Puzzle (Biffy Clyro album)

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Puzzle
Puzzle cover
Studio album by Biffy Clyro
Released 4 June 2007 (UK)
18 September 2007 (USA)
Recorded The Warehouse Studio
Vancouver, Canada
The Farm Studios
Gibsons, Canada
Genre Rock
Label 14th Floor
Roadrunner
Producer Garth Richardson
Biffy Clyro
Professional reviews
Biffy Clyro chronology
Infinity Land
(2004)		 Puzzle
(2007)
Singles from Puzzle
  1. "Semi-Mental"
    Released: 25 December 2006
  2. "Saturday Superhouse"
    Released: 5 March 2007
  3. "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies"
    Released: 14 May 2007
  4. "Folding Stars"
    Released: 16 July 2007
  5. "Machines"
    Released: 8 October 2007
  6. "Who's Got A Match?"
    Released: 4 February 2008

Puzzle is the fourth album by Scottish band Biffy Clyro, released in the UK on 4 June 2007 on 14th Floor, as well as in the USA in August 2007 on Roadrunner. It is the band's first album release since leaving Beggars Banquet. The album reached #2 in the UK Albums Chart and was voted the best album of 2007 by Kerrang!

Contents

[edit] Overview

The album was recorded from September to November 2006 at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, Canada, and The Farm Studio in Gibsons, Canada. It was produced by Garth Richardson, mixed by Andy Wallace in New York, and mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk. The band said that they had 40 tracks to choose from[1], and that they had been recording with composer Graeme Revell and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra whilst making the album[2]. The artwork for Puzzle and its subsequent singles was designed by Storm Thorgerson. The track listing was confirmed on 21 February 2007[3]. This album is noted for its departure from quirky and sometimes unconventional songs as on their past albums, and has a far more straight-forward, mainstream sound.

[edit] Track listing

  • Songs and lyrics by Simon Neil, Music by Biffy Clyro. Published by Good Soldier Songs.
  1. "Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies" – 5:18
  2. "Saturday Superhouse" – 3:19
  3. "Who's Got A Match?" – 2:23
  4. "As Dust Dances" – 4:34
    • "2/15ths" - 1:02
  5. "A Whole Child Ago" – 3:07
  6. "The Conversation Is..." – 3:40
  7. "Now I'm Everyone" – 3:50
  8. "Semi-Mental" – 3:22
    • "4/15ths" – 0:45
  9. "Love Has A Diameter" – 3:53
  10. "Get Fucked Stud" – 3:37
  11. "Folding Stars" – 4:15
  12. "9/15ths" – 2:46
  13. "Machines" – 3:56
  • "Semi-Mental", "Saturday Superhouse", "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies", " Who's Got A Match","Folding Stars" and "Machines" have been released as singles. Limited editions of the album contain the bonus track "Drop It".
  • Fans who pre-ordered the iTunes download received a 10 minute video entitled Pieces, which contains footage of the band at their four night run at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, Scotland, in December 2005, as well as two exclusive bonus tracks:
    • "Semi-Mental (Acoustic)"
    • "As Dust Dances (Acoustic)"

These bonus features are as yet unavailable separately.

[edit] Limited edition

Along with the regular 13-track album, there is a limited edition release with a bonus track, "Drop It" (a re-recording of a demo, "Drop It Dickhead"), as well as a bonus DVD, which includes a 40 minute documentary, The Making of Puzzle, as well as the videos for "Semi-Mental", "Saturday Superhouse" and "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies".

[edit] B-sides

Certain songs which were played live or announced on different occasions through blogs on Myspace or announcements through the official Biffy Clyro website have been left out of the track listing for Puzzle. These eventually appeared as B-sides to the singles lifted from the album:

"Saturday Superhouse" B-Sides

  • "Scared of Lots of Everything"
  • "I'm Behind You"
  • "Miracle Of Survival"

"Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies" B-Sides

  • "Relief or Fight"
  • "Loneliness"
  • "Kittens, Cakes and Cuddles"

"Folding Stars" B-Sides

  • "Asexual Meat Kitchen"
  • "A Headline"
  • "Coward"

"Machines" B-Sides

  • "Hermaphrofight"

"Who's Got A Match?" B-Sides

  • "Umbrella (Rihanna Cover - Radio 1)"
  • "But I'm Serious"
  • "Cracker"

Unreleased B-Sides

  • "Help Me Become Captain"
  • "Captain, Sir..." (A counterpart to "Help Me Become Captain")
  • "I'm Probably In Your Pocket"

[edit] Personnel

  • Simon Neil – vocals, guitar, glockenspiel
  • James Johnston – vocals, bass guitar
  • Ben Johnston – vocals, drums
  • Garth Richardson – producer
  • Andy Wallace - mixing
  • Mike Fraser - engineer
  • Howie Weinberg - mastering
  • Graeme Revell – string and choir orchestrations
  • Seattle Symphony Orchestra – violins, violas, cellos, choir
  • Ben Kaplan – keyboard
  • Mike Norman – keyboard, saxophone on "Now I'm Everyone"
  • Dorothy Lawson – cello on "Machines"

[edit] Release history

Puzzle was released in various countries in 2007.

Country Release date Record label Format Catalogue number
United Kingdom 4 June 2007 14th Floor CD 2564698935
United States 18 September 2007 Roadrunner CD 1686-179762

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Rock Sound magazine interview with Biffy Clyro
  2. ^ Kerrang! magazine interview with Biffy Clyro
  3. ^ Kerrang! #1147, p. 6

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Biffy Clyro
Simon Neil · James Johnston · Ben Johnston
Studio albums
EPs
Singles
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