Album Review: Super Furry Animals - Love Kraft

Author: Dollyrocker

The sticker on the front of the lovely new SFA album has a few quotes on from various previous reviews ranging from 'Gorgeous' to 'Their most satisfying album to date', which is quite a big statement for a band on their seventh album in less than ten years. A lot of us will have grown up with the SFA, so if 'Fuzzy Logic' was the first night on the town whilst your parents were on holiday, this LP has to be a life defining stoned picnic on a beautiful summers day. No huge surprise that they roped in Sean O' Hagan from The High Llamas then, they are long time admirers of his ability to recreate the classic 'Pet Sounds' sound, this compliments the Furries sound incredibly well too.

'Love Kraft' opens with 'Zoom!', no not the Fat Larry's Band song, that was covered by The Boo Radley's years ago. No, SFA's 'Zoom!' is classic descending chord structures and Pink Floyd Fender Rhodes piano tinkles all the way, sounding absolutely gorgeous too. Hilarious lyrics in there too, classic SFA whimsy; 'Sold you a Dalmatian but the spots fell off, pooled them altogether as a hairy moth' - genius! 'Atomic Lust' carries on with a similar style to 'Zoom!' with a more psychedelic sound, not ones of the LP's stronger songs, but the night is young. 'The Horn' is absolutely gorgeous, a Dylanesque kind of waltz with plenty of 'la la la's'.

'Ohio Heat' is about as bright and breezy as it gets, like a kind of 'Love Street' re-written for the SFA sound. 'Lazer Beam' us the first single from the album, should have already hit the shops by the time you read this. This is without a doubt the albums most upbeat moment, features a kazoo and is classic SFA summer pop, a little like 'Play It Cool' or 'Golden Retreiver'. 'Oi Frango' is an instrumental which shuffles along brilliantly and really shows the High Llamas influence too with the Brazilian influences. 'Cabin Fever' finishes off an absolutely lovely LP, one which might slightly divide fans, there is little of the old skool wackiness of 'Radiator' or 'Guerilla', instead SFA have made a record that glides rather than soars and it sounds like it suits them. Bless their furry socks.

Classic Albums: The Beatles - Revolver

Author: Dollyrocker

When it came to picking which Beatles LP to review as a classic album, I was left in a bit of dilemma. Y'see, I was such a big Beatles fan between the ages of 12 and 14, that literally all I did between schooltime and bedtime was listen to The Beatles. I don't count the first five albums, as (in my personal opinion) all of them bar 'Hard Days Night' were pap. By the time I had reached 13 years of age, I had listened repeatedly to all of the Beatles LP's that mattered, and was patiently waiting for someone (Hi Dean!) to buy me 'Revolver' on tape.

The very first Beatles LP I had heard was 'Rubber Soul', the 1965 masterpiece where The Beatles simultaneously discovered acid and decided to pretend to be black soul men. Maybe they should have quit whilst they were ahead. 'Revolver' was released less than one year after 'Rubber Soul', so you'd think that it would be roughly the same (lets face it, they hadn't exactly broken any boundaries with the progression through their previous LP's). Well, you would be wrong. And here is how wrong;

Taxman: I have to admit that although I am not a huge fan of this Harrison ditty about being robbed of his dough, it does make a BRILLIANT opening for an LP, and also gave Weller a number one hit 14 years later with 'Start'. The cheeky blighter...

Eleanor Rigby: I'm sure that some people would cuss me for this, but this is just f*cking dreadful to me, McCartney in a thankfully rarely to be repeated moment of drivelling misery with awful string quartet backing. Nice idea, but no.

I'm Only Sleeping: A Lennon song. I'm not such a big fan of Lennon as a general rule, but he really does save this LP with his tracks, as McCartney was obviously suffering from, as my friend Max would say; 'Too many bongs and not enough burgers'. This track is just superb, we have backwards guitars, Lennon as his wistful best... (loving the yaaaawn 2.01 into the track) and some really, really nice harmonies, some of which we will hear later again on the LP. Thanks for this John, we won't mention 'The Ballad Of John & Yoko' in this blog, promise.

Love You Too: Oh my good gawd. Harrison let loose on the sitar was never going to be a good idea. It kind of works later in their career, but this just sounds up it's own arse to be honest. If anyone reading this can enlighten me as to why we got this track on the album, can they drop me a mail and let me know.

Here, There and Everywhere: McCartney comes good, with a pretty little song about a loved one. Actually reminds me of "Rubber Soul" in spirit, or even something like; "If I Fell" off 'Hard Days Night'. Nice one Paul, this is one of the LPs brighter moments, and makes it all the more interesting for it. Nice fingerclicks too.

Yellow Submarine: I don't really want to talk about this, it's just too upsetting for words.

She Said, She Said: This is just brilliant, like really nice summer psychedelia about a girl who is doing Johns head in. Nice organ drones triggering off the wah wah guitar too.

Good Day Sunshine: This song opens Side Two, and is one of those summer feelgood songs from McCartney. Great piano build up intro too.

Any Your Bird Can Sing: A bit like a more upbeat take on "She Said", but much more uplifting. This is probably one of the last songs of this vain that the band put out, and this was also covered by The Jam.

For No One: McCartney was to extend the theme of female loneliness on "Sgt. Peppers", but not before penning this little ditty. It's OK, but when one of the highlights is the French Horn solo you know it's time to move on.

Dr. Robert: Lennon back on the mic here with a sped up version of "Taxman". It's got B-side written all over it to be honest. One of my old friends DJs under the name 'Dr. Robert' but he also wears desert boots so we'll leave it at that.

I Want To Tell You: I like this one. I'm not sure who wrote it, but I think it might have been George. You can hear practically hear Syd and the boys squatting outside the door picking up tips on psych vocal fade outs.

Got To Get You Into My Life: Nice bit of Stax rip off from Paul, the only saving grace he has is that he has a good song to pull it off. Nice ending too.

Tomorrow Never Knows: The real genius of Revolver lies behinf this track. This track still sounds modern today, as exemplified by The Chemical Brothers when they re-wrote it as 'Setting Sun'. A great end to a middling, yet somehow classic status LP.

There are some good tracks on this LP, it just baffles me how it gets classic status though, as "The White Album" and "Rubber Soul" just seem so much more interesting to me. One for the wish list rather than a cash purchase then.