Why don't Super Furry Animals Rule the World?

My opinion on this is probably influenced by a big argument I just had with my roommate over whether the music that plays on mainstream radio stations is boring and "safe" sounding (me= hell, yes, i never want to hear staind again in my life), and why that is. SFA songs don't sound like everything else that you've heard on the radio on your drive home- they're certainly not flat & predictable. It always seems like the bands which gain the largest popular followings these days (ie, the last 3 or 4 years) are the ones which do nothing new at all. I'd love to be disproved on this point with some good (non-Radiohead's Kid A) examples here.

Oh, and I'll guess that you're from the UK if you're bringing up the Manic Street Preachers as an example. So I don't think that this is as big of a problem in the UK, but here (US) no one has ever heard of them- that's sort of a minor obstacle on your way to Ruling the World.

Yus. Love the archives and 'find in page' searches, Brent, and they will love you. :-)

Not unless Austin is in the UK now. ;-)

So I'm not so entirely snarky, I will say that I'm seeing them tomorrow and very much look forward to it. Not standing on coffee tables quite yet, though.

heh it made me think of that nice glass coffee table someone;'s always bought in thriller, entirely for the purpose of someone else getting shot and falling in slow motion backwards through it, filmed from underneath of course

i don't believe i've ever heard anything by gentle giant: their LP covers were fiercely oogly iirc

God, man, look at their photos... not exactly sex-kittens, are they?

sex kittens no but.. shambolicly charming maybe

Just got their Songbook greatest hits CD and it is AMAZING. GOOD FUCKING GOD could these guys write some great pop songs!!! We're talking Beatles territory here folks.

Maybe their popularity got flushed out with Britpop but I think people put them up there with Space etc.

you'll BURN for that, sir!

*you know, one that did not consist of my friends.

It took me ages to realise that I was a SFA fan, only after noticing that I owned all their albums.

Look forward to hearing the new album, Love Kraft, in August.

unfortunate creativity is often viewed as wacky in today's sterile music environment.

I don't really care for them but... I wish they had been more successful than Travis or Stereophonics!

I remembered (or thought I did) them being one of the last Creation signings about half way through the brit-pop 'era' no?

Or England during the summer and autumn of 1967. :-)

their music is 10X that of Travis or Stereophonics in terms of songwriting and talent.

Travis and SFA are both 10X that of Stereophonics in terms of songwriting and talent.

However, I have no problem understanding why Travis and Stereophonics are more popular. They are considerably less "wacky" than SFA - only Travis are also excellent songwriters!

Solid, likeable, prolific, quirky, creative, touching but hardly heart-breaking.

It's like theres something quite ordinary, mediocre and vaguely unoriginal at their core that's can't help but drag them down to the level of 'alright', like a trillion others are 'alright'. Not surprised they're easily passed over by mainstream and 'serious' listeners at all.

1995 - pre English days 8 songs on Ankst.
1996 – Fuzzy Logic 14 songs with 10 b-sides with one original A.
1997 – Radiator 14 songs with 13 b-sides with one original A.
1999 – Guerrilla 14 songs with 6 b-sides.
2000 – mwng 10 songs all done in Welsh with 5 b-sides.
2002 – Rings Around the World 13 songs with 7 b-sides.
2003 – Phantom Power 14songs with 6 b-sides.
2004 – Phantom Phorce 15 remixed songs
2005 – First single ‘Laserbeam’ coming in July.

On the other hand, the b-side format is perfect for experimentation, doing stuff that is a little to the left of what you are doing otherwise. So that way, I find it great that they are doing those experiments in their b-sides.

I think some of SFA B-sides are their best songs --- 'Tradewinds', 'Carry The Can', 'Mrs. Spector'. In fact I can't think of another band that does such quality b-sides.

Not to mention 'Outspaced' and 'Songbook' albums, 'The Man Don't Give A Fuck' Live 20 minute single, and three DVDs.

SFA is an amazing live band. On record they sound a bit lifeless, though, decent, but kinda like Grandaddy or Pernice Bros, admirable, craft, impeccable, even, but maybe too studied; you gotta give them their props, but not your soul.

I wouldn't imagine for a second that they'd want to.

Which is really a bit of a shame when you think about it.

Also, their approach to live shows were/are horribly misguided, at least once they reached the states. They were far too concerned with replicating the studio bells & whistles live, and seemed to just HATE playing live, whereas whenever there were technical difficulties and/or had to, or wanted to, say "fuck it" and just played, THEN they truly shined live. But these were rare moments. SFA were sadly just lackluster live compared to their extremely well crafted studio work, because they felt committed to a particular rut in their live approach -- which is too bad. They should have stripped down the high gear, and just toured raw, without effects or anything.

Then again, my opinion matters little in the SFA camp. Their best album is easily Rings Around The World. Besides that last song going on a bit too long, it's a near perfect album. Many, many people disagree with me, I've found.. haha.

I was going to submit "Sidewalk Serfer Girl" to the ILMIXOR Maximalist mix CD, because initially I was completely fucking befuddled why that song was never released as a single -- as it was completely head-dense maximilast pop -- then I realized: people maybe don't want their singles to be that busy, crazy, and dense all the time. On the flip, the more straightforward, less exciting ballady songs were released instead -- which I don't believe made huge waves, from what I can tell. Also, SFA didn't have too many songs that were in the comfortable middle between their ballady songs and their crazy noisy pop rock songs. However, why didn't SFA or their management take a chance, and release one of their crazier weird songs as a single anyway? It would have made them stand out!

Then again, this is a symptom of a larger issue involving radio programmers, and their pressure to keep radio "safe sounding" more than SFA's problems with trying to be a successful pop band, which I think they could have really given a fuck all about, for all I know.

Oh, I dunno — a song that everyone likes?

unfortunate creativity is often viewed as wacky in today's sterile music environment.

Sure, but that's not how I view it. SFA are wacky and creative. And one of them disqualifies them from ruling the world, sales-wise.

Sorry, I just always remember them being SFA too.

What is wrong with my brain?

http://img209.exs.cx/img209/8200/sfatourmay050er.jpg

I've really enjoyed the couple of SFA shows I've been to though (both tiny ones). OK Gruff mumbles a lot, but he's also very charming as a lead singer.

Not yet and might not but even Elephant leaked when it was only released on vinyl. This was posted on a SFA board just yesterday "There's unlikely to be a leak. There are only a few journos with the album, and they are all numbered and copy protected, they don't even play in a computer."

Meanwhile track listing was posted this week on NME a few days ago and this is from yesterday: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/05-05/19.shtml#furry

Looking forward to this album above any other this year and might actually make people notice, can only hope.

This is the first time in History of SFA that America will get to feel the love first: hat new album, Love Kraft, will be released by XL in the UK on August 15, and in the U.S. on August 9. I think there is a mistake on Pitchforks part, so I shouldn’t feel too bad about mine, as they are signed to Sony in the UK and XL in the US.

USA or Europe? Know where I can see this?

i have all the sfa albums don't know whether to buy it or not.
pls advise

I think I went off the Furries a wee bit after seeing em at the CIA a year ago, they did an interminably long section in the middle of their set which featured all the slowies which totally kille the mood of the gig.

I'm also of the opinion they should start doing something a little bit different, I'm so bored of hearing TMDGAF at the end of every gig.

Saying that when I saw them at Ashton Court in Bristol back in July they were rather tip-top, Slow Life as an opener works really well.

Who sings what on LK? The sleevenotes don't reveal much...

I'd love to be able to stick it on a comp but have no way of doing it myself. I'm also after "Charge" the b-side off Ysbeidiau Heulog, I've got the 7" but again have no way of sticking it on a CD.

Fingers crossed!!!

Louie

There's another secret track on the Outspaced compilation. It's an instrumental which I think is called Skinning Up For Jesus, it's not so essential but it's pretty cool nonetheless. All you need to do to hear it is the same thing to hear Citizen's Band.

n smoking is a awesome track!!!

think ice hockey hair as their best single...even because they always choose bad singles, don't they?

-- hub (hub4fu...), September 6th, 2005.

email me!

but it goes back to check it out n there's nothing!

thing is- not working. D*O*H*

Ta!

This is probably going to be pretty awesome:

SEPARADO!
Soundtrack Festival

Release date: 19 November 2009
Running time: 84 mins
Director:
Starring: Gruff Rhys

This Premier of Separado! will be followed by a Q&A session with pop legend GRUFF RHYS (Super Furry Animals), Director Dyl 'Goch' Jones and Guardian journalist and author Will Hodgkinson.

Star Trek meets Buena Vista Social Club in this psychedelic western musical as Welsh pop legend GRUFF RHYS (Super Furry Animals) takes us on a pan continental road trip in search of his long lost Patagonian uncle, the poncho wearing guitarist RENE GRIFFITHS. In 1880, following a controversial horse race that led to an unresolved death, Gruff Rhys' family split as Dafydd Jones took his young family to join the burgeoning Welsh community in Patagonia, South America. There was to be no contact between the families for almost a century when in 1974 Rene Griffiths arrived in Wales with his Latin infused Welsh love songs and became an overnight sensation. Director Dyl 'Goch' Jones follows Gruff Rhys on a tour that takes in the theatres, nightclubs and desert teahouses of Wales, Brazil and the Argentine Andes as he discovers what became of his family, the Welsh Diaspora and its musical legacy. This Premier of Separado! will be followed by a Q&A session with Gruff Rhys, Director Dyl 'Goch' Jones and Guardian journalist and author Will Hodgkinson.

Am liking Gruff Rhys "Sadness Sets Me Free"

nice, tuneful pop rock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK-PADiO6rg

I thought the other 4 nailed it last year, but I guess the lack of interesting lyrics harmed it a little. Great fun, however.