Never has a song used the word ‘fuck’ so much and to such good effect. This 1996 Super Furry Animals song is based around a throwaway line from Steely Dan’s ‘Showbiz Kids’ which starts innocuously enough and just explodes into a crescendo over the aforemented sample. 50 ‘fucks’ later and you’re left with one of my favourite songs of all time. A frequent encore in their live sets, the song is let loose from its original 5 minutes into a extended jam with techno beats and synths from keyboardist Cian before the rest of the band come back onstage and add the live instrumentation to bring the song back to its original form. I’ve seen this live maybe 5 or 6 times and it sounds different everytime.
You can download the original below, along with a 22 minute live version and the Steely Dan song from which it was sampled.
Coincidentally, the single cover is also one of my all time favourites. It features footballer Robin Friday. The inside notes read: “This record is dedicated to the memory of Robin Friday, 1952 to 1990, and his stand against the ‘Man’.” “Robin Friday was a nonconformist and lived every second of his life with an intensity that burned for all to see. Friday not only flicked V signs at goalies who stood no chance against his prowess but he flicked V signs at anyone who tried to tame him. He was the superstar of the suburbs, the one who made George Best look like a lightweight. – Paolo Hewitt & Paul ‘Guigsy’ McGuigan.” – thanks to superfurry.org.
Super Furry Animals – The Man Don’t Give A Fuck
Super Furry Animals – The Man Dont Give A Fuck Live From London’s Hammersmith Apollo
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