Best of Biffy: Barra Special

Top albums chosen by fans on Twitter

2014 has undoubtedly been an important year for Biffy Clyro. Not only have they released another album, B-Side compilation Similarities, but they've been extensively touring the world, bringing their unparalleled passion to festivals around the world. From their 10^th appearance and first headlining set at T In The Park, where the Kilmarnock born rockers careers took off, to their staggering performance at the Belsonic Festival in Northern Ireland, bandmates and life long pals Simon Neil (Lead vocals, Guitar) and twin brothers James (Bass, Vocals) and Ben Johnston (Drums, Vocals) have worked their fingers to the bone to please their huge army of avid fans. With a set of upcoming gigs for the Barrowlands this week coming up, which will have the band playing the majority of their massive back catalogue, I thought it would be a great idea to see what everyone thinks of their career so far and ask them a difficult question; which Biffy album tops them all?

Joined Eighth 0% each

It wasn't surprising to me that the majority of b-side albums weren't shown as much love as their superstar counterparts. Although they didn't receive the same appreciation in the poll, it's clear to anyone that the following albums are still well loved by those who have listened to them with material like And With The Scissor-kick Is Victorious, off of the Vertigo of Bliss B-side compilation, being a strong fan favourite.

Missing Pieces

Released: May 14^th 2009

Infinity Land B-Sides

Released: 24^th September 2012

Vertigo of Bliss B-Sides

Released: 11^th June 2012

Blackened Sky B-Sides

Released: 2^nd April 2012

Fact: The band were formed in 1995, originally called Screwfish. “Mon the Screwfish” doesn't have the same kind of ring to it.

Joined Seventh 1% each

Similarities

Released in July of this year, Similarities not only features B-sides from sixth album Opposites but an unreleased track, Children's Limbs. Personally I think it's one of the weaker albums. By that I don't mean the tracks on selection are awful, Milky starts off with a instantly loveable country riff and ends in a blazing finish reminiscent to 2009's Bubbles, but during the album I felt like it was a bit too safe and few of the tracks stuck out to me as anything utterly mind-blowing.

Lonely Revolutions

Arguably the best b-side album, Lonely Revolutions came out in the summer of 2010, less than a year since the release of Only Revolutions. It's not hard to see why so many people prefer this over OR as the tracks on offer could have been released as it's own follow up album. Once An Empire features a great range of absurd lyrics that'll bring back memories of A Day Of... and Robbery will keep fans of the band's new found sound after their first 3 albums extremely pleased. All in all, a fantastic album that is well balanced and a joy from start to finish.

Fact: No one knows for sure what Biffy Clyro stands for. Explanations for it have varied from a pen named after Cliff Richard to the name being an acronym for “Big Imagination For Feeling You 'Cause Life Yearns Real Optimism.”

Sixth place 3%

Opposites: Live From Glasgow

Released just last month, the album is pretty much self explanatory. With 14 live recordings from the band's gig at the SECC last April, the album captures the consistent quality of their performances though the album does miss out some killer tracks that were played such as There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake.

Fact: Biffy were concerned when they allowed X-Factor winner Matt Cardle to cover their song 'Many of Horror'. Simon Neil told Kerrang, "We don't want to be too closely associated with (X Factor).

Fifth Place 4%

Revolutions : Live At Wembley

Another live album, this time better done with the full length of the gig recorded, no track left unplayed. Not only does the album come with a CD, it also comes with a DVD that shows footage of their Wembley arena gig as well as their T In The Park set from 2010. Oh, and band commentary, so there's really no excuse to not pick this up if you're a fan.

Fact: Robbie Williams asked Biffy to play football and collaborate on his new album. Neil explained to NME: "I got asked to play a solo on his record too, but I turned it down. I wish all the best for Robbie, but I don’t think he needs my help. Bizarrely, I think Slash is going to play the solo now, which makes the whole thing cooler."

Joined Fourth Place 9% each

Opposites

Released: January 28th 2013

Opposites is the band's sixth album and their first double album, a point that was heavily discussed from the album’s early days by Neil who was divided on whether or not it should be a double or triple album. I was lucky to get the album on release and was anxious for the result. Thankfully, Biffy released not only a great album but one of their finest albums that can sit along with the likes of Puzzle and Infinity Land. Different People can only be described as being a stadium anthem and is definitely one of the best tracks on the album with Victory Over The Sun being a personal favourite of mine. One of the strong points of the albums is the energy that you can practically feel when listening, probably due to the amount of years they have been in the business for. Although it's only a year old it's already loved by music fans and has been a stepping stone into the band, allowing them to dwell into their deep back catalogue.

Infinity Land

Released: October 3^rd 2004

Now this I can see pissing off a lot of people. Infinity Land is arguably the most creative album Biffy have came out with, even the song titles alone are stellar, and it's one of the two albums that always get brought up during the subject of which album is the best, the other being VOB. It's no surprise to see why when you first give the album a listen and hear opener Glitter and Trauma, a track that is eponymous in natures as synths twinkle over scratches of impending doom. There's a lot more to the album than just that one track, the first three tracks alone account for one of the best beginnings to an album I've ever experience, but from that first track you're strapped in and ready to experience something surreal. Despite its low position, it should be listened to by anybody at least once.

Fact: Biffy Clyro have frustrated aspirations to become a hip-hop crew, according to Simon Neil. “We’ll always be a rock band, but I want us to move in different directions," he told NME. "If I could rap, I’d be rapping on the next record. The Kanye record ['Yeezus'] blew me away! Hearing that made me think, Fuck we could be messing around with sounds like that!”

Third Place 13%

Only Revolutions

Released: 9^th November 2009

I'm not so surprised to see this album receive this big a chunk of the votes but I wasn't expecting it to trump IL, that's for sure. However, in a way, it deserves it. Puzzle might have put Biffy on the map but Only Revolutions put it in font size 34 in bold Arial writing with a saltire oozing out every character. The album from start to finish is never, ever boring. The Captain? An explosion of instruments try to silence the shouts and war-cries of the biffy boys. That Golden Rule? An onslaught of guitar riffs and drum smashing with the trademark Simon Neil vocals that are so unashamedly loud yet beautiful they give the hadron collider a run for its money. I could go on all day but all that needs to be said is Only Revolutions is a cracking record.

Joined Second Place 17% each

Blackened Sky

Released: 10^th March 2002

“This will kill you” whispers Simon Neil over a slow patter of drums before a pearl harbour size assault takes place. This is it. The album that started it all and introduced a trio of 20 something year olds to the face of music. From the album title alone it's clear that there's not going to be any happy songs, instead grim songs of heartache and angst. The sound quality is raw. Neil's voice seems to deteriorate with every scream. Ben Johnston scrambles around on the drums. And that's what makes it all so perfect.

Fact: Biffy Clyro wouldn't exist without Kurt Cobain, claims Neil. “Kurt Cobain taught me as a 12-year-old that you didn't have to be a great guitarist to write a song or to say something, so as a songwriter he's my biggest influence."

Vertigo Of Bliss

Released: 16^th June 2003

The follow up to their sinister and superb debut, Vertigo Of Bliss took everything that Blackened Sky did right and then some. Out goes the gloom and in goes a bit more light-hearted goodness albeit not by a lot. This doesn't harm the quality of the album though as each song, to put it simply, is bloody fantastic. Vertigo Of Bliss is the most accessible of all of the older biffy albums and for good reason. Opening track Bodies In Flight starts off pretty non menacingly but before long, it becomes a hurricane of hectic chords and harmonies, as stable as a 3 legged but all the more interesting for it. I could go on for hours about how much I love this album but words can't do it justice. Listen to it and you'll never regret it.

Fact: While touring the American east coast in 2013, the band took a fan up on her offer to host a Biffy gig in her basement to just 25 people. James later described it as one of their best ever shows.

First Place 26%

Puzzle

Released: June 4^th 2007

For many this is the first biffy album that they bought. I know it was for me anyway. I can clearly remember going out to get it around the time I started getting the bus into town, listening to my MP3 player with one song on it: Machines. I played it religiously and still play it whenever I get the chance. That's what I love most about Puzzle and it's not nostalgia affiliated. It's that every track holds some special quality, whether it be the entirely unique Living's A Problem or the heartbreaking and beautiful Folding Stars, a track that is in its own league when it comes to the emotion it evokes from the listener. There's nothing really else I can say, other than Puzzle is a masterpiece.

Fact: The band have pledged to continue to perform shirtless, even into old age. Simon Neil thinks that its “highly likely that you will see us at 55 years old with big pot bellies and our shirts bouncing around the stage, going fucking crazy.”

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