Product Description Super Furry Animals' leap to a major label in the U.K. with Rings Around the World isn't that drastic of a change -- Fuzzy Logic was also released on Epic in the U.S., Creation was subsidized by Sony, and they never were exactly wanting of money on their previous records -- but the band nevertheless seizes the opportunity to consolidate their strengths, providing an introduction for listeners that may not have been paying attention before. As such, it's hard not to consider it as a bit of a missed opportunity, since this is the first SFA album not to progress from its predecessor, or offer the shock of the new, and that's hard not to miss -- but, if this is the first SFA record you hear, it'll likely intrigue, even dazzle, with its kaleidoscopic blend of pop, prog, punk, psych, and electronica.When sold by .com, this product will be manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. .com's standard return policy will apply. .com The fifth album from Welsh pop prodigies Super Furry Animals is their most ambitious work to date. Featuring everything from status quo-style boogie-rockers to technofied drill and bass meltdowns, this is an immaculately conceived pop masterpiece that has more in common with the excitable genre-crushing of 1999's Guerrilla than with their previous album, the respectable but defiantly firework-less Welsh-language folk outing Mwng. One of the great joys here is that, though the lyrics are imbued with dippy fun, closer inspection reveals a satisfyingly off-kilter--and frequently inspirational--intelligence. The gorgeous "Presidential Suite"--which, incidentally, features John Cale tickling the ivories--marries the classic SFA psychedelic shimmer to a weary lyric concerning the Monica Lewinsky scandal that rocked the Clinton presidency. Frontman Gruff Rhys questions the event sadly, as if it's the most passé thing he can comprehend. Perhaps that's so: when you're playing with the sort of magic that's scattered liberally over Rings Around the World, even the salacious exploits of world leaders pale into tedium. --Louis Pattison
S**S
Genre-busting Masterpiece
Firstly I must say that SFA (like most music) will not be everyone's cup of tea, but those fans who do connect tend to be a bit rabid about the genius of this band. They defy clear categorization which is a great thing, as they incorporate a broad spectrum of influences from orchestral prog rock (Alternate Route to Vulcan Street), electronica (Drawing Rings Around the World), anthemic guitar rock (Roman Road), electro pop-punk (Sidewalk Serfer Girl) and even Burt Bacharach-meets-Philly soul homage (Juxtaposed with U), to create a musical gumbo that is heavy on accessible hooks but sounds just "alternative" enough to impress your music snob friends. They sound at once familiar yet totally new and unique, which is a magical feat in itself. Lyrically, they move between social consciousness, deadpan humor, winking peace-nickery, cosmic mysticism and good ol' fashioned satire to create a stir in the brain that both easily uplifts and intellectually challenges in a way all their own, though at times summoning some of the other great Welsh artists and their unique view on the world. I'll just say that this 2-disc tour de force is a fabulous intro to a wonderful band that has brought me hours of enjoyment, and I'll always have a Furries disc in rotation!
L**N
Album of the year, no contest.
Maybe the most underrated album and band ever. This is classic. Love SFA, wish they were still a thing.
M**C
Amazing!
Great album, underrated band.I highly recommend this if you are a fan of bands like The Beatles, The Flaming Lips, and Oasis.Good stuff!
C**L
Good, but not the messiahs NME would have you believe
Yes, this is good. No, it's not enough to make you want to start rock history from its release date, as the British hype machine might have you believe. Definitely pick up this version with the bonus disk, if you have the chance.
D**W
Wow! What can I say?
Familiar sounding (thanks to borrowings) but still original. This is set to become one of my favourites. Thank you to other reviewers who persuaded me to purchase this unheard!
M**Y
I forgot.. the best of Pet Sounds, Revolver & Burt Bacharach
Read my full review here somewhere. The Best album in ten or twenty years???
C**S
A good neo-psychedelia album that is hindered by a few problems - for genre fans only
Super Furry Animals' "Rings Around The World" is a great album which barely falls short of being a classic. It's fault are pretty noticable. The first is that the singer isn't for everyone and isn't that good anyway. The second is that the songs, though all good, aren't that great. They're kind of a guilty pleasure (they're mostly for your own pleasure - I don't think playing it front of others would be a good idea). None of the songs are "bad", but none of them are "great" either (they're all good to very good). Also, some of the songs start off well but end very poorly (most notably is "Receptacle For The Respectable"). I still can't really tell what's going on lyrically, but I know that you won't be singing along to any of the songs (except, perhaps, "Sidewalk Serfer Girl" which is one of the few real standouts). Musically it's pretty good but it isn't great. I don't think their 60's-ish sound hurts the songs. Genre fans should like it - I don't think it has mass appeal. Recommended.Highlights include:everything (though there's definitely standouts)
S**K
completely deranged...one of the year's best
My favourite new albums are the ones that are both instantly pleasing to hear as well as being challenging at the same time, records that throw convention out the window, great pop music that's a bit off-kilter, with clever lyrics to boot. Super Furry Animals' new album Rings Around The World is the first new album of 2001 to completely blow me away, a soaring, aural mindfunk of a pop album.Where should I begin? Every track is musically vastly different from the other and is punctuated by Gruff Rhys's oddball lyrics, the first five songs getting the album off to a flying start. The mellow piano ballad 'Alternate Route To Vulcan Street' kicks off the album with the enigmatic line "sometimes I ponder/what if the Caspian Sea/should merger/over my shoulder", 'Sidewalk Serfer Girl' lampoons the Beach Boys with a bit of a glam twist, the irresistable electropop of '(Drawing) Rings Around The World' perfectly mirrors the sound of ELO, and Rhys's impeccable singing on the plaintive ballad 'It's Not The End Of The World' sounds as good as the best work by Blur. The album's best moments, though, are in the amazing 'Receptacle For The Respectable' (talk about the song title of the year). It starts at a midtempo, acoustic guitar-driven pace with harmonies that sound lifted straight from Wings, then suddenly breaks down to half the speed in an Abbey Road-styled segue before slowing down even more, with a gentle, horn-driven melody that also features the sound of Paul McCartney eating celery and carrots, then builds up to the final section where, over faux-industrial keyboards, Rhys belts out the song's title in his best death metal impersonation. All this happens in less than four exhilerating minutes, making it one of the most stunning songs you'll hear in a long time.There are no low points on the rest of Rings Around The World: '(A) Touch Sensitive' is an effective stab at trip-hop, 'Shoot Doris Day' sounds a lot like Elvis Costello and just might hint at someone's great dislike of The Man Who Knew Too Much ("Sentimentality pause/as Jimmy Stewart ignores her question"), the grim, folky 'No Sympathy' that metamorphoses from a Crosby, Stills & Nash homage into a boisterous exercise in electronic knob-twiddling, the Marvin Gaye-influenced 'Juxtaposed With U' that combines biting social commentary with bizarre humour ("I'm not in love with you/but I won't hold that against you") and makes Rhys sound like a Welsh Jarvis Cocker, the hilarious lampooning of the Clinton-Lewinsky controversy in 'Presidential Suite', the Pink Floyd sounds of 'Run Christian Run', and the gentle "doo doo-wah"'s of 'Fragile Happiness that evoke the Velvet Underground.Super Furry Animals have made a major statement with this spectacular album, which was close to a year in the making, and as a result they have emerged as one of the best bands on the planet. You can't go wrong with this flawless piece of work, which will end up close to, or perhaps, at the top of my best of 2001 list.
F**Q
Glorious Variety
I've had this album since release, one of those indispensable friends whose absence makes your collection incomplete. Updating from vinyl meant a recent cd purchase and inspiration to review. This is an album that wears its influences on its sleeve yet is not derivative, it is inspired and the result is uniquely SFA. A variety of styles but sounding like the same band throughout, rather than a straightforward review I thought it may be helpful to offer an idea of the feel of each track.1. Alternate Route To Vulcan Street - Protection era Massive attack on Mogadon.2.Sidewalk Surfer Girl - Very evocative of Mercury Rev/Flaming Lips.3.(Drawing) Rings Around The World - Forget the insulting Quo comparisons, think 'Silver Machine' era Hawkwind with a harmony vocal arrangement by Brian Wilson.4. The World ..... - Beautiful in a Walker Brothers way,60's pop bass guitar and a vehicle for Gruff's under rated vocals.5. Receptacle For The Respectable - The Beatles at every stage of their career with perhaps a greater 'Norwegian Wood' emphasis and a dash of ELO's 'Mr Blue Sky'.6.(A) Touch Sensitive - Portishead with the John Barry influence turned up high. Analogue other worldliness.7. Shoot Doris Day - Epic orchestral with a Radiohead - 'Karma Police' feel.8.Miniature - A lullaby for The Clangers. Expectedly brief.9.No Sympathy - A 'Peggy Suicide' era Julian Cope feel.10.Juxtaposed With You - Robot rhumba.11. Presidential Suite - Easy Listening Burt Bacharach vibe.12.Run! Christian, Run! - Cowboy campfire blues meets 'For Your Pleasure' era Roxy Music.13. Fragile Happiness - A mini 'Hey Jude'.Very much a complete work best appreciated from start to finish, a great entre into the SFA world guaranteed to have you chomping at the bit for more.
L**E
Five Stars
Great purchase and great service, delivered on time just as promised.
N**I
Rings Around The World
Rings Around the World is another piece of cracked genius it mixes crooning songs with rock and psychaedelia to original and unforgetable effect.
M**N
Five Stars
Great music, love it.
J**Z
Five Stars
great great great
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