Happy The Man - Crafty Hands CD (Mega Blowout Sale)
SKU
23-ECLEC 2355
For me personally, Happy The Man was the greatest symphonic rock band that the US ever produced. Their greatness lay in their excellent musicianship and their willingness to really 'push the envelope' both in terms of their writing and performances of their rich sound.
They came out of rural Virginia and moved to Washington D.C. where they exploded on the scene and where they quickly signed to Arista and released two classic albums (this was the second), eventually breaking up at the very end of the 70's.
“As remarkable as Happy the Man's self-titled debut album was, it was only the beginning; an appetizer for an even more sumptuous artistic banquet. Happy the Man's sonic vocabulary evolved by the time they returned to the studio with new ideas, sharper execution, and an even clearer sense of identity.
1978's sophomore album 'Crafty Hands' is more rhythmically intricate, placing a greater emphasis on counterpoint and complexity. Despite the acrobatic interplay amidst the complicated time signatures, the accessibility of the music never suffers. The lush, analog warmth of the debut album remains, but with more polished production and a crisp mix that emphasizes the tight arrangements.
And like Happy the Man's debut album, 'Crafty Hands' eschews the prog rock cliche of a "concept album," choosing instead to offer eight mini-epics that say more in a few short minutes than most of their genre brethren would say in their entire careers. If 'Happy the Man' was the band introducing itself-an intricate yet cinematic statement that fused progressive rock's classical leanings with jazz fusion's fluidity-then 'Crafty Hands' was the sound of that vision sharpening into focus.”
- LabelEsoteric
- UPC5013929435544