Released 4 June 2007 | Length 48:00 Release date 4 June 2007 | |
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Producer Biffy ClyroGarth "GGGarth" Richardson Nominations Kerrang! Award for Best Album Similar Biffy Clyro albums, Alternative rock albums | ||
Biffy clyro living is a problem because everything dies official music video
Puzzle is the fourth studio album by Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro, released 4 June 2007 - the album was later released in America in August. It is the band's first album since leaving Beggars Banquet (though the sleeve artwork still features the Beggars Banquet logo).
Contents
- Biffy clyro living is a problem because everything dies official music video
- Overview
- Lyric meaning and music stylistic changes
- Track listing
- Unreleased tracks
- Editions
- Personnel
- Release history
- Songs
- References
The album reached #2 in the UK Albums Chart to widespread critical acclaim, receiving several perfect ratings and was voted the best album of 2007 by Kerrang! and Rock Sound. The album also reached #17 in Ireland, and #39 in the overall world charts. The album is certified Platinum in the UK, having sold over 300,000 copies. As of July 2016, it has sold 342,042 copies in the UK.
This album is notable for having somewhat more straightforward song structures and a more melodic overall sound than their previous work, while still retaining some more unusual elements.
Overview
The album was recorded from September to November 2006 at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, Canada, and The Farm Studio in Gibsons, British Columbia. It was produced by Garth Richardson, engineered by Mike Fraser, 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, and that they had been recording with composer Graeme Revell and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra whilst making the album. The artwork for Puzzle and its subsequent singles was designed by Storm Thorgerson. It is possible that the artwork is a reference to the song "Glitter and Trauma", which includes the line "your skin will break into jigsaw shaped pieces of meat."
Lyric meaning and music stylistic changes
After the release of Infinity Land the band had stated that they felt they had pushed their original sound to the limit and wanted to try a more straight forward approach to songwriting. Lyrically the album is about the death of Simon Neil's mother Eleanor who had died a few years prior to the recording of Puzzle. The most noticeable difference between Puzzle and the band's previous work is the more stream lined song structures and lack of time signature changes which dominated their early work. Influences such as Sunny Day Real Estate and Red House Painters can be heard heavily on this album.
Track listing
All tracks written by Simon Neil .
On the US & Japanese version the first track was split into "Intro" (1:25) & "Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies" (3:53)
Unreleased tracks
was later renamed "Help Me Be Captain" and released as a B-side to "The Captain". The song remained the same as the original version played at live shows in 2005.
was originally a counterpart to "Help Me Become Captain". It was developed into "The Captain" and was included on their 5th album "Only Revolutions" and released as the third single from the album.
was originally set to be on "Only Revolutions" but it was cut from the album. The track was included on Biffy Clyro's sixth studio album Opposites under the title "Pocket".
Sections from this song were used in their 2006 cover of a Weezer song "Buddy Holly" (for Kerrang! magazine cover CD, High Voltage!: A Brief History of Rock) and in the Puzzle album track 9/15ths.
Editions
These bonus features are as yet unavailable separately.
Personnel
Release history
Puzzle was released in various countries in 2007.
Songs
1Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies5:19
2Saturday Superhouse3:19
3Who's Got a Match?2:23