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Biography
Happy
the Man were one of, if not the greatest American prog band,
and made a name for themselves in the rather paltry American
progressive scene in the late 70s. Taking a page from the Canterbury
school, they combined lush melodies, great complex interplay
and a slightly jazzy touch with occasional vocals. Most often
compared to Camel for their evocative melodic approach, Happy
the Man successfully fused frenetic and exciting jams with lush
and mellow symphonic passages into a completely unique sound.
Being superb musicians didn't hurt either, as they made very
complex pieces sound like second nature. Their first two albums,
the self titled Happy the Man and Crafty Hands
are classic albums of the highest order, and are considered
by the band to be the definitive releases in their catalogue.
These are must haves.
The
band reformed in late 1999, in time for an awesome performance
at NEARfest 2000 with original members Stan Whitaker, Frank
Wyatt, and Rick Kennell, along with Crafty Hands drummer Ron
Riddle and new keyboardist David Rosenthal. The band recently
headlined ProgDay 2002, and work on a new album is underway,
and is anticipated to arrive in the near future.
- Mike Prete [September 2002]
 Happy
The Man (1977)
This has to be one of the most
amazing albums I've heard. Happy the Man's self titled debut
contains all the elements that would come to define their sound;
Kit Watkins' amazing, yet subtle keyboard work, great compositional
skills and intricate playing. The band, while complex, was never
pretentious, as evidenced by such humorous titles as "Stumpy
Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest" and "Knee Bitten Nymphs
in Limbo". The band is comprised of some truly virtuoso musicians
who can play at breakneck speeds, and change tempo on a dime.
The
music usually falls into three categories, ethereal symphonic
pieces, playful fusion-ish workouts and a combination of both.
This album has a somewhat wider palette of sounds than its follow
up Crafty Hands, which seems a bit more subdued to me.
This debut has a tendency for a slightly more ominous tone in
some of the songs, as well as more aggressive guitar playing
from Whitaker. The pieces thrive on the layered textures created
by the group, especially Watkins and Wyatt's various keyboards
and woodwinds. Bassist Rick Kennell stands out in the mix more
than on Crafty Hands, adding another element to the sound.
Every
piece on the album is excellent, from the beautiful "Starborne"
and "Hidden Moods", to the playful Canterbury-esque "Stumpy
Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest". There are two vocal
tracks here, "Upon the Rainbow" and "On Time as a Helix of Precious
Laughs". I've heard complaints about Whitaker's vocals, but
I find them competent at the least. "Carousel" is a great ominous
track, with great keyboards and more aggressive guitar. The
highlight of the album is the high energy "Knee Bitten Nymphs
in Limbo", which has some amazing Mini-Moog work, along with
a great horn sound from Wyatt. The dueling solos between Whitaker
and Watkins are some of the best I've ever heard, feeding off
each other to great heights. Exquisite. There isn't much more
I can say about this album but to pick it up as soon as you
can if you don't already own it. Additionally, the sound quality
is excellent, as it has recently been remastered by Kit Watkins.
- Mike Prete [February 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
 Crafty
Hands (1978)
Crafty
Hands is the second piece of perfection to be produced by
Happy the Man, before they broke up soon after. Crafty Hands
expands upon the instrumental prowess of the first album, containing
only one vocal track. The compositions here are all top-notch,
Watkins, Whitaker and Wyatt being fine songwriters, and complimenting
each other's styles greatly with a mixture of serene, playful
and epic pieces. The playing is just as masterful, as the band
is able to create complex pieces that are never short in melody
or emotion. In a way, HtM could be considered the Spinal Tap
of the prog world, having had a different drummer for every
release. This time around, Ron Riddle makes an excellent addition
to the lineup.
The songs
follow the usual HtM format, beautiful symphonic pieces such
as "Morning Sun", "Open Book" and "The Moon I Sing" are lush
and mellow, providing a wonderful contrast to the more upbeat
portions of the album. "Open Book" is a great example of how
the band is able to play complex pieces in odd time signatures
and pull it off with out it sound forced. This is a great medieval
tinged piece, with Wyatt's harpsichord and Watkins' recorder
stealing the show.
As always,
there are the upbeat playful songs, tinged with fusion, that
make this band truly unique. "Steaming Pipes" and "I Forgot
To Push It" are instantly recognizable, with Wyatt's sax honking
and great drum work from Riddle, not to mention the usually
flawless playing of the rest of the band. It's usually Watkins
that steals the show, with the best Mini-Moog playing I've ever
heard drenching the album. "Ibby It Is" and "Wind Up Doll Day
Wind" are two of the standout pieces of the album, combining
mellow symphonic flourishes and frenetic energy with epic results.
"Wind Up..." is the only vocal piece on the album, with Wyatt's
great poetic lyrics delivered competently by Whitaker. Just
as with the first album, I discover something new to love with
this album after every listen. Not owning this album is inexcusable.
Go pick it up, post-haste.
- Mike Prete [February 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
 3rd
Better Late... (1979)
From the liner
notes: "This is the final demo tape made by Happy the Man.
It was recorded in February, 1979 at the band house in Reston,
Virginia, using a Teac 3340 4-track recorder. Basic tracks
were recorded live by all members. Flute, sax, vocals, and
some solos were overdubbed. Final mixes were made on a Revox
A-77 half-track at 1 1/2 ips. Tape hiss and minor amounts
of distortion were inevitable with the equipment available
at the time."
This is yet
another posthumous release from Happy the Man. Comprised
of the demos for what would have been their third album,
3rd Better Late... stands as a document of the band
during their last year together. As can be expected with
a demo, the sound quality is not up to par with the previous
albums, but the majority of the songs were remixed by Kit
Watkins in 1989.
The songs
here showcase the mellow, symphonic side of the band much
more than on previous releases. There is also an 'easy listening'
vibe present in some places that tends to leave a bad taste
in my mouth. The album also features a much larger vocal
presence, present on four tracks. The first six songs (with
the exception of "While Chrome Yellow Shine") tend to drag
along in search of ideas, and fail to reach out and grab
you. The album starts to kick into gear with "Run into the
Ground" which is a return to the form of the more fast paced
and high energy songs. "Labyrinth" is the most successful
fusion of these extremes, mellow and upbeat, into one track.
When all's
said and done, this album should obviously be judged on
its demo nature. By the time these songs would have seen
their way to a record, there would inevitably have been
changes. For those of you who enjoy the first two albums
and need more HtM, this is the next logical step. Just don't
expect a classic.
- Mike Prete [February 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
 Beginnings
(1990)
From
The Liner Notes: This recording is a collection of music
from Happy the Man's first two years - 1974 and 1975: Tracks
4 and 5 recorded live at the first band house, Rockbridge
Circle, Harrisonburg, Virginia, February 1974 with two mikes
onto 2-track tape. Additional processing and transfer to
DAT by Kit Watkins, 1990. Tracks 2 and 3 recorded at Mennonite
Broadcasting, Harrisonburg, April 1974 onto 4 track tape,
engineered by Abe Ritenhouse. Re-mixed by Kit Watkins onto
DAT, 1989. Tracks 1, 6, and 7 recorded live at the band's
"warehouse" in Harrisonburg, July 1975 with 2 mikes onto
2-track tape. Additional processing and transfer to DAT
by Kit Watkins, 1989.
First
off, it must be said that these tracks are basically demos,
with the sound quality to match. Considering what they used
to record this material though, this is still a very listenable
affair which gives an early glimpse at what would become
America's greatest progressive rock band. The core of the
band that would go on to produce the classics Happy the
Man and Crafty Hands is intact here and it shows.
The songs are well crafted and competently played, while
lacking the same punch the band would later attain. However,
this is to be expected considering these are the very first
recordings they made. There is a much lager reliance on
vocals here, which are handled well by Cliff Fortney. The
music is sparser and more laid back, including more atmospheric
keyboard work. There are a lot of nice extra percussive
elements such as chimes used to compliment the quieter pieces.
The band does let loose in places, and the last few minutes
of "Gretchen's Garden" is one of the more successful examples
of this. "Partly the State" is the strongest song overall,
with nice shifts in dynamics, interesting vocal work and
great percussion.
Taken
for what it is, this is a nice collection of songs that
shows the roots of a sound that would be perfected on later
releases. An interesting addition for fans of the band's
other albums, but if you don't have them, there's no need
for this one, yet. -
Mike Prete [February 2001]
 Death's
Crown (1999)
Death's
Crown is an archival
release originally recorded by the band in 1974. The piece
was the musical part of a multimedia event comprised of
dancers, actors, a light show and slides. This recording
was made in the band's rehearsal room. In comparison to
the songs on Beginnings, which were recorded around
the same time, Death's Crown is much more mature
and experimental. Like Beginnings, this release also
leaves much to be desired where sound quality is concerned,
but is to be expected due to the demo nature of the tapes.
For the most part, the instrumental parts are very clean
sounding. It's the vocals that get lost and distorted, making
them hard to decipher and listen to.
"Death's
Crown" is a 38 minute suite made up of eleven parts that
flow together nicely. The music here is very similar to
what would be the band's classic sound from their first
two albums, well composed and arranged, with plenty of great
melodies. Like their other work, the evocative instrumental
sound easily carries the music through the story. I find
it amazing that such a great piece was written during the
band's first year together. "Part 5" will be familiar to
those you who have heard their later albums, as it re-appears
as "Open Book" on Crafty Hands. The two bonus tracks
feature an early recording of "New York Dreams Suite" with
vocal overdubs from Owen and some differing parts from the
final version which would appear on their debut album. "Merlin
of the High Places" is a beautiful piece in the typical
HTM vein.
Despite
its raw sound, Death's Crown is a wonderful document
from this great band. It has been such a treat for HtM fans
that Cuneiform has released all this archive material as
a companion to the two major albums. For those of you who
enjoy the first two Arista albums, this one should not disappoint.
- Mike Prete
[February 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
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