Super Furry Animals - Radiator poll

still think this is my favorite album by SFA, so many to chose from...

its gotta be "Play it Cool" for me, such a neat tune

Mountain People.

Torra Fy Ngwallt Yn Hir

Awesome reek kid - furry's best? "she's got spies" gets my vote luv

Love Kraft still gets my 'props'

I may just prefer Guerilla, Mwng, and Dark Days these days, but this is still pretty awesome. I'd probably vote for Play It Cool.

"She's Got Spies" is the best single thing they ever did. So....

Nah, that's Ice Hockey Hair

true.

Still, "We have ways of making you Think!"

Some Things Come From Nothing is the best thing they ever did, actually.

I've overplayed most of the songs on this album, but still enjoy listening to Chupacabras from time to time, so I voted for that one

This was a really difficult choice, but I ended up going for 'The International Language Of Screaming', which still packs a punch for me and has always sounded incredible live whenever they've played it. I could have easily picked anything from this record, though.

Love Kraft still gets my 'props'

― Peas, Ants, Pigs & Astronauts (PaulTMA), Thursday, October 20, 2011 11:48 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark

Love Kraft has always been much better than its 'reputation' suggests. Probably their best headphones experience, and definitely their best surround sound mix. In fact, I don't think this band created a disappointing album until their last one, 'Dark Days/Light Years'.

Some Things Come From Nothing is the best thing they ever did, actually.

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, October 20, 2011 3:19 PM (41 minutes ago) Bookmark

My SFA favourites change like the weather, from day to day, but there are THREE SFA songs that stand out head and shoulders for me no matter what mood I'm in... those three are 'Slow Life', 'Ice Hockey Hair' and 'Some Things Come From Nothing'.

Placid Casual vs. Demons vs. H<3sP vs. Play it Cool

hmmm..

fyi DD/LY >>> Love Kraft & Hey Venus!

Still my favourite SFA album. Hermann Loves Pauline for me, one of the strangest songs to ever make the top 30.

fyi DD/LY >>> Love Kraft & Hey Venus!

― HOOTERS FOOD AND BEVERAGE (Pillbox), Thursday, October 20, 2011 4:16 PM (24 minutes ago) Bookmark

Don't agree, I'm afraid.

Love Kraft, even though the songs are markedly less hooky than what came before it, has a production depth to it that truly comes alive on headphones. Every time I hear Love Kraft, I never fail to hear something new. I don't think there's a bad track on Hey Venus! either, and I've always found most criticisms of that record absolute nonsense. Yes, sonic 'experimentation' is part of what SFA do, but it's not the primary reason I like them.

Dark Days/Light Years is all about what the band do within a groove, but it features neither the production depth of Love Kraft (which means I got bored of the songs very quickly), and neither does it have as many memorable moments as Hey Venus! for me.

'White Socks/Flip Flops' and 'Pric' are gold - but 'Mt.', 'Moped Eyes', 'Inaugural Trams', 'Where Do You Wanna Go?/Lliwiau Llachar' all honestly bore me, which I could never have said about SFA material in the past. I find the 'Cardiff In The Sun' a total snoozer as well.

I like every album they've ever done and think they're the greatest band in the whole wide world, so my opinion is probably as invalid as it gets. I fucking love DD/LY. The fact "White Socks/Flip Flops" might very well be my fav. song on there blows my mind consider how Bunf's contribution to Love Kraft was my biggest problem with that album for the longest time (honestly, does anyone here like "Back on a Roll")?

Anyway, I voted for "Play it Cool." What a fun song. I also really love the production on Radiator for some reason. I know it's fucked up and trebly, but there's something neat about it.

By the way, what do you guys make of this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwr6c2Ws1yI

Much as I'm a production head, songs, hooks, and grooves win out. DDLY >>> Love Kraft for sure.

I really can't fathom finding Moped Eyes boring, but I also can't fathom why SFA never quite reached commercial success. There's rumblings they're through, but Gruff continues to deny it. Everyone in the band is currently doing solo albums now...

Much as I'm a production head, songs, hooks, and grooves win out. DDLY >>> Love Kraft for sure.

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, October 20, 2011 7:56 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark

Leaving production out of the discussion for a second, if we're talking about solely 'songs' then Love Kraft still has the edge IMO, since I don't feel that Dark Days/Light Years has that many proper songs on it. They're all 'grooves' which have been kinda reined in into something that approaches 'songs', but most of 'em to me fall flat. When it works, like on 'White Socks/Flip Flops' or 'Helium Hearts', it's great IMO - they're as hooky, groovy and song-y and catchier than the pox.

However, on Dark Days/Light Years there's also stuff like 'Mt.', which just circles around the same thing over and over with very not enough variation to keep my ears happy. It fails as an actual song, it's not hooky, and it fails as a groove too. Now, bringing back production into the equation, if something like 'Mt.' had a bit more production depth, it would bore me less and I wouldn't have got sick of it as quick. It just seems very stale.

I applaud them for trying out something different on the album, but for me Dark Days/Light Years just doesn't work. The track sequencing is all to shit, loads of tracks don't go anywhere, the album is overlong, the lyrics are terrible in places, and what feels like a thrilling sonic ride at first gets old so fast because upon closer scrutiny there just doesn't seem to be a lot there. IMO, it's 50% good-to-great, and 50% the worst thing the band has ever done, and doesn't have the lastability of repeated listens the way that not only Love Kraft does, but pretty much everything else they've released.

B-b-b-but The Very Best Of Neil Diamond!

I really can't fathom finding Moped Eyes boring, but I also can't fathom why SFA never quite reached commercial success.

The track just seems so limp, IMO. A one-chord chug with almost no melody. I like the drum sound, I like the bubbling synth bits and the phased effect on the vocals in the chorus, but that's about it. I don't think it's a great song by any stretch of the imagination and it doesn't have the level of hooks I'm used to from the band. The lyrics sound as if they were written during a smoke break, too.

In fact, I don't think this band created a disappointing album until their last one, 'Dark Days/Light Years'.

Rather OTM although I still think they have never quite managed to top "Radiator". They almost did several times though.

rhys looks so resigned to his fate in that video

what's the stylophone-y hook at the beginning from? it is nagging at me; i think mccartney solo, somewhere, or something of the sort?

The lyrics sound as if they were written during a smoke break, too.

Pretty true, actually...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldKJMA5oVb0

I dig the groove, though. What can I say?

B-b-b-but The Very Best Of Neil Diamond!

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, October 20, 2011 8:29 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark

The Very Best Of Neil Diamond is one of the keepers of the album for me, and I have a hell of a lot of time for it! It's the Turkish influence they hinted at on Into The Night brought to full fruition. The song is very visual too, this image of a house being destroyed while a Neil Diamond cassette plays. Brilliant track, one of the highlights of the record for me.

Rather OTM although I still think they have never quite managed to top "Radiator". They almost did several times though.

― Hongroe (Geir Hongro), Thursday, October 20, 2011 8:36 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark

Many people would agree with you on this one, Geir. 'Radiator' seems to be a popular favourite of both the casual and hardcore fans, and tends to get rated as one of their finest albums, if not their finest. I think 'Mwng' and 'Phantom Power' are easily as strong overall though, if not stronger! In fact, any of their first eight albums have occasionally been my 'favourite' at one point or another.

I love "Phantom Power". "Mwng" is a bit too out there, maybe, although I reckon that one too has enough good moments to be a good album.

Mwng is their least "out there" record, you crazy fool. It's their most straightforward sonically and songwritingly. It's just in welsh.

I love "Phantom Power". "Mwng" is a bit too out there, maybe, although I reckon that one too has enough good moments to be a good album.

― Hongroe (Geir Hongro), Thursday, October 20, 2011 9:21 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

Interesting that you think 'Mwng' is "a bit too out there", I've always felt that 'Mwng' was actually one of the most 'song-based' records in their catalogue. I'm very interested to know what you find 'out there' about it. I suppose there is the fact that it's their only album to be entirely in the Welsh language, but music in foreign languages isn't really an 'out there' idea, as I'm sure you're already more than aware!

The Welsh language in itself is rather out there ;)

The Welsh language in itself is rather out there ;)

― Hongroe (Geir Hongro), Thursday, October 20, 2011 9:33 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark

Because it's a minority language? Hmm. I still don't see how that makes it 'out there', people speaking foreign languages (minority or not) is very much of Planet Earth.

welsh is actually fictional, guys

Sure, maybe. Also have to say I never managed to get that album in an original edition, only have a copy. And it doesn't seem to be available on Spotify either.

But I do have sort of a problem following stuff by bands whose languages I don't know. I am just checking out Münchener Freiheit's later discography on Spotify, as I actually loved the three English language albums they did. But the later material is in German only, which makes it a bit more difficult to get into it, even if I know a little bit of German.

Mwng is a pretty amazing record and closes with one of their most overlooked epics. The band's always been ballad-oriented, yet the press and their detractors always seem to have a hard-on for their sillier fare.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (In Space)

But I do have sort of a problem following stuff by bands whose languages I don't know. I am just checking out Münchener Freiheit's later discography on Spotify, as I actually loved the three English language albums they did. But the later material is in German only, which makes it a bit more difficult to get into it, even if I know a little bit of German.

― Hongroe (Geir Hongro), Thursday, October 20, 2011 9:42 PM (11 seconds ago) Bookmark

But surely even if you don't understand the lyrics completely, you can still listen to the 'shape' and 'sound' of the words and the way they gel with the vocal melodies? And the emotion with which the words are sung? I mean, I can understand that lyrics can be very important for some and thus if they can't understand them, they feel like they're only getting a percentage of what's 'there'. But while I do appreciate a good set of lyrics (don't get me wrong), when it comes to material in foreign languages I focus more on the melody that the voice is carrying, the shape and sound of the words, and the emotion with which it is sung. Sometimes it pays off, and sometimes it doesn't, but I'm convinced that a strong song remains a strong song (and more importantly, comes across as a strong song) even if one doesn't understand the lyrics. I think they put up translations of the Mwng tracks up on one of their websites.

I don't disagree with that. And "Torra Fy Ngwallt Yn Hir" is actually a perfect example of a great phrase. It sounds great although I haven't the foggiest idea what it means.

Also have to say I never managed to get that album in an original edition, only have a copy. And it doesn't seem to be available on Spotify either.

― Hongroe (Geir Hongro), Thursday, October 20, 2011 9:41 PM (9 minutes ago) Bookmark

This may be because they put it out on their own label, so limited distribution, and stuff about licensing. It's a bit of a shame, because it's such a good record.

The band's always been ballad-oriented, yet the press and their detractors always seem to have a hard-on for their sillier fare.

― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, October 20, 2011 9:48 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

There is a lot of truth in this, all of their records have featured more than a handful of ballads. In fact, 'Radiator' is no exception: 'Demons', 'Mountain People', 'Down A Different River', 'Download', just to reel a few off. The band are as beautiful and slow as they are giddy and upbeat.

"Torra Fy Ngwallt Yn Hir" is actually a perfect example of a great phrase. It sounds great although I haven't the foggiest idea what it means.

― Hongroe (Geir Hongro), Thursday, October 20, 2011 9:52 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark

'Cut My Hair Long'.

I think I want to change my vote to "International Language of Screaming." It's pretty much the perfect dumb pop song.

So many good songs here...I went with my initial instinct and voted She's Got Spies. Fuzzy Logic is my favourite SFA album, though Out Spaced would be a contender if it counted. I got distracted post-Guerilla and I'm not sure I've heard any of the later albums in full.

"fyi DD/LY >>> Love Kraft & Hey Venus!"

translation - hey this boring record is better than these other two boring records. i switch back between thinking 'radiator' is best and thinking 'guerilla' is best. 'play it cool' is just a perfect song and exudes the "cool" that used to come so effortlessly to them. when they shifted into plaintive, pastoral mode it became all a bit meh.

I don't think either Love Kraft or Hey Venus! are boring records. That 'plaintive, pastoral' mode has always been there, too, just to different degrees on different albums.

Funny thing is that the SFA's Welsh language stuff hits my (American English) ears really easily. I tend to just mis-hear all the Welsh lyrics into random English phrases. Anyway, it seems much more compatible than, say, French or German. Which kind of makes sense, I guess...

I can't recall how I've voted in the past, but it's definitely between Radiator and Mwng. I still haven't managed to hear the secret track on Guerilla.

xpost to Pillbox

Yeah I agree with your assessment of Rings and David Fridmann production on the whole. Something about that big sound that's just dated really badly. I tried listening to The Great Eastern recently and the production got really tiresome after a few songs. Same with those later Mercury Rev albums I liked them all when they came out but really don't rate them much now, well All Is Dream has it's moments.

For me the weakest albums of theirs are Phantom Power and Rings Around The World, I know this in unpopular opinion but I went off those albums really quickly. They are the only albums where I think the big production totally overshadows the songs.

I love those two albums, and the production is part of the reason why I do. As stated elsewhere, "Phantom Power" was actually quite low budget, but the production is still gimmicky enough for me to love it, so I can understand, if you don't like that, it doesn't appeal to you either. The lack of gimmicky production (and not least the lack of slower songs) was why I didn't like "Dark Days/Light Years" much at all. It lacks both the gimmickery and not least the stylistic variation of their earlier work.

their songwriting grew gradually more patchier - with the gulf between their 'great' stuff and their 'meh' stuff getting wider and wider, eventually resulting in their final album 'Sleep/Holiday', the best of which ('Waking For Winter', 'Happiness', 'Pretty As A Bee') is sublime, IMO, but the worst tracks are just the pits.

― Turrican

This is one of the most OTM statements I've read on here. Sleep/Holiday is probably their weakest album but I remember getting it and thinking after those first two tracks you mentioned this was going to be a great album, then came Mow The Lawn, easily the worst single they put out. Pretty as a Bee is indeed beautiful but the rest of the album was so dull. On the whole I love early Gorkys the most, buying those EP's was such an event for me growing up and that 20 compilation is just a perfect compilation. I do love a lot of later Gorkys songs but apart from Barafundle and most of Spanish Dance Troupe the albums were very patchy.

Euros has pretty much been uniformly terrible with the exception of his debut and one of the free albums that came out the last couple years. He really seems to have lost his knack of spontaneity.

I didn't really get to grips with Chops but Donkey Island was a great single. Not sure how many solo albums he's had out now but I gave up after Miracle Inn.

Going back to Gruff Rhys, I like his latest solo album but nothing is amazing as the first single which I was ridiculously obsessed with late last year. Probably my favourite song he's done since Run Christian Run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usGdERPWoPU

Great video too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOdHKNEaIpM

That's my fav. song on the album. I think it's phenomenal, really. Not an album to showcase him at the height of his powers, but a good Hey Venus-esque solo effort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHSa5kl14go&feature=related

Love this song. Don't get how people overlook it.

was always my favourite from that album. the real standout. i'm also a sucker for a 'woo-woo'

Yeah, I love both 'Liberty Belle' and 'At The Heart Of Love'. In fact, a lot of Gruff's solo career seems to be quite Phantom Power-like, even if Super Furry Animals themselves seem to have been trying to move away from that record.

'Shark Ridden Waters' was one of those tracks I really loved at first, but it's wore on me pretty quickly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgwizUTC368

I think this one could've fit in on Radiator, even as a Radiator b-side.

i ♥ this thread, really need to listen to this album tonight to make up my mind.

Okay I totally take back what I said about Phantom Power earlier in this thread, I played it twice since I posted about it and completely loved it. Can't believe I'd forgotten how great Liberty Belle and Venus & Serena are. Still think Golden Retriever is a bit rubbish and Out of Controll isn't that great but apart from those I enjoyed everything else on there.

It really is a great album. There was a lot of backlash around its release and I really didn't get it. "Golden Retriver," indeed, registered as a kind of a dud when I first heard it. It's a pretty harmless song if you listen to the album as an album, but it's definitely on the lower end of my favorite SFA songs. I find it too SFA-by-the-numbers, a similar problem I had with "Show Your Hand" on Hey Venus. Both songs are pretty poor representations of the band at its most melodic and creative. That said, imagine if they'd released an album full of songs like "Slow Life." Maybe they never will. That's the kind of song you can really only write once. At one point it was meant to be the opening track on Phantom Power.

I could never quite understand how tracks like "The Piccolo Snare" or "Venus and Serena" were overlooked. In a way, I think Phantom Power is SFA's last essential release. Though I'm still a massive fan, they haven't quite released anything as interesting or polished since. Love Kraft misses the mark because it contains some really questionable material (Lazer Beam, Back on a Roll), but I can see why the album has since amassed a following. I saw the band on that tour and they really nailed the material. "Atomik Lust," a contribution by the band's drummer Daf, has regrettably been overlooked by a lot of people. It's funny how the other voices in the band have really contributed some great songs that have shown they're an essential part of the band.

I played Phantom Power again today I think it's just moved up from being my joint least favourite with Rings to being my third favourite behind Radiator and Guerilla. Slow life might have made a better opening song, It obviously really works well as a live opener. I think it's sad Golden Retriver is one of their most well known songs but I can see why they thought it would be a hit. I was always surprised Hello Sunshine was the second single, The Undefeated always sounded like the bit hit on the album.

They picked really great singles early on, the single choices on Radiator were especially inspired but around this album they just lost their way. Not sure what the obvious single was on Love Kraft but as I already said I hated Lazer Beam when it came out, there is just no tune there. As already memtioned by Turrican earlier in the thread Runaway really should have been the lead single on Hey Venus and a huge single for them.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

It really is a great album. There was a lot of backlash around its release and I really didn't get it.

I don't really remember this! Pretty much every critical review I read in the UK of Phantom Power seemed to be really positive - even Q Magazine gave it a positive review! As for fan reception: it's difficult to please everybody all of the time. Some people thought the toning down of the production on 'Phantom Power' worked in its favour, others wanted something even more extreme in the production department than 'Rings Around The World'. Personally, I think both records have their own character and song-wise are as good as each other.

"Golden Retriver," indeed, registered as a kind of a dud when I first heard it. It's a pretty harmless song if you listen to the album as an album, but it's definitely on the lower end of my favorite SFA songs.

I guess the band have always written tracks that could be perceived as 'throwaway' or 'lighter in tone' in order to counterbalance the more meatier moments on their albums, but I've always felt (for the most part, and certainly up until VERY recently) that they've at least tried to make even their 'throwaways' a little bit interesting. With that in mind, I don't recall having any problems with 'Golden Retriever' as a single at the time, and certainly didn't consider it a 'dud' - personally, I was more confused that they chose 'Hello Sunshine' as the second single! The way I see it, is at least 'Golden Retriever' still has some substance to it... the inverted blues cliches of the lyrics written as though they're coming from the perspective of a dog, and I always liked that musical device in there where Gruff sings "'STOP!' said the puppy" and the drumming stops. Something like 'Where Do You Wanna Go?' just feels lazy and tossed-off by comparison - I get the feeling anybody with a knowledge of a couple of chords could have written that track, lyrics and everything. Whereas it doesn't take a musical Einstein to come up with the chord progression to 'Golden Retriever', but I certainly couldn't imagine anyone other than Super Furry Animals writing the rest of it.

In a way, I think Phantom Power is SFA's last essential release. Though I'm still a massive fan, they haven't quite released anything as interesting or polished since.

I think Love Kraft is a more 'interesting' record than Phantom Power, and definitely is more polished in the production department than Phantom Power is. However, if I had to choose between either one of Phantom Power or Love Kraft to select for a newcomer to the band to listen to, I'd go for Phantom Power for its relative accessibility.

"Atomik Lust," a contribution by the band's drummer Daf, has regrettably been overlooked by a lot of people.

Even though Q Magazine decided to give Love Kraft a mere two-star rating when it was released, even they still singled this track out as one of their highlights of the record, and one of their 'must download' tracks of that month!

Slow life might have made a better opening song, It obviously really works well as a live opener.

Live, yes, but on the album I'm not as convinced because I struggle to think of any other track that could have closed the album as well. I recall at one point they were toying with the idea of having the two 'Father Father' tracks bookend the album, but even with that in mind I still think 'Slow Life' is in the right place. It's head and shoulders above any other track on the album, IMO, with the possible exception of 'The Piccolo Snare'!

I think it's sad Golden Retriver is one of their most well known songs but I can see why they thought it would be a hit. I was always surprised Hello Sunshine was the second single, The Undefeated always sounded like the bit hit on the album.

I'm not really sure that 'Golden Retriever' is one of their more well-known songs! I'm just speaking from experience here, but whenever I've discussed Super Furry Animals to non-converts I've always had a limited range of answers - the most common of which being "who?", but aside from that maybe 'Ice Hockey Hair' or 'Something 4 The Weekend' (yup, still after all these years), or maybe 'Northern Lites', 'Juxtapozed With U' and '(Drawing) Rings Around The World' at a push. 'Hello Sunshine' was on some OC soundtrack compilation, too, but I remember being VERY surprised when they announced that one as the second single. I just didn't hear it as a single at all, even if it does open the album well. 'Venus & Serena', on the other hand, to me seemed to be an obvious single candidate and to this day I'm extremely surprised that it wasn't one!

They picked really great singles early on, the single choices on Radiator were especially inspired but around this album they just lost their way. Not sure what the obvious single was on Love Kraft but as I already said I hated Lazer Beam when it came out, there is just no tune there. As already memtioned by Turrican earlier in the thread Runaway really should have been the lead single on Hey Venus and a huge single for them.

― Kitchen Person, Sunday, October 23, 2011 9:48 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

I honestly don't think there were any obvious singles on Love Kraft, which I suppose was one of the things which threw people when it came to that album. I suppose with all of their other albums, folks could endlessly debate which songs could have been singles, but for the very first time here was an album with absolutely zero potential single candidates. Certainly, releasing 'Lazer Beam' as a single was (in its own way) death for the album, because it's comfortably the worst track on there as far as I'm concerned. They probably would have been better not releasing any, because it's not a 'hit single-y' type of album. Releasing the album after a singles retrospective as well was an extremely perverse move.

I'm convinced that if 'Run-Away' had been the first single from 'Hey Venus!', it would have given that album far more traction - it was far more in-step with what was going on at the time, and would have got the airplay/TV exposure/good distribution that 'Show Your Hand' got as a lead single, rather than the lousy airplay/bad distribution it got as the second single. They should have led with their ace first, because on that album they obviously didn't get a second chance.

And, indeed, singles for these sort of bands do not exist anymore!

(cf: Gorillaz having got to number one with "Dare" and so on, whereas "On Melancholy Hill" was barely released as such)

Yeah it's a shame bands like this will never have a top 40 hit again. Just looking at their discography they had 18 top 40 hits from God! Show Me Magic to Lazer Beam, that's really impressive. I think 2007 was around the last time they really could have made the top 40, Show Your Hand just missed out but Run-Away apparently made 120 which is kind of depressing, it really would have stood more of a chance as the lead single. I think the following year the charts changed for good. That's when even the bigger (and mainly terrible) indie bands just couldn't have hits beyond the first singles from their albums.

I think of Golden Retriever as one of their most well known songs as it's one of the few songs I've heard of theirs out at indie clubs (when I used to go) also I saw them on T4's on the beach a few years back, they did Show Your Hand as their new single and Golden Retriever as their hit. Although to be honest they could have done something from the Moog Droog ep, I don't think the mostly teenage audience would cared either way.

I like to think the kids went "oh this is quite interesting" but.

I actually don't agree they chose the best singles for "Radiator". "She's Got Spies" should have been a single!

wait, it wasn't? that was the only track on there that sounded like one!

Going for Hermann. Has Fuzzy Logic already been polled?

Yeah it's a shame bands like this will never have a top 40 hit again. Just looking at their discography they had 18 top 40 hits from God! Show Me Magic to Lazer Beam, that's really impressive.

They share with AC/DC the record for the highest number of top 40 hits without ever making the top 10!

I voted for Hermann <3s Pauline. Agree with all of the praise for Phantom Power upthread, my second favourite album of theirs after this one.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

That's a big tie!

WHOA! Four-song tie, with 9 votes each. Three out of four singles occupying the top spot, with the other single ("The International Language Of Screaming"), lagging miles behind with 3 votes. Aside from that, I'm quite surprised 'The Placid Casual' got more votes than 'Download'...

I saw them on T4's on the beach a few years back, they did Show Your Hand as their new single and Golden Retriever as their hit. Although to be honest they could have done something from the Moog Droog ep, I don't think the mostly teenage audience would cared either way.

I remember watching that and thinking 'why on Earth are they doing this?'. I have absolutely no problems with Super Furry Animals getting exposure, but that was definitely the wrong TV show for them. They were so out of place on that it was incredible. I, too, would have liked to think that one or two kids in the audience thought 'hmm, this is interesting', but mostly I just think they were more arsed about watching Kate Nash...

wait, it wasn't? that was the only track on there that sounded like one!

― frogbs, Monday, October 24, 2011 1:25 PM (9 hours ago) Bookmark

Hermann Loves Pauline, The International Language Of Screaming, Play It Cool and Demons were the four singles released from 'Radiator'.

Going for Hermann. Has Fuzzy Logic already been polled?

the only other album, outside of a greatest hits, that has been polled is: Super Furry Animals: Rings Around the World poll

i ended up voting for "Mountain People" but was not able to play it this week.

I'd love to see a Phantom Power or Love Kraft poll next...

There was some studio performance they did during Hey Venus! where the band was intentionally playing up the fact they weren't actually playing live. Daf (the drummer) was drumming in a chicken suit and I believe Gruff was not even opening his mouth during certain parts.

Pretty easy to find, really.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB_xSQI-gTI

Oh fuck, missed this. Would have voted for 'Demons'.

IS THE WINNER!

Having considered Bass Tuned To D.E.A.D. for my vote, I was about to go for Hermann <3s Pauline, and at the last minute went for Demons, remembering this did it for me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK9jE6knbzk

Yeah I remember loving that performance from the NME shows. I think I still have it on a video somwehere along with the Earl Brutus and Ultrasound performances from the same week.

Good turn out for this poll, would love to see some more of their albums done. Really happy with the results those are my five favourite tracks from the album. The biggest surprise is how well Chupacabras did, I've never been a huge fan of that one.

This thread has had me listening to a lot of SFA this week, sometimes I forget just how consistent they've been over the years.

Letting zeus let "Demons" win then maybe? :) My second favourite song on the album actually. Only "She's Got Spies" is better IMO.

these poll results rule! a four-way tie b/w my four favorite trax!

These polls have sent me back to Fuzzy Logic as well. I'm actually kind of stunned at the consistently high quality of songwriting on it. Where most SFA records have 2 or 3 songs that leave no real impression on me, Fuzzy Logic is ace 1-12.

Really!? Even the last two? As big a fan as I am, I always had trouble staying interested in the last couple tracks. I do love the chant "We'll be together for now and ever," but that one and "Long Gone" always felt like half songs to me.

i would replace she's got spies with intl language of screaming, but it's a good poll result imo

"Fuzzy Logic" is kind of unrefined to me. "Hometown Unicorn" shows snippets of later brilliance, but it is generally more of a "rock" album that what they would become later. Well, except for that last album that was completely devoid of slower stuff, then.

Anyone in here ever hear the last Ffa Coffi Pawb album, Hei Vidal!? That's where Gruff finally started writing songs, but still far from the spirit and melody that came out of him with SFA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psKZpWs3A14

Listening to this right now. It's sounding so perfect. I really wonder if the production is a flaw or a strength. It used to hurt my ears, but sometimes it makes so much sense.

http://youtu.be/mKUbhnxzgzM?t=2m22s

I've read a lot of criticisms about the overall sound of 'Radiator', the lack of bass being one of them. I think the album has this kind of static-y vibe to it in places, like it's coming through an old radio set, and I think it suits the record perfectly. It adds a lot of charm and character to the album which it would otherwise lack if it was given a glossy production job, IMO.