Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Every 90s British band just had a child together and it’s these guys!
Liked in parts.
“Run Christian Run” is on my rotation now, good album overall
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.
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
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.
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.
3-
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
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.
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.
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.
Solid album. 3.5 stars.
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.
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.
Some interesting production - some almost trip hop style songs, others more prog rocky. Singer also sounded like Chris Martin. Would probably not listen again.
not bad but nothing stuck either. could i write poetry to this? n
I never could get into this band. Seems like the sort of thing I'd like, but nothing ever quite sticks.
I actually thought this record was interesting in that the soundscape was very polar. At one point it would be soft, but then hit with abrasive synths which somehow managed to fit the tracks. Overall pretty good if I was looking for a slow psych listen. Never heard of these guys before.
sounds like a more interesting Flaming Lips mixed with a less interesting Flaming Lips 6/10
01) Alternate Route to Vulcan Street - 8,0 02) Sidewalk Serfer Girl - 7,5 03) (Drawing) Rings Around the World - 7,5 04) It's Not the End of the World? - 8,5 05) Receptacle for the Respectable - 7,0 06) [A] Touch Sensitive - 8,0 07) Shoot Doris Day - 7,0 08) Miniature - 6,0 09) No Sympathy - 7,0 10) Juxtapozed with U - 9,0 11) Presidential Suite - 7,5 12) Run! Christian, Run! - 7,5 13) Fragile Happiness - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,50 (75/100) Current ranking: 149/297
There were a couple tracks in the middle I liked, but most of this was just "fine".
Some fun times but really starts to drag towards the end
Some pretty neat tunes. No Sympathy stands out to me.
A dense, layered, multi genre album. It feels disingenuous to give this any kind of rating after one listen. Probably would take 4/5 listens to really appreciate the complexity of this album.
++: (Drawing) Rings Around the World, Respectable for the Respectable +: Alternate Route to Vulcan Street, [A] Touch Sensitive, No Sympathy, Juxtapozed with U, Presidential Suite, Run! Christian, Run! +-: Sidewalk Serfer Girl, It's Not the End of the World?, Shoot Doris Day, Miniature, Fragile Happiness 6,1/10
Album 505 of 1001 Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World (2001) Rating : 2.75 / 5 This one was all over the map. Couldn't really peg it to any certain genre, which makes it even more interesting. It grew on my by the end. A little mood music with some great tracks slipped in there. Wikepedia: Musically Rings Around the World is an eclectic record incorporating pop, prog, punk, jungle, electronica, techno and death metal. Rhys has offered several explanations of the album's lyrical content, claiming the record is "about Earth, and the pollution of space" and also that it addresses the human condition. Critics meanwhile have referred to the record as "thematically eccentric" and lacking an "overarching theme". Critical reception was generally positive, with the album being nominated for 2001's Mercury Music Prize and placing at #1 in Mojo's "best albums of 2001" feature. Some reviews claimed it to be the best record of the band's career although the NME described it as the band's worst album.
This is the most like something I would listen to on my own so far and has some cool vibes, I can also appreciate the use of violin in alternative music. However, it wasn't worth the 3.75 hour commitment and most of the songs started out catchy and exciting and had me zoned out by the end
3.5/5
Not bad, great background album
interesting...
Not really sure what to make of this one. I didn't dislike it, I guess, but I certainly didn't like it either.
Interesting but hard to sink your teeth into. Kept thinking I was listening to Damon Albarn.
Excessive, mostly in a fun way.
it doesn't actually sound like olivia tremor control but corny but that is the feeling i get from it
pretty wide range of songs from boring to annoying to enjoyable on this one so I’m averaging it out to a three
There was a lot of fun and interesting stuff on this album, and it was certainly original. But I don't know if any of it really grabbed me. But it might grow on me with more listens
Super Furry Animals are so silly. I love an artist that doesn't take themselves seriously. With the question mark at the end of the title "It's Not the End of the World?" and the word play in "Juxtaposed With U" or the tongue-in-cheek attitude in "Presidential Suite", I honestly had a good time. Or even a weird song like "Run! Christian, Run!" being about death cults. I've heard SFA's debut, Fuzzy Logic, earlier in this project. Even though Rings Around the World was their first album under a major label, they have much of their vibe still. I hear more of an electronic aspect than before, but to be fair six years separate the albums. They still bounced around a lot of genres: one song had a Bon Jovi eighties vibe and another had a soulful seventies number. I don't know how SFA does it but they somehow do it right. 3.5
This album is probably one of the most eclectic and most genre-defying album I've heard on this project. Honestly, without even trying very hard, I can count about eight different genres represented on this album, and I'm sure I could come up with more if I try. There is honestly so much here to unpack, and so many unexpected twists and turns. This is the second and last Super Furry Animals album on this project, but in just two albums I have seen that this band does what they want and they do it well. Like on their previous album, I didn't hear anything that just blew me away, but nonetheless, I was impressed by their ability to dabble across so many different sounds coherently and interestingly.
this was fresh and funky for me
Consistent and enjoyable.
Not sure what to make of the whole thing, but it was interesting at least.
Was pretty forgettable until “No Sympathy” which was wild.
Fine. A few really good songs.
Mostly enjoyable 3.5
I’ve never heard this band and I’m surprised. It reminded me of Flaming Lips and, though I’m not sure why, New Pornographers, while the singer’s voice brought Damon Albarn’s to mind. Stylistically, it dabbles, so as an album, I don’t really detect a connecting thread other than that every song sounded somehow spacey. Like they made this album in 2000 on some other earth-like planet. I like it and probably would have liked it quite a bit in 2000. 3.8
Cool and unexpected. What are they outting in the water down there in Cymru?
Что то супер странное, не без прикола
Bit weird, but generally didn’t mind this
This album strikes a more laid-back tone compared to their previous release on this list, and I find that I prefer it. Perhaps this is because the mellow vibe perfectly matched the lovely sunny weather I enjoyed while listening to it. Juxtapozed with U was the track I enjoyed the most
I started off liking it than I got a bit bored but I didn’t hate it. Would listen again.
This does a lot of stuff competently, and it is a unified work despite the disparate genres. Unfortunately the common thread is it sounds just like these boys doing metal, electronica, folk etc. The singing is not good nor is it a bad singer like mick jagger making awesome music within his limitations. Nice puns. Hard to figure out which track listing is remotely the album vs the DVD video vs the special edition ad nauseum.
This sounded much older than it actually is. This did nothing for me but I didn’t hate it. 2.5/5
It was fine. 2.5.
I listened to this with my husband and we both thought it had more of a 90s sound. It was okay but I didn’t really care to pay a ton of attention to it.
Alright
STANDOUTS: Sidewalk Serfer Girl (Drawing) Rings Around the World It's Not the End of the World? Juxtapozed With U OVERALL: 3/5; shockingly, I liked it more than I thought I would!
Nothing amazing, has some high moments and equally low ones. Felt like they tried to hit to many genres
Sure!
It’s ok
3/4
i liked this more than i thought i would. great balance of uk pop and prog rock.
Kinda has Gorillaz vibes . It’s it Gorillaz people ?
3.5
Super Furry Animals’ debut was on this a while ago and that was my first time really listening to them. The songs were pretty good but the production was just so phasey and annoying, and made everything just sound pretty rubbish. Fortunately the production was a lot cleaner and more interesting on this - on the other hand though, the songwriting was more hit and miss for me, with the bigger singles in particular not really doing anything for me. A mixed bag for sure
I like this album. I've enjoyed listening to it, which I've done quite a lot. But it's not grabbed me. There are no songs I've found running round my head, or which I want to play again straight after. So it's a high 3 for me.
Rather enjoyable, even if it was rather fury.
Pretty forgettable. Juxtaposed with you is a great track though
Probably 3.5 stars. Lots of interesting music, but better in small doses.
A decent little rocker.
Light, funky
super clever and i bet they would be my favorite band if i wasn’t me
- quite a mix. almost metal vocals at times - interesting stuff. the spotify description said a mix of genres and they were quite right - instrumentation is cool, a little bit noise music at times (not in a bad way) - [A] touch sensitive has similar synth at parts to that song ethel cain likes, the same airplaney vibe - no sympathy is seven minutes long but i love the acceleration in it, accel to more electronic & distorted is fun. - ok this goes to very noise. - like.. 3/5? deserves another listen
Day114 - better than i thought something called super furry animals would be
Bien
Interesting. Glad I listened to it but probably won’t be a regular.
Never heard before - nice sounds - only Rings Around the World stood out for me though…
Kinda dug it. Not blown away by anything in particular, but certainly found it listenable.
Rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.
Alternative rockelectronic INDIE. Están bien.
Alternative rock? A mixture of different musical styles which might suggest a number of line-up changes during the recording of the album, but apparently not. Not bad, but not great either.
2.5 stars. Aspects of this I liked ("Sidewalk Serfer Girl" catchy alt-rock, "It's Not the End of the World?" pop rock, "No Sympathy" which feels like 70's folk rock until weird twist at end) but for the most part it was just a strange twist on alt rock that I wasn't really into.
Interesting and quirky. 3/5
Average indie rock
If you're listening to this on spotify do yourself a favor. Click on the bands name and go to the original unremastered version. It doesn't have the extra two cd's worth of bonus material, and in my opinion sounds better than the remastered version anyway. So I had never heard of this band and went in with zero expectations. There's a lot going on here. A whole range of musical styles and influences thrown together. A lot of the time it works well. There are times when it falls flat on its face though.
Eldist mjög vel. Fíla mun betur en þegar hún kom út.
New to me, part old and part new. Reminds me of a lot of different artists I like but not exactly like any of them.
Weird, compelling, but just didn’t hook me completely.
Alternate Route To Vulcan Street - 8/10 Sidewalk Serfer Girl - 8/10 (Drawing) Rings Around The World - 7.5/10 It's Not the End of the World? - 7.5/10 Receptacle For The Respectable - 8/10 [A] Touch Sensitive - 7/10 Shoot Doris Day - 7.5/10 Miniature - 7/10 No Sympathy - 8/10 Juxtapozed With U - 7.5/10 Presidential Suite - 8/10 Run! Christian, Run! - 7.5/10 Fragile Happiness - 7.5/10 TOTAL - 101/130
Rings Around The World is pretty interesting, not the sort of thing I lean towards in my listening habits and I probably won't go back to it, but it more than held my attention for the duration. It has a very polished yet very layered production, an epic and cinematic sort of sound, sort of like each song tells a story individually and collectively. I particularly enjoyed the run from Receptacle for the Respectable to Presidential Suite, which obviously has the famous Juxtapozed With U in it, but they all stand up to scrutiny. An easy 3, not a 4 because it's not my favourite stuff, but it's just really well put together.
I think I admired this more than I liked it - there's tonnes of variety, lots of funky sampling, but it still held together coherently. The trouble is, none of it really spoke to me properly and I came away from it pretty cold. It can have a 3 on the basis that it's technically great and full of different sounds and influences, but nothing more than that.
A solid indie-prog record that stumbles over itself. Super Furry Animals has a wonderful lead vocalist/songwriter in Gruff Rhys, and he has some truly beautiful and haunting melodies on this album. The lush, vibrant backing vocals and instrumentation really soar and carry the vision of the music at times, but there are plenty of moments where the "experimentation" of the band gets muddled, jarring, and just unpleasant. The record unfortunately falls into the 90's/2000's trap of ambitious, noise-making nonsense that mars the simple heartfelt moments. Stand out tracks include "Sidewalk Serfer Girl", "Shoot Doris Day", "Miniature", "No Sympathy", "Presidential Suite", and "Fragile Happiness".
Like all the other albums, nothing that stands out from the crowd.
"Rings Around The World" by Super Furry Animals, released in 2001, is a mixed bag of experimental pop and rock. The album showcases the band's innovative approach to music, blending various genres and incorporating electronic elements. Highlights include the title track "Rings Around The World," which features guest vocals from Paul McCartney, and "Juxtapozed with U," a catchy pop tune with a psychedelic twist. However, not all tracks hit the mark, with "No Sympathy" standing out as a weaker point on the album. While "Rings Around The World" demonstrates Super Furry Animals' creativity and musical prowess, it can feel disjointed at times, lacking a cohesive sound. Despite this, the album remains an interesting listen for fans of experimental rock. Overall, "Rings Around The World" earns a 3/5 rating for its ambition and standout tracks, despite some inconsistencies.
These cushions are opulent and I love the profile, but will I be comfortable on this couch? It’s more of a chaise longue. I had to listen to this with a lot of distractions, and only once, so this is more a sketch than a review: some smashing parts, brainy song structures, a sumptuous, playful production, but nowhere to rest my arm, and the playing length gave me pins and needles.
This was fine but it didn’t grab me
Very interesting, was long did not finish.
Maybe actually a 2, but giving it a 3. Fluctuated between interesting and annoying... often within the same song. Worked best when it landed somewhere between Blur and trip-hop, but too often felt to try-hard zany.
worth a listen
Decent, didn't get me too excited. The start of It's Not the End of the World stood out most for me, before it mellowed out again by 45 seconds or so.
Indie, alternative rock, britpop, jazz, keys, electro, dub, melancholic and happy, male, mid/slow/fast, interesting concepts and challenging songs, many different styles. Catchy, but voice is quite weak. Not convinced, but not bad. Gets better every by every spin.
Not my cup of tea. Not hard to listen to but would not listen again intentionally.
It was good, but I need to listen again to rate properly I think.
Some songs have moments of sounding good but all the random sound effects sounded a little too out there
Really liked this one. Was not very familiar with them but definitely liked the vibe
Chill vibe, enjoyed it
Somewhat eclectic rock, definite prog influences
I thought the first song was great. I was hoping the whole album was going to have a psychedelic shoegaze vibe to it. But it just got weird. An interesting album for sure. Not something I would choose to put on though.
I like the versatility of the album but exactly the versatility makes it a bit all over the place here and there. It's an interesting record and quite liked it at first listen but so far I feel like it's a solid 3 or a bit higher than that.
Oh well. Being one of the most interesting bands of the "Cool Cymru" wave (with Manic Street Preachers, *maybe*) doesn't automatically make you an "essential" act to absolutely remember when assessing music from the last seven decades or so. Besides, "Cool Britannia" was already filled with overrated artists, as this list proves then and again. To be clear, I have nothing against Welsh rock bands. It's just that it's the same British critics that have here overblown this offshoot of the Britpop craze to ridiculous proportions. And those critics are not to be trusted, at least in my somewhat humble opinion. To be more specific about this album: it's not bad at all, with a lot of thought given to key songwriting elements, production and arrangements. Yet what is so "original" here, after dozens of other Britpop bands? A fistful of songs, sure: the title track is among them, with its enormous winks to ELO and the Beach Boys. "Rings Around The World" is an earworm for sure, even if it's the sort of happy-go-lucky earworm that can get on your nerves after too many listens--and this in spite of its witty lyrical contents lamenting pollution in space (more in line with the innocuous aspects of The Beach Boys' *I Love You* than with any gem from *Pet Sounds* or *Smile*). Among the highlights, and yet also a very strange cut, "Sidewalk Serfer Girl" sounds as if folk weirdo Kevin Ayers had decided to have a baby with neo-metal rockers Linkin Park. Not sure I needed that sort of coupling in my music world, but now I know this feat can be accomplished at least. Finally, the vocoder-laden verses of "Juxtapozed With U" are certainly prophetic of sounds we got used to since 2001 (from Daft Punk's neo-disco shenanigans to Kanye West's crazy antics and Frank Ocean's neo-neo soul). This composition also hearkens back to the "plastic soul" of *Young Americans*, and it's true that Super Furry Animals were always convincing when they took a page from David Bowie's biblical book (as when they wrote "Demons", a clear homage to *Ziggy Stardust* found in their former LP *Radiator*). Apart from that, there's not much that's *truly* memorable in this record. Just as for most SFA albums from the late nineties / early noughts, you have EDM interpolations that may or may not have aged well depending on your mileage about those sorts of electronic productions twenty years ago. And, let's face it, you mostly have Blur-inspired songs. A LOT of Blur-inspired songs (sometimes mixed with ELO, sometimes with Bowie). Except that it's a second-rate Blur at best, whether for the lively cuts or for the slower ones. So not bad overall. But not "essential". And beyond the relative merits of *Rings Around The World*'s individual tracks, another issue one may have with this record is how sloppy and topsy-turvy its tracklisting looks. Case in point: the jarring transition between "Sidewalk Serfer Girl" and "Rings Around The World", in spite of the highlights that they are. Seems to me that *Radiator* is more "cohesive" than this later record, and so *slightly* more enjoyable than the two Super Furry Animals albums selected in the 1001 Albums Book. But even there, I don't think that *Radiator* is an essential LP either. All the SFA full-length releases I've heard are "cool" albums, in spite of their many shortcomings. But the latter prevent them from being worthy of a list gathering the best records of all time. Ain't life hard? One last thing: browsing through the Wikipedia page, I've just learnt that Paul McCartney plays "carrot and celery" on one of those tracks ("Receptacle For The Respectable"). What the heck??! I'm glad Gruff Rhys and company had a fun time with an ex-Beatle in the studio, but decidedly, this won't save this song from its useless meanderings in its second half. If anything, such anecdote proves how Super Furry Animals could be self-indulgent at times, in spite of their connection to British rock regalia. 2.5/5 for the purpose of this list of "essential albums" (rounded up to 3). Which translates to a 7.5/10 grade for more general purposes (5+2.5). Number of albums left to review: 328 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 301 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 163 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (including this one, many other records are more important to me): 217 PS: And what an ugly-ass artwork, for chrissake!
Experimental rock
Best Songs: Sidewalk Serfer Girl, No Sympathy Listen Again: Probably not
1st listen… a lot going on 2.5
This took some interesting twists and turns. Enjoyable.
Nice enough. Hadn't previously heard.
Like Pulp‘s „This is hardcore“ it was their most popular album founded on 3 predecent fundamental records. But when public embraced Pulp‘s glossy approach it wasn’t the same with SFA. As a result for this Lack of love: the hauntingly beautiful pop-strike record MWNG in Welsh. They tried hard but the world wasn‘t on their frequency.
Despite some odd flirting with stranger more broad genres, after not too long this one was going over my head a bit, and by the end I was a very slight bit bored of it. Still a decent album, with some fun poppish art rock tunes.
Fun, experimental, feel like it requires multiple listens
3/5
Phish + Elvis Costello, as Welshmen
Very nice
I'm pretty sure there are other projects that made a better job at combining electronica and britpop.
Actually a pretty decent album but who tf thought to themselves 'oh yeah, you absolutely MUST listen to Rings around the world before you die, otherwise your life will have been incomplete', like I can't really understand what would bring someone to this logic
Not bad.
Flaming lips tekee saman mielenkiintoisemmin. Hyvin britti, kun on pitkät maalailevat biisit ja tahallisenkauniit jouset usein mukana. Ihan kivasti silti monipuolisuutta äänissä, vaikkei tempossa olekaan. Ilahduin Juxtaposed with U:n emolyriikoista. Positiivisen puolella siis, vaikken ehkä tähän enää palaa.
Un àlbum molt curiós. Primer, comença amb una cançó que fa sampling del John Lennon, cosa que m'encanta perquè no m'esperava gens. Però aleshores passa per un munt d'estils diferents, entre els quals: una música súper tranquila i relaxada, un tema que s'acosta al hard-rock on canten amb veu gutural, i un popillo súper típic. No sé què pensar; per una part m'encanta que cada cançó sigui una sorpresa, diferent i única, però per l'altra trobo que això fa que l'àlbum sigui una mica inconsistent.
Easy listening. By far my favorite part was the unexpected electronic section at the end of No Sympathy which earned the 3rd star. When do we get more music like that in this list?! Omg this album is so long!! More electronic bits. It's all over the place
Alternative rockelectronic INDIE. Están bien.
An a-okay background listen
Alternative rockelectronic INDIE. Están bien.
Adventurous, pop and psychedelic tinged Indie album. A really pleasant listen with some surprising genre shifts I enjoyed. But for all the richness of its sound, the vocals feel flat. Fave Songs: Presidential Suite, Fragile Happiness, (Drawing) Rings Around the World, It's Not the End of the World?, [A] Touch Sensitive
Cinematic, cerebral, and ambitious... this album warrants another listen. Interesting to learn more about the band and their other "Post-Alternative" music." Certainly comes out as a kaleidoscope of genres as intended. Juxtaposed with you is an absolute bop. 3.5/5
Easy listening enjoyed it solid 3 star reminds me of electric light orchestra
Blind album and artist. Honestly it had a decent start but it totally lost me at the end and I did not like the lead single Juxtapozed. Rings around the world is way better.
mi-a placut fata de celalalte dar tot nu m-a dat pe spate. mi-a placut mult refrenul de la juxtapozed with u:)
I might have liked this? I'm still not sure, but it was interesting. At times, it felt like what the Gorillaz might sound like without the hip-hop influence. I might have to revisit this one.
I liked it but probably have to be in a certain mood to really enjoy it
Might have been the wrong day for me to give this one a try. Wasn't fond of it, but I don't know why.
Chill, nice enough opening. It’s a little washed over, flat. It’s okay. Would not mind it playing quietly in the background.
Interesting at times. Experimental in a bad way at other times. As a huge fan of Ween I have to say I heard some similarity in some ways. If I could give 3.5 stars I would
Unexpectedly enjoyable
chill. 3 star. maybe more. some good songs and some duds. very chill overall. IDK if it stands out really for me. Like a male fiona apple. I found I liked songs during the violin parts.
It's always nice when a song (in this case, No Sympathy) makes you snap your head up and rewind to make sure you heard what you thought you did. In my opinion, this is a regression from their earlier album on this list. I think they started reading their own clippings, decided they were awesome, and mailed it in a bit. Best track: Juxtaposed with U
falls off the cliff a bit this album. you could say it is like a cable car of kids hanging precariously over SHACKs pakistani canyon.
Highly unexpected at times. I had to check multiple times to see if Spotify changes albums without a warning. Need to relisten
Not bad but not really my kind of music. But nice to play it in the background
Siistejä juttuja mutta välillä vähän liian kikkailun makua. Eipä toisaalta oo geneeristäkään :D nelosen ja kolmosen välillä seikkailee, jääköön nyt 3.
Not bad, just pretty generic c. 2000 alt-rock.
Not sure what to think. Interesting but not real pleasant to listen to.
It’s ok
Hade ett album från Super Furry Animals för länge sedan som jag inte alls gillade. Tyckte det albumets sound väl reflekterade töntigheten i bandnamnet. Jag ogillar fortfarande bandnamnet, men här har de lyckats göra ett solitt album! Det är experimentellt, lita all over the place, låter ibland som Pulp, ibland som Pink Floyd, men det fungerar allt som oftast. Spretigheten gör att det är svårt att ha en klar överblick efter två lyssningar, men generellt sätt skapas en intressant ljudbild. Extra spännande när det blir elektroniskt, som i instrumentella '[A] Touch Sensitive' eller slutet på 'No Sympathy'. 'Receptacle for the Respectable' blir då fan inte sämre av att veta att Paul McCartney spelar morot och selleri (ja) på den. 'Presidential Suite' är fin. 'Run! Christian, Run!' känns långtråkig någonstans i mitten men ökar och blir till sist albumets vackraste. 'Juxtapozed With U' är tydligen deras största och mest hyllade hit, men jag kan tyvärr inte förstå varför. Bästa låt: Run! Christian, Run!
Some really high notes, but also way too long and while it does experiment it spends way too much time falling back on safe sounds.
rar men ait noen ganger
Letkeä ja sopivan helppo maanantain avaus. Voi helposti kuunnella uudelleen.
This album was fine, it’s basically a product of nostalgia. I don’t really think it belongs on this list.
4/12, 33%
Meh
Really good album.
Alternative rockelectronic INDIE. Están bien.
Pretty alright. There’s a lot to like but it seems like there’s nothing special about this album, not a lot that’s great. This album is mostly alright to good. Solid 3
This was just mostly a bit boring, though there were a couple of slightly more interesting songs, mostly near the beginning. No Sympathy had a crazy IDM ending for no reason, and it's general bizarreness makes it my favourite. Favourite: No Sympathy
Interesting - I knew some of the songs, didn’t mind the others. But wouldn’t be a go-to album for me
Another album which was everywhere when it was out but that never connected to me at the time, of course. It's actually very different to what I was expecting. Much more diverse and interesting. I really enjoyed listening to it and a couple of tracks might end up on my general rotation. Sags a bit in the middle but a stronger album than I was expecting as well.
Bijzondere muziek en toch heel toegankelijk. Combinatie van pop, rock en andere invloeden. Ik krijg er geen speciaal gevoel bij, maar het is zeker geen slecht album.
Very Enjoyable. Standouts: Juxtapozed, Shoot Doris Day Singles: -------------------------------------------------- Juxtapozed with U (#14 UK) (Drawing) Rings Around the World (#28, UK) It's Not the End of the World? (#30 UK)
Wel aardig. Beetje Blurish, maar dan veel weirder en ook rommeliger. Maar al met al best te hachelen.
Dit plaatje gaat alle kanten op en de stem lijkt erg op die van Damon Albarn van Blur.
Un album qui est pas mauvais, sans vraiment être une influence ou bien bon dans quoi que ce soit. Ca s'écoute bien par contre, mais comme beaucoup d'album qui ne sont pas wow sur cette liste. 3.15
I quite enjoyed this, even though it is very of the time. It's a bit too long, and the last 3 songs didn't do much for me. Up until that point though, I thought it was pretty solid, and even fairly funny in places.
6/10. This album went back and forth on whether it wanted to sound kinda like the Beach Boys or kinda like shit.
Mid. 5/10
Prendrait une seconde écoute. Ce n'était pas mauvais, mais ça sonnait vraiment beaucoup alt-rock typique des UK (beaucoup de pièces font penser à du Gorillaz). Beaucoup de sons différents, pas tout le temps super bien amalgamé. 7/10
Man what a weird experience, but I also enjoyed it. An early 2000s amalgamation of Coldplay, Gorillaz, Daft Punk, and the Beatles? It sounds more like a mixtape than a cohesive album. I find this weird and fun, but I understand how that is a put off for some people. Overall little too meandering for me, but I did enjoy it. 3/5 Favorites: It's Not the End of the World?, No Sympathy, Juxtapozed with U, Least Favorites: Rings Around the World,
They’re like the Gorillaz but worse
Un album de plus à ajouter à la liste des "1001 albums moyens surévalués par robpanière". Cet album a au moins la chance de ne pas rejoindre la liste des "1001 albums de merde surévalués par robpanière", liste comprennant pour l'instant seulement l'intégralité de la discographie de Brian Eno.
Very Blur-y, a bit over the top and weird in places but it was nice enough.
Nothing stood out, but I didn't mind it and would listen again.
Had not listened to these guys before and was more genre bending than I expected. Think it was okay but a bit all over the place. Wouldn't listen to them again. Highlights: (Drawing) Rings Around the World It's Not the End of the World No Sympathy
I'm not sure about this. Bits of it I quite liked, but others not so much. Quite a few tracks I enjoyed until the end where they started throwing on weird electronic techno stuff and it put me off. Sidewalk serfer girl, rings around the world, it's not the end of the world and juxtaposed with u were the best tracks. I've listened to radiator before and much preferred it to this album. Not bad as a whole but probably won't be going back.
It sounded a lot like Ween. It wasn't bad, slow at parts, weird electronic music in other parts.
Bästa: [A] Touch Sensitive, Run! Christian, Run! Sämsta: Sidewalk Serfer Girl
I didn't mind this at all - I was fearing the worst reading the Pet Sounds references in the wikipedia entry, but it was OK in the end
Cool sound, at times, but a little uneven. Opening track was a bit meh but the second track Sidewalk Serfer Girl and the third title track were the kind of thing I wanted more of - gritty guitars combined with a bit of keyboard and/or synth/electronica. It kind of reminded me of a recent artist Dinosaur Pile-Up, which has grown on me. But then it waffled a bit between a little pop sappy or synth-heavy (It's Not the End of the World? A Touch Sensitive, Shoot Doris Day - all had cool strings at times, but a bit too much sap) and maybe cool, maybe annoying death metal/synth (Receptacle for the Respectable). No Sympathy finally brought it back to something I liked - simple guitar accentuated by gritty synth (a reverse of the first couple tracks I liked). But a little too sappy after that - and I like yacht rock. Maybe it was too much of different sounds that held me back - the lack of cohesion didn't feel like a good thing.
Many genres are present here, but they’re not blended as well as one might hope. The singles are leagues better than the album tracks.
This album is SO. FUCKING. WEIRD. Halfway through it turns into weird experimental fuckery lmao! Specifically thinking of 'No Sympathy' here. Up till then it was a vaguely standard not memorable rock album. And then back to slow indie... So bizarre lol Love the cover though Saved tracks: Alternate Route to Vulcan Street, [A] Touch Sensitive
Enjoyable pop, nothing jumped out
its pretty good, 3.5/5
Ehh... pretty forgettable.
i am half-listening to this album so i don't know how accurate this rating will be. also, these are rough notes i wrote while listening and not a fully structured review. this reminds me of damon albarn's music heavily, especially the tracks from 2-4. also ,the sixth track sounds like a danny brown beat and the third track kinda sounds like icarly music. i don't know what to think about that. more songs need to have paul mccartney chomping veggies. HOLY DAMN NO SYMPATHY'S BREAKDOWN oh no, they used the eiffel 65 voice effect on track 10. i'm also hearing some matty-healy-isms in the lyrics. i feel like this album could definitely be a grower on me. there are a lot of parts that appeal to me and that i might return to later. a bit of a weak closer but ending the album with lyrics about will smith is always a strong choice. overall, pretty nice. 3/5
Some neat twists and unexpected shifts in genres.
With elements of Blur, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, and even a bit of Fleet Foxes tossed in, this savory stew of alt-brit-pop hit all the right notes for this frozen winter day. Wild, I’ve never heard of this group!
me gustó ah 7.5/10
Not sure how to rate this album, I think I want to listen to it again to full assess it. For now 3/5 which is my baseline of I enjoyed it enough.
has a mix of good weird to rock but the second half got really slow and balady
Rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.
Bra album utan att ha några låtar som sticker ut.
Hmmm this is interesting! It's like a prog/psychedelic version of Gorillaz, I really dig it.
This was a fun album. Indie psych rock type stuff that swings through a lot of other genres, from country to techno. There's a lot of similar stuff out there that I like a lot more, but that's okay. 3.5 rounded down because I'm trying to be harsh! Gotta keep reminding myself of that lol.
Enjoyable but not revolutionary for me.
Very variable range of pieces that I like and don’t like. I didn’t have the SFA really on my list before and with these mixed results they hardly will make there in the future.
Okay britpop, not a bad listen, not a great one. Solid 3.
I'm always cautious of post 2000 albums since I think there's a bias towards anything 'new'. This is ok, not groundbreaking mind, but ok. Nothing inventive, lots of ideas copied from others and no direction but well put together production-wise. Considering how many great albums aren't on this list it's a shame but since it's based on filling quotas of each genre rather than sheer quality there will be albums filling in the gaps.
interesting
Alternative rock, with sparks of Daft Punk, but clear Beatles inspiration all over. Yet only the slover heartfelt songs. The diversity of themes and sounds are not quite at the level where the album is a great listen, but clearly one of the betters.
Had no idea SFA made this more Radiohead-esque experimental stuff. Listened a few times. Good but didn’t love.
I like it, it's calming, mellow, sweet and wierd. I think this could grow on me a lot.
Nice alt-poppy stuff here. A little frenetic for me at times, but not so much that it throws me off completely. At times, it simplified and was quite beautiful. Overall, well done on their part.
Rating: 6/10
was a 4 until I got to No Sympathy (hated the lyrics) and Juxtapozed with U (hated the autotune). Cut off the last 5 tracks and it's a good EP.
I was surprised that I hadn't come across this album before.
Diverse sounds, odd style, pretty good songs but nothing outlandishly good.
Highlight: It's Not the End of the World?
A bit boring really. Not sure why this is a "must listen" album. Perhaps it was more hard hitting 20 years ago?
Decent Brit pop but no common theme
Covern ser mycket mer såsat ut än albumet de facto är
Bloh
I can't justify the Furries' eccentricity on aesthetic grounds, but I did enjoy every minute of it. There's a creeping misanthropy to Rings.
Need to come back to this, [A] Touch Sensitive stood out
Fine
This album maybe suffered coming after 9 albums in a row that I loved, as well as my having less focus on it while listening. It had some interesting things, and an interesting variety of sounds. I was just never really engaged or wowed (which I have been…nine times in a row. Nine times? Nine times.)
This album didn't thrill me. I mean, it wasn't particularly challenging, but it also wasn't particularly interesting. It was just okay, I guess.
Je suis mitigé ici. La 2e moitié de l’album est super cool. La première me laisse l’impression d’un band de pop/rock 90's tout ce qu’il y a de plus ordinaire.
kinda my type of music?
Pleasant, gently psychedelic/inventive, but I don't think it'll live long in the memory.
Earlier material seemed better
Jako chill. To je sve sto imam za rec
3.8 - This album's perched somewhere after Britpop of the mid-90s and just before the advent of more wacked out bands like the Gorillaz. Like Britpop, these songs build to durable, sing-songy choruses and there are harsher noise elements thrown in. I hear bits of Spiritualized, Blur and Flaming Lips, as well as older influences like ELO and the Beach Boys (esp on "Receptacle for the Respectable"). At 53 minutes, it definitely feels overlong. The first five songs propel the record to amazing heights where much of the second half feels a little flabby.
I liked bits of this quite a lot, but as a whole it's deeply unfocused and oddly forgettable. Turns out that if you throw everything and the kitchen sink into your album, it just makes you sound like B-tier Flaming Lips.
Pretty interesting album! Decent rock project, definitely liked a few tracks. I enjoyed when this veered into more experimental territory. Never heard of this band or album but I could tell they're British, or Welsh to be precise. If they've got any albums that lean fully into the more experimental sounds, count me in for one of those. Favorite tracks: A Touch Sensitive, Alternate Route to Vulcan Street, Drawing Rings Around the World. Album art: Really, really love this one. I mean, c'mon, great explosion of colors, a grinning skull with a gold tooth? The font and everything is very late '60s early '70s, I adore this style. 3/5
L'ambiance chill continue.
les maux de têtes dont j'ai été victime ainsi que la cover affreuse influencent mon jugement mais il y a eu des moments appréciables
Some very weird and interesting psychedelic rock. Ranges from noise to soft to atmospheric to pop. Worth investigating more of what they do.
Just didnt hit for me.
The album's intentions are good, but it has too much fluff. It sounds like the album of musicians that try desperately to sound interesting. But in fact, it was pretty pop. (5/10) FT: Juxtapozed with U
Some unusual sounds but it works
This album was all over the place! I enjoyed it though, even if I didn't know what I was listening to half the time. 3.5/5 stars
Okay, so this was a surprise. Sure, I didn't find the album amazing, but it was mostly quite enjoyable. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, in all honesty. Though there were songs I didn't like, and the album didn't feel all that cohesive. My favourite track probably would have to be (Drawing) Rings Around The World.
To be fair, didn’t give this a great listen, more in the background. Initial impressions were that it sounded fairly generic. Not bad, but nothing to grab you either.
I dig it
The genre hopping reminded me of Ween, though with a more electronic bent. Most tracks were still close to the indie rock formula.
Did the band have an identity crisis making this album? If so, this listener is here for it. Starting off like any 2001 era band would, this built expectations of alternative rock, but then they went the way of electronica followed immediately by a feel-good anecdotal song in 'Juxtapose with U' with punk elements throughout. It is as though Blink182 forgot about Tom DeLonge and made a happy sounding album at the end with 'Presidential Suite'. Interesting album, but enjoyable nonetheless. It would earn a spot in the rotation for sure with its heavier elements, but if there is need for mix-up to break the monotony and pretend you are listening to random radio, then this album is for you.
Cool.
really diverse album many genres are used altough alternative rock is the main theme, would recommend altough i dont really like it much
3.5 Enjoyed
A bit experimental, post grunge pop-rock of sorts. Shoegaze influences as well
very different than last furry animas album...but I don't feel either should be on this list.
3 1/2
3.5
It's a good, listenable album. Very easy to forget that they were popular back in the day. Didn't find any songs that were too objectionable.
Seems an interesting, diverse landscape of an album. "Rings around the world" and "it's not the end of the world" are a good part of a strong start. The instrumental experimentation is nice, though "no sympathy" was a little too off-kilter for my tastes. Nothing that really calls me back to listen to again, but a pleasant enjoyable album.
Nice one.
Good fun Brit Pop with a little psychedelic.
Songs range from synth & soft rock reminiscent of ELO to standard alt rock and industrial of the era. There's a ton of influence here and there, likentrap in "A Sensitive World" or Velvet Underground and two other bands in "Shoot Doris Day". Got more enjoyable near the end after that industrial nonsense.
Weird, psychedelic. A lot of strange mixes of genres. Had a more solid ending, but I feel like the first part just wasn't for me.
Meh. Some interesting sounds, stereo is a must
Rock with a twist, pretty good 7/10
This was weird, fun but weird. I didn't super love this but far from hating it. Weird mix of ambient background music interspersed with metal/rap/country
Interesting album, had a couple of vibes
A great mix of tunes and songs
Decent
Enjoyable & fuzzy psychedelic rock with a timeless sound
Ok
I liked it, but didn't get the nostalgia I had expected.
It’s not the end of the world is a favourite but the album is uneven.
Seems like one that you need to be in the right state of mind for. I couldn't get into it
Very eclectic. The critics describe it best. A "kaleidoscopic blend of pop, prog, punk, psych, and electronica" and "thematically eccentric" I likedthe delving into electronica, as suprising as it was. "A touch sensitive" sounds like it could be Portisehead while" Juxtaposed with you" and "Presidential suite" sound like early 80s Elvis C.
Distinto. Buenos ritmos. Divertido de escuchar
Strange, but nice... Not too much experimental, not too much classical. I probably not revisit this album again, but it was a nice experience to listen to it.
Fun album!
Some tunes cool some tunes weird
I think its the definition of 2000s rock, very fitting
Rock alternativo. Muy interesante.
Not bad.
Fun I guess. Weird. Lacks focus?
I remember liking this album a lot when it was released. Now, it just feels a little cold and lifeless, more craft than passion.
Another band I've never heard of, and they aren't super popular either. At least their music is different and interesting
Ambitious but unfocused. This postmodern amalgam doesn't really do much for me. Rather listen to their myriad influences.
There are some interesting sounds here, but thematically it falls flat for me. A little too cheese for my tastes.
Pretty good. Vocals sounded a lot like Elvis Costello
Very weird shit. Niet altijd awesome, niet slecht ook.
Ok. Thought I'd recognise more than I did
Alternativ pop, fusion, stemningsfyldt, afslappende
Interesting but never wowed me
Alt rock 😎 Liked the slower songs, up beat songs weren’t for me. V indie, but not always bad.
Second half started to win me over a bit more but I had to stop and restart 2-3 times to finish this
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
Of all the albums ever made this is definitely one of them.
meh, not really my thing, I can appreciate the experimentation though
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
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
Kind of all over the place hard to be good at something when you’re doing everything.