HAPPY THE MAN

Happy The Man's first album (the second of theirs I owned) was not quite as cohesive at "Crafty Hands", but every bit as good an album. Released in 1977, the album came out right when the major labels were conspiring with the journalists they owned to make truly creative music "uncool". Therefore, these albums went unpromoted and largely unknown to all but a few of us.

This debut introduced us to HTM's unique blend of fusion and symphonic prog. Like the second album, my favorite tracks are the upbeat ones. Stumpy Meets The Firecracker In Stencil Forest, Kneebitten Nymphs In Limbo and New York Dreams' Suite are all fine tunes in this category.

My only complaint about this band is that I find Stanley Whitaker's voice a bit weak and too warbly. But that's a minor complaint, and hardly affects my rating.