I might add that Ken Scott, engineer for the Beatles' White Album, Supertramp's Crime of the Century album, did this as well. Thanks for the upload. Very appreciated.
Long live Happy The Man. What an amazing band. Saw them in 79 at the Cellar Door in Georgetown. Best show I've ever seen. I was 15 years old. That show opened the world of music to me. Amazing.
I absolutely adore this album, but I wanted to mention what a fantastic job you did on the video - Track titles all displayed with modifications of the original album art. Really great job, well done.
Great stuff for a followup, but the eponymously titled 1977 album is even better: ua-cam.com/video/DuXFp5-qPcI/v-deo.html And there's more where that came from: murodoclassicrock4.blogspot.com/2013/03/happy-man-discografia.html
After Years if search for this album , in the beginning of the 90:s I found it in a second hand record shop in Stockholm. It cost 50 Swedish crowns ( 5 USD) Mint condition. It made my whole Year. I still keep it in a safe place.❤️ It also became avaliable on CD which is my normal listening source nowadays. So glad You posted it here 🙂🥰 Thanks!!
I was playing "Service With A Smile" for my girlfriend back in 1992 and within 2 minutes she said that it made her think of the DNA double helix. Intelligent music WIN. On a side note, I have never heard a jam in 11/8 time have such a perfect swing to it!
Me to. My first concert. I was 15 years old when my older brother got me into the Cellar Door in Georgetown to turn me on to awesome music. Best night ever. Still listening to this day. Long live Happy The Man. Amazing.
Cold trade in the laughter Cool Jade in the night We barter images on the matrix Fine strands of reality, dream and vision Wind up doll day begins Whirlwind display of whims Splashing across the street into the box My box, your box Dollhouse robbed of fantasy Stacks of office blocks waiting for the wind Blow me over into the starlight, wind Crash down these weights upon me Drive me across the world's scorching lies From someplace that I might see them To that place that I do Draw down the dollhouse blocks Into the whimsical streets Web of the real laid close beside dream Each the barter for the other Twisting together, like worms in their holes Quietly strangling the vision Wind up doll day traded For dream chants on whispering winds Wind up doll day begins Wind up doll day begins Wind up doll day begins Wind up doll day begins It seems to me there’s cold trade in all the laughter There’s the cool gleaming Jade Greed in our minds
Good keyboardist, but hardly a musical genius. His compositions are somewhat scarce in the recorded music world. When he was with Camel, he didn't even write a single song.
Kit is an amazing musician and composer..I only met him once or twice but I just knew he had it..but what I could really tell about him..that he was a fine person..pure..
I think you meant not a compositional genius. I would counter that he is a keyboard genius despite perhaps not having compositional chops.@@lashedbutnotleashed1984
...and...? All were very talented (and getting better) but here's one thing that Kit Watkins nailed (along with others): Synth tones that still sound good and timeless. There were some truly annoying synth flavors by fine prog players in the day (not naming anyone....)
i like to smoke marijuana and listen to service with a smile at .5 speed. then eye close my eyes and picture things with my 3rd eye that fits the music.
I was turned on to HtM 4 months ago, and all I'm listening to is this and their self-titled (1st?) album. I'm sure someone mentioned the band back in '77, when I was 20, but there was so much amazing prog/fusion going on that one could afford to be picky. Seems like the rest of my life is spent mining for the gems I missed, and HtM is a MASSIVE DIAMOND. I'm pretty sure the band's name put me off; it sounded trite, and the weak album art belied the magnitude of the music (hate to say this, but a book IS judged by its cover-especially when stacked next to Yes' covers). Not only do they have musicianship chops, but serious compositional chops. They compete with and, in ways, surpass some of the prog bands I've held so highly all these years; such a revelation! While it's a travesty to discover them almost 40 years later, it's a delight for this jaded, cynical music snob!
Their third (unreleased until 1983, in a very small indie printing; then again in about 1999), titled: _3rd: Better late..._ is much better than their first LP. The debut--and this, from a serious HTM fanatic--upon relistening two nights ago, has quite a few duds. Sorry guys! The highlights are: "Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest"; "New York Dream's Suite" (tho I'll say now that the last 1:00 is a letdown); "Carousel" and "Hidden Moods"[.] _3rd: Better late..._ has no clunkers; "The Falcon" is a bit lite...but I can bear it. (There are two tunes included in the most-recent release, which were not included on the original...been awhile since I listened to the re-release, so there might be a dud amongst those two, but cannot say fer cher). Seven songs that are intriguing and/or kick ass. "While Crome Yellow Shine" and "Labyrinth" are both stone-masterpiece[s]; "At the Edge of This Thought"; "Run Into the Ground" and "Shadow Shaping" (w/ vocals by guitarist Stan Whitaker) are brilliant; "Footwork" is playful and sticks with y', in a fun way. Get their 3rd album. Any way you can.
+Gee Man I just discovered them now. I feel just as guilty as most of those who missed them. Yes, you are correct in your assessment about the book cover. I think that for most of us, it was also our budget that limited us in our deeper exploration; we went after things we were somewhat sure of. I am actually fanatic about this genre and yet, this band I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF. What a shame (on me)!
me to I missed it somehow. I was in a record store today (buying a Todd Rundgren box set)HTM was playing Crafty Hands.So Refreshing. in a Progress calm way.I Could hear so many influences.just put it on and let it play .anyway best wishes audio friend.Nice! Todd Rundgren people Love AirPocket by Rodger Powel from UTOPIA.worth a listen. Jim audio-file Out...
Naming your band after a much sought after recording by Genesis didi't sound trite to me, but apparently the name is a reference to Goethe's Faust, which makes it more high-brown than I would ever have guessed. Thanks to US Muse (whoever is hiding behind that nick) for the inside line.
Service With A Smile has to be one of the greatest opening tracks of any album out there. Oblivion Sun has a great opener in "Fanfare" in 2007 and "Deckard" off of The High Places album.
I totally agree with (and LOVED reading) your first sentence! I actually opened my professional radio career with that tune here in Charleston, SC at 95-SX (100,000 Watt FM rock station WSSX-FM). This station once had a weekend special show called "Sittin' In" where each week they'd pick one lucky listener to play DJ and pick songs (on radio carts) of their choice for one hour. I had begged the Program Director to let me use vinyl tracks instead of just songs already on carts in the studio. I explained I had the perfect opening tune and would pre-plan my show to make sure it was the best one EVER! He balked at first, but then agreed to let me do it. To start my show, I introduced myself and just before playing "Service With A Smile" I announced "I'm going to give you an EARGASM!". LOL That opening HTM tune went into "Atomic Punk" off the first Van Halen album with its opening song lyric "Turn Your Radios On!". As a result, I got hired on the spot and was the last guy to ever do that show. I always wanted producer Ken Scott (& the band) to learn about my story and, hopefully, get a kick out of it.
Big Prog head the time this was issued. Worked in retail records and tapes and didnt hear this. So much Prog was swept under the rug during this time. This album, i like.
I have a ton of great prog albums in my collection, but this one is Top 5 of all time. Will always remember the Kit and Coco show at the Cellar Door back in 1980 where Kit played pretty much of his first album and the rest HTM..
Hey everyone. There is a re-union project starting up right now that will include all of the players from all incarnations of Happy the Man, including Oblivion Sun and Pedal Giant Animals. Please click in and donate! www.kickstarter.com/projects/2142841735/zeitgeist-a-pedal-giant-animals-progressive-music/posts/1217438
Saw them at Goucher College in I think '77, with original drummer Mike Beck, phenomenal, and much later at the State Theater in Falls Church without Kit Watkins. David Rosenthal was the keyboardist then.
Saw them 3 times around DC including with Renaissance at Warner Theater. Their live sound matched the studio versions which is my test of a great band. My 3 kids grew up listening to HTM, and they love it too.
Listened to this for the first time today. This album instantly became one of the Best prog albums from this period of time for me, what a hidden gem ❤ love it!!!
So happy people are discovering this band, one I have been listening to since they released their first album. They are sublime, iconic, unforgettable.
bought the first album when it came out ..at the time I was into ELP , Genesis , Yes , Tull .. wasn’t long before Happy the Man was on my turntable.. got Crafty Hands shortly after.. been a fan ever since ✌️
I discovered this band back in the late 70s when I met original drummer Mike Beck who was playing some incredibly nuanced drums for a lounge act in Hilton Head Island (the act included a tall and gorgeous blonde named Iris playing fretless bass; it was she who first caught my eye, before my ears had processed the band's sound). I befriended the band in my week there, and ended up driving back north with them, with different members taking turns riding in my car with me. Mike told me all about HtM and when I got home, I picked up their vinyl, and that was it. Big fan ever since!
+Alex Barry Great story, man. I would have loved to have met them personally to tell them how much their music was appreciated. It was, sadly, ahead of its time. It also had the unfortunate situation of being its own genre. Not Rock, not jazz, not disco (now fortunately a dead genre), not classical. It was Happy The Man music. Before the internet, if you couldn't fit neatly into one of the those categories, you wouldn't sell. Very sad, but the material that they did provide can live on forever.
It was simply progressive rock or PROG as they say nowadays. There were many bands that made money from PROG back then. Am I being a badger? Well, like many proggy bands in the US, managers here didn't know how to book them. HTM did some horrible openers and eventually got sacked for some other wild reasons.
Most incredible album I've ever heard. As a ROCK MUSICIAN I LIKE ALL KIND OF MUSIC. BUT THEY DAY MY GIRLFRIEND WALKED IN WITH THIS ALBUM I quit for a long long long while listening to KISS AND ACDC TYPE.MUSIC. AT NIGHT ID PUT A BLACK LIGHT ON AND JUST DANCE ALONE BY MYSELF TO THIS ALBUM AND SECOND ALBUM. 50 YEARS LATER AFTER HAVING ALBUM ON CD SO GLAD TO FIND ON UA-cam. GIRLFRIEND LONG GONE LIKE MY BANDS AND THINGS BUT my GOODNESS, IT TAKES ME BACK TO WEEK THIS ALBUM NEVER CAME OFF MY TURNTABLE
Stan Richard same here ! discovered Crafty Hands then discovered the first album self titled Happy the Man ... back in 78' I had started hanging out with a drummer from my home town ...he introduced me to this whole new genre of music I had no idea existed ...at the time I was into classic rock which I loved and still do but I started listening to groups like HTM and it changed me literally ! from that point I totally immersed myself into Jazz fusion , prog and modern jazz ...I probably would've discovered these genres eventually but I'm so glad that my bud got me into this music when it was just coming and still very fresh !!
same. got to meet coco when he came to some mates band to hear a student who drummed for 'em. what a thing they were and are. i recall hearing kit's sad spring 1980 as I heard they had broken up. that song still puts northern virgina fall/winter into a musical bottle for me.
"Service With A Smile," cut one, was the opener for every soccer game I announced at our local high school for about 4 years! Short, powerful and only about 2 and half minutes!
Love this band, too bad it took a lifetime to discover them. Interesting to know that Peter Gabriel considered HTM as his new "backup band" after Genesis.
Been into Prog since 1970 and did,nt discover the band till much later probably because most of Prog l knew came from the U.K. and the Continent . Only bands from Canada and the States l knew of that were playing this music were Styx , Kansas , Starcastle , Saga and Crack The Sky so it was nice to discover H.T.M . Got their albums and was most impressed .A fine band .
Wow. Thanks so much for posting. Lost my vinyl on this during a move and have missed it a ton! Great album - beautiful production and absolutely rock solid rhythm playing! And all before the advent of Midi and quantization. This music just soars. Bravo!
I am great Scottish, race cars Grace Great Scott I am and I love happy the man coco or kit kitten Coco is kid walking still alive? Great Scott wants to know? Please tell me I don't want to die for me the Great Scott marching band and I'll tell you more later alligator great album happy the man! Great Scott loves this album!!
Great Scott is right I can't watch them worked with camel as well he did a beached I think or something on nude and also what is it called I can see your house from here yeah I work with Jesus and God Amen I am great Scott again I shouldn't have made a comment by myself oh no I'm not great Scott Charlie good jolly jolly jolly good
Great band!!! Was lucky enough to catch them at the tail end opening for Nektar, who I thought they blew away!! They set a very high bar with this album!! It's still my favorite!
I saw Nektar, my first rock concert, at the Santa Monica Civic. I barely remember the concert, but I do remember the opening bad was amazing. I wonder if it was HtM....
I was introduced to Rick in August 1978 by another student bassist. I ended up taking bass lessons from Rick until I left for college in August 1979. At first I did not understand the music. But soon it became my favorite music. I wore out several tracks of the first album, such as Carousel. Several of these tunes were actually written when they were in college because I have one tape of them in college from 1975 playing knee bitten nymphs in limbo. So, to compare them to Pink Floyd or others is not an accurate comparison. They were forging their own path that was years ahead of the music market. So after this album, which went over budget at around $80,000 and didn't sell well Arista Records dropped them. They were actually more popular in Europe at the time, but, didn't get the support from Arista to travel there to tour and sell albums. Personally, I really enjoyed the bass lessons that Rick gave me. And, once in awhile I got to play his #7 Paul Reed Smith Bass. It was the seventh hand made instrument that Paul Reed Smith made for anyone. Later on he also obtained #11. It was a dream to play #7 because the neck was totally effortless to fit my short fingers around. At the time they lived in a house in Reston Virginia and the basement was the band's practice room. All of what you see on stage was stuffed into this basement.
Any Happy The Man fan MUST read this: "The Greatest Band You've Never Heard Of: The Story of Happy The Man" (RealitySandwich.com): realitysandwich.com/276315/the-greatest-band-youve-never-heard-of-the-story-of-happy-the-man/
fargonetravels The greatest band nobody has heard of are the Cardiacs, this Happy the man do sound pretty good tho, surprised i've not heard them till just now
One of my fav prog bands period. To me these guys are in no way a knock off Genesis alternative in any sense of the word. To my ear they have their own sound as a band. I hear Gentle Giant influences in regard to some of the meter changes and influences from prog of their time period. But they have their own sound. And I feel Kit Watkins is unique among keyboard players with an incredible sense for melody and phrasing that is truly his own. Really like their compositions.
Yeah it only resembles Genesis a bit because of some the synth sounds honestly, specifically Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering. Otherwise, it's pretty unique (maybe a bit of Yes, Camel, and Gentle Giant influences). Much jazzier than those guys ever got.
For me they're more Yes\GG and Gong than Genesis. The production is what makes this unique amongst the "never heard of these" bands - it is superb and up there with the best. Makes you realise that not only were the big bands writing great music but they were well produced. How these never really made it I don't know, mabe just didn't have time to build up a fanbase before prog was on the downward spiral in terms of popularity. Great album, a couple of top 50 all time prog songs on this one!
Aside from the name "Happy the Man," I hear very little if any resemblance to Genesis. Genesis was more straight forward (standard verse-chorus-bridge) rock fusion with occasional instrumental sections having complex time and key changes. Maybe there's some Genesis influence in the more pastoral sections. If anything, I hear more of a jazz-fusion Brand X influence. Oddly, the second track reminds me of an instrumental in the style of Tony Banks' first solo album "A Curious Feeling," which came after "Crafty Hands."
This album reminds me a bit of SBB, polish progrock /fusion band , albums - Ze Słowem Biegne do Ciebie '76 and Slovenian Girls '77, take a look!!! Great keyboards player - Jozef Skrzek!
Followed them like a puppy dog in College. The had a concert on campus as well, and then saw them later at the State Theater in Falls Church. I married a man 9 years younger than me. He did not share the same passion I did for this band...this brings back SO many memories. Love you Happy the Man!
Can remember Greg Stone playing "Steaming Pipes" on his Sunday evenings *Stone Trek* show on KOME FM in San Jose, CA, in the late '70s through the '80s. Those were the days: the finest of prog served up on a silver platter every Sunday eve by the coolest American DJ.
John, they were. I was very involved with them, Kit Watkins the keyboardist was my keys teacher and many times I helped them out into their clapped out cars in the freezing cold just because they were in my heart and felt that they got screwed by Arista records. That was when the punk era was making waves, money, and me throw up. Anyone that wants to be blown away by talent not known by man. Listen here....
In the day, I had soooooooo much respect for this group of players. Compositionally and from the POV of pure technique, I think Happy the Man may, tragically, be one the greatest progressive rock band ever and the most unknown. Aren't they from the DC area? DC has a reputation of producing pure musical diamonds and then hiding them, e.g. Danny G and Eva.
@@lashedbutnotleashed1984 Ha, I knew someone would post something along those lines..its all a matter of taste...the BIG question is..Can we class Pink Floyd as Prog?
L'intro de "Service with a smile" était le générique d'une émission de radio de musique in the eighties et j'adorais ce truc. Tujours aussi bon aujourd'hui.
God!! Why is this so underground?! One of the most original prog band and album I ever heard from the 70's, I like classic bands like Pink Floyd and Genesis but this band should have come way past Them! My personnal opinion
I was surprised to read they were American, assuming most of such music was British. This has a feel all its own, warmer and more cinematic than a lot of other progressive albums.
There is a new project with all the original Happy The Man members called Zeitgeist. Have a look at the Kickstarter and pledge your support for new music! www.kickstarter.com/projects/2142841735/zeitgeist-a-pedal-giant-animals-progressive-music
This album is far out! Even better than the first. Among many good things about them, my highest compliment is that no one was ever able to come so close to Gentle Giant as this band, perhaps with the exception of Spock's Beard on some vocal parts. I managed to buy all their cds except the live one, no one is selling it. So I have a copy of it. You say it is illegal? My answer is, not listening to it, or denying people the chance of listening to it, is an horrendous crime.
This is a sensational piece of art, expertly composed and brilliantly played by master musicians. It has a haunting quality that’s hard to shake.
Haunting is one of the best ways to describe their music, it is weirdly chilling in a way.
Pleasantly unfamiliar chord progressions...lyrical melodic phrasing
I might add that Ken Scott, engineer for the Beatles' White Album, Supertramp's Crime of the Century album, did this as well. Thanks for the upload. Very appreciated.
And Dixie Dreg's What If (my favorite from them, and their most 'progressive')
Yeh this is beautiful 🙏
The Beatles if they were good.
Pawn Hearts by vdgg also.
He also worked on the first Jan Hammer/JH Group releases AND produced some classic glam-era Bowie albums. Ken Scott is in a league by himself!
Long live Happy The Man. What an amazing band. Saw them in 79 at the Cellar Door in Georgetown. Best show I've ever seen. I was 15 years old. That show opened the world of music to me. Amazing.
I absolutely adore this album, but I wanted to mention what a fantastic job you did on the video - Track titles all displayed with modifications of the original album art. Really great job, well done.
I second that .....thank you!
YES!! And after that, yes again.
Just discovered them... it only took 38 years. Excellent album
Me too! Ah, the lost art of composition...
It took me 14 years
Great stuff for a followup, but the eponymously titled 1977 album is even better: ua-cam.com/video/DuXFp5-qPcI/v-deo.html
And there's more where that came from: murodoclassicrock4.blogspot.com/2013/03/happy-man-discografia.html
Yep, me too, only took 42 years... so glad I found this, what an amazing album!
Te entiendo .. Y gracias por subir este tan material
After Years if search for this album , in the beginning of the 90:s I found it in a second hand record shop in Stockholm. It cost 50 Swedish crowns ( 5 USD) Mint condition. It made my whole Year.
I still keep it in a safe place.❤️
It also became avaliable on CD which is my normal listening source nowadays.
So glad You posted it here 🙂🥰
Thanks!!
One of my favorites! Ibby it is is a masterpiece!
I was playing "Service With A Smile" for my girlfriend back in 1992 and within 2 minutes she said that it made her think of the DNA double helix.
Intelligent music WIN.
On a side note, I have never heard a jam in 11/8 time have such a perfect swing to it!
This album has haunted me for 30 years.
well said: EXACTLY
Me to. My first concert. I was 15 years old when my older brother got me into the Cellar Door in Georgetown to turn me on to awesome music. Best night ever. Still listening to this day. Long live Happy The Man. Amazing.
Cold trade in the laughter
Cool Jade in the night
We barter images on the matrix
Fine strands of reality, dream and vision
Wind up doll day begins
Whirlwind display of whims
Splashing across the street into the box
My box, your box
Dollhouse robbed of fantasy
Stacks of office blocks waiting for the wind
Blow me over into the starlight, wind
Crash down these weights upon me
Drive me across the world's scorching lies
From someplace that I might see them
To that place that I do
Draw down the dollhouse blocks
Into the whimsical streets
Web of the real laid close beside dream
Each the barter for the other
Twisting together, like worms in their holes
Quietly strangling the vision
Wind up doll day traded
For dream chants on whispering winds
Wind up doll day begins
Wind up doll day begins
Wind up doll day begins
Wind up doll day begins
It seems to me there’s cold trade in all the laughter
There’s the cool gleaming Jade
Greed in our minds
Kit Watkins an underappreciated musical genius
Good keyboardist, but hardly a musical genius. His compositions are somewhat scarce in the recorded music world. When he was with Camel, he didn't even write a single song.
@@lashedbutnotleashed1984 Plus forgot to mention Docks from Camel Nude which is basically Mount St Helens by Kit. Andy Lats and Kit Co wrote Docks..
Kit is an amazing musician and composer..I only met him once or twice but I just knew he had it..but what I could really tell about him..that he was a fine person..pure..
I think you meant not a compositional genius. I would counter that he is a keyboard genius despite perhaps not having compositional chops.@@lashedbutnotleashed1984
...and...?
All were very talented (and getting better) but here's one thing that Kit Watkins nailed (along with others): Synth tones that still sound good and timeless. There were some truly annoying synth flavors by fine prog players in the day (not naming anyone....)
What an absolutely brilliant piece of art.
wtf man...this fucking band was great...great musicians,too!....Passport is another jazz fusion band as well...check them out
Like Passport, Tangerine Dream and Necktar.
See if you can find the band Polyphony. Great fusion prog from '72 with some incredible musicians, including guitarist Glenn Palmer Howard.
i like to smoke marijuana and listen to service with a smile at .5 speed. then eye close my eyes and picture things with my 3rd eye that fits the music.
I was turned on to HtM 4 months ago, and all I'm listening to is this and their self-titled (1st?) album. I'm sure someone mentioned the band back in '77, when I was 20, but there was so much amazing prog/fusion going on that one could afford to be picky. Seems like the rest of my life is spent mining for the gems I missed, and HtM is a MASSIVE DIAMOND. I'm pretty sure the band's name put me off; it sounded trite, and the weak album art belied the magnitude of the music (hate to say this, but a book IS judged by its cover-especially when stacked next to Yes' covers). Not only do they have musicianship chops, but serious compositional chops. They compete with and, in ways, surpass some of the prog bands I've held so highly all these years; such a revelation! While it's a travesty to discover them almost 40 years later, it's a delight for this jaded, cynical music snob!
Their third (unreleased until 1983, in a very small indie printing; then again in about 1999), titled: _3rd: Better late..._ is much better than their first LP. The debut--and this, from a serious HTM fanatic--upon relistening two nights ago, has quite a few duds. Sorry guys! The highlights are: "Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest"; "New York Dream's Suite" (tho I'll say now that the last 1:00 is a letdown); "Carousel" and "Hidden Moods"[.]
_3rd: Better late..._ has no clunkers; "The Falcon" is a bit lite...but I can bear it. (There are two tunes included in the most-recent release, which were not included on the original...been awhile since I listened to the re-release, so there might be a dud amongst those two, but cannot say fer cher). Seven songs that are intriguing and/or kick ass. "While Crome Yellow Shine" and "Labyrinth" are both stone-masterpiece[s]; "At the Edge of This Thought"; "Run Into the Ground" and "Shadow Shaping" (w/ vocals by guitarist Stan Whitaker) are brilliant; "Footwork" is playful and sticks with y', in a fun way.
Get their 3rd album. Any way you can.
+Gee Man I just discovered them now. I feel just as guilty as most of those who missed them. Yes, you are correct in your assessment about the book cover. I think that for most of us, it was also our budget that limited us in our deeper exploration; we went after things we were somewhat sure of. I am actually fanatic about this genre and yet, this band I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF. What a shame (on me)!
me to I missed it somehow. I was in a record store today (buying a Todd Rundgren box set)HTM was playing Crafty Hands.So Refreshing. in a Progress calm way.I Could hear so many influences.just put it on and let it play .anyway best wishes audio friend.Nice! Todd Rundgren people Love AirPocket by Rodger Powel from UTOPIA.worth a listen. Jim audio-file Out...
My son just turned me on to these guys and they are a Gem!
Naming your band after a much sought after recording by Genesis didi't sound trite to me, but apparently the name is a reference to Goethe's Faust, which makes it more high-brown than I would ever have guessed. Thanks to US Muse (whoever is hiding behind that nick) for the inside line.
Service With A Smile has to be one of the greatest opening tracks of any album out there. Oblivion Sun has a great opener in "Fanfare" in 2007 and "Deckard" off of The High Places album.
I totally agree with (and LOVED reading) your first sentence! I actually opened my professional radio career with that tune here in Charleston, SC at 95-SX (100,000 Watt FM rock station WSSX-FM). This station once had a weekend special show called "Sittin' In" where each week they'd pick one lucky listener to play DJ and pick songs (on radio carts) of their choice for one hour. I had begged the Program Director to let me use vinyl tracks instead of just songs already on carts in the studio. I explained I had the perfect opening tune and would pre-plan my show to make sure it was the best one EVER! He balked at first, but then agreed to let me do it. To start my show, I introduced myself and just before playing "Service With A Smile" I announced "I'm going to give you an EARGASM!". LOL That opening HTM tune went into "Atomic Punk" off the first Van Halen album with its opening song lyric "Turn Your Radios On!". As a result, I got hired on the spot and was the last guy to ever do that show. I always wanted producer Ken Scott (& the band) to learn about my story and, hopefully, get a kick out of it.
Big Prog head the time this was issued. Worked in retail records and tapes and didnt hear this. So much Prog was swept under the rug during this time. This album, i like.
Love this band. I was in a band called Surge that opened for them at Louies Rock City in northern Virginia back in the day.
Impressive though such underrated band (Peter Gabriel´s favourite).
Very interesting sound and great guitar work. Can't believe I just discovered this.
Wish I could "thumbs-up" a million times! Sublime album! Created in a relatively brief era when compositional deftness ruled.
You can - just make a million youtube/google accounts. This post is 8 years old and the video only has 5k likes. Your commitment is underwhelming.
I have a ton of great prog albums in my collection, but this one is Top 5 of all time. Will always remember the Kit and Coco show at the Cellar Door back in 1980 where Kit played pretty much of his first album and the rest HTM..
Amazing album, too bad those guys didn't manage to get recognised as a fantastic band, which they were.
Hey everyone. There is a re-union project starting up right now that will include all of the players from all incarnations of Happy the Man, including Oblivion Sun and Pedal Giant Animals. Please click in and donate! www.kickstarter.com/projects/2142841735/zeitgeist-a-pedal-giant-animals-progressive-music/posts/1217438
My first time listening to this band. This is a gem.
LOOK ON MY PLAYLIST I HAVE TONS OF LESSOR KNOWN GROUPS.
TRY DICE THE FOUR HORSEMEN.
Will do!!! Thank you
My first time right now..
Happy 2023 from Las Vegas
@@ronniewall1481 I will do that! Thank you
@@ronniewall1481 I subbed your channel. Thank you so much!
Saw them live 40 years ago. Kit Watkins - phenomenal
Saw 'em at Towson University. Mid eighties i believe. With Coco Roussel.
Saw them at the Cellar Door in Washington DC in 1978. They were absolutely wonderful.
Saw them at Goucher College in I think '77, with original drummer Mike Beck, phenomenal, and much later at the State Theater in Falls Church without Kit Watkins. David Rosenthal was the keyboardist then.
yes. legendary mini moog solos from Kit, they are stunning
Saw them 3 times around DC including with Renaissance at Warner Theater.
Their live sound matched the studio versions which is my test of a great band.
My 3 kids grew up listening to HTM, and they love it too.
Wow, without ads. Novel idea. Beautiful music. Thanks.
As representative of Microsoft Support, I spoke with one of the members of this band, it was awesome, he told me about it, and I just found it.
Listened to this for the first time today. This album instantly became one of the Best prog albums from this period of time for me, what a hidden gem ❤ love it!!!
Their first album is even better.
Their first album is even better. Gotta get it.
This record has something magical. Not just another "fusion" trope...this is a classic record with some of Watkins best playing.
So happy people are discovering this band, one I have been listening to since they released their first album. They are sublime, iconic, unforgettable.
I discovered it this year, thank to The Prog Corner.
bought the first album when it came out ..at the time I was into ELP , Genesis , Yes , Tull .. wasn’t long before Happy the Man was on my turntable.. got Crafty Hands shortly after.. been a fan ever since ✌️
I discovered this band back in the late 70s when I met original drummer Mike Beck who was playing some incredibly nuanced drums for a lounge act in Hilton Head Island (the act included a tall and gorgeous blonde named Iris playing fretless bass; it was she who first caught my eye, before my ears had processed the band's sound). I befriended the band in my week there, and ended up driving back north with them, with different members taking turns riding in my car with me. Mike told me all about HtM and when I got home, I picked up their vinyl, and that was it. Big fan ever since!
+Alex Barry Probably you were tripping. There has been no female band member.
Actually, J King, you're the one tripping. Read my comment again. I referred to the lounge band Mike played with, not HtM.
+Alex Barry Great story, man. I would have loved to have met them personally to tell them how much their music was appreciated. It was, sadly, ahead of its time. It also had the unfortunate situation of being its own genre. Not Rock, not jazz, not disco (now fortunately a dead genre), not classical. It was Happy The Man music. Before the internet, if you couldn't fit neatly into one of the those categories, you wouldn't sell. Very sad, but the material that they did provide can live on forever.
You need to get your money back from that speed reading course.
It was simply progressive rock or PROG as they say nowadays. There were many bands that made money from PROG back then. Am I being a badger? Well, like many proggy bands in the US, managers here didn't know how to book them. HTM did some horrible openers and eventually got sacked for some other wild reasons.
Killer album, elegant arrangements and inventive playing, one of the best prog albums ever
Service with a smile and Open Book are my favs.. I had an experience with Open Book on LSD that is indescribable
Most incredible album I've ever heard. As a ROCK MUSICIAN I LIKE ALL KIND OF MUSIC. BUT THEY DAY MY GIRLFRIEND WALKED IN WITH THIS ALBUM I quit for a long long long while listening to KISS AND ACDC TYPE.MUSIC. AT NIGHT ID PUT A BLACK LIGHT ON AND JUST DANCE ALONE BY MYSELF TO THIS ALBUM AND SECOND ALBUM. 50 YEARS LATER AFTER HAVING ALBUM ON CD SO GLAD TO FIND ON UA-cam. GIRLFRIEND LONG GONE LIKE MY BANDS AND THINGS BUT my GOODNESS, IT TAKES ME BACK TO WEEK THIS ALBUM NEVER CAME OFF MY TURNTABLE
You have a cool Girlfriend...a girlfriend of mine introduced me to a group called 'Caravan'. So glad she did
bought this when it came out in '78 and loved it ever since, one of my top 10 of all time.
Stan Richard same here ! discovered Crafty Hands then discovered the first album self titled Happy the Man ... back in 78' I had started hanging out with a drummer from my home town ...he introduced me to this whole new genre of music I had no idea existed ...at the time I was into classic rock which I loved and still do but I started listening to groups like HTM and it changed me literally ! from that point I totally immersed myself into Jazz fusion , prog and modern jazz ...I probably would've discovered these genres eventually but I'm so glad that my bud got me into this music when it was just coming and still very fresh !!
me too. on vinyl on the cut-out bin. I miss album covers.
Ci sento anche qualcosa di MAAVISHNU ORCHESTRA !!!!!!
Happy The Man have a really nice orchestral atmosphere to their compositions. I can hear a bit of them in echolyn, another great American prog band.
Great Band! Remember them from growing up in Northern Virginia.
same. got to meet coco when he came to some mates band to hear a student who drummed for 'em.
what a thing they were and are.
i recall hearing kit's sad spring 1980 as I heard they had broken up.
that song still puts northern virgina fall/winter into a musical bottle for me.
That first song is iconic....one could build an entire movie around this album.
kit watkins, the great mini moog soloist of the 70's after Jan Hammer
Good call!
Sorry, but I prefer the sound and the elegance of Kit and his compositions way.
@@franciscofernandez4159 Kit has referenced Hammer as an influence alongside Norwegian fusion guitarist Terje Rypdal.
I'd rank Jamie Pastman from the band Apprentice right up there on the top of that list also.
do I hear early Gabrial influence? and maybe some McLaughlin?
Great group of creative artists...excellent musicians,writers,craftsmen and performers..wow!!
"Service With A Smile," cut one, was the opener for every soccer game I announced at our local high school for about 4 years! Short, powerful and only about 2 and half minutes!
It has an explosive quality when the sky rocket burst start after the first four measures.
Music for the soul. Cathartic.
Exquisita banda. Les agradezco me envíen estás goyas musicales. Les saludo desde México.
I thought I had heard every prog band from this Era but clearly I was wrong. Really stunning work.
I probably could show you a lot of lessor known groups
R.I.P. Frank Wyatt
Love this band, too bad it took a lifetime to discover them. Interesting to know that Peter Gabriel considered HTM as his new "backup band" after Genesis.
I also understand that to be true. But because HTM sounded to close to Genesis, Gabriel passed them by.
Been into Prog since 1970 and did,nt discover the band till much later probably because most of Prog l knew came from the U.K. and the Continent . Only bands from Canada and the States l knew of that were playing this music were Styx , Kansas , Starcastle , Saga and Crack The Sky so it was nice to discover H.T.M . Got their albums and was most impressed .A fine band .
the production is so ahead of its time......
RIP Frank Wyatt :(..never forget 22+ years ago at Nearfest 2000.
Maravilloso trabajo de mi adolescencia en mi biblioteca del rock saludos de stgo Chile
I feel so many things hearing this album.........I feel alive! I feel inquisitive! I feel Wonderment! I FEEL New!
Wow. Thanks so much for posting. Lost my vinyl on this during a move and have missed it a ton! Great album - beautiful production and absolutely rock solid rhythm playing! And all before the advent of Midi and quantization. This music just soars. Bravo!
Spot on, mate!
I am great Scottish, race cars Grace Great Scott I am and I love happy the man coco or kit kitten Coco is kid walking still alive? Great Scott wants to know? Please tell me I don't want to die for me the Great Scott marching band and I'll tell you more later alligator great album happy the man! Great Scott loves this album!!
Great Scott is right I can't watch them worked with camel as well he did a beached I think or something on nude and also what is it called I can see your house from here yeah I work with Jesus and God Amen I am great Scott again I shouldn't have made a comment by myself oh no I'm not great Scott Charlie good jolly jolly jolly good
Great band!!! Was lucky enough to catch them at the tail end opening for Nektar, who I thought they blew away!! They set a very high bar with this album!! It's still my favorite!
I saw Nektar, my first rock concert, at the Santa Monica Civic. I barely remember the concert, but I do remember the opening bad was amazing. I wonder if it was HtM....
the peak of american prog - this album
I concur.
@@cesarincamendozaloyola4407 Me too
Good God, these guys are way beyond anything that has ever been done before.
Great music, appreciated and pleased I have found this band I never knew about.
Came from living in Europe in 1975. This band from Harrisonburg, VA had a small devout following in the Washington DC metropolitan area.
Pure magic... Morning sun ❤️☺️
I concur with the previous comment!!!.
Probably the best American prog album ever.
Americano?? en sudamérica tambien hay disos prog... deberias revisarlos. Un saludo
It's one of them. I would say the light by Spock's Beard and Leftoverture by Kansas are up there too.
and yezda urfa sacred baboon, love that one too.
beat me to it. ditto.
@@gianbuzetti3701 American lamentablemente es como se les dice,no existe estado unidense en ingles es american por lo que su comentario esta bien.
I was introduced to Rick in August 1978 by another student bassist. I ended up taking bass lessons from Rick until I left for college in August 1979. At first I did not understand the music. But soon it became my favorite music. I wore out several tracks of the first album, such as Carousel. Several of these tunes were actually written when they were in college because I have one tape of them in college from 1975 playing knee bitten nymphs in limbo. So, to compare them to Pink Floyd or others is not an accurate comparison. They were forging their own path that was years ahead of the music market. So after this album, which went over budget at around $80,000 and didn't sell well Arista Records dropped them. They were actually more popular in Europe at the time, but, didn't get the support from Arista to travel there to tour and sell albums. Personally, I really enjoyed the bass lessons that Rick gave me. And, once in awhile I got to play his #7 Paul Reed Smith Bass. It was the seventh hand made instrument that Paul Reed Smith made for anyone. Later on he also obtained #11. It was a dream to play #7 because the neck was totally effortless to fit my short fingers around. At the time they lived in a house in Reston Virginia and the basement was the band's practice room. All of what you see on stage was stuffed into this basement.
love the musical history you shared, thanks
Rick K is from Fort Wayne, Indiana. I sold him my 67 EBO in 1969. He still has it. Great guy. Great band
People compared them to Pink Floyd? Lol … no way, they had a unique sound. If anything dashes of Genesis, Yes and Return To Forever
very cool info! I heard Happy Dah Man on WHFS when they ere in Bethesda Maryland
The cover really fits the music 🎧
breathe deep..my friend
Smash That Like Button........
Superb album. Can't believe I'd never heard of it before in 45 years of listening to music.
Thank you so much Prog Line for such amazing progressive rock. Progressive Rock and Jazz are my two favorite music genres.
Any Happy The Man fan MUST read this: "The Greatest Band You've Never Heard Of: The Story of Happy The Man" (RealitySandwich.com): realitysandwich.com/276315/the-greatest-band-youve-never-heard-of-the-story-of-happy-the-man/
fargonetravels The greatest band nobody has heard of are the Cardiacs, this Happy the man do sound pretty good tho, surprised i've not heard them till just now
+FAST N BULBOUS
Get that from Captain Beef Heart??
Carol Coonradt Yep, that's right. it's my gamertag on xbox and playstation, so used it for this when uploading my amazing gaming videos
One of my fav prog bands period. To me these guys are in no way a knock off Genesis alternative in any sense of the word. To my ear they have their own sound as a band. I hear Gentle Giant influences in regard to some of the meter changes and influences from prog of their time period. But they have their own sound. And I feel Kit Watkins is unique among keyboard players with an incredible sense for melody and phrasing that is truly his own. Really like their compositions.
Yeah it only resembles Genesis a bit because of some the synth sounds honestly, specifically Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering. Otherwise, it's pretty unique (maybe a bit of Yes, Camel, and Gentle Giant influences). Much jazzier than those guys ever got.
For me they're more Yes\GG and Gong than Genesis. The production is what makes this unique amongst the "never heard of these" bands - it is superb and up there with the best. Makes you realise that not only were the big bands writing great music but they were well produced. How these never really made it I don't know, mabe just didn't have time to build up a fanbase before prog was on the downward spiral in terms of popularity. Great album, a couple of top 50 all time prog songs on this one!
Aside from the name "Happy the Man," I hear very little if any resemblance to Genesis. Genesis was more straight forward (standard verse-chorus-bridge) rock fusion with occasional instrumental sections having complex time and key changes. Maybe there's some Genesis influence in the more pastoral sections. If anything, I hear more of a jazz-fusion Brand X influence. Oddly, the second track reminds me of an instrumental in the style of Tony Banks' first solo album "A Curious Feeling," which came after "Crafty Hands."
This album reminds me a bit of SBB, polish progrock /fusion band , albums - Ze Słowem Biegne do Ciebie '76 and Slovenian Girls '77, take a look!!! Great keyboards player - Jozef Skrzek!
Gentle Giant, the softer side of Canterbury and the most complex side of Camel with synth sounds related to Corea and Hammer's frameworks.
Amazing album. Thanks for your wonderfull work Prog Line.
Followed them like a puppy dog in College. The had a concert on campus as well, and then saw them later at the State Theater in Falls Church. I married a man 9 years younger than me. He did not share the same passion I did for this band...this brings back SO many memories. Love you Happy the Man!
What!...another brilliant masterpiece! Inspired music, thanks Prog Line.
Can remember Greg Stone playing "Steaming Pipes" on his Sunday evenings *Stone Trek* show on KOME FM in San Jose, CA, in the late '70s through the '80s. Those were the days: the finest of prog served up on a silver platter every Sunday eve by the coolest American DJ.
I remember that show. That was the highlight of my Sunday’s. I wish shows like that still existed.
Perfect music for learning about space exploration!!!.
Just found out about these guys. What an amazing group.
Please Listen To This Music's Artwork...And Just Be A Nice Happy Man !...
R.I.P. Frank Wyatt
John, they were. I was very involved with them, Kit Watkins the keyboardist was my keys teacher and many times I helped them out into their clapped out cars in the freezing cold just because they were in my heart and felt that they got screwed by Arista records. That was when the punk era was making waves, money, and me throw up. Anyone that wants to be blown away by talent not known by man. Listen here....
In the day, I had soooooooo much respect for this group of players. Compositionally and from the POV of pure technique, I think Happy the Man may, tragically, be one the greatest progressive rock band ever and the most unknown. Aren't they from the DC area? DC has a reputation of producing pure musical diamonds and then hiding them, e.g. Danny G and Eva.
Love your channel. New sub. Thanks so much for this! Sending love your way from a Las Vegas musician ❤️
Arte excelente, una banda "prog" para recomendar. Aún hoy.....siempre.
One of the greatest albums of all time by the greatest prog rock band of all time
That would be King Crimson.
oof that's a bold statement but the comments section of a Happy the Man UA-cam album is probably the safest place to make it.
@@lashedbutnotleashed1984 Or 'Yes' ? lol
@@siroswaldfortitude5346 I would put Yes behind ELP, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, PFM, and Genesis.
@@lashedbutnotleashed1984 Ha, I knew someone would post something along those lines..its all a matter of taste...the BIG question is..Can we class Pink Floyd as Prog?
kit watkins!
cosmicdrifter287 Kit Watkins is the most underrated keyboard player in music !
L'intro de "Service with a smile" était le générique d'une émission de radio de musique in the eighties et j'adorais ce truc. Tujours aussi bon aujourd'hui.
This albums opening track rules.
I love you
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
brilliant work !!! thanks , O
😎
an icon in american progressive
God!! Why is this so underground?! One of the most original prog band and album I ever heard from the 70's, I like classic bands like Pink Floyd and Genesis but this band should have come way past Them! My personnal opinion
Kind of glad they didn't actually, now I have "new" stuff to listen to 40 years later! :-) But, yeah, I hear you, brilliant stuff....
one of the best unknown prog bands in history along with yezda urfa, both american of course!
I have been listening to yezda urfa ... Thanks !!!
I was surprised to read they were American, assuming most of such music was British. This has a feel all its own, warmer and more cinematic than a lot of other progressive albums.
originaluddite, See Starcastle.
Never heard of Yezda Urfa, I'll check them out.
Perfect music while reading the closed captioning on a show about New Horizon’s pass by Pluto on PBS!!!.
Rest in Peace Frank Wyatt.... :(
There is a new project with all the original Happy The Man members called Zeitgeist. Have a look at the Kickstarter and pledge your support for new music! www.kickstarter.com/projects/2142841735/zeitgeist-a-pedal-giant-animals-progressive-music
Amazing band I think Crafty Hands is their best !
First I thought it's a waltz-prog album. Beginning with two 3/3 pieces. Later new combined time signature came up. Good! 😃
This album is far out! Even better than the first. Among many good things about them, my highest compliment is that no one was ever able to come so close to Gentle Giant as this band, perhaps with the exception of Spock's Beard on some vocal parts. I managed to buy all their cds except the live one, no one is selling it. So I have a copy of it. You say it is illegal? My answer is, not listening to it, or denying people the chance of listening to it, is an horrendous crime.