Biffy Clyro
Singles 2001-2005
Beggars Banquet
by Vincent Danger
With Puzzle selling more than their previous three efforts (Blackened Sky, The Vertigo Of Bliss and Infinity Land) combined, it’s a safe bet that Biffy Clyro have gained a few new fans over the past couple of years.
The natural thing to do would be to release a compilation of their finest work – the singles that formed the basis for their hard touring up and down the British Isles and beyond. Here it is.
Sadly Singles 2001-2005 cares to omit all the often extravagant b-sides that Biffy so painstakingly recorded so any newcomers looking for a digest of the Scottish trio’s past work will unwittingly only skim the surface.
Due to the bordering-on-obsessive nature of hardcore Biffy Clyro fans, they will all have each and every single one of these singles in their collection, complete with b-sides and artwork and whatever other paraphernalia may have been tied in, making it an unnecessary purchase for everybody but the completists among us.
Watch the video to ‘My Recovery Injection’ by Biffy Clyro
However, if you’ve been a casual Biffy fan for the past decade (believe me, there are many), then this collection is a wonderful way for you to see exactly how the band has progressed from the dynamic and quirky tones of ‘27’ and ‘57’ to the obtrusively intricate and even more dynamic ‘My Recovery Injection’ and ‘Glitter And Trauma’.
Ultimately, it would have been the perfect scenario if they’d just made this a double album and included the bounteous b-sides as well. As it stands, despite being a fantastic set of Biffy songs, missing off half of the material from the singles means it’s just lacking a certain something.
4/6
Biffy Clyro Singles 2001-2005 is released on 7 July 2008 on Beggars Banquet
1 response so far ↓
1 Davalou // Sep 3, 2008 at 11:01 pm
I Picked this album up yesterday and checked the track listing. I was happy being a long time Biffy Clyro fan, I just bought it outright with a daft grin on my face. Getting home I read the CD Leaflet cover, and goose bumps filled my arms.
Then looking on I discovered that Beggars Banquet had Produced and released the album. I’m unsure on the bands relationship with their old label, but for an outsider looking in. This situation could very easily look like a bit of a piss take, and very easily be a way for BBQ to cash in on the bands recent success. But also you have to understand that this label gave Biffy their big break. Worked alongside them for over 4 years, to produce some of the finest music that I personally have ever heard. It is simply a good compilation album. Something you would give to someone who hasn’t heard Biffy. To Introduce them to a interesting and fascinating sounding band.
For a hardcore fan though, who has followed Biffy since the days of blackend sky, or even earlier to the days of iname. It is a real shame that BBQ havn’t had the brains to add the b-sides of the singles…Lets just hope they re-release it with the bonus be-sides in the near future.
“Look BBQ I know I’d part with my money again for all that content!”
I just hope that they can get the pound signs out their eyes and get it right a second time.
cheers, Dave
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