A guest series by The Robster
#26: Run-Away (2007, Rough Trade, RTRADS419)
According to Gruff Rhys,
“Run-Away came out of listening to Be My Baby too many times”.
That’s as good an intro as you need to this week’s single, for Run-Away is an unashamed homage to Phil Spector and his wall of sound. The second single from Super Furry Animals’ 8th album rates as one of their best. It’s a song that just speaks for itself when you hear it.
mp3: Run-Away
After a lot of experimentation and electronic noodlings on the previous two or three records, ‘Hey Venus’ saw the band strip everything back and make a record they could play live with little embellishment. Despite its simplicity, the band claims there is a narrative running through the songs, and that it is about a character called Venus and her journey from a small town to the big city. Run-Away comes right at the start of the story (it’s track 2 on the album but follows a very short intro called The Gateway Song). It opens with Gruff telling us “This song is based on a true story, which would be fine if it wasn’t autobiographical”, but as we all know by now, what constitutes a “true story” in Super Furryland is anyone’s guess. But why is Venus running away?
You found another love
Someone to wipe away your tears
I left it all behind of me
Never to turn and face my fears
This is followed by one of Gruff’s best couplets – and he was always pretty good at this:
We may have fought with teeth and nails
I still recall your banking details
If I was going to compile a SFA playlist for someone who had never heard them before, there’s no doubt Run-Away would feature pretty early. It showcases how, despite all the technical jiggery-pokery and psychedelic wig-outs they employed in a lot of their music, the band knew how to make pop music. Stripped back, they sounded as good as they ever were. There are some critics who don’t rate ‘Hey Venus!’ as highly as their other records, moaning how it doesn’t sound as adventurous or as sonically complex as anything else the band made. But it’s meant to be a pop record, and pop music isn’t meant to be complex. Run-Away is a perfect example of how simple great pop music can be. Spector would be proud.
Despite its brilliance though, Run-Away wouldn’t set the charts alight. In fact, despite reaching number 1 in the Indie charts, it only got to number 120 in the UK. It would be the last time they would have a single anywhere in the charts. It was also the last time for 9 years that physical formats of a SFA single would be commercially issued. Like its immediate predecessor, there were two formats – a 7” picture disc and a CD. Both contained this absolute gem of a b-side:
mp3: These Bones
More and more, the other members of the band were contributing songs to albums, and this is one were Gruff takes a step away from the microphone. I can’t say for sure, but I reckon it’s either Cian or Bunf taking over lead vocal duties here. It doesn’t matter who’s singing though, this is another straight-up pop song, inspired by two bands who had no doubt been massive influences on them right from the start – ELO and the Beach Boys. One of the band’s best b-sides in my opinion.
The third track on the CD single was very different to the others:
mp3: That’s What I’m Talking About
This is more of a “conventional” SFA song (if there is such a thing) and it’s obvious it would never have been in contention for inclusion on the album. I’m quite surprised they didn’t hold it over for their next record like some other songs written around the same time as those on ‘Hey Venus!’.
This week’s bonus track is an interesting live take on Run-Away, captured on long-running Irish TV show Other Voices. It’s just Gruff and Guto in a kitchen accompanied by acoustic guitars, a cheap keyboard and a glockenspiel. It lacks the Spector feel of the original, but the tune still shines through.
mp3: Run-Away [live on Other Voices]
Next week, we enjoy a Super Furry Christmas!
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 