The majority of the album was recorded at Miraval Studios, France, picked, at keyboardist Cian Ciaran's request, because of its large live room which enabled all the band to set up and play as a group. Problems playing these files? See media help. We wanted to make a really abrasive, loud record, so I figured I could keep fifteen-minute ballads like 'Skylon!' and songs about lions made out of candy for the indulgent solo project. Rhys used his second solo album, Candylion, as an outlet for the quiet, acoustic songs that he had written rather than put them forward for inclusion on Hey Venus!: Towards the end of the tour the setlist had become 'full of fast songs from back catalogue' and this had an effect as the band entered into the studio for the Hey Venus! sessions: 'It's definitely the first time our audience has influenced our music in that sense'. Rhys has also stated that after Love Kraft the band were 'kind of thinking of making a loud record' following the 'very different atmosphere' at initial shows on the Love Kraft tour, when the group played the 'slow' songs from that album. We kind of chose songs that we could play as a band that would be quite simple to record that we thought was some kind of pop music. So we looked at the songs we had, because we're always writing. asked us 'Can't you make one of those pop records like you used to make'. In an interview with Tiny Mix Tapes in January 2008, the band's vocalist, Gruff Rhys, stated that Hey Venus! was deliberately conceived as a 'pop' record following a request from the band's new record label Rough Trade: Some critics, however, pointed out that the album has the 'faint whiff of musical conservatism' and 'must rank as least adventurous' record. Ĭritical response was generally positive with some reviews claiming Hey Venus! is ' most satisfying work' and exhibits a 'full-fledged return to pop power'. The band have given several explanations for the appearance of this narrative arc in the record claiming variously that Hey Venus! was conceived as a concept album, that the similar themes in the songs were only noticed after they had been written and were used as a way of 'structuring and compiling the album' and that the Venus concept was thought up after the album's completion in order to give sleeve designer Keiichi Tanaami 'a reference point to make an illustration from.' After working with Pete Fowler since 1997's Radiator the band asked Tanaami to produce artwork for Hey Venus!, having been 'blown away' by his work on a Japanese tour. The album follows the life and adventures of a character called Venus as she moves 'from a small town to a big metropolis'. As with Love Kraft, all members of the band contributed songs at the recording stage but, besides chief songwriter Gruff Rhys, only guitarist Huw Bunford ('Battersea Odyssey') and keyboard player Cian Ciaran ('Carbon Dating') ended up with their tracks on the finished album.

Dave Newfeld took over production duties from Mario Caldato Jr., who had worked on both Phantom Power and Love Kraft, as the band didn't want to 'repeat past two records'.

In contrast with many Super Furry Animals albums, no samplers were used during recording of Hey Venus! as the group made a conscious decision to create a 'simple record' which 'capture the spirit of the band playing live in a room'. The album was conceived as a 'rowdy pop record', both in response to Rough Trade's request for 'one of those pop records like you used to make' and as a result of the 'very different atmosphere' the band encountered at shows on the Love Kraft tour when the 'slow' songs from that album were played. The title is taken from the first line of the song 'Into the Night'. Hey Venus! is the band's first full-length release on current label Rough Trade Records and, at just over 36 minutes, is also their shortest-running studio release. It was released on 27 August 2007 in the United Kingdom. Hey Venus! is the eighth album by Welsh band Super Furry Animals.

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