juxtapozed with U" is really solid and enjoyable. Wasn't expecting this sort of sound at all. It's fun and whimsical and weird and a joy to listen to first thing in the morning. It's a 2/5 for me though, slightly under the middle. Part of me is thinking my oft-thought "does this album belong on this list?", I wonder if maybe I'm missing something here because to me it's a cool nerdy alt rock album that doesn't really do enough to be held in such a high regard.

A little bit of an oddity in the timeline that connects The Beach Boys and 13th Floor Elevators to latter day Britpop, I would still call this a borderline classic. There is a lot to like here, some really great songs. The futuristic multi-genre sound is still fresh, and will still be fresh many years on. The bonus disc from the US release has some pretty great songs too, although maybe not part of the proper album. Presidential Suite, Juxtaposed with U, Sidewalk Serfer Girl, are all great. Roman Road and Edam Anchorman - love those from the bonus disc. Also a fun listen.

I once watched an episode of the chase or pointless or something like that I don’t remember the question but the potential answers were supergrass supertramp and super furry animals. Now I’m acquainted with all bands I must say one band is MUCH worse than the other two… that band is super furry animals. There’s something a tad blur-esque about this album in particular sidewalk serfer girl. But the singer doesn’t have the charm the way Damon Albarn did on Parklife or modern life is rubbish. Then it’s not the end of the world reminded me of ‘all the young dudes’ … If Bowie/ mott the hoopla we’re depressed. The rest of it just kinda seeped in the back of my head so It’s a 3/5

An endlessly and wildly inventive and (authentically) eccentric band. Clearly, under-rappreciated, too. These songs are consistently interesting and ambitiously arty. “Rings Around the World” is a delight, one of the decade’s hidden gems. “Shoot Doris Day” is excellent. “Juxtapozed with U” is an impressive melange – autotune in the verses, an Elvis Costello-soundalike in the chorus, with a disco beat and a Love Unlimited Orchestra to round out the anthem of personal toleration and world peace – just fucking great! “Presidential Suite” is an ideal follow-on. “Run Christian Run” is equally lazy and lovely. The only downside in reconnecting with this group is being reminded that one never got to see them live. There is something in the sprawl and kitchen-sink creativity that suggests this was one possible future for arena rock, which of course arena rock squandered, but this holds up so much stronger than much else of this ilk and vintage.

3- Stars (7/15)

a Kyle album. riiing riiiiing riiin riing rings around the world. at leeeeast its not the the end of the world.

I'd never heard of this before. I loved it! Especially track 9 "No Sympathy" I had to listen to it 4 or 5 times in a row. Its been a while since one song stuck in my brain for this long before.

Very enjoyable album. I only have vague memories of them when I was a kid and never listened to them too much. Turns out that they're rather interesting and there's more to them than a lot of their contemporaries. Although, the lead singer's voice reminded me so much of Damon Albarn at times which made it feel like I was listening to an experimental Blur album. Not a bad thing.

Alternate Route to Vulcan Street - (A) Touch Sensitive - shoot Doris day - Sidewalk Serfer Girl (Drawing) Rings Around the World It's Not the End of the World? Receptacle for the Respectable Shoot Doris Day Miniature No Sympathy Juxtapozed With U Presidential Suite Run! Christian, Run! Fragile Happiness

Every 90s British band just had a child together and it’s these guys!

Liked in parts.

Nope.

We got two Super Furry Animals albums in this book. I thought they were the Barenaked Ladies of Wales and that's not entirely accurate. Still, TWO ALBUMS? Is that necessary? I realize they are from Wales, so naturally that makes their albums more important than an album from a group in any other part of the world, but I wish the editors of this book had shown a bit more restraint. I got strong ELO vibes from a few of the songs, especially on "Rings Around the World" and I am not sure Jeff Lynne didn't really write that song. Same thing for "It's not the End of the World." This is the second straight day of some surprising brit-pop influences in the album I am listening to. No Sympathy is an interesting song and gets more interesting at the end of it. Not sure why the band chose to add all those sounds, but it did make the song more interesting. Juxtaposed with U has some strong Barry White vibes at the beginning of the song. It's probably the best song on the album and I really liked it. Overall, a pretty good album and I enjoyed it. I'm interested to see if the other album by Super Fuzzy Animals is better than this one, just so I can complain with opinionated fact that only one of their albums should have been in this book.

It feels as if the drummer is just plodding along waiting for the end of each song to happen. It sounds like the Flaming Lips but done badly. Quite a boring first listen. Maybe I need to try again.

“Run Christian Run” is on my rotation now, good album overall

While there were some tracks that I didn’t hate as much as others, a lot of this album annoyed me. I tried to give it a fair shake, but I struggled a lot. When they want to be closer to pure pop, I think the songs are pretty decent, but sometimes they just tossed noise in and I was like “WHY!?!?!”. With 4 songs left, I had enough and just moved on.

Had only heard fuzzy logic - this was very good and a complete different experience from what I was expecting

Some of the music is just noise! I liked one song, The Presidential Suite, which is probably a cover of the group Say Anything song.

pretty good, great job brits

Kind of strange. Some parts of songs are fine, but some go into these weird changes of style. Not particularly good. 2/5 Won’t listen again

Second SFA album in the list. I gave Fuzzy Logic a 4 some time ago, and from memory, FL is better than Rings Around the World, an album I never managed to get into ..but on this occasion I tried a bit harder and much admit: RAtW is equally strong, in particular Run! Christian, Run! is a truly great song.

A collection of mostly beautiful songs with an occasional outburst. I like it like that.

Not very good is it. Very disappointed with this one.

I was not familiar with Superfurry Animals prior to this album. I immediately thought I had heard the singer before on first listen- his voice reminds me of Damon Albarn from Blur/Gorrilaz. The music itself was nice- a conflux of a few different styles that border the line between serious and whimsical, crossing frequently. They almost remind me of a Ween that takes itself a little more seriously. Overall- it was good and has a lit of songs that fit a rainy or brooding atmosphere. I'd say 3.5/5 stars, but not quite a 4

It's absolute fine. About what I expected other than the two tunes I knew

if pink floyd was fronted by damon albarn

Struggled to get through it, but I enjoyed it overall

Felt like I was listening to Blur at times

Shockingly fun considering neo-psych isn't a genre I'm very much into. Some fun melodies and ideas sprinkled throughout which makes the record feel less like it's coasing off a single vibe and more like it's actively showcasing some fun progressions and ideas. Too bad second half doesn't keep up the momentum quite as well as I would've liked, but still glad I checked it out.

Interesting. Seems quite chilled out so far.

What a terrible group name for a band that is pretty ok. I was expecting a lot more psychadelia, which didn't really happen. Theres some songs I really enjoyed, like Juxtaposed with U and especially Presidential Suite, but most of the album was pretty forgettable.

The singing destroyed this album. Why is this on this list?

This album was right up my alley, I loooove all of the psychedelic weirdness. Notable tracks: all of it

Different but the multiple discs are not worth it

4 stars

Plain and boring. Didn’t impress me.

3-

I've always wanted to like this band, who wants to be accused of not being a friend to animals?, but their music never clicked with me. Rings Around The World did not improve their case. Listening to this album was a painful experience at times. Not every song was bad, but not enough of them were good.

Yeah I jerked off so what

When I saw Rings Around the World by a band called Super Furry Animals, I had a legit what the fuck moment. I couldn’t have possibly imagined what this might sound like. And I’m still not a hundred percent sure what I listened to. Beyond the list itself, this is just downright one of the strangest albums I’ve ever heard in my life. SFA are a Welsh band that were one of the leaders in the Welsh music renaissance of the 90s. That might lead to someone thinking this is just another generic early-2000s UK rock album. But it is far from it. The best comparison I can give is if Quebec by Ween wasn’t made by Gene and Dean. More like it was made by slightly less talented musicians who have their heads screwed on even less tight. Or maybe if Mr. Bungle and The Flaming Lips came together on a record. I’ll give credit where I believe credit is due though. This does a great job at proving how eclectic and genre-bending rock can really be when the musicians are willing to dip their toes into more weird territory. Here is the best example I can give that highlights what I’m trying to get at here. On the Wikipedia article for this album, it claims Paul McCartney was involved in the recording of a song. When you look at the additional musicians, he is credited as having played the “carrot and celery” on track 5. What the actual fuck does that mean? This is either some inside joke, or this relatively small band actually got Paul McCartney himself to play vegetables on this one song. I’ve tried my best to hear where it plays a role, and I’ve got nothing. But I grin at the fact that it’s even there somewhere. These are the kinds of things that make this admirable at the least. Unfortunately I find a lot of the music to be really lacking. It’s not boring, that’s for sure. But it borders on a bunch of different ideas mashed together into one. I do like the electronic elements, and how it occasionally brings in these much more abrasive passages. I feel they are always placed well and feel built up to. But everything else going on really isn’t enough to make this stand out any more to me. Rating: 5/10

This is a beautifully produced album. It's been years since I've listened and I don't know why i took so long. Lots of fun! Liked Songs Added: - Sidewalk Seefer Girl - It's Not The End Of The World? - Receptacle Forr The Respectable - No Sympathy - Juxtaposed With U

Super Furrys have always seemed fun, and up for pretty much anything. Some good tunes here, but am personally not a fan of the Pick'n'Mix approach to making an album. It shows a level of musical versatility, but it meant I couldn't immerse myself in this in the way I would with a clearer focus to the album as a whole.

There's a lot to take in here - probably too much. I'm all for experimentation, but a bit of continuity between tracks is often welcome. The singles shine. Rings Around the World, End of the World and of course Juxtapose. It all has a Millennium feel about it, not surprising given the release date. Interesting, not outstanding

Schwer einzuordnen. Kann man anhören, reißt mich aber nicht vom Hocker.

Fun, different and interesting – and engaging in the most thoroughgoing sort of way. Because everything works well (and well together), it's hard to pick individual standouts but one has enjoyed these the most: the ecstatic title cut, "Not the End of the World," “Shoot Doris Day” and “Juxtapozed with U" and “Presidential Suite” “Run Christian Run" and "Roman Road." The more outre moments (scary voices on "Respectable" and sound effect montage on "No Sympathy" go borderline too far) but are mostly additive. usually, music of this quanity faces quality issues – not this one. SFA are a band one wishes one knew better and had more time for when one was younger, when life was more sprawling and delicious, weirder and more exciting, just like this most excellent record.

It certainly is some spectacle and they surely have stuff to say, there, in the lyrics, but I can't be arsed to care about this. There is not one line of melody that I will or will want to remember in a minute, in this wall of gooey maximalism. It's not exactly 𝘣𝘢𝘥 bad and I appreciate the effort that this album made in its time, but it's like being in a Britpop amusement park and I just wanna go home now.

More expansive and ecclectic than I was expected (I think I was expecting Supergrass) - this brings elements of trip hop, shoegaze, and 90s alt/indie rock for a spacey album of beat-driven extended instrumental passages, and zonked out psychedelia. It's a mix of Portishead and Beta Band, but not as good as either. The slower orchestra backed tracks are really plodding and bloated, like the worst aspects of a 70s concept album. Mostly woozy, floaty, and kind of boring.

started out ok rock, turned into so-so pop-y stuff. points for experimenting, and for not sounding awful, but I'm not a fan

Not too bad, a mixed bag. From electronic to more mellow soft rock beats. Didn't like the heavy metal bits too much but did like how the piano was used together with the electronic bits.

A couple of classics, drawing rings around the world and juxtapose with you still would not feature in my top categories and I like the band.

Super cool album, very mellow (mostly) and very hummable. I found myself humming the melodies with the chord progressions in my head in between songs. Not really my genre -- a little too sleepy for me -- but I still really enjoyed the listen. Four stars.

Solid album. 3.5 stars.

This album has an even too big variety of sounds for my taste. And nothing that hooks me. Only things I have heared before by other artists in an even better way. favourite: "Sidewalk Serfer Girl" 2,5

This one had some highs and lows (that would also go for the bands mentality when creating this album). Tradewinds was cool and I like Sanitised, but Miami Vice just wouldn't end. Best way to explain is just quirky. It was like Mighty Mighty Bosstones meet Train meets Green Day meets Modest Mouse meets early Beatles meets a little of everyone. As a cohesive album it was really a miss, but more of a buffet of everything that went on in these guys heads all day long.

Not really sure how to categorize this music, but it was both chill and rockin’ and I dug it!

3.8 - Never heard them before, but I think I've heard of them. Was actually really cool in parts and some great experimental parts with brit pop vibe? But not sure how much I'll sit and listen to them

3.4/5

*Original version not on Apple Music. Looked up original track list to make sure I am not listening to the full 3 hr 20th anniversary deluxe edition. - I’m very glad I did because while nothing here was particularly unpleasant it wasn’t really my vibe. I don’t think I would’ve rated this highly had I been made to listen to another 2.5hrs or so of it. Solid 6/10 record.

The song Rings Around The World has a glorious groove, great hooks. Rest of the album is good, too - catchy, infectious, gently psychedelic.

No Sympathy was awful. The worst song I have listened to in a very long time. The rest of the album was fine and did enough to drag it up from the 1 which I was close to giving it just for that song