Mwng

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox album | name = Mwng | type = Album | artist = Super Furry Animals | cover = Mwng_cover.jpg | alt = | released = 15 May 2000 | recorded = 1999 at Ofn Studios, Llanfaelog, Anglesey, Famous Studios, Cardiff and Real World Studios, Box, Wiltshire | venue = | studio = | genre = {{flatlist| *Alternative rock *neo-psychedelia *psychedelic folk *lo-fi }} | length = 40:30 | label = Placid Casual<br />Domino <small>(2015 re-issue)</small> | producer = Gorwel Owen and Super Furry Animals | prev_title = Guerrilla | prev_year = 1999 | next_title = Rings Around the World | next_year = 2001 | misc = {{Singles | name = Mwng | type = album | single1 = Ysbeidiau Heulog | single1date = 1 May 2000 }} }} '''''Mwng''''' ({{IPA|cy|ˈmʊŋ|pron}}; English: ''Mane'') is the fourth studio album by Welsh rock band the Super Furry Animals, and the first by the group to have lyrics written entirely in the Welsh language. ''Mwng'' was released on 15 May 2000 on the band's own record label, Placid Casual, following the demise of their former label, Creation. The album includes the single "Ysbeidiau Heulog", and reached number 11 on the UK Albums Chart following its release—the first Welsh-language album to reach the top 20.<ref name=OCC>{{cite web|title=Super Furry Animals|publisher=Official Charts Company|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/super%20furry%20animals/#albums|access-date=9 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217184104/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/super%20furry%20animals/#albums|archive-date=17 February 2011}}</ref><ref name=NMEA>{{cite journal|title=NME's Top 50 Albums Of The Year|journal=NME|page=77|date=23–30 December 2000}}</ref> This success led to ''Mwng'' being mentioned in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom by Elfyn Llwyd, who described the record as a celebration of a "new wave of confidence in the Welsh nation".<ref name=UKParliament>{{cite web|last=Llwyd|first=Elfyn|title=Early Day Motion 800|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom|date=6 June 2000|url=http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=18173|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213021936/http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=18173|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 February 2018|access-date=9 November 2010}}</ref>

The Super Furry Animals had attempted to make a hit record with a commercial sound with their previous release, 1999's ''Guerrilla''. The record's singles failed to hit the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, so the band decided to go on "pop strike".<ref name=NMEB>{{cite journal|first=James|last=Oldham|title='I want to get into the brains of every big sister in the world'|journal=NME|pages=18–20|date=20 May 2000}}</ref> The group had written several Welsh-language songs during sessions for ''Guerrilla'', and opted to release them as a coherent album rather than issue "token Welsh songs" as b-sides—reasoning that, if their English pop songs were not going to be played on the radio they may as well release Welsh pop songs that would not get played on the radio.<ref name=NMEB /><ref name=WBWeekly>{{cite journal|first=Debs|last=Prowse|title=Super Furry Animals|journal=Welsh Bands Weekly|issue=8|pages=8–10|date=February 2000}}</ref> Singer Gruff Rhys stated that, although the decision to release a Welsh language album was not an explicitly political statement, he does feel the record is a "stand against globalisation".<ref name=NMEB /> Recording largely took place at Ofn Studios, Llanfaelog, Anglesey in 1999, with the band sharing production duties with Gorwel Owen. The "lo-fi" album cost just {{Currency|6000|GBP}} to make, in contrast with the "excessive expense" of ''Guerrilla'', and was recorded almost entirely live.<ref name=NMEB /><ref name=WBWeekly /><ref name=Independent>{{cite news|last=Sturges|first=Fiona|title=They're putting their money where their mouths are|work=The Independent|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/theyre-putting-their-money-where-their-mouths-are-278701.html|date=12 May 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128163312/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/theyre-putting-their-money-where-their-mouths-are-278701.html|archive-date=28 November 2018|access-date=28 November 2018}}</ref>

''Mwng'' is an understated rock record inspired by the band's love of "Anglo-American pop culture of the 60s, 70s and 80s."<ref name=BBC1>{{cite web|title=Super Furry Animals – Mwng track by track|publisher=BBC Wales|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/super-furry-animals/pages/mwng.shtml|date=27 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704142359/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/super-furry-animals/pages/mwng.shtml|archive-date=4 July 2016|url-status=live|access-date=28 November 2018}}</ref> The album has a "wintery persona" that is best summed up by the track "Ymaelodi Â'r Ymylon".<ref name=BBC1 /><ref name=DiS /> Rhys feels that the record marks the first time the band managed to escape their influences and clearly establish their own sound. The album's lyrics deal with a diverse set of subjects, such as the death of rural communities, old school teachers, and Sarn Helen (a Roman road built in Wales). Rhys has stated that many of ''Mwng''{{'}}s songs are highly personal reflections on what were difficult years for him.<ref name=VH1 /> Rhys has also expressed the belief that the album is accessible to non-Welsh speakers, as they can pick up on the mood of the songs even if they cannot understand the lyrics.<ref name=BBC1 /> Critical reception was generally positive, although some reviewers criticised the album for its "bare-boned production".<ref name=Q /> ''Mwng'' was included in both the ''Melody Maker'' and ''NME'' "Best album of 2000" lists, with the latter calling the record the band's best release.<ref name=NMEA /><ref name=MM2 /> The band were surprised by album's commercial success, entering number 11 in the UK charts, and going on to become the biggest-selling Welsh language album.

==Origins and recording== {{Quote box | quote = "As a band we speak a language that is virtually an invisible language. Welsh doesn't feature in the Webster's list of world languages, because there are fewer than a million people who speak it. Therefore it doesn't exist in the corporate world. When they build new roads through Wales, the government sells the contract to multi-national oil companies so they can open garages. The last thing on their mind is to make concessions to a local language. That's happening on a global scale to all small cultures. So, when we record a Welsh language album, it is a stand against globalisation, even if indirectly." | source = —Gruff Rhys, on the plight of the Welsh language<ref name=Select /> | width = 25% | align = right | style = padding:10px; }} The Super Furry Animals made a conscious decision to make a commercial-sounding "pop jukebox" record with 1999's ''Guerrilla''.<ref name=ExcellentOnline>{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Shane|title=Super Furry Animals interview|publisher=Excellent Online|date=1 September 1999|url=http://classic.excellentonline.com/article.php3?story_id=513|access-date=9 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710211502/http://www.excellentonline.com/story/super-furry-animals-interview-468|archive-date=10 July 2011}}</ref> The band had written the album's intended singles with the hope that they would become "radio hits", and were disappointed with the limited success they received: the first single, "Northern Lites", charted just outside the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart at number 11, while subsequent releases "Fire in My Heart" and "Do or Die" reached numbers 25 and 20, respectively.<ref name=NMEB /><ref name=BHS>{{Cite book|editor-last=Roberts|editor-first=David|title=British Hit Singles. 16th ed|publisher=Guinness World Record Ltd|date=c. 2003|page=452|isbn=0-85112-190-X}}</ref> The band blamed their record label, Creation, for the relative failure of the singles—particularly "Northern Lites", which they felt "could have been bigger" if the label had produced a better music video and conducted a more successful marketing campaign.<ref name=NMEB /><ref name=Uncut>{{cite journal|first = Piers|last=Martin|title=Album by album: Super Furry Animals|journal=Uncut|issue=131|pages=70–72|date=April 2008}}</ref> As a result, the group became tired of playing "chart games" and went on "pop strike", deciding to release music just "for the joy of it", with no agenda.<ref name=NMEB /><ref name=Mojo1>{{cite journal|first=Lois|last=Wilson|title=Gruff Rhys talks to Lois Wilson|journal=Mojo|issue=79|page=97|date=June 2000}}</ref>

The Super Furry Animals had written several Welsh language songs while they were working on ''Guerrilla'' and decided that, rather than releasing "token Welsh songs" as b-sides and album tracks, they would issue them together as a coherent record.<ref name=WBWeekly /> These tracks would be augmented by "Dacw Hi", a song written by Rhys in 1987 that he had never "had a chance to do before", and a cover of the track "Y Teimlad", which the group wanted to record because of their admiration for Welsh language band Datblygu (who originally wrote and recorded the song in 1984).<ref name=BBC1 /> According to Rhys, the Super Furry Animals reasoned that, if their English language pop songs were not getting played on the radio, they may as well make a Welsh language album featuring songs that would not be played on the radio.<ref name=NMEB /> Rhys has said that, although the decision to release a Welsh language album was not "an explicitly political statement", he does see ''Mwng'' as a "stand against globalisation", railing against "advanced capitalism" and the lack of interest shown in minority cultures by large companies who "just want to make money".<ref name=NMEB /><ref name=BBC1 /><ref name=Select>{{cite journal|title=Revolution rock: Gruff Rhys|journal=Select|pages=72–73|date=April 2000}}</ref> Rhys has also stated that his boredom with writing songs in English inspired him to write ''Mwng'', and that it is a very personal album, rather than a celebration of Welsh culture.<ref name=NMEB /><ref name=VH1>{{cite web|last=Levy |first=Doug |title=Super Furry Animals' Welsh Language Album Attracts Attention |publisher=VH1 |date=20 October 2000 |url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1224109/20001030/super_furry_animals.jhtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205173116/http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1224109/20001030/super_furry_animals.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 February 2013 |access-date=9 November 2010 }}</ref>

The "lo-fi" ''Mwng'' was recorded over two weeks in late 1999, and—in contrast with the "excessive expense" of ''Guerrilla''—cost just {{Currency|6000|GBP}} to make.<ref name=NMEB /><ref name=Independent /><ref name=ExcellentOnline /><ref name=Nude>{{cite web|last=Carpenter|first=Troy|title=Super Furry Animals: Mwng|publisher=Nude as the News|date=c. 2000|url=http://www.nudeasthenews.com/reviews/586|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030114104857/http://www.nudeasthenews.com/reviews/586|url-status=dead|archive-date=2003-01-14}}</ref> The band chose Gorwel Owen as co-producer, having previously worked with him on their first two albums, 1996's ''Fuzzy Logic'' and 1997's ''Radiator''. The majority of ''Mwng'' was recorded with Owen at Ofn Studios in Llanfaelog, Wales. According to Rhys, the band had to play in separate rooms to avoid the sound of one instrument bleeding onto the track of another during recording due to Ofn's small size.<ref name=Mojo1 /> "Y Gwyneb Iau" and "Ysbeidiau Heulog" were recorded at Famous Studios in Cardiff, and were engineered by Greg Haver, while "Y Teimlad" was recorded at Real World Studios, Box, Wiltshire, and was engineered by Michael Brennan Jr. "Sarn Helen" was recorded and engineered by keyboardist Cian Ciaran in his living room.<ref name=BBC1 /> Overdubs for all songs were added at Ofn with Owen, who also mixed the album at the studio along with the Super Furry Animals.<ref name=Linernotes1>{{cite AV media notes|title=Mwng|others=Super Furry Animals|year=2000|page=1|type=CD booklet|publisher=Placid Casual}}</ref> Songs were recorded almost entirely live, with the band wanting to make a "really immediate record" as a reaction against the drawn out recording sessions for ''Guerilla'' and 1997's ''Radiator'', which had taken several months and proved frustrating for the group.<ref name=WBWeekly /><ref name=Uncut /> The version of "Nythod Cacwn" that appears on the album is the original demo, with Rhys on drums. The band felt that, although the demo did not sound very professional, there was a warmth to it that would be impossible to recreate were the group to record the song again.<ref name=BBC1 /> The album's title translates into English as "Mane". According to Rhys, the band did not have the mane of a particular animal in mind, but felt it could be "an extension of a Super Furry Animal".<ref name=BBC1 />

==Musical style== {{listen |pos=right | filename = Super Furry Animals - Ymaelodi Ar Ymylon.ogg | title = Super Furry Animals "Ymaelodi Â'r Ymylon" (2000) | description = "Ymaelodi Â'r Ymylon" best sums up ''Mwng'' and exemplifies its "wintery persona".<ref name=BBC1 /><ref name=DiS /> This clip shows the transition from the second verse to second chorus and illustrates the track's harmony vocals. | format = Ogg | filename2 = Super Furry Animals - Y Gwyneb Iau.ogg | title2 = Super Furry Animals "Y Gwyneb Iau" (2000) | description2 = "Y Gwyneb Iau" has been compared to the music of Herb Alpert, The Doors, The Velvet Underground, Nick Drake and Gladys Knight.<ref name=BBC1 /><ref name=Q /> This clip features the end of the song's intro and the beginning of the first verse, illustrating the track's "maudlin horns and military beats".<ref name=MM1 /> }} ''Mwng'' is a "lo-fi", raw, and understated record of rock songs, "stripped of the bleeps and squelches" that appear on the Super Furry Animals' other releases.<ref name=NMEB /><ref name=Independent /><ref name=Pitchfork2>{{cite web|last=Hogan|first=Marc|title=Super Furry Animals: Fuzzy Logic / Radiator / Outspaced / Guerilla / Mwng|work=Pitchfork|date=6 June 2005|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11835-fuzzy-logic-radiator-out-spaced-guerilla-mwng|access-date=23 November 2010}}</ref> Although the album's lyrics are in Welsh, singer Rhys has said that "musically there's nothing Welsh about it at all", going on to state that the record's only real Welsh influences are Datblygu (the writers of "Y Teimlad") and Meic Stevens. Instead, the record is a tribute to the band's obsession with "Anglo-American pop culture of the 60s, 70s and 80s", and is an album that "can be understood on a musical level anywhere in the Westernised world" regardless of whether or not the listener can understand the lyrics.<ref name=BBC1 />

Bassist Guto Pryce said that he feels ''Mwng'' "sounds like an album" rather than a collection of individual songs, due to the fact it was recorded live and over a short period of time.<ref name=WBWeekly /> According to Rhys, ''Mwng'' marks a refining of the group's sound, with the band having "sieved off" their influences to truly sound like the Super Furry Animals for the first time.<ref name=BBC1 /> Rhys has said that, although keyboardist Cian Ciaran did not explore "digital frontiers" on the album, he was still able to "deconstruct songs", even when playing the harmonium.<ref name=BBC1 /> The band had previously thought of the saxophone as "the instrument of Satan", but actually used one on this record for the first time, reasoning that it was appropriate as ''Mwng'' is a "darkish album".<ref name=BBC1 /> Rhys described the album as the band's "monochrome" record, stating that it is "less dressed up" than their other releases, and that it is a "good introduction to [the group's] songwriting."<ref name=VH1 />

Rhys said that "if there's a song that sums up the album in terms of mood",<ref name=BBC1 /> perhaps it is "Ymaelodi Â'r Ymylon", typifying its "wintery persona".<ref name=DiS /> The track has been described by Rhys as a celebration of the band's love of The Beach Boys, Love, and Ennio Morricone, featuring layered vocal harmonies.<ref name=BBC1 /><ref name=SonicNet>{{cite web|last=Levy|first=Doug|title=Princes Of Wales |publisher=SonicNet|date=13 July 2000|url=http://www.sonicnet.com/artists/ai_album.jhtml?id=1122033&ai_id=23555|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010113094400/http://www.sonicnet.com/artists/ai_album.jhtml?id=1122033&ai_id=23555|archive-date=13 January 2001|url-status=dead}}</ref> "Pan Ddaw'r Wawr" features a "wheezing harmonium" and "perishing trumpet swirl", and has been compared to the music of XTC, Ennio Morricone, and "psychedelic-era" Rolling Stones.<ref name=Nude /><ref name=Mojo2 /><ref name=YahooMusic /><ref name=NMED>{{cite journal|first=Victoria|last=Segal|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/20000510145400.html|title=Super Furry Animals – Mwng|journal=NME|page=32|date=13 May 2000|access-date=7 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000620084714/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/20000510145400.html|archive-date=20 June 2000|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to Rhys, the music of "Sarn Helen" was written to provide the soundtrack to a fictional journey, "cruising down the A5 to Rome in a two-door chariot".<ref name=BBC1 /> The song has been called "evil personified" and dark, and has been likened to the sound of "an approaching Roman army".<ref name=DiS /><ref name=YahooMusic /><ref name=CMG>{{cite web|last=Hepburn|first=Peter|title=Super Furry Animals: Fuzzy Logic/Radiator/Outspaced/Guerilla/Mwng Reissue|publisher=Cokemachineglow|date=15 June 2005|url=http://www.cokemachineglow.com/record_review/2702/super-furry-animals|access-date=9 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100914142359/http://www.cokemachineglow.com/record_review/2702/super-furry-animals|archive-date=14 September 2010}}</ref> The "folky", eerily melancholic "Nythod Cacwn" has been compared to the Tori Amos single "Cornflake Girl".<ref name=MM1>{{cite journal|first=Andre|last=Paine|title=Super Furry Animals: Mwng|journal=Melody Maker|page=46|date=10–16 May 2000}}</ref><ref name=YahooMusic /> "Y Gwyneb Iau" has been described as a "brass-soaked" cross between the music of Herb Alpert and The Doors, featuring "maudlin horns and military beats", while Rhys has said that the song is a combination of Nick Drake, Gladys Knight, and The Velvet Underground's third album.<ref name=BBC1 /><ref name=Q /><ref name=MM1 /> "Ysbeidiau Heulog" and the album's opening track, "Drygioni", have been singled out as the only songs on ''Mwng'' that are "distinctly cheery".<ref name=NMED /> Both display glam rock influences and have been compared to Roxy Music, with Rhys describing "Ysbeidiau Heulog" as "old time pop music" with vocal harmonies that are a tribute to late 1960s groups such as the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band and Os Mutantes.<ref name=BBC1 /><ref name=YahooMusic /><ref name=NMED />

==Lyrical themes== [[File:Gruff Rhys Summercase 2008.jpg|right|thumb|Singer Gruff Rhys has described ''Mwng''{{'}}s lyrics as some of the best he has written<ref name=NMEB />]]

Lyrically, the album deals with subjects as diverse as "isolated communities, old school teachers and Roman roads", but maintains a "warped coherency".<ref name=NMEB /><ref name=Q>{{cite journal|first=David|last=Sheppard|title=Super Furry Animals: Mwng|journal=Q|issue=165|page=113|date=June 2000}}</ref> According to Rhys, ''Mwng''{{'}}s lyrics—which he considers to be some of his best—were written "very simply" and convey simple messages.<ref name=NMEB /><ref name=BBC1 /> The singer made an effort to be economical with his words, not communicating a lot of information with them.<ref name=BBC1 /> Rhys feels that the album is accessible to non-Welsh speakers, citing his own experience of listening to Nirvana: "If I listen to a Nirvana record I don't understand most of their lyrics cos he's just screaming away, but I just understand the frustration and the passion in his voice. I think equally people can get off on this record by just hitting on the mood of the song, or connecting to the mood of the song."<ref name=BBC1 />

Several of the songs on ''Mwng'' feature quite solemn, personal lyrics, which reflect on a difficult few years for Rhys.<ref name=VH1 /> The single, "Ysbeidiau Heulog", is about "looking back at a bad time which had the odd good moment", while "Pan Ddaw'r Wawr" deals with the death of rural communities.<ref name=BBC1 /> The singer claims to have wept—rather than sung—the album's last track, "Gwreiddiau Dwfn" / "Mawrth Oer Ar y Blaned Neifion", which features lyrics "so bleak it's almost comic" about "being rooted to a sad piece of land [...] being doomed to live somewhere and that's all you have and that's what you're stuck with".<ref name=BBC1 /> Rhys has described Datblygu's "Y Teimlad" as being about "not knowing what love is or what love means."<ref name=BBC1 /> "Drygioni" is a song about "sleaze [...] about good versus evil, and a person's need for both", and "Y Gwyneb Iau" is a "moody song about war" whose title is a Welsh insult that translates into English as "Liverface".<ref name=BBC1 /> In contrast, "Nythod Cacwn" is a comedic song, based on an incident involving drummer Dafydd Ieuan being chased by bees after he disturbed a beehive while attempting to build a bonfire on a beach. It features lyrics that were "made up on the spot" by Rhys.<ref name=BBC1 /> "Dacw Hi" is inspired by one of Rhys's former teachers who claimed she had eyes in the back of her head. "Sarn Helen" is about the decline of the Roman road of the same name that was built between North and South Wales. "Ymaelodi Â'r Ymylon" is partly inspired by the ostracisation the band felt from some areas of the Welsh musical community due to their decision to sing in English on earlier albums. The track's lyrics feature the old Welsh idiom "y cythraul canu", which means "the demon in music" and refers to the friction this can create between people.<ref name=BBC1 />

==Release and legacy==

The Super Furry Animals had originally intended to issue ''Mwng'' in March 2000, but the release was delayed due to the demise of the band's UK record label, Creation.<ref name=NMEC>{{cite journal|first=April|last=Long|title=The Fan-ish Inquisition|journal=NME|pages=16–18|date=22 January 2000}}</ref> The group have variously stated that Creation originally planned to issue ''Mwng'', but allowed the group to buy the rights from them for around {{Currency|6000|GBP}}, and that the company "didn't want to take" the record in the first place.<ref name=Uncut /><ref name=Chicago>{{cite web|last=Foran|first=Sean|title=Chomping celery with a Beatle: Super Furry Animals continue to get their freak on|url=http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/?p=308|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061030032908/http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/feb04_super_furry_animals.htm|work=Chicago Innerview|date=c. 2004|archive-date=30 October 2006}}</ref> The band decided to put the album out on their own label, Placid Casual, as they were worried that a label that did not understand the group might do something "horrific", such as putting a Welsh flag on the cover.<ref name=Uncut /> The "Mwng" logo on the cover is based on the logo for Mixmag.

''Mwng'' was eventually released on 15 May 2000 in the United Kingdom on CD, cassette, and vinyl, and reached number 11 in the UK Albums Chart.<ref name=OCC /><ref name=YahooMusic>{{cite web|last=Gilbert|first=Ben|title=Super Furry Animals – 'Mwng'|publisher=Yahoo! Music|date=12 May 2000|url=http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/l_reviews_a/13882.html|access-date=9 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613171948/http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/l_reviews_a/13882.html|archive-date=13 June 2011}}</ref> In the United States, ''Mwng'' was released on 20 June 2000 by Flydaddy, with a bonus CD entitled ''Mwng Bach'' ({{IPA|cy|ˈmʊŋ ˈbɑːχ|pron}}; English: ''Little Mane'') featuring five Welsh language tracks: "Sali Mali", from the 1995 EP ''Moog Droog'', and four songs which had originally been released in the UK as B-sides.<ref name=Metacritic>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/mwng/super-furry-animals|title=Reviews for Mwng by Super Furry Animals|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=9 November 2010}}</ref> This two-disc version of ''Mwng'' was reissued in the US in 2005 by XL Recordings/Beggars Banquet US.<ref name=Pitchfork2 /><ref name=CMG /> "Ysbeidiau Heulog" was released as the only single from the album, and failed to chart inside the UK Singles Top 75.<ref name=BHS /> Although the Super Furry Animals had "no commercial expectations" for the album, ''Mwng'' became the first Welsh-language record to reach the Top 20 of the UK album charts, and has frequently been called the biggest-selling Welsh language album of all time.<ref name=NMEA /><ref name=UKParliament /><ref name=Mojo1 /><ref name=Popmatters>{{cite news|last=Lundy|first=Zeth|title=Super Furry Animals: Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1|work=PopMatters|date=2 February 2005|url=https://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/s/superfurryanimals-songbook.shtml|access-date=9 November 2010}}</ref><ref name=BBC2>{{cite news|title=Super Furry Animals biography|publisher=BBC Wales|date=17 November 2008|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/super-furry-animals/pages/biography.shtml|access-date=9 November 2010}}</ref> As a result of the record's success, ''Mwng'' was mentioned in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom by Plaid Cymru's Elfyn Llwyd, who called on his fellow politicians to congratulate the band on their "chart topping new album" and recognise ''Mwng'' as a celebration of a "new wave of confidence in the Welsh nation".<ref name=UKParliament /> Rhys dismissed Llwyd's statement, saying that the record is very personal and has "bugger all to do with a celebration".<ref name=VH1 />

In 2015, fifteen years after its release, Domino Records re-issued ''Mwng''. Deluxe vinyl, CD and download versions included content from the bonus ''Mwng Bach'' disc, originally included with ''Mwng'''s American release, along with live recordings and radio sessions.<ref name=Domino>{{cite news|title=Super Furry Animals Classic Fourth Album Mwng Given Deluxe Reissue on May 1st + Live Dates|work=Domino Records|date=27 February 2005|url=http://www.dominorecordco.com/uk/news/27-02-15/super-furry-animals-classic-fourth-album-given-deluxe-reissue-on-may-1st--live-dates/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908033853/http://www.dominorecordco.com/uk/news/27-02-15/super-furry-animals-classic-fourth-album-given-deluxe-reissue-on-may-1st--live-dates/|archive-date=8 September 2015|access-date=28 November 2018}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable" ! Region ! Date ! Label ! Format ! Catalogue |- |rowspan="3"| United Kingdom |rowspan="3"| 15 May 2000<ref name=YahooMusic /> |rowspan="3"| Placid Casual | Compact disc | PLC03CD |- | Cassette | PLC03MC |- | Vinyl record | PLC03LP |- |rowspan="1"| United States |rowspan="1"| 20 June 2000<ref name=Metacritic /> |rowspan="1"| Flydaddy | Compact disc | FLY 040–2 |- |rowspan="2"| United Kingdom |rowspan="2"| 7 May 2015 |rowspan="2"| Domino | Compact disc | REWIGCD98 |- | Vinyl record | REWIGLP98

|- |}

==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | MC = 84/100<ref name=Metacritic /> | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name=AllMusic>{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|title=Mwng – Super Furry Animals|publisher=AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mwng-mw0000067213|access-date=9 November 2010}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Alternative Press'' | rev2Score = 4/5<ref>{{cite journal|title=Super Furry Animals: Mwng|journal=Alternative Press|issue=148|date=November 2000|page=130}}</ref> | rev3 = ''The Guardian'' | rev3Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Sullivan|first=Caroline|title=Super Furry Animals: Mwng (Ankst)|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/friday_review/story/0,,214839,00.html|date=28 April 2000|access-date=9 November 2010}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Melody Maker'' | rev4Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name=MM1 /> | rev5 = ''NME'' | rev5Score = 8/10<ref name=NMED /> | rev6 = ''Pitchfork'' | rev6Score = 7.9/10 {{small|(2000)}}<ref name=Pitchfork1>{{cite web|last=LeMay|first=Matt|title=Super Furry Animals: Mwng|work=Pitchfork|date=20 June 2000|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/7601-mwng/|access-date=6 June 2005}}</ref><br />8.2/10 {{small|(2005)}}<ref name=Pitchfork2/> | rev7 = ''Q'' | rev7Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name=Q /> | rev8 = ''Rolling Stone'' | rev8Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name=RS>{{cite magazine|last=Walters|first=Barry|title=Super Furry Animals: Mwng|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=17 August 2000|access-date=7 June 2019|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/222436/mwng|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606004509/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/222436/mwng|archive-date=6 June 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev9 = ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'' | rev9Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Super Furry Animals|last=McLeod|first=Kembrew|author-link=Kembrew McLeod|page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/796 796]|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|year=2004|publisher=Fireside Books|location=London|edition=4th|isbn=0-7432-0169-8}}</ref> | rev10 = ''Select'' | rev10Score = 4/5<ref>{{cite journal|last=Manning|first=Toby|title=Super Furry Animals: Mwng|journal=Select|issue=120|date=June 2000|page=113}}</ref> }}

''Mwng'' received generally positive reviews from critics, with a score of 84 on Metacritic denoting "universal acclaim".<ref name=Metacritic /> AllMusic called the album "terrific", and stated that the band's decision to release an all-Welsh record was courageous and proof that they are "the great eccentric band of [their] time".<ref name=AllMusic /> ''Drowned in Sound'' called the album "a poignant, dark, curling, bundle of songs", but expressed sadness that the band's usual "skewed play on words" are missed by all but Welsh speakers.<ref name=DiS>{{cite web|last=Ansell|first=Rachelle|title=Album Review: Super Furry Animals – Mwng|work=Drowned in Sound|date=15 May 2000|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/2407/reviews/16|access-date=9 November 2010|archive-date=23 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323173757/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/2407/reviews/16|url-status=dead}}</ref> In contrast, ''Rolling Stone'' said that the album's "tight arrangements of melodic bliss" manage to cross the "Welsh-language barrier."<ref name=RS /> ''Yahoo! Music'' stated that ''Mwng'' cemented the Super Furry Animals' position as "figureheads of futuristic rock." The review went on to state that ''Mwng'' is "a theoretically disorientating and complex, but triumphantly audacious, experience", and said that initial reservations about not being able to understand the lyrics were lost when it became clear that Rhys was always "unintelligible [...] on record anyway".<ref name=YahooMusic />

Matt LeMay, reviewing ''Mwng'' on its initial release for ''Pitchfork'', described the album as being not as "fully realised or inventive" as 1999's ''Guerrilla'' and said that, although the record highlights Rhys's talents for songwriting, the lack of any "electronic wizardry" from keyboard player Ciaran is disappointing. LeMay went on to state, however, that ''Mwng'' is "still [...] a damned enjoyable listen", and said that the record "couples cultural pride with unforgettable melodies in a way few bands have ever attempted".<ref name=Pitchfork1 /> On the album's re-release in 2005, ''Pitchfork'' writer Marc Hogan stated that ''Mwng's'' "sinuous pop melodies and organic arrangements" make for an "exciting discovery", despite the lack of the band's "usual studio wizardry".<ref name=Pitchfork2 /> ''Q'' said that, while tracks such as "Ymaelodi Â'r Ymylon" and "Y Gwyneb Iau" are "strangely charming, chiming pop music with a twist", ''Mwng'' is hampered by its "bare-boned production".<ref name=Q /> ''Mojo'', however, described the album as a "sensuous sonic journey" with an "organic, woody, mystical atmosphere" that compares favourably with the overly-produced sounds of the band's previous records.<ref name=Mojo2>{{cite journal|first=Pat|last=Gilbert|title=Super Furry Animals: Mwng|journal=Mojo|issue=79|pages=97|date=June 2000}}</ref> The magazine went on to suggest the album's only flaw is that it "manages to lose its way for a while [...] in the middle", thanks to the poor sequencing of its tracks.<ref name=Mojo2 />

''Nude as the News'' stated that, although the record is "more reserved" than the band's previous releases, it "conjures up images of the Welsh winter in which the songs were recorded" and fits in with the group's "unique vision."<ref name=Nude /> ''Melody Maker'' described the album as a "sad, beautiful record", but expressed concern that the Super Furry Animals had moved away from the pop of ''Guerilla'' and called on them to deliver another release in the vein of the band's 1996 single "The Man Don't Give a Fuck".<ref name=MM1 /> Nevertheless, ''Mwng'' was ranked number 24 in the magazine's "Albums of the year 2000" feature.<ref name=MM2>{{cite journal|title=Albums of the year 2000|journal=Melody Maker|pages=84–85|date=20 December 2000 – 2 January 2001}}</ref> Website ''SonicNet'' described the record as a slightly retro album that sees the Super Furry Animals "refashion the past into the present".<ref name=SonicNet /> Art Sperl, writing for ''Rock's Backpages'' in December 2000, stated that although the album "[gathers] from the past", the band's influences are channelled "into a truly organic maverick pop".<ref name=RBPs>{{cite web|last=Sperl|first=Art|title=Super Furry Animals: Mwng/Gorky's Zygotic Mynci: The Blue Trees|publisher=Rock's Backpages|date=November 2000|url=http://www.rocksbackpages.com/article.html?ArticleID=2612|access-date=9 November 2010|url-access=subscription }}</ref> ''NME'' described ''Mwng'' as an antidote to the "preservative pumped-junk" music that they felt was prevalent at the time of the album's release, and placed it at number nine in their album of the year list for 2000, calling it the group's best record.<ref name=NMED /> The magazine also described the album as the most accessible Super Furry Animals release, despite its Welsh-language lyrics.<ref name=NMED /> Rhys has stated that he considers ''Mwng'' to be a "really pure record".<ref name=Uncut />

;Accolades

{|class="wikitable" |- ! Publication ! Country ! Accolade ! Rank ! Year |- | ''Melody Maker'' | rowspan="2"|United Kingdom | Albums of the year 2000<ref name=MM2 /> | 24 | rowspan="2"|2000 |- |''NME'' | Albums of the year 2000<ref name=NMEA /> | 9 |}

==Track listing==

{{Track listing | all_writing = Super Furry Animals except where noted | extra_column = English Title | title1 = Drygioni | extra1 = Badness | length1 = 1:23 | title2 = Ymaelodi â'r Ymylon | extra2 = Joining the Periphery | length2 = 2:57 | title3 = Y Gwyneb Iau | extra3 = Liverface | length3 = 3:54 | title4 = Dacw Hi | extra4 = There She Is | note4 = written by Ffa Coffi Pawb | length4 = 4:18 | title5 = Nythod Cacwn | extra5 = Wasps' Nests | length5 = 3:46 | title6 = Pan Ddaw'r Wawr | extra6 = When the Dawn Breaks | length6 = 4:29 | title7 = Ysbeidiau Heulog | extra7 = Sunny Intervals | length7 = 2:51 | title8 = Y Teimlad | extra8 = The Feeling | note8 = cover of song by Datblygu, written by David R. Edwards | length8 = 4:40 | title9 = Sarn Helen | extra9 = Named after the Roman road | length9 = 4:18 | title10 = Gwreiddiau Dwfn/Mawrth Oer ar y Blaned Neifion | extra10 = Deep Roots/Cold March on Neptune | length10 = 7:55 }} {{Track listing | headline = Mwng Bach (Little Mane) American bonus CD | extra_column = English Title | title1 = Cryndod yn Dy Lais | extra1 = Trembling in Your Voice | length1 = 3:13 | title2 = Trons Mr Urdd | extra2 = Mr Urdd's Pants | length2 = 4:37 | title3 = Calimero | extra3 = Named after the Italian cartoon character | length3 = 2:23 | title4 = Sali Mali | extra4 = Named after the Welsh children's book and television character | length4 = 4:35 | title5 = (Nid) Hon Yw'r Gân Sy'n Mynd i Achub yr Iaith | extra5 = This (Isn't) the Song That's Going to Save the Language | length5 = 3:49 }}

==Personnel== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} ;Band<ref name=BBC1 /><ref name=Linernotes1 /> *Gruff Rhys – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, drums on "Nythod Cacwn" *Huw Bunford – lead guitar, backing vocals *Guto Pryce – bass guitar *Cian Ciaran – keyboards, harmonium, backing vocals *Dafydd Ieuan – drums, backing vocals

;Additional musicians<ref name=Linernotes1 /> *Gary Alesbrook – trumpet *Matt Sibley – saxophone *Can Pierce – claps *Llyr Pierce – claps *Gorwel Owen – Stylophone {{col-2}} ;Recording personnel<ref name=Linernotes1 /> *Super Furry Animals – production, mixing, mastering *Gorwel Owen – production, engineering, mixing (Ofn Studios) *Greg Haver – engineering (Famous Studios) *Michael Brennan Jnr. – engineering (Real World Studios) *Stuart Hawkes – mastering (Metropolis)

;Artwork<ref name=Linernotes1 /> *Pete Fowler – illustration *John Mark James – design {{col-end}}

==Album chart position== {| class="wikitable" !Chart !Peak<br />position |- |UK Albums Chart |11<ref name=OCC /> |- |}

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

==External links== <!-- This is a licensed stream for the album, which is allowed under Wikipedia polices --> *[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0qF-DdNGpIhpQwf0hZIE7FNG8z45tmiT ''Mwng''] at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed) *{{MusicBrainz release|mbid=718ac535-b7ed-4c5d-bb5c-1b04ef8b23bf|name=Mwng}} *{{MusicBrainz release|mbid=a52561e2-58b9-4e25-9f23-f0d0a9e08aae|name=Mwng Bach}} * {{Metacritic album|title=Mwng}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070728183751/http://www.mwng.co.uk/mwnglyrics.htm Mwng.co.uk] explanation of lyrics in English on partially working official album site

{{Super Furry Animals}}

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Category:2000 albums Category:Super Furry Animals albums Category:Welsh-language albums Category:Albums produced by Gorwel Owen Category:Lo-fi music albums Category:Albums with cover art by Pete Fowler