I Could Be Happy: The Best of Altered Images is an excellent, thorough collection covering all of the highlights from the band's three albums, adding several non-LP singles for good measure. All of the group's hits – "Happy Birthday," "I Could Be Happy," "See Those Eyes," "Love and Kisses" – are presented, usually in their single versions, plus many fine album tracks, making I Could Be Happy a definitive retrospective.
The album Happy Birthday bears little resemblance to the cute and bubbly new wave pop of the title track, for which they're best remembered. Instead of capitalizing on the brightness of the obvious hit single, producer Steven Severin (of Siouxsie & the Banshees) pushed the band into moodier post-punk territory with minimalist arrangements and simple, driving rhythms. Clair Grogan's little-girl voice was probably better suited to pop, but the combination of the two extremes is certainly interesting, if not as fun and engaging as "Happy Birthday".
After a thirty eight year hiatus, the rejuvenated band have just completed putting the finishing touches to the first Altered Images music since the album Bite was released in 1983. It’s an upbeat and contemporary sounding album which sounds like a natural progression of the Altered Images journey and sound, all topped with the instantly recognisable vocals of Clare Grogan. The album is produced by former Altered Images band member and acclaimed producer Stephen Lironi and features 12 songs that Clare Grogan has co-written with Stephen, Bernard Butler and Bobby Bluebell.
4CD 60 track clam shell box set rounding up pretty much all of Altered Images’ releases on Epic Records.
Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. Finland's premier saxophonist Koivistoinen ventured to New York City for this CD and employed some of the finest jazz players, including trombonist Conrad Herwig, trumpeter Randy Brecker, pianist David Kikoski, bassist Ron McClure, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and guitarist John Scofield (on four cuts). Bugge Wesseltoft plays rather innocent, unobtrusive sythesizer on three other pieces. The horn charts are smartly arranged by the tenor and soprano saxophonist, and played to perfection. The music is contemporary, bop-based, modernistic, and well-swung by DeJohnette's personalized chatty signature rhythms.