Super Furry Animals

Super Furry Animals是后另類樂隊帶頭人之一，他們的音樂融合著眾多不同音樂種類——包括重搖滾、朋克、電子和前衛(wèi)搖滾等——創(chuàng)造著的的平穩(wěn)而旋律化的，玩世不恭的，隨心所欲的藝術化的搖滾樂。作為90年代中期威爾士音樂運動先驅(qū)人之一，Super Furry Animals早已被定性為門外漢——以他們用自己天然的嗓音去唱所有歌的趨勢，但他們的演繹方式是獨特的，充滿著古怪奇異的左翼觀點和激奮的行為。而他們以具有感染力的音樂敏感性以及不恭敬的態(tài)度讓Super Furry Animals在其他象Gorky's Zygotic Mynci,60 Foot Dolls和Catatonia這種威爾士樂隊中脫穎而出。Super Furry Animals96年發(fā)行了樂隊的第一張專輯Fuzzy Logic，此專輯一經(jīng)發(fā)行后在英國迅速成為眾人注目的焦點，爬上專輯銷量榜前40位并最終多年占據(jù)著前10名，壓倒了一切反面批評。
 
Super Furry Animals在1993年成立于威爾士的Cardiff，樂隊包括Gruff Rhys(主唱和吉他手),Huw “Bunf” Bunford (吉他手兼伴唱),Guto Pryce (貝斯手),Cian Ciaran (鍵盤手), and Dafydd Ieuan (鼓手)。這五個人——成立樂隊之前——在還是青少年時就一直從事著樂隊形式的演藝生涯，其中以Rhys最為出眾，曾在一個叫Emily的獨立流行樂隊里干過，這個樂隊后來還簽到了Creation旗下，還有個威爾士噪音搖滾樂隊Ffa Coffi Pawb。Ffa Coffi Pawb解散之后Rhys與Pryce和Ieuan一起組了一支三人樂隊，這支最終演變發(fā)展成現(xiàn)在的Super Furry Animals。Super Furry Animals最初是個電氣流行樂隊，然而他們迅速向后迷幻和前衛(wèi)流行發(fā)展。經(jīng)過兩年的歌曲創(chuàng)作和巡回演出，樂隊最終和Cardiff當?shù)氐莫毩⑵放艫nkst簽約并發(fā)行了他們的首張EP——Lianfairpwllgywgyllgoger Chwymdrobwlltysiliogoygoyocynygofod (In Space)，這首歌完全是用威爾士地方語言唱的。一個月以后樂隊又出了另一張也是用威爾士語的EP——Moog Droog。這兩張EP都是由Gorwel Owen出任制作的。
 
到1995年底，Super Furry Animals已在威爾士當?shù)刳A得了一個基礎扎實而且跨越個年齡階層的歌迷團體，緊接著在英國全境內(nèi)也吸引了越來越多的樂迷，樂隊的人氣激升最終讓Super Furry Animals給Creation簽唱片合同，樂隊也以Creation發(fā)行了總共6張專輯。在簽到Creation之前，樂隊就決定用標準英語唱絕大多數(shù)的歌，以獲得更大范圍歌迷的擁護。96年春天樂隊發(fā)行了兩張中游水平的單曲碟“Hometown Unicorn”和“God! Show Me Magic”之后，Super Furry Animals接著和Owen一起制作了樂隊的第一張專輯——Fuzzy Logic，并在96年的6月在全英發(fā)行，專輯也取得了一致的好評。一個月后，Super Furry Animals音樂中的幾處歌詞效仿便已為流行文化所借鑒——最為突出的是對于威爾士毒品走私販Howard Marks的模仿，他還出現(xiàn)在Fuzzy Logic的專輯封面上，由此Super Furry Animals也成為英國獨立音樂中最具嬉皮士形象的樂隊。在96年春出席流行音樂節(jié)時，樂隊在一個碩大無比的坦克里的形象也讓Super Furry Animals一度聲名狼藉。
 
“Something 4 the Weekend”和“If You Don't Want Me to Destroy You”在96年秋天成為了流行單曲，后者還被Steely Dan編輯成“The Man Don't Give a Fuck”收錄在他們的“Showbiz Kids”中，但Donald Fagen不同意授權Steely Dan使用。到了11月，他總算發(fā)慈悲讓“The Man Don't Give a Fuck”做成一張限量版EP于12月初發(fā)行，這張唱片還在英國銷量榜上排到了第22位。Super Furry Animals在97年1月再次進入錄音棚錄制他們的第二張專輯Radiator，這張專輯發(fā)行于97年的8月份。兩年后樂隊出了專輯Guerrilla，2000年中期發(fā)行了Mwng。
 
Super Furry Animals were one of the first post-alternative bands, fusing together a number of disparate musical genres — including power pop, punk rock, techno, and progressive rock — creating a shimmering, melodic, irreverent, and willfully artsy rock & roll. As one of the leading bands of the mid-90s Welsh movement, they were already tagged as outsiders by their tendency to sing entire songs in their native tongue, but their very approach was unique, full of both whimsy and left-wing political activism. What set them apart from their fellow Welsh bands were their infectious melodic sensibilities and their wildly irreverent attitude, which peers like Gorkys Zygotic Mynci, 60 Ft. Dolls, and Catatonia lacked. Super Furry Animals 1996 debut album, Fuzzy Logic, became a major English hit, charting in the Top 40 and placing in the Top Ten of many year-end critics polls.
 
Formed in Cardiff, Wales, in 1993, Super Furry Animals were comprised of Gruff Rhys (lead vocals, guitar), Huw Bunf Bunford (guitar, vocals), Guto Pryce (bass), Cian Ciárán (keyboards, electronics), and Dafydd Ieuan (drums). All five members had played in bands throughout their teens prior to forming the group, most notably Rhys, who had previously played in a jangle pop band named Emily that was briefly signed to Creation, as well as a Welsh noise rock band called Ffa Coffi Pawb. Following the dissolution of Ffa Coffi Pawb, Rhys played in a trio with Pryce and Ieuan, which eventually evolved into Super Furry Animals. Initially, the group was a techno outfit, yet they quickly evolved into a neo-psychedelic and progressive pop outfit. After two years or writing and touring, the band signed with the Cardiff-based independent label Ankst and released their debut EP, Lianfairpwllgywgyllgoger Chwymdrobwlltysiliogoygoyocynygofod (In Space), which was sung entirely in Welsh. It was followed within a few months by another EP, Moog Droog, which was also sung in Welsh. Both EPs were produced by Gorwel Owen.
 
By the end of 1995, Super Furry Animals had gained a strong, cross-generational fan base in Wales while gathering a strong cult following in Britain, which led to a six-album record contract with Creation Records. Prior to signing with Creation, the band had decided to sing the majority of their songs in English, in order to reach a wider audience. Super Furry Animals and Owen produced the groups debut album, which was preceded by two singles in the spring of 1996 — Hometown Unicorn and God! Show Me Magic — which became moderate hits. Fuzzy Logic, the bands debut album, was released in the U.K. in June 1996 to uniformly excellent reviews. Within a few months, SFA had become one of the hippest bands in British independent music, with several of the groups lyrical touchstones — most notably the notorious Welsh dope smuggler Howard Marks, who appeared on the cover of Fuzzy Logic — having become pop culture references. Super Furry Animals also became infamous during the summer of 1996 for attending all of the pop music festivals in a gigantic tank.
 
Something 4 the Weekend and If You Dont Want Me to Destroy You became hit singles in the summer and fall of 1996. The latter single was scheduled to have a B-side called The Man Dont Give a Fuck, which was built on a sample of Steely Dans Showbiz Kids, but Donald Fagen refused to give the group permission to use the recording. By November, he relented and The Man Dont Give a Fuck was released as a limited-edition single in early December, and it reached number 22 on the U.K. charts. Super Furry Animals entered the studios in January 1997 to record their second album, Radiator, which was released in August 1997. Guerrilla followed two years later, and in mid-2000 the band resurfaced with Mwng. Cameos by John Cale and Paul McCartney were featured on the ambitious 2001 album Rings Around the World, while 2003s Phantom Power was a looser affair. The compilation Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1 and the new album Love Kraft were both released in 2005. The group signed with the Rough Trade label in 2006 and released the addictive pop album Hey Venus! in 2007.