Cian and Daf’s songs are fine tbf
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Sex, War and Robots
White Socks/Flip Flops
Both top tier songs with Bunf on lead vocals.
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Counterpoint - none of these are album highlights but they aren’t as bad as Back on a Roll nor Mt.
He’s a brilliant backing vocalist, though, when you pay attention to those things. Gruff clearly the best songwriter of the group in any case.but white socks is a great song. May be my fav. from dark days.
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Speaking of the other songwriters. I like that they’ve avoided writing SFA-esque songs and are going deep into their sound catalog. Not gonna rate up there like an SFA LP but so far I am excited for their 17-track release in a couple weeks based on the songs they’ve released. They hit the right part of my brain - the squelches, bass lines and odd vocal lines pop up in just the right spots.
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I don’t understand how everyone doesn’t love this one. This put the dumbest smile on my face the first time i heard it. It’s like bing bong pt. II, with flashes to the early days, especially the backing vocals. And then it goes all prog-like. The project is a trumph based on this one alone. I am going to listen to it right now.
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This is their best song so far. Kind of a shame it’s not on the album.
I’m enjoying the rest because I’m a blind fanboy, but that track is absolutely an honor to the SFA sound and vision. It does not disgrace it at all. They got it right there.
Uploaded today. Classic doc.
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I’m coming to the conculsion that Phantom Power is genius. It’s only taken 20 years to work that out. 
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Loved it upon its release, slotting straight into second behind Radiator. Although it doesn’t have the highs of Radiator, I’d argue that Phantom Power is their most cohesive album, and their best produced. Love the artwork as well.
Had they sold out to Coca-Cola on ‘Hello Sunshine’ that album could have been huge in America…
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I noticed scraps of Das Koolies tracks in the documentary. Definitely noticed the bit from the Welsh track. Subliminal marketing or was it always there?
Phantom Power may very well be their greatest. The harmonies and lyrics writing are the best they ever did at least. “Cityscape Skybaby” is stunning. That the album ends in “Slow Life” is an incredible achievement.
I’ve heard Love Kraft is their best mastered and produced album on the whole when you listen on 5.1, but it doesn’t have the songs. The Phantom Power reissue sounds immaculate to me.
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Listened to the album for the first time in years last night and ‘Cityscape Skybaby’ is indeed a wonderful song. Couldn’t listen to ‘Slow Life’, though, however incredible it is. Put that down to seeing them play it everytime I saw them live.
That’s my only qualm about SFA, in that they very rarely varied their setlists.
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That is true. They rarely deviated from the hits post Guerrilla once Phantom Power came out. I think they were playing a pretty all encompassing set on their last tour.
This new interview with Das Koolies hints at why Gruff isn’t around. It’s not actually that surprising. They wanted to keep going after the last tour and it seems Gruff isn’t interested, so they had to form a new band out of necessity. They would’ve probably made a new SFA album otherwise. Creative differences. Daf says the chances of a new SFA tour or album are nearly nonexistent.
This is sad to hear because I’m bored senseless of solo Gruff at this point. There’s not a single one of solo albums that wouldn’t have been vastly improved by having the other four lads on it. Candylion without a six minute techno wig out at the end? Literally pissing songs away.
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I don’t know many who are really looking forward to Das Koolies but I sincerely like everything I’ve heard. It takes me back. It’s not SFA but it could be a hell of a lot worse considering Gruff wrote the songs. I like the sounds these guys make together.
I liked seeking new gods a lot but I’ve been pretty disappointed with a lot of his solo output since hotel shampoo. The songs are usually cute or clever, but too light weight. He’s great live with Y Niwl, though.
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I really like Gruff’s solo work but I’m starting to edge towards this. His albums are always worth a listen, but since Babelsberg nothing has really grabbed me, despite the occasional classic song (Loan Your Loneliness is brilliant.) I enjoy his live shows too but would much rather just see SFA again to be honest. I find it a little sad that he is basically all that is preventing them touring again and releasing new material.
I’m a lot more excited for Das Koolies than I would be about a new Gruff solo LP, purely by virtue of the fact that they feel new, different and a bit exciting. I’m going to Friday’s debut gig and really looking forward to it.
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this^
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Das Koolies is the closest the 4 of them have come to making an album or song as good as Gruff’s best solo stuff, to be fair. I’ve heard most of their side projects and some of them are decent but yeah the Magic’s coming back for me with DK. At least a little bit. It’s an overly long album (81 minutes, 17 tracks.) with a bunch of songs that sound different. Sounds as close as I can get to something like classic SFA. At least they’re inspired.
Not a Cliff cover. Gutted.