Come friendly fire
I LOVE the Super Furry Animals, so a new Gruff Rhys solo album is always going to make me dance a little jig. It's called Candylion and it's out on January 29th.
The obvious difference from his previous solo effort 'Yr Atal Genhedlaeth' is that some (most) of the songs are in English. [Example Welsh lyrics from 'Yr Atal': "Ni yw y byd, Ni yw y byd, Glynwn fel teulu achos Ni yw y byd. Ni yw y byd, dewch bawb ynghyd, Paratown am chwyldro achos Ni yw y byd. Ni yw y byd, Ni yw y byd, Yfwn ein cwrw achos Ni yw y byd. Ni yw y byd dewch bawb ynghyd, Lluchiwn ein gwydrau achos Ni yw y byd Ni yw y byd, Ni yw y byd, Carwn ein gelynion achos Ni yw y byd"] It's also a much more polished and poppy affair. It's evident if you've listened to an SFA record, that the man has more tunes than a cough sweet factory. And you'll find yourself humming along to several of the tracks on here.
I would't count lead single 'Candylion' among my favourites on the album. But it's quite sweet. Check out the video:
What i've really fallen for is the near 15-minute album closer 'Skylon!'. A love story set on an hijacked aircraft, it's apparently a nostalgic look at 1970s terrorism... 'before people started blowing themselves up'. The music sounds appropriately nostaligic, with a psychedelic groove (and accompanying far out noises and flutes) that you might expect to find on a 'Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve' record. Wonderful stuff.
GRUFF RHYS - SKYLON!
A new SFA album is one of the things i'm looking forward to most in 2007. But this will tide me over nicely until I can get my hands on that.
If you're just falling into a skunk haze, this may rouse you somewhat. I've just come across this mix by Rub 'n' Tug, who I eulogised about last week. I'm not the biggest Beastie Boys fan in the world (well, not since 'Licence to Ill' anyway. Christ, that seems a long time ago), but Tom & Eric have made them more than listenable here.
This was an unofficial release, and is a version of 'An Open Letter to NYC' from the 'To The 5 Boroughs' album. To be honest i'm tempted to write 'an open letter to NYC' myself after my visit there last month. It was an unreservedly disasterous trip... and well, if all New Yorkers' idea of hospitality is what I experienced, then I won't be hurrying back!
Maybe I ought to rework this for London. We don't seem to have the same inclination in this country to constantly sing the praises of our towns & cities, but it might work.
'Hackney, Harringey, Stoke Newington & Lambeth;
from up at Ally Pally across to Crystal Palace.....
..... Black, White, London you make it happen!'
On the other hand, no. It sounds shit doesn't it! Best leave it to the sceptics.
Although I still feel I have a song in me somewhere that will leave the people of the world dreaming of the romance of Slough's bus stations and car parks. After all, i've been to plenty of shitty places that have been immortalised in song. Acapulco, Copacabana and LA spring to mind!
Maybe I will call it 'Silicon Slough'. The chorus will go 'Extensive transport links make Slough one of the most important business centres in the South East of England'. I could also sing about 'Montem Mound'. 'A mysterious mound of earth' that's drawn sightseers from as far away as Maidenhead. There's also of course the world's largest Tescos.... enough to fill anyone with civic pride. Yes, I can see a number one hit coming together here...
THE BEASTIE BOYS - NEW YORK CITY (RUB 'N' TUG MIX)
The obvious difference from his previous solo effort 'Yr Atal Genhedlaeth' is that some (most) of the songs are in English. [Example Welsh lyrics from 'Yr Atal': "Ni yw y byd, Ni yw y byd, Glynwn fel teulu achos Ni yw y byd. Ni yw y byd, dewch bawb ynghyd, Paratown am chwyldro achos Ni yw y byd. Ni yw y byd, Ni yw y byd, Yfwn ein cwrw achos Ni yw y byd. Ni yw y byd dewch bawb ynghyd, Lluchiwn ein gwydrau achos Ni yw y byd Ni yw y byd, Ni yw y byd, Carwn ein gelynion achos Ni yw y byd"] It's also a much more polished and poppy affair. It's evident if you've listened to an SFA record, that the man has more tunes than a cough sweet factory. And you'll find yourself humming along to several of the tracks on here.
I would't count lead single 'Candylion' among my favourites on the album. But it's quite sweet. Check out the video:
What i've really fallen for is the near 15-minute album closer 'Skylon!'. A love story set on an hijacked aircraft, it's apparently a nostalgic look at 1970s terrorism... 'before people started blowing themselves up'. The music sounds appropriately nostaligic, with a psychedelic groove (and accompanying far out noises and flutes) that you might expect to find on a 'Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve' record. Wonderful stuff.
GRUFF RHYS - SKYLON!
A new SFA album is one of the things i'm looking forward to most in 2007. But this will tide me over nicely until I can get my hands on that.
If you're just falling into a skunk haze, this may rouse you somewhat. I've just come across this mix by Rub 'n' Tug, who I eulogised about last week. I'm not the biggest Beastie Boys fan in the world (well, not since 'Licence to Ill' anyway. Christ, that seems a long time ago), but Tom & Eric have made them more than listenable here.
This was an unofficial release, and is a version of 'An Open Letter to NYC' from the 'To The 5 Boroughs' album. To be honest i'm tempted to write 'an open letter to NYC' myself after my visit there last month. It was an unreservedly disasterous trip... and well, if all New Yorkers' idea of hospitality is what I experienced, then I won't be hurrying back!
Maybe I ought to rework this for London. We don't seem to have the same inclination in this country to constantly sing the praises of our towns & cities, but it might work.
'Hackney, Harringey, Stoke Newington & Lambeth;
from up at Ally Pally across to Crystal Palace.....
..... Black, White, London you make it happen!'
On the other hand, no. It sounds shit doesn't it! Best leave it to the sceptics.
Although I still feel I have a song in me somewhere that will leave the people of the world dreaming of the romance of Slough's bus stations and car parks. After all, i've been to plenty of shitty places that have been immortalised in song. Acapulco, Copacabana and LA spring to mind!
Maybe I will call it 'Silicon Slough'. The chorus will go 'Extensive transport links make Slough one of the most important business centres in the South East of England'. I could also sing about 'Montem Mound'. 'A mysterious mound of earth' that's drawn sightseers from as far away as Maidenhead. There's also of course the world's largest Tescos.... enough to fill anyone with civic pride. Yes, I can see a number one hit coming together here...
THE BEASTIE BOYS - NEW YORK CITY (RUB 'N' TUG MIX)
posted by headphonesex @ 1:16 AM
