control over the project Ciaran has claimed that it "sometimes felt like it would never end" and he was glad to get back to "the music side of things" upon the DVD's completion. Singer Gruff Rhys has stated that he found being involved with all aspects of the DVD release "really exciting" and particularly enjoyed working with "so many people". ReleaseRings Around the World was released on CD, vinyl, MiniDisc and DVD on 23 July 2001 in the United Kingdom on Sony's Epic imprint and was the world's first simultaneous album/DVD release. The record reached number 3 in the UK Albums Chart. In America Rings Around the World was released on 19 March 2002 by XL Recordings with a bonus CD featuring seven tracks which appear on the DVD version of the album. Rings Around the World was released on 25 September 2001 in Japan with two additional tracks, "Tradewinds" and "Happiness Is a Worn Pun", added after "Fragile Happiness" at the end of the album. "Juxtapozed with U" was released as the first single from the album, reaching number 14 in the UK Singles Chart, followed by "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" in October 2001 which peaked at number 28. The third and final single to be taken from the album, "It's Not the End of the World?", was released in January 2002 and reached number 30 in the UK Singles Chart. The album has been certified gold in the United Kingdom, denoting sales of more than 100,000 copies. Critical receptionRings Around the World received praise from critics with a score of 86 on Metacritic, denoting "universal acclaim". Brent DiCrescenzo of Pitchfork stated that the album's combination of "paisley, sun-heated, and layered" music with Gruff Rhys's "satirical and heartfelt lyrics" makes it "timeless" and the band's best record. Adrian Begrand of PopMatters called the record "near-perfect" and wrote that "we should be thankful there are bands out there willing to throw everything they've got into a record just to see what happens". Uncut praised its "accessible and adventurous" nature, while The Independent opined that Rings Around the World "represents a quantum jump beyond the Furries' previous work" and described it as "one of the year's most engrossing – and, crucially, most entertaining – albums". Mojo stated that Rings Around the World was the band's "first truly flawless album" and later named it the best album of 2001. Tiny Mix