The Happy Album

Last updated

The Happy Album
TheSelecterTheHappyAlbum.jpg
Studio album by
The Selecter
ReleasedJuly 1994
Genre Ska
Length37:51
Label
Producer
  • Jimmy "Seyna" Haynes
  • Nick Welsh
The Selecter chronology
Celebrate the Bullet
(1981)		The Happy Album
(1994)		 Pucker!
(1995)

The Happy Album is the third studio album by British ska band The Selecter, and their first following their reformation in 1990, released in 1994 on Demon Music in the UK and Triple X in the US. Their first album of new material in thirteen years, The Happy Album follows their successful live reunion tour of 1991 and its respective live album document, Out in the Streets (1992). Founding member Neol Davies left the band after Out in the Streets while fellow original member Arthur "Gaps" Hendrickson rejoined the band. The new line-up recorded The Happy Album with production from Aswad guitarist Jimmy "Seyna" Haynes

Contents

While retaining the band's ska sound at its core, the album sees a new direction for the band, taking influence from and incorporating other genres, styles and techniques, including electronic music, hip hop, sampling and orchestral music, and also features several slower reggae tracks, including two cover versions. Despite the album's name, the record's lyrics are bleak and concerned with social injustice. Although expected to alienate some long-time fans, upon release, the album was greeted with critical acclaim. The band toured in promotion of the album in 1994 and a special edition was released by Moon Ska Europe in 2004.

Background and recording

The Selecter's second album Celebrate the Bullet (1981) was a commercial failure, and the band split-up shortly after its release. [1] Lead singer Pauline Black moved into acting and writing work as well as undergoing a short solo career under Chrysalis Records, who released her unsuccessful cover version of "I Can See Clearly Now", originally by Jimmy Cliff. [1] Similarly unsuccessful was the pirate radio-themed "Pirates of the Airwave", her single under the extended name Pauline Black and The Sunday Best (a backing band consisting of fellow ska musicians Neville Staple and Lynval Golding). [1] Her acting career won her the 1990 "Time Out Award for Best Actress" in regards to her portrayal of singer Billie Holiday. [1]

However, with the enduring legacy of 2 Tone music [2] and how, in the words of critic Terry Rompers, "latter-day bluebeat refuses to die," [3] The Selecter reunited in 1991 with a new-line up which reunited Black with band founder Neol Davies; the line-up, which also consisted of drummer Perry Melius and former Bad Manners members Nick Welsh and Martin Stewart, [4] performed a series of live performances, leading to the critically acclaimed live album Out on the Streets (1992), recorded in London and released on Receiver Records, and the success of the band's return meant that their return was not temporary. [3] The band's reunion came about after Buster Bloodvessel, front man of fellow ska band Bad Manners, spoke to the band over the phone about the possibility. [5] Black said that Fine Young Cannibals' album The Raw & the Cooked (1989) had restored her faith in music and inspired her to start singing again. [6]

The band aimed to record their third studio album, The Happy Album, a year later. However, Davies left the band to pursue a solo career, [7] and was replaced by fellow original member Arthur "Gaps" Hendrickson on vocals. [2] The band got ready to record the album in 1993 in a studio on London's Holloway Road. [8] Black and Hendrickson share vocals on The Happy Album. [9] The line-up that recorded the album was completed by bassist Nick Welsh and keyboardist Martin Stewart, both of whom played on the live album. [3] [10] Aswad lead guitarist and producer Jimmy "Senya" Haynes was the album's main producer, while also contributing guitar. [9] Welsh, besides playing bass, has also been credited with contributing co-writing and co-production to the album, [3] while mixing the album with Zah Martin. [9]

Music and lyrics

Rico Rodriguez plays trombone on "Sweet and Dandy." Ricogf.JPG
Rico Rodriguez plays trombone on "Sweet and Dandy."

The Happy Album sees a stylistic change for the band's music; while the album is still predominately a ska album, keeping the genre as "its boppy touchstone," [3] the album also takes other influences from numerous other genres. [11] According to Terry Rompers of Trouser Press , the album occasionally slows down "to a reggae strut," while "using samples, electronics, contemporary rhythms and broader songwriting to roughly parallel for the memory of 2- Tone what Big Audio Dynamite did for punk." [3] As with the band's debut album Too Much Pressure (1980), [12] there are also several reggae cover versions on the album, namely "I Want Justice", originally by Delroy Wilson, and "Sweet and Dandy" by Toots Hibbert. [3] Lyrically, the album is "burdened by a social conscience", bring a sombre irony to the album name. [3] [13]

Heralding in the new direction, opening song "Reselecterization" features an instrumental flourish that is "explicitly derived" from hip hop music, but after that, the album "soon settles down into a ska groove that," according to Rick Anderson of AllMusic, "is far from the old school on its shiny surfaces but still deeply rooted in Jamaican verities." [11] "California Screaming" is about, "among other things," the police assault of Rodney King, while "Copasetic", an anti-war song, and "Mother Knows Best", are said to veil their subjects in "obscure detail." [3] The latter song features church bells, whistles and synthesised orchestral strings. [11] "I Want Justice" similarly features whistles and bells. [11] The cover version of "Sweet and Dandy", one such "juxtaposition of old and new" on the record, counterbalances its slick, contemporary production with "greasy" trombone playing from Jamaican trombonist Rico Rodriguez, who had worked with the band on their debut album, [12] as well as Black's "husky vocals." [11] Some songs feature "studio frippery." [11]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Martin C. Strong 5/10 [13]
Trouser Press (favourable) [16]

In the United Kingdom, The Happy Album was released in July 1994 by the Demon Music Group, and was their first release on the label. [15] In the United States, it was released on Triple X Records with slightly different artwork and a sticker on the CD case, [15] while in Japan it was released by Quattro with another album cover. [17] One critic speculated that, due to its new direction, the album would alienate several long-time fans while possibly finding the band several new fans too. [11] No singles were released to promote the album, and it did not chart on the UK Albums Chart. [18] Record label Moon Ska Europe remastered and re-released the album in the UK in 2004, with the music video for the band's early song "Missing Words" added as a bonus CD-ROM element. [19]

Unlike the band's second album Celebrate the Bullet, The Happy Album was greeted with critical acclaim. Rick Anderson of AllMusic rated the album three stars out of five, saying he recommended the album and noting that "Sweet Dandy" was the album's "best juxtaposition of old and new" and noting how "Mother Knows Best" and "I Want Justice" both manage "to draw strength from the added bells and whistles." [11] Terry Rompers of Trouser Press was also favourable, saying: "The Happy Album is anything but, and that's to its credit." [3] In The Encyclopedia of Popular Music , writer Colin Larkin rated the album three stars out of five. [15] More mixed in his assessment was Martin C. Strong in The Great Rock Bible , rating it 5/10 and saying: "The Selecter threw in a bit of hip hop and orchestral flourishes into the mix [...] the reggae roots kept the group on rock-steady ground." [13]

The Selecter toured in promotion of The Happy Album, and in late 1994 they reached Limelight in Belfast, Northern Ireland and The Town Pump in Vancouver, Canada. [20] The band toured America with The Skatalites, with whom they shared a tour bus. The two bands rarely spoke on the bus and Black spent her time listening to Björk. [8] For the first time in the band's history, the same line-up that recorded one album recorded another one, as the same line-up as that on The Happy Album followed the record up with Pucker! (1995), which again saw a slight artistic deviation; in the words of Rompers, "the same mob [that made The Happy Album] made Hairspray [Pucker!'s American equivalent], but you'd never know it from the catchy chorus of 'My Perfect World,' which leads it off, or the cornball pot-centric version of Bob Dylan's 'Rainy Day Women #12 & 35' that curls up near the end." [3]

Track listing

All songs written by The Selecter; except where noted.

  1. "Reselecterization" – 4:20
  2. "Whip Them Down" – 3:04
  3. "Sweet and Dandy" (Toots Hibbert) – 3:54
  4. "Neurotica" – 3:37
  5. "California" – 5:17
  6. "Screaming" – 2:32
  7. "I Want Justice" (Delroy Wilson) – 4:00
  8. "Trout" – 3:26
  9. "Mother Knows Best" – 3:34
  10. "Ladders" – 4:02

Personnel

The Selecter

with:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Selecter</span> British new wave band

The Selecter is an English 2 tone ska revival band, formed in Coventry, England, in 1979.

<i>Live</i> (X Cert) 1979 live album by the Stranglers

Live (X Cert) is the first live album by the Stranglers, released in February 1979 by United Artists. It contains tracks recorded at The Roundhouse in June and November 1977 and at Battersea Park in September 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranking Roger</span> English singer (1963–2019)

Roger Charlery, known professionally as Ranking Roger, was an English musician. He was a vocalist in the 1980s ska band the Beat and later new wave band General Public. He subsequently was the frontman for a reformed Beat lineup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunday Morning (No Doubt song)</span> 1997 single by No Doubt

"Sunday Morning" is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was written by Gwen Stefani, Eric Stefani, and Tony Kanal, produced by Matthew Wilder, and released as the record's fifth single on May 27, 1997. The song has also been included on their 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Its lyrics describe a romantic relationship that ended in a breakup and was inspired by a discussion that Gwen Stefani had with Kanal. The song has been described as a ska and ska punk recording with elements of reggae and Motown.

<i>Too Much Pressure</i> 1980 studio album by the Selecter

Too Much Pressure is the debut studio album by English 2 tone ska revival band the Selecter. After the band's official formation in 1979 in Coventry, following the release of a song entitled "The Selecter" by an unofficial incarnation of the band, the band's hit single "On My Radio" prompted their labels 2 Tone and Chrysalis to ask the band to record their debut album. Working with producer Errol Ross, the Selecter recorded the album at Horizon Studios over two months. The album contains original material, mostly composed by band founder and guitarist Neol Davies, as well as numerous ska and reggae cover versions, in a similar fashion to the Specials' debut album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Excuse Me Mr.</span> 1996 single by No Doubt

"Excuse Me Mr." is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). The song was written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont, while produced by Matthew Wilder. It was released as the fourth single from the album on August 21, 1996. The song has also been included on the band's 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Musically, the former is a rock-influenced ska track with lyrics describing a woman trying to get the attention of a man. A country version of the song was also created but never released. The single received positive reviews from music critics who labelled it a successful breakup song and as one of the best tracks on Tragic Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Impression That I Get</span> 1997 single by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones

"The Impression That I Get" is a song by American ska punk band the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Let's Face It (1997), in February 1997. The track reached number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart while also charting highly in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The song was certified gold in the United States and Australia. Chris Applebaum directed the song's music video while Adam Stern produced it.

<i>The Politics of Dancing</i> (Re-Flex album) 1983 studio album by Re-Flex

The Politics of Dancing is the debut studio album by English new wave band Re-Flex, recorded in late 1982 and released in November 1983 by EMI Records, and was, until September 2010, their only officially released studio album. John Punter of Roxy Music fame produced the album at Utopia Studios in London, England.

<i>Celebrate the Bullet</i> 1981 studio album by the Selecter

Celebrate the Bullet is the second studio album by English 2 tone ska revival band the Selecter, released on 27 February 1981 by Chrysalis Records after the band had left the 2 Tone label. The album was recorded with producer Roger Lomas, who plays bass on some songs, and frequently seeks a more slow, eclectic sound, with new wave influences. Band members Charley Anderson and Desmond Brown, uncomfortable with the new approach, left the band during production and after the release of 1980 single "The Whisper" to form the band the People. They were replaced by keyboardist, James Mackie, and bass player, Adam Williams. Ian Dury and the Blockheads bassist Norman Watt-Roy played bass on the title-track and "Washed Up and Left for Dead".

<i>Pucker!</i> 1995 studio album by The Selecter

Pucker! is the fourth album by English 2 Tone ska revival band The Selecter, released in 1995 on Dojo Music in the United Kingdom as, under the name Hairspray, on Triple X Records in the United States. Following the band's reinvented sound on their previous album, The Happy Album (1994), the band recorded Pucker! in 1995 with help from guitarist Paul Seacroft. Establishing a new direction, the album mostly sees the band establishing a "mild-mannered" version of its ska sound while incorporating elements from new wave and power pop, leading to an uncharacteristic "bizarre blend of elements" which stretched the band's horizons. The album's lyrics are also unusually sunny and lightweight.

<i>Whappen?</i> 1981 studio album by the Beat

Wha'ppen? is the second studio album by British ska band the Beat, released in 1981 via Go-Feet Records in the United Kingdom and Sire Records in the United States. After the critical and commercial success of I Just Can't Stop It (1980), which mixed ska, reggae and punk rock with social lyrics, the band changed direction on Wha'ppen?, taking influence from many other musical styles which were intriguing the band, including African, steel band and dub music, while keeping reggae at its core. The fast pace of the band's previous work is also exchanged for a slower, mid-tempo pace. Accompanying the music is the socially conscious and political lyrics. The band recorded the record at Roundhouse Studios with producer Bob Sargeant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pauline Black</span> English singer, actress, and author

Belinda Magnus, better known as Pauline Black, is an English singer, actress and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy Now? (No Doubt song)</span> 1997 single by No Doubt

"Happy Now?" is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was written by Gwen Stefani, Tom Dumont, and Tony Kanal, produced by Matthew Wilder, and released as the record's sixth single overall on September 23, 1997. The commercial CD singles were distributed exclusively in Australia and Europe. However, the song was still released to radio stations in the United States. Musically, "Happy Now?" is a ska and rock song with and lyrics detailing a painful breakup, specifically the former relationship between Stefani and Kanal. Despite not receiving a formal release in the United States nor filming a proper music video, "Happy Now?" received heavy rotation on Californian radio stations, such as KROQ.

<i>Faultline</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Birdsongs of the Mesozoic

Faultline is the second album of the American Avant-rock band Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, released in 1989 by Cuneiform Records.

<i>Black Power</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Ralph Carney, Daved Hild and Kramer

Black Power is a studio album by Ralph Carney, Daved Hild and Kramer, released in 1994 by Shimmy Disc. Along with newly recorded work, the album also contains selected tracks from their previous effort Happiness Finally Came to Them.

<i>Money Feeds My Music Machine</i> 1998 studio album by Captain Howdy

Money Feeds My Music Machine is the second studio album by Captain Howdy, released on April 21, 1998 by Shimmy Disc and Knitting Factory Records. It is a collaboration between musician and producer Kramer and magician Penn Jillette.

<i>Dawn of the Cycads</i> 2008 studio album by Birdsongs of the Mesozoic

Dawn of the Cycads is a compilation album by Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, released on September 30, 2008 by Cuneiform Records. It comprises much of the band's 1980s output, including Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Magnetic Flip and Beat of the Mesozoic in addition to three bonus tracks recorded during the same era and a live performance recording from 1987 retroactively titled Between the Fires.

<i>Made in Britain</i> (album) 2011 studio album by The Selecter

Made in Britain is the twelfth studio album by English ska and 2 Tone band The Selecter, released in 2011 on Vocaphone Records, their first album for the label. After reforming in 2010, Made in Britain was conceived after a PR company requested lead vocalist Pauline Black record a new album with the Selecter to coincide with her autobiography Black by Design. Black took the idea to record new material with the band seriously. The album was written and recorded quickly with production from several of the band members, with the experience pleasing band members.

<i>String Theory</i> (The Selecter album) 2013 studio album by The Selecter

String Theory is the thirteenth studio album by English ska band The Selecter, released on Vocaphone Music in 2013. After the discussion of multiculturalism and the racial equality of 2 Tone music on the band's previous album Made in Britain (2011), String Theory built upon on and extends from those themes, addressing contemporary issues in the United Kingdom such as riots and racial issues, backing the music with ska and reggae rhythms. The band took influence from the string theory which suggests humans are made of the same particles, and how it can be a metaphor for a connection between all human beings.

<i>Daylight</i> (The Selecter album) 2017 studio album by the Selecter

Daylight is the fifteenth studio album by English band the Selecter. It was released on 6 October 2017 through DMF Music.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ferrari, Jeremiah (21 November 2015). "The Rock City archives: 2015". Rock City. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 Deming, Mark. "Artist Biography by Mark Deming". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rompers, Terry. "Selecter". Trouser Press. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  4. ↑ Strong, Martin. C. "The Great Rock Bible: The Selecter". thegreatrockbible. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. 2731. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
  6. ↑ Black, Pauline (22 November 2017). "On Her Radio: Pauline Black's 13 Favourite Albums". The Quietus. p. 5. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  7. ↑ "The Selecter - Birmingham Music Archive". Birmingham Music Archive. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  8. 1 2 Black, Pauline (22 November 2017). "On Her Radio: Pauline Black's 13 Favourite Albums". The Quietus. p. 6. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 The Happy Album (liner). The Selecter. Demon Music Group. 1994.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ Out on the Streets (liner). The Selecter. Receiver Records. 1992.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Anderson, Rick. "AllMusic Review by Rick Anderson". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  12. 1 2 Ferrari, Jeremiah (21 November 2015). "The Rock City archives: 2015". Rock City. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 Strong, Martin. C. "The Selecter". thegreatrockbible. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  14. ↑ "The Selecter The Happy Album". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. 2732. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8 . Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  16. ↑ Rompers, Terry. "TrouserPress.com :: Selecter". Trouser Press. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  17. ↑ The Happy Album (liner). The Selecter. Quattro. 1994.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ↑ "SELECTER". Official Charts. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  19. ↑ "Moon Ska Rarities" . Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  20. ↑ "The Selecter". setlist.fm. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.