I think for all four of us Biffy are a big deal. They rock in another dimension, I absolutely adore the second and third albums experimental stuff and Puzzles more mainstream rock with a twist. Lately I've been gorging on their first album which, it turns out (yep I was late to it), is a powerhouse rock album. Biffy are an odd band and not everyone gets them. What makes them so special for me?
Ok, sometimes it's hard to quantify that. With Biffy I think the appeal is pretty simple. Simon Neil has a great voice that adds a soft yearning quality to all their songs and f*** me can he play the guitar? The twins, Ben and James Johnston are a brilliant rhythm section. Between them they make a racket that has a genuineness to it that I fell in love with back in 2003, in particular the single 'Questions and Answers' from the 'Vertigo of Bliss' album. It had one of the strangest 'on the cheap' videos I can remember, Simon being wheeled around by the band in a wheel chair and picked on by some little kids.
Cool song to huh? Quiet loud yeah? My thing, as you well know if you follow the blog.
What I loved about 'Vertigo of Bliss' is that I had absolutely no clue what the band we're singing about most of the time, but there was still a sense that every word meant something. They rock, hard at times, and there first album 'Blackened Sky' is a stunning debut from 2002. It is harder than the following three albums and lacks some of the quirkiness that followed but I love it for it's rawness and passion.
Joy. Discovery. Invention.
It's not a bad first song on your debut album is it? The quality on the sound on the above clip isn't much cop but if you have Spotify go find it and play loud.
Third album 'Infinity Land' was released in 2005 and for me it's something of a companion album to 'The Vertigo of Bliss' in that it's very odd in places and pretty dark too. It also has some of their best songs on. AT in particular loves 'Glitter and Trauma', whilst I always head for 'Wave Upon Wave Upon Wave'. Again I have no idea what it's about... it's just dark (there's screaming) jumps of style and one of the prettiest choruses ever. And a bit about having a knife in your hand, covered in blood and then something about magic. It's all over the shop but still brilliantly framed some how.
If you know me or have met me you'll know that this is exactly my cup of tea. It's followed by another of my favourite songs but I promised myself just my top song from each album but 'One More Word Comes to Mind' is another great great Biffy track.
Which brings us around to Puzzle from 2007. It is one of my favourite albums of all time, surely destined at some point for some Cross Blogination so I won't go into detail tonight. But it's an album that I love every song on, there is no chaff here. I feel like I wanna plough on and on about 'Puzzle' but I will bite my tongue and give you this, simply one of my favourite songs of all time.
Beautiful song isn't it?
There have been two singles so far from new album 'Only Revolutions' and I can not wait to hear more of it tomorrow. If you hate them, and I know some of you haven't been shy to point that out to me, Biffy are a rare beast these days, and you are missing out. Part of it is still that feeling that I'm part of a gang that follow a band that not everyone understands, and not many bands have that kind of aura about them any more. That four friends, who pretty much agree on nothing, agree about Biffy Clyro says something I think.
This Conversation is Over.
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