Rings Around The World
by Super Furry Animals
  • Record Label: Epic
  • Release Date: Mar 19, 2002
Metascore
86

Universal acclaim - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Nude As The News
    100
    Rings Around The World takes another twelve bold strides forward, applying the technology explored on earlier efforts like Radiator and Guerrilla and the restraint exercised on the more lo-fi Mwng to a fresh set of songs that stretch the group's stylistic boundaries and provide the young century with one of its first classic albums.
  2. Magnet
    100
    A truly brilliant recording. [#53, p.93]
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  3. Mojo
    100
    SFA's first truly flawless album.... Sad, lush, romantic, beautiful, heartbroken, crazy, this is an album powerful enough to make you shout out loud in public or cry alone at night. [Aug 2001, p.96]
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  5. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    Unfortunately, that extraordinary core is at times marred by forced eccentricity.
  6. PopMatters
    90
    Rings Around the World might be stylistically all over the place, and some people may think it sounds like Super Furry Animals are desperately trying to show the world how clever they are, but it's so much fun to listen to, that it hardly matters. It's a near-perfect album, and we all should be thankful there are bands out there willing to throw everything they've got into a record just to see what happens.
  7. Almost Cool
    90
    Nearly everything is fair game with the group, and that's what makes this release one of their better ones.
  8. Dot Music
    90
    Beyond the shiny surface of these songs lurks an unusual wealth of detail decorating the landscape through which the Furries power, scattering verse after chorus after verse at breathtaking speed.
  9. Ink Blot Magazine
    90
    Rings Around the World flows extraordinarily well, making it all the more powerful.
  10. Village Voice
    90
    SFA uses 21st-century tools to achieve pop timelessness.
  11. Spin
    90
    Given its songs' consistent strength, Rings' extravagant extras rarely seem excessive. [Apr 2002, p.125]
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  12. Pitchfork
    89
    Their best album to date-- a bold claim to the upper echelon of rock.
  13. AllMusic
    80
    This is the first SFA album not to progress from its predecessor, or offer the shock of the new, and that's hard not to miss -- but, if this is the first SFA record you hear, it'll likely intrigue, even dazzle, with its kaleidoscopic blend of pop, prog, punk, psych and electronica.
  14. Rolling Stone
    80
    A widescreen musical masterpiece with a knowing wink. [28 Mar 2002, p.68]
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  15. Neumu.net
    80
    The Super Furries have indulgently embraced a collision of musical elements; what we hear is a jarring, yet surprisingly seamless, mix of sounds and exceptional songwriting.... Their best work to date.
  16. Playlouder
    80
    A triumph of style and content, a precious thing and proof positive that acid is well good for you.
  17. Launch.com
    80
    Yes, it's an earful of music, but it's a good earful, with more smarts, twists, turns and ear-pleasing trickery than one band should be allowed.
  18. Alternative Press
    70
    There's no doubt their musical literacy is impressive, but for every cliche it erases, Rings Around The World embraces two more. [May 2002, p.98]
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  19. Mixer
    70
    This kind of sonic bravado is truly impressive. [May 2002, p.72]
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Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best Album of 2002
47
#47 Most Discussed Album of 2002

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 45
  3. Negative: 4 out of 45
  1. YFinnau
    May 3, 2011
    10
    I'll make one thing clear, this album isn't musically perfect. However, I rated this album so highly based on the ridiclousness of it. It'sI'll make one thing clear, this album isn't musically perfect. However, I rated this album so highly based on the ridiclousness of it. It's fun to listen to and that is something that's not heard often in music. Listening to this album is an adventure, you don't know what comes next. Take No Sympathy for exmple, it's a soft folky song until half way when all of a sudden it's taken over by a wave of techno. I get so much satisfaction from listening to this album and I'm sure SFA had the greatest fun making an album like this. Sadly SFA lost much of this playfulness in their later albums… Full Review »
  2. Scarletti420
    Nov 24, 2021
    10
    Sidewalk serfer girl is one of my favorite songs of all time and this album in general is just really good. Listen to it if you can
  3. Ricko
    Nov 10, 2019
    7
    This is definitely a good album but based on what I had heard from friends and reviews I had read, I expected a little more. There are tunesThis is definitely a good album but based on what I had heard from friends and reviews I had read, I expected a little more. There are tunes aplenty but much of it sounds overly familiar. A lot of it reminds of the more intelligent albums released during the Britpop era of the 90's, this coming on the tail end of that. "Rings Around The World" is a good set of psychedelic pop songs but very much leaning on what has gone before. Nothing wrong with this. It's an influential album in its own way, I can hear a lot of where Elbow get their ideas from on this album. Glad I bought this album, worthy of a place in the collection without a doubt.… Full Review »
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