01	Eye of the Storm						04:00
	02	The Falcon						06:11
	03	At the Edge of this Thought						05:20
	04	While Chrome Yellow Shine						06:12
	05	Who's in Charge Here?						05:41
	06	Shadow Shaping						04:28
	07	Run into the Ground						05:04
	08	Footwork						04:21
	09	Labyrinth						07:31
	10	Such a Warm Breeze						05:11
	11							08:32
	12							04:47
	13							04:18

Happy the Man
3rd / Better Late...
Cuneiform (55001)
USA 1979

Kit Watkins, keyboards and flute;
Frank Wyatt, keyboards, sax, flute;
Stanley Whitaker, guitar, vocals;
Rick Kennell, bass;
Coco Roussel, drums, percussion

Tracklist:
1. Eye of the Storm — 3.58
2. The Falcon — 6.09
3. At the Edge of This Thought — 5.16
4. While Chrome Yellow Shine — 6.10
5. Who's In Charge Here? — 5.39
6. Shadow Shaping — 4.25
7. Run Into the Ground — 5.02
8. Footwork — 4.19
9. Labyrinth — 7.29
10. Such A Warm Breeze — 5.08

total time 53:35

Jon Byrne:
Happy the Man was one of those band names floating around that I was vaguely aware of but not sure exactly who they were or what they did. I knew they were considered by some to be the premiere American prog band of the 70s, but that was about it. So, I kept my eyes open and happened upon the chance to pick up this album used. I'm glad I did, even though it wasn't quite what I expected.
What I expected was a band sort of along the lines of Yes or Genesis that was fusing Euro prog with American styles. Actually, if this disc is any indication, Happy the Man seems much closer to Canterbury and fusion than to traditional mainstream prog. That, of course, is not a bad thing. The music here has a lot of potential and has some wonderful playing on it.
As I understand it, Happy the Man basically existed originally to produce two or three albums before breaking up (not for good, however). The material contained on this disc, then, is what was going to be the next album for the band. An album that was never finished and never released. For that reason, there's a certain roughness to what's going on here. These cuts are not completely raw or merely beginnings, but they do seem like the band knew they'd be developing them more later. While that makes the album and interesting listen, I'm not sure that is makes for an incredibly satisfying one.
As I said, Happy the Man was one of those bands I didn't know a lot about. Now that I know a little more, I'm intrigued to see what the band could do when they put their minds to it. So while I'm not sure how much time this particular disc will spend in the player, it has convinced me to explore further. And that's a very positive thing.

Eric Porter:
Another triumph! After the band was dropped by Arista, these appear to be demo tapes for a third release. Again, the band offers up some tasty prog, chock full of great instrumentals along with some vocal tracks. "Eye of the Storm" is a Kit Watkins tune that Camel also recorded during his tenure with that band (on I Can See Your House From Here). Both versions are very similiar. "The Falcon" is a great heavy ominous piece that features an evil sounding slide guitar solo from Stanley Whitaker, who also takes on vocal duties and does an admirable job. Some other favorites here are "While Crome Yellow Light Shine" with its bright horn sounds and driving rhythm; this one also features some stinging work from Whitaker. The fusion feel of "Run into the Ground" and the jazzy "Footwork" make this a well rounded release. Also, the drumming of Coco Roussel is outstanding. He is not just a drummer, but a fine percussionist. This CD contains the final recordings of the band, and shows that they were still full of creativity.


Happy The Man - Better Late

Released: 1990
Label: Cuneiform
Cat. No.: 55001
Total Time: 54:39




3rd "Better Late..."

1990
Cuneiform Records

1 Eye Of The Storm (Watkins) 3:58
2 The Falcon (Wyatt/Whitaker) 6:09
3 At The Edge Of This Thought (Wyatt) 5:16
4 While Chrome Yellow Shine (Wyatt/Watkins) 6:10
5 Who's In Charge Here? (Whitaker) 5:39
6 Shadow Shaping (Watkins/Wyatt/Whitaker) 4:25
7 Run Into The Ground (Watkins/Kennell) 5:02
8 Footwork (Watkins) 4:19
9 Labyrinth (Watkins) 7:29
10 Such A Warm Breeze(Whitaker) 5:08

Produced by Kit Watkins.
Engineered by Wayne Garber and Kit Watkins, 1979.
Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 remixed by Kit Watkins, 1989.
All titles arranged by Happy The Man and published by Peripheral Music, ASCAP.
CD mastering by Digital Mastering.
Four track loan and photography by Paul Joslow.
CD design and graphics by Paula Millet and Kit Watkins.

This is the final demo tape made by Happy The Man. It was recorded in February, 1979 at the band house in Reston, Virginia, using a Teac 3340 4-track recorder. Basic tracks were recorded live by all members. Flute, sax, vocals, and some solos were overdubbed. Final mixes were made on a Revox A-77 half-track at 1 1/2 ips. Tape hiss and minor amounts of distortion were inevitable with the equipment available at the time. Nevertheless, this recording provides an excellent representation of the band in its last year.

Kit Watkins: Keyboards, Flute
Frank Wyatt: Electric Piano, Alto Saxes, Flute
Stanley Whitaker: Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocals
Rick Kennell: Bass
Coco Roussel: drums, percussion



Review courtesy John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg, July 2000
Knowing that this album contains the demos, which were recorded at home with the intention to use them as a guide during the "proper" recording of their never-to-be third album, we nevertheless can speak of a truly fabulous sound. The important thing is, however, that due to the wonders of technology we can now listen to ten brand new Happy The Man compositions. Once again these are well crafted songs that sound very much like vintage Camel. Sometimes the voice of Stanley Whitaker gets close to the timbre of Greg Lake, which we can certainly call very positive here. The main role however still is reserved for Kit Watkins who delivers some divine flute playing during "At The Edge Of This Thought." To discover and re-discover, again and again and …

[In December, Bobo revisited this title and wrote a revised review. -ed.]

Named after a rare Genesis song from 1972 this band in fact only released two studio albums in the beginning of their career: Happy The Man and Crafty Hands which were both released on Arista. The album here contains the material which was intended for the band’s third studio album, an idea which never happened. Knowing that this album contains only demos recorded at home we can certainly state that the quality is rather good even if it has only been recorded on 4-track way back in February 1979. It’s mainly important that, thanks to the wonders of technology, we can in fact listen to a brand new Happy The Man album containing ten compositions never heard before!

Once again the band delivers superior songs, which often get close to early Camel. Just marvel at the sheer beauty of “Eye Of The Storm” which holds the middle between Rain Dances era Camel and the later Focus generation. In “The Falcon” the music reminds us of the best Italian tradition, rubbing shoulders with PFM. Sometimes guitarist Stanley Whitaker’s voice gets close to that of Greg Lake (another Manticore artist just like PFM!), which can only be a positive thing here. The main role however still is reserved for keyboard player Kit Watkins who really shines in “At The Edge Of This Thought” by means of divine flute playing.

A lot of the Happy The Man material is built around repetitive patterns that are mainly manned by great electric piano. It’s this element which has the term "Canterbury scene" pop up on more than one occasion. There’s also a fair amount of jazz influences to be heard. One of the main examples here has to be “Run Into The Ground” which has ground breaking sax all over, ranging from a classical introduction to a more laidback structure and then back towards a more rhythmic pattern. “Footwork” is a playful little thing, especially due to Kit’s keyboard playing. Guitar and synth then kind of overdub each other to give it a fuller sound. The album closes with “Such A Warm Breeze,” once again highlighting divine flute playing and a true resting point for the unique Happy the Man music.

Certainly an album to discover and to re-discover, again and again and …

Notes: Contains the final demo tape as recorded in February 1979 at the band’s house in Reston, Virginia

More about Better Late:

Track Listing: Eye Of The Storm (3:56) / The Falcon (6:09) / At The Edge Of This Thought (5:16) / While Crome Yellow Shine (6:10) / Who's In Charge Here? (5:39) / Shadow Shaping (4:25) / Run Into The Ground (5:02) / Footwork (4:19) / Labyrinth (7:29) / Such A Warm Breeze (5:08)

Musicians:
Kit Watkins - keyboards, flute
Stanley Whitaker - guitars, vocals
Coco Roussel - drums, percussion
Rick Kennell - bass
Frank Wyatt - electric piano, alto sax, flute

Contact:


Website: www.happytheman.com
Note: will open new browser window

Email: fanmail@happytheman.com

Discography

Happy The Man (1977)
Crafty Hands (1978)
Better Late... (1983)
Beginnings (1990)
Live (1997)
Death's Crown (1999)




3rd: Better Late...
Artist Happy the Man
Album Title 3rd: Better Late...
Date of Release 1984 (release) inprint


3rd: Better Late... came out 11 years after these demo recordings were made, hence the second part of the album's title. As for the first part, these home sessions were conducted to put Happy the Man's third LP into pre-production. In the meantime, punk and disco discouraged record labels to pursue their contracts with progressive rock bands and Arista Records dropped the group. If the tapes are crude at times (some hiss, some distortion), sound quality is maintained at a respectable level. This is not the band's best material, but then again, it might have evolved before reaching the final stage - a piece or two might even have been dropped. Still, it makes a worthy follow-up to Crafty Hands. The writing remains complex, polyphonic, counterpuntal. There is a bit more fusion than before. Tracks like "The Falcon," "Who's in Charge Here?," and "Shadow Shaping" (the latter very Gentle Giant-esque) are genuine Happy the Man. New drummer Coco Roussel (also featured on the Cuneiform release Live) brings more subtle percussion work, while Kit Watkins and Stanley Whitaker play better than ever. Don't get turned off by the discouraging artwork: this is strong Happy the Man material, even though newcomers should begin with the band's two original albums. - Franзois Couture

1. Eye of the Storm (Watkins) - 3:58
2. The Falcon (Whitaker/Wyatt) - 6:09
3. At the Edge of This Thought (Wyatt) - 5:16
4. While Chrome Yellow Shine (Watkins/Wyatt) - 6:10
5. Who's in Charge Here? (Whitaker) - 5:39
6. Shadow Shaping (Watkins/Whitaker/Wyatt) - 4:25
7. Run into the Ground (Kennell/Watkins) - 5:02
8. Footwork (Watkins) - 4:19
9. Labyrinth (Watkins) - 7:29
10. Such a Warm Breeze (Whitaker) - 5:08

Kit Watkins - Flute, Keyboards, Producer, Engineer, Remixing, Design, Mixing, Cover Design, Typography
Happy the Man - Arranger
Coco Roussel - Percussion, Drums
Rick Kennell - Bass
Stanley Whitaker - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Vocals
Frank Wyatt - Flute, Piano, Piano (Electric), Saxophone, Sax (Alto), Lyricist
Paula Millet - Design
Paul Joslow - Photography
Wayne Garber - Engineer

LP Azimuth 1003
1995 CD Cuneiform 55001