HAPPY THE MAN - Crafty Hands (1978-1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Happy the Man is a superb american Progressive rock group, creating a hyper refined and elaborated music with lots of breaks and tempo changes, showing a rare instrumental richness (Two keyboards, saxophone, flute, guitar, vocals & percussions) and remarkable talents of composers. The Musea remastered reissues from the two first official albums present a music between Progressive rock and the Canterbury School, with complex and captivating writting, full of permanent surprises which make the eponymous opus and "Crafty Hands" real successes. "Death's Crown" is a "new" album taken out of the band's archives, and was due in 1974 before canceled by the record company. Available at last, it gives us the opportunity to enjoy the clever and subtle music played by a band capable of developping elaborated themes with loads of breaks and diverse suites in the style of Camel or even Caravan, with moreover the same incredible harmonies between saxophone, keyboards and guitar. The music is complex but always melodious and refined.

Tracklist :

1 Service With A Smile 2:44

2 Morning Sun 4:05

3 Ibby It Is 7:50

4 Steaming Pipes 5:30

5 Wind Up Doll Day Wind 7:06

6 Open Book 4:53

7 I Forgot To Push It 3:08

8 The Moon, I Sing (Nossuri) 6:16

Credits

Arranged By – Happy The Man

Bass – Rick Kennell

Drums, Percussion – Ron Riddle

Guitar, Vocals – Stanley Whitaker

Piano, Harpsichord, Saxophone, Flute, Voice – Frank Wyatt

Piano, Harpsichord, Synthesizer [Moog], Clavinet – Kit Watkins

HAPPY THE MAN - Happy the Man (1977-2006) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Though it met with little commercial success, Happy the Man's 1977 debut quickly became a cult sensation with fans of prog rock. It's easy to see why: their sound combines a number of diverse influences in a distinctive manner, and their music is as complex and meticulously arranged as any prog album one cares to mention. Unlike some popular prog acts, Happy the Man does not allow one instrument to take center stage or allow relentless soloing to dominate the songs. Instead, the focus is on complex interplay between the group's players: compositions like "Knee Bitten Nymphs In Limbo" and "Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest" are built on the kind of mathematically complex yet playful instrumental interplay that is normally associated with Frank Zappa's most complex work. Elsewhere, the group slows down the instrumental pyrotechnics to show off a grasp of melody; the best example is "Starborne," which starts off with moody washes of Tangerine Dream-style synthesizer and builds to a dramatic, almost orchestral fanfare. The one real downside of the album is the inclusion of two vocal-oriented songs that don't jell with the rest of the album because the group is obviously not comfortable dealing with conventional song structures. These selections also suffer from pretentious lyrics; for example, "On Time as a Helix of Precious Laughs" tries to philosophize about the meaning of life but gets bogged down in artsy, obscure imagery. In the end, Happy the Man doesn't quite live up to its legendary reputation but remains a solid prog outing that will find favor with those who enjoy art rock at its most complex and ambitious. Collector's note: One Way Records' 1999 reissue of Happy the Man was remixed for the compact disc format by the group's keyboardist, Kit Watkins. by Donald A. Guarisco 

Tracklist
1 Starborne 4:22
2 Stumpy Meets The Firecracker In Stencil Forest 4:16
3 Upon The Rainbow (Befrost) 4:42
4 Mr. Mirror's Reflection On Dreams 8:54
5 Carousel 4:06
6 Knee Bitten Nymphs In Limbo 5:22
7 On Time As A Helix Of Precious Laughs 5:22
8 Hidden Moods 3:41
9 New York Dream's Suite 8:32
Credits
Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Stanley Whitaker
Electric Bass – Rick Kennell
Keyboards, Clavinet, Flute, Marimba, Electric Piano, Organ [Hammond B3] – Kit Watkins
Percussion – Mike Beck
Saxophone, Flute, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals – Frank Wyatt