Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Happy The Man
Label: Arista Records
Released: 1977
Length: 49:07
Rating: 4.5/5
Happy The Man were an American prog rock band that came together in 1973, after guitarist Stanley Whitaker and bassist Rick Kennell realized they shared similar musical visions. The classic Happy The Man lineup, which recorded both of their best albums in the late seventies, was rounded out by keyboardist/saxophonist/flutist Kevin Wyatt and keyboardist Kit Watkins (later of Camel), while the drum seat was a lot less stable. On the debut they worked with original drummer Mike Beck, while various experiments with singers didn’t pan out, so from the mid-seventies on, guitarist Whitaker simply took over the vocal duties himself.
After a lot of effort, Happy The Man finally put out their self-titled debut on Arista in 1977, and with its unpredictable, mostly instrumental nature it stands as one of the finest achievements in the history of American progressive rock. »Happy The Man« was produced by Ken Sott, who made his name working on albums by David Bowie, Supertramp, Kansas and Level 42, to name just a few of the best-known acts he worked with, so it’s no wonder the album boasts such enviable production.
Happy The Man took their name from a lesser-known Genesis song, which was hardly surprising, since Genesis, along with King Crimson, Yes, Gentle Giant and Van Der Graaf Generator, shaped their pretty eclectic and fascinating sound more than anyone, a sound packed with sprawling improvisations and longer instrumental sections with mighty keyboard harmonies. The influence of the jazz fusion scene was far from negligible too, so Happy The Man soon stood apart from most comparable bands on the obscure American prog scene of the seventies. Whitaker was a brilliant guitarist who learned plenty from the guitar heroes of jazz fusion, led by John McLaughlin, while Wyatt’s saxophone bits itched for fiery jazz passages.
The use of dual keyboards, with Watkins leading the way by laying down subtle synth textures, gave rise to a string of ethereal symphonic arrangements, which you can hear right from the opener, the ambiently deep »Starborne«, which at times sounds a bit like certain Camel creations. No wonder Camel invited Watkins to join them two years later. But the first track was only a warm-up for a ‘symphonic prog meets jazz fusion’ barrage that erupts through passionate saxophone passages on »Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forrest«, ruled by playful and sharp-edged rhythmic twists. Frank Zappa might even have liked those, which is just about the highest praise an American prog band can hope for. Meanwhile Whitaker wows with his fast-fingered jazz improvisations, and despite countless sudden shifts into complex sections, the band never loses its feel for building melodic arrangements.
On »Upon the Rainbow (Befrost)« a pastoral melody takes over thanks to the flute passages, while Whitaker shows off his vocal talent for the first time and proves he was a pretty decent singer. Soon the intelligent sax and guitar variations take the lead and keep the ethereal mood going, while Watkins doesn’t hold back with his wonderfully fluid keyboard improvisations. »Mr. Mirror’s Reflection On Dreams« is rhythmic complexity, improvisational wit and arranging perfectionism in one package, with plenty to dig into for fans of all the different branches of progressive rock. Here Happy The Man once again prove they were masters of hypnotic keyboard arrangements and unexpected time shifts into wildly variable instrumental sections. »Carousel«, another ambiently powerful creation, boasts elegant piano passages that set the stage for a dark motif, dominated by fiery synth improvisations.
The members of Happy The Man were never short of wild, refreshing compositional ideas, which is especially obvious on the total ‘cut loose’ that is »Knee Bitten Nymphs in Limbo«, where crazy instrumental variations take over and individual, mostly very witty motifs trade places at ‘the speed of light’, making it another track that’s still fascinating today for all lovers of the most eclectic forms of progressive rock. On »On Time As a Helix of Precious Laughs«, the second of the two compositions on the album where Whitaker stepped up to the mic, things calm down a little again for a while. With subtle piano embellishments the mood almost touches down, while in the middle section Whitaker conjures up some downright epic guitar passages.
»Hidden Moods« is among the calmest moments on the album. Watkins really shines here, laying down ambiently generous synth textures, while the perfectly in-sync Wyatt keeps him company on flute. Whitaker proves he’s just as at home on acoustic guitar. The second part brings in a distinct jazz fusion section that should appeal to all you Return To Forever fans too. The album closes with the epic suite »New York Dreams Suite«, where the band first builds up a subtle atmosphere before launching into crazy fusion variations. Within them every member of the band gets a chance to show off their instrumental chops, but Happy The Man remember just in time that it would be good to keep the composition from losing its ‘head and tail’, so by shaping dreamy, melodic arrangements they tie it all together into a nice whole at the end.
Happy The Man were one of the few bands on the American prog rock scene with huge potential to break through among the best and biggest in the business, but they were overtaken by the fact that, by the late seventies, the masses’ interest in prog rock had started to fade fast. Their excellent debut was thus one of the rare gems of American prog, one that anyone swearing by the far more developed and richer European world of progressive rock still shouldn’t overlook today. Happy The Man went on to record one more superb album, »Crafty Hands« (1978), while »Better Late…« (1979) was still an extremely solid effort. After that they vanished from the music scene for a long time and came back just when most people least expected it.
Line-up
Stanley Whitaker – guitar, vocals
Kit Watkins – keyboards, piano, flute, marimba
Frank Wyatt – saxophone, flute, keyboards, piano, backing vocals
Rick Kennell – bass guitar
Mike Beck – drums
Production
Ken Scott
Track list
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 Dreams Suite (8:32)
