Barafundle

Last updated

Barafundle
Gzmbarafundle.jpg
Studio album by
Released7 April 1997
RecordedAutumn 1996
Genre Alternative rock, psychedelic folk, neo-progressive rock, Britpop
Length47:57
Label Fontana
Producer Gorwel Owen, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci chronology
Bwyd Time
(1995)
Barafundle
(1997)
Gorky 5
(1998)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [2]
Entertainment Weekly A− [3]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
NME 8/10 [5]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Select 4/5 [8]
Sputnikmusic4.5/5 [9]
Wall of Sound 85/100 [10]

Barafundle is the fourth album by Welsh psychedelic folk band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, which was released 7 April 1997 in the United Kingdom. The album's title comes from the name of a beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Contents

Songs are often sung in both Welsh and English, and the album's influences range from twee-pop to traditional folk music. Lynn Childs, father of singer Euros and violinist Megan, plays shawm and other traditional instruments on the album's occasional medieval interludes (for example, on "Starmoonsun").

Singles

Two singles were released from the album. The first single, "Patio Song", was released in late 1996 and became the band's highest-charting single in the UK, peaking at #41 in early 1997. The song also ranked #8 on John Peel's 1996 Festive Fifty countdown. [11]

The second single, "Diamond Dew", reached #42 on the UK Singles Chart in mid-1997. A contemporaneous non-album single, "Young Girls & Happy Endings", was also released in 1997 and appeared as a bonus track on some American copies of the album.

Track listing

All songs written by Euros Childs unless otherwise stated.

  1. "Diamond Dew" (Childs/James) – 2:50
  2. "The Barafundle Bumbler" – 1:53
  3. "Starmoonsun" (Lawrence) – 3:04
  4. "Patio Song" – 2:43
  5. "Better Rooms..." – 3:46
  6. "Heywood Lane" (Lawrence/Childs) – 2:52
  7. "Pen Gwag Glas" – 3:59
  8. "Bola Bola" – 1:53
  9. "Cursed, Coined and Crucified" (Lawrence) – 2:27
  10. "Sometimes the Father Is the Son" (James) – 3:21
  11. "Meirion Wyllt" – 2:48
  12. "The Wizard and the Lizard" (Lawrence/Childs) – 1:58
  13. "Miniature Kingdoms" (Lawrence/Childs) – 4:17
  14. "Dark Night" – 4:49
  15. "Hwyl Fawr I Pawb" (M. Childs) – 1:48
  16. "Wordless Song" – 3:20
  17. "Young Girls & Happy Endings" - 2:25 (US Bonus Track)

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorky's Zygotic Mynci</span> Welsh psychedelic folk/alternative rock band

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci were a psychedelic folk and alternative rock band which formed in Carmarthen, Wales, in 1991. The group performed music in both Welsh and English, and they had eight Top 75 singles on the UK Singles Chart during their career. They were prominent during the era known as Cool Cymru. The group disbanded in May 2006.

<i>Gorky 5</i> Album by Gorkys Zygotic Mynci

Gorky 5 is the fifth album by Welsh band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, released on 27 August 1998. It was their last album for Mercury Records and features the singles "Let's Get Together " and "Sweet Johnny".

<i>Spanish Dance Troupe</i> 1999 studio album by Gorkys Zygotic Mynci

Spanish Dance Troupe is the sixth album by Welsh psychedelic folk band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, released on 4 October 1999. The album was recorded at Stiwdio Ofn in Llanfaelog, Anglesey and mastered by Chris Blair at Abbey Road Studios. The album was the last to feature founder member John Lawrence, who had departed the band by the time the album was released.

The Prom is a piano-driven indie band. Chris Walla has done mixing for The Prom and they are on the Barsuk label which Death Cab For Cutie was with until 2005. The core of their sound is electric bass, piano and drums but their recordings sometimes also include organ, toy piano, synthesizer, guitar, violin, cello, flute, trumpet, and trumpet. The three members all contribute on vocals and on the organ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euros Childs</span> Musical artist

Euros Childs is a Welsh musician and songwriter, perhaps best known as the frontman for the band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and—as of January 2019—the keyboardist for Teenage Fanclub. His sister, violinist Megan Childs, was also a member of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, and their father Lynn played on some Gorky's recordings, most notably on Barafundle. Childs was born in Freshwater East, Pembrokeshire, and was educated at the Welsh-medium school Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin in Carmarthenshire.

Steffan Cravos is a Welsh rap and hip hop musician and artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard James (musician)</span> Welsh-born musician (born 1975)

Richard James is a guitarist, bassist and singer-songwriter originally from Carmarthen, Wales. He was a founding member of the band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, who split up in 2006. He performs and records as a solo artist, and as part of the bands Pen Pastwn and Locus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barafundle Bay</span>

Barafundle Bay is a remote, slightly curved, east-facing sandy beach, near Stackpole Quay in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is part of the Stackpole Estate, managed by The National Trust. The beach was once owned by the Cawdor family of Stackpole Court. On the northern approach to the beach are steps and a wall, which were built by the owners to ease their access to what was then their private beach.

John Lawrence is a Welsh musician. He was a founding member of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, but left the band in 1999, prior to the release of the band's sixth album Spanish Dance Troupe. As a solo artist, he has sometimes gone by the name Infinity Chimps.

Patio is the debut album by Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. It was originally released on 10" vinyl only in June 1992 on the Ankst label, and re-issued on CD in June 1995 with nine extra tracks. It is made up of a mixture of live, studio, and home recordings.

Gorwel Owen is a Welsh producer and musician. He has worked with Datblygu, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Super Furry Animals, Hwyl Nofio, Ffa Coffi Pawb, Gwenno, Steve Eaves, Melys, Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion, Llio Rhydderch and many others. He also co-writes, records and performs with his wife, the poet Fiona Owen; their third album Releasing Birds was released in 2015 via their label Yamoosh!. He is also involved in other music and sound-making activities such as free improvisation, composition and sound installation.

<i>The Unfairground</i> 2007 studio album by Kevin Ayers

The Unfairground is a 2007 album by Kevin Ayers, recorded with members of Ladybug Transistor, Teenage Fanclub, Neutral Milk Hotel, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and Roxy Music. It was his sixteenth studio LP and his first new set of recordings in fifteen years, as well as the last album released before his death in 2013. It was recorded in New York City; Tucson, Arizona; London; and Glasgow. It debuted at No. 14 in the UK Indie Album chart.

<i>Shooting at the Moon</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Kevin Ayers and The Whole World

Shooting at the Moon is the second solo album of Kevin Ayers, on Harvest Records. David Ross Smith of AllMusic writes:

A snapshot of the era, the album is saturated with original ideas, experimentation, and lunacy, all powered by the bottled grape.

<i>The Prospect Before Us</i> 1977 studio album by The Albion Dance Band

The Prospect Before Us is a British folk rock album, by The Albion Dance Band, which was released in 1977 on the EMI Harvest label.

<i>Tatay</i> 1994 studio album by Gorkys Zygotic Mynci

Tatay is the second release and first full album by Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. It was released in 1994.

<i>Bwyd Time</i> 1995 studio album by Gorkys Zygotic Mynci

Bwyd Time is the third full album by Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. It was released in 1995 and was the band's last album for Ankst. It features, amongst others, Anthony Saffery from Cornershop, who plays sitar on several tracks.

<i>How I Long to Feel That Summer in My Heart</i> 2001 studio album by Gorkys Zygotic Mynci

How I Long to Feel That Summer in My Heart is the seventh full-length studio album by Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. It was released on 18 September 2001 in the US, and on 24 September 2001 in the UK. It includes the single "Stood on Gold".

<i>The Blue Trees</i> 2000 studio album by Gorkys Zygotic Mynci

The Blue Trees is the seventh album by Welsh band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, released on 30 October 2000.

Jonny is a two-person band formed by Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub and Euros Childs of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. The two bands toured together in 1997 and Blake contributed to the Gorky's Zygotic Mynci album How I Long to Feel That Summer in My Heart (2001).

References

  1. Raggett, Ned. "Barafundle – Gorky's Zygotic Mynci". AllMusic . Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  2. Larkin, Colin (2007). "Gorky's Zygotic Mynci". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0195313734.
  3. Smith, Ethan (26 September 1997). "Barafundle". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  4. Sullivan, Caroline (11 April 1997). "Gorky's Zygotic Mynci: Barafundle (Fontana)". The Guardian .
  5. Cameron, Keith (5 April 1997). "Gorky's Zygotic Mynci – Barafundle". NME . Archived from the original on 13 November 1999. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  6. Levine, Robert (30 October 1997). "Gorky's Zygotic Mynci: Barafundle". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 9 March 2005. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  7. Sinagra, Laura (2004). "Gorky's Zygotic Mynci". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p.  339. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  8. Male, Andrew (May 1997). "Gorky's Zygotic Mynci: Barafundle". Select . No. 83.
  9. Jared P. (28 July 2010). "Gorky's Zygotic Mynci – Barafundle". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  10. Himmelsbach, Erik. "Review: Barafundle". Wall of Sound. Archived from the original on 15 April 2001. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  11. "Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - Festive 50s - 1996". BBC. Retrieved 15 January 2012.