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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
After a short run of albums that found Super Furry Animals exploring their slower, more ponderous side, Hey Venus! sees Wales’ heady psychedelic explorers revisit the bright melodies and glammy bounce that powered earlier albums like 1999’s Guerilla and their fondly remembered debut, Fuzzy Logic. While a vague sort of concept album, following the narrative of a character, Venus, as she moves from a small town to a great metropolis, Super Furries know enough about songcraft not to let the backstory overshadow the melodies. "Run-Away" comes on like Queen and the Beach Boys jamming on a Christmas Top of the Pops, "Neo Consumer" is a pile-up of infectious vocal melodies, singalong choruses and electronic blips that stubbornly refuses to outstay its welcome, and as is customary these days, Bunf gets a chance on the microphone for the profoundly odd "Battersey Odyssey". And to play counter to all this cheer and exuberance, there’s a pair of late-doors slowies, "Suckors" and "Let the Wolves Howl at the Moon", that usher the album to a serene close. Eight albums in, and we’re still waiting for Super Furry Animals to deliver a dud album; at this rate, it’s never going to happen. --Louis Pattison
Product Description
SUPER FURRY ANIMALS Hey Venus! (2007 UK 11-track CD album - This is the 8th studio album from one of the UKs most loved & highly respected bands; since the release of Love Kraft in 2005 SFA have been far from taking a break projects keepingthem busy including a change of record label working on individual projects embarking on some orchestral work with renowned British composer Charles Hazelwood and writing & recording Hey Venus! featuring the single Show Your Hand)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Super Furry Belter........,
By
This review is from: HEY VENUS! (Audio CD)
At first, I was a bit underwhelmed by this effort. Im a massive SFA fan, and on first rotation, it seemed a bit of a let down. But I really should have known better. I shouldnt have doubted them. Its a cracker. Fairly short by their standards, but still delivers everything you'd expect from the furries.
Its actually a lot more closer in style to their early albums as opposed to the layered lushness of Love Kraft, or the phsycadelic oddessy of Rings Around the World. The songs are main priority. 'Gateway Song', to quote the lyrics, "takes us up nicely to the harder stuff", 'Run Away' has that lovely sweeping melody were all in love with and 'Show Your Hand' is just a classic pop song. Other highlights include the singlong shout of 'Neo Consumer (very Fuzzy Logic) and the impossibly catchy 'Baby Ate My Eightball'. I disagree with the review by Boris Vita below. Whats the problem with a slow song? Have you never heard 'Fire In My Heart', 'Hello Sunshine' and 'Gwreiddiau Dwfn/Mawrth Oer Ar Y Blaned Neifion'? Theyre all classics and slow as you like. The slower songs on here, like 'The Gift That Keeps Giving', 'Carbon Dating' and 'Let The Wolves Howl At The Moon' are top notch, and offer a pleasant meander through SFA lovliness. Overall, this album offers everything you'd expect from the furries; top quality songs, catchy hooks and gorgeous melody. If youre an SFA fan, you probably already got the album and know what im talking about. I just cant see a decline in quality in 8 albums. If youre an SFA virgin, this would be a good place to start. Once theyre in your life will be so much better with that Super Furry glow! SFA OK!
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply F'ing Amazing,
By A. Sweeney "I don't care what you call me" (London, England) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: HEY VENUS! (Audio CD)
Super Furry Animals return (have they ever been away?) with their eighth studio album, Hey Venus! and - let me cut straight to the case - it's wonderful. This is probably one of their least experimental albums and, although there have been dissenting murmurs amongst serious SFA fans that they're 'playing it too safe', I think this approach has paid dividends on one of their most consistent albums to date.
They are on top of their psychedelic form with this album chock-full of instant catchy melodies and close-knit Beach Boys-style harmonies and genuinely original songs which sound as if you've known them your whole life. It probably has more in common to their earlier efforts than their last couple of albums, but still has a slightly different and distinctly softer edge than anything they've done before. This album isn't likely to make headlines, win the Mercury Music Prize or feature in many 'album of the year' lists in a couple of months, but it probably deserves all those things, but because of their longevity, this release will probably pass all but the long-time SFA fan and the person dedicated to seeking out new, great music by. Their loss, I say. This is a brilliant album, full of warmth, love, fun, strangeness and eccentricity and one of the best I've heard this year. Highlights: The magnificent Run Away (one of the best songs they've ever released), the immensely catchy Show Your Hand and the gorgeous The Gift That Keeps Giving. Although those are my highlights, there isn't a bad song on this album. Highly recommended.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
oh yeah...,
By Beardy Pete (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Hey Venus! (Audio CD)
After the last 2 albums, Phantom Power and Love Kraft, I had pretty much accepted that SFA were moving irretrievably into mellower, less catchy/commercial sounding music. While the aforementioned LP's had some undeniably brilliant tunes on them I tend to prefer the brighter, more colourful material from their earlier days. So I'm made up with Hey Venus! To me it seems to be a real nod towards the experimental sounds of Guerilla and Radiator-era SFA, with a slightly more mature feel.
Obviously everyone has their own tastes and the Super furries seem to divide opinion among their own following (in terms of best albums etc) more than anyone, but I'd say this album only has a couple of weak tracks and these are more than made up for by the sheer fun and bouyancy of the majority. Indeed, from the idiosyncratic intro and (possible future single?) Runaway, I don't think the album stumbles until track 6 - Into the Night (which some people cite as a high-point so each to their own!). Then the brilliant, pulsating Baby Ate my 8 Ball kicks in and everything is great again. After this Carbon Dating and Suckers are slower, the former being a wistful atmospheric arrangement. Both tunes soar around your speakers and show SFA at their mature musical best. I don't particularly rate the 2 closing tunes (Battersey Odyssey + Let the Wolves Howl at the Moon) but I'd personally disagree with the reviewer that considers the second half of the album to be a snooze-fest. The pace does drop but I think the melodies are strong enough to prevent it becoming tired or repetitive. Anyway, it's all a matter of opinion but I don't think any fan of SFA will be disappointed with this offering. It's also accessible and "pop" enough that I would recommend to any casual browsers looking to buy their first Superfurry album.
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