Letting Off the Happiness

Last updated
Letting Off the Happiness
Letting Off the Happiness (Front Cover).png
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 2, 1998 (US)
RecordedMarch 1997-March 1998
Studio Conor Oberst's basement,
Omaha, NE
Chase Park Transduction,
Athens, GA
Genre
Length57:02
Label Saddle Creek (US)
LBJ-23
Producer Mike Mogis
Bright Eyes chronology
A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995–1997
(1998)
Letting Off the Happiness
(1998)
Every Day and Every Night
(1999)
Singles from Letting Off the Happiness: A Companion
  1. "Contrast and Compare (Companion version)"
    Released: February 1, 2022
  2. "St. Ides Heaven (Companion version)"
    Released: March 22, 2022
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
NME 8/10 [1]
Pitchfork 6.8/10 [4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Letting Off the Happiness is the second album released by the indie rock band Bright Eyes. The album was released on November 2, 1998. It was the first release by Bright Eyes to feature and be produced by Mike Mogis, now a permanent member of the band. A vinyl re-release of the album was included in the Bright Eyes Vinyl Box Set in 2012. Guest musicians include members of Cursive, Tilly and the Wall, and Elephant 6 collective's Neutral Milk Hotel and of Montreal.

Contents

This album is the 23rd release of Saddle Creek Records. The album was reissued alongside a six-track companion EP by Dead Oceans on May 27, 2022.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Conor Oberst.

No.TitleLength
1."If Winter Ends"3:25
2."Padraic My Prince"3:48
3."Contrast and Compare"3:57
4."The City Has Sex"2:11
5."The Difference in the Shades"4:23
6."Touch"3:42
7."June on the West Coast"3:34
8."Pull My Hair"4:10
9."A Poetic Retelling of an Unfortunate Seduction"4:24
10."Tereza and Tomas" (ends at 5:35, followed by guitar drone. "Contrast and Compare (Version)" (4:48) begins at 20:58.)25:46
Japanese edition
No.TitleLength
1."If Winter Ends"3:25
2."Padraic My Prince"3:48
3."Contrast and Compare"3:57
4."The City Has Sex"2:11
5."The Difference in the Shades"4:23
6."Touch"3:42
7."June on the West Coast"3:34
8."Pull My Hair"4:10
9."Empty Canyon, Empty Canteen"2:46
10."A Poetic Retelling of an Unfortunate Seduction"4:24
11."Tereza and Tomas"25:46
Letting Off the Happiness: A Companion
No.TitleLength
1."The Difference In the Shades" (companion version)4:25
2."The City Has Sex" (companion version) (featuring Waxahatchee)2:27
3."Contrast and Compare" (companion version) (featuring Waxahatchee)3:16
4."Kathy With a K's Song" (companion version) (with M. Ward)4:54
5."St. Ides Heaven" (companion version)2:40
6."June on the West Coast" (companion version)3:38
Total length:22:00

Personnel


Charts

Chart (2012)Peak
position
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [6] 4
Chart positions for Letting Off the Happiness: A Companion
Chart (2022)Peak
position
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [7] 92

Related Research Articles

Bright Eyes (band) American indie rock band

Bright Eyes is an American indie rock band founded by singer-songwriter and guitarist Conor Oberst. It consists of Oberst, multi-instrumentalist and producer Mike Mogis, arranger, composer and trumpet and piano player Nate Walcott, and a rotating line-up of collaborators drawn primarily from Omaha's indie music scene. Between 1998 and 2011, the band's albums were released through Saddle Creek Records, a Nebraska-based label founded by Justin Oberst and Mogis. In January 2020, the band announced their return, having signed with Dead Oceans.

The Faint American indie rock band

The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Graham Ulicny, Dapose and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst. He quit shortly after the band was formed, though the Faint continued to share a spot with Bright Eyes on Saddle Creek Records.

<i>Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground</i> 2002 studio album by Bright Eyes

Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground is the fourth studio album by Bright Eyes and the 46th release of Saddle Creek Records. The band made its national television debut in support of the album, performing "The Trees Get Wheeled Away" on the Late Show with David Letterman.

<i>Fevers and Mirrors</i> 2000 studio album by Bright Eyes

Fevers and Mirrors is the third album by the Nebraska indie band Bright Eyes, recorded in 1999 and released on May 29, 2000. It was the 32nd release of the Omaha, Nebraska-based record label Saddle Creek Records. The album was released later in 2000 in the United Kingdom as the inaugural release from Wichita Recordings.

<i>Every Day and Every Night</i> 1999 EP by Bright Eyes

Every Day and Every Night is an EP by Nebraskan indie rock band Bright Eyes. It became the 30th release by Saddle Creek Records on November 1, 1999.

Desaparecidos is an American punk rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, headed by singer/guitarist Conor Oberst, the frontman of the indie rock band Bright Eyes.

<i>Digital Ash in a Digital Urn</i> 2005 studio album by Bright Eyes

Digital Ash in a Digital Urn is the seventh studio album by American band Bright Eyes, released on January 25, 2005 by Saddle Creek Records, the same day as their sixth album I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. It peaked at number 15 in the US and 43 in the UK. In US it has sold 268,000 units. In 2007 it was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association, which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe. In contrast to the acoustic nature of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn is more electronic.

Lua (song) 2004 single by Bright Eyes

"Lua" is a single by Bright Eyes released in October 2004. Appearing on the album, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, the song deals with two people as they struggle through depression, addiction, and an interminable night. Conor Oberst appears alone on the track, on vocals and acoustic guitar.

<i>There Is No Beginning to the Story</i> 2002 EP by Bright Eyes

There Is No Beginning to the Story is the third EP by Bright Eyes. The songs on it are fairly varied, with "From a Balance Beam" and "Loose Leaves" having more electronic qualities, while "Messenger Bird's Song" and "We Are Free Men" are more rooted in acoustic. The 12" vinyl edition includes 2 extra songs: "Amy in the White Coat" and a Neil Young cover, "Out on the Weekend".

Take It Easy (Love Nothing) 2004 single by Bright Eyes

"Take It Easy " is a single by Bright Eyes, released in October 2004. It, along with "Lua", took the top two spots on Billboard magazine's Hot Singles Sales chart, something that had not been accomplished by one artist since 1997. The title song appears on the 2005 album, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn.

<i>One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels</i> 2004 EP by Bright Eyes and Neva Dinova

One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels is a collaborative split EP by Bright Eyes and Neva Dinova. It was released in 2004 on Crank! Records. It was also reissued on CD/LP/Digital by Saddle Creek Records on March 23, 2010, with four newly recorded bonus tracks not included on the original release, which were written/recorded in late 2009.

<i>11:11</i> (Maria Taylor album) 2005 studio album by Maria Taylor

11:11 is the debut solo album by American musician Maria Taylor. It was released on May 24, 2005 by Saddle Creek Records. The album was produced by Andy LeMaster and Mike Mogis, who also provide additional musical backing throughout. It features appearances from Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes and Gretta Cohn of Cursive, among others, while one track was written by Taylor's former Little Red Rocket bandmate Louis Schefano.

<i>Four Winds</i> (EP) 2007 EP by Bright Eyes

Four Winds is an EP by the indie rock band Bright Eyes, that was released on March 6, 2007. The title track is the first single from their album Cassadaga. The other 5 tracks are exclusive b-sides from the 2006 recording sessions. It is marketed as being "quietly enchanting" and including "a wandering country charm and all of the story-telling seductiveness of earlier work. The song "Four Winds" was ranked #5 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.

<i>Cassadaga</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Bright Eyes

Cassadaga is the eighth studio album by Bright Eyes, released in the UK on April 9, 2007 and in the US on April 10. Around 25 to 30 songs were recorded in 2006, with 13 of these appearing on the final track list. The album is named after the town of Cassadaga, Florida, a community of mediums and followers of spiritualism. Z Berg of the Like, Sherri DuPree and Stacy King of Eisley as well as solo artist Rachael Yamagata all appear on this album. The first single, "Four Winds" was released on March 6, 2007, from the Four Winds EP with five B-sides not on Cassadaga.

Monsters of Folk American band

Monsters of Folk was an American supergroup, consisting of Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes, Will Johnson from Centro-matic and M. Ward, solo artist and half of She & Him. The band was formed in 2004 when the members were on tour with their respective bands and solo projects. After playing together both on-stage and backstage, they started working together on various material. Due to the members' main projects, Monsters of Folk did not finish their first album until 2009, and it was released on September 22 on Rough Trade. It debuted at No. 143 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at 15. It also reached No. 3 on Top Independent Albums, No. 8 on Top Rock Albums, No. 7 on Top Digital Albums, and No. 6 on Top Alternative Albums.

<i>Monsters of Folk</i> (album) 2009 album by Monsters of Folk

Monsters of Folk is the self-titled first and only studio album by American indie rock band Monsters of Folk, a group that consists of the artists Jim James, Conor Oberst, M. Ward, and Mike Mogis. Originally slated for release in 2010, the album was released through Shangri-La Music and Rough Trade on September 22, 2009. "Dear God " samples Trevor Dandy's 1970 gospel song "Is There Any Love."

<i>The Peoples Key</i> 2011 studio album by Bright Eyes

The People's Key is the ninth studio album by American band Bright Eyes. The album was recorded in Omaha, Nebraska at ARC Studios, produced by Mike Mogis, and engineered by Mogis and Andy LeMaster. The album was released on February 15, 2011, lead singer Conor Oberst's 31st birthday, by Saddle Creek Records. Prior to its official release, the album was available to stream online in its entirety, as part of NPR's "First Listen" series.

<i>Im Wide Awake, Its Morning</i> 2005 studio album by Bright Eyes

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is the sixth studio album by American band Bright Eyes on January 25, 2005, by Saddle Creek Records, the same day as their seventh album, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn.

<i>Something About Knowing</i> 2013 studio album by Maria Taylor

Something About Knowing is the fifth album by Maria Taylor, released on October 29, 2013 on Saddle Creek Records. The album finds Taylor returning to working with producer Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, recording a majority of the record in Omaha and three songs in her hometown of Birmingham. Other collaborations on this record include her brother, multi-instrumentalist Macey Taylor of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and Jenny Lewis, mixing by Andy Lemaster, and co-writing and recording two songs with Brad Armstrong of 13 Ghosts.

<i>Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was</i> 2020 studio album by Bright Eyes

Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was is the tenth studio album by American band Bright Eyes. The album marked the band's first release in nearly a decade, following The People's Key in 2011. It was released by Dead Oceans on August 21, 2020, and it was their first album not released by Saddle Creek Records. The album was recorded at Electro-Vox and Capitol Studios in Los Angeles and ARC Studios in Omaha, Nebraska.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Naylor, Tony (April 18, 2001). "Bright Eyes : Letting Off The Happiness". NME . Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  2. 1 2 D'Angelo, Peter J. "Letting Off the Happiness – Bright Eyes". AllMusic . Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  3. 1 2 "The 50 Best Albums of 1998". Pitchfork . February 18, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  4. Schneyer, Jeremy. "Bright Eyes: Letting Off the Happiness". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on November 6, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  5. Catucci, Nick (2004). "Bright Eyes". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  104–05. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  6. "Bright Eyes Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  7. "Bright Eyes Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2022.