The Man to See

Though it met with little commercial success, Happy the Man's 1977 debut quickly became a cult sensation with fans of prog rock. It's easy to see why: their sound combines a number of diverse influences in a distinctive manner, and their music is as complex and meticulously arranged as any prog album one cares to mention. Unlike some popular prog acts, Happy the Man does not allow one instrument to take center stage or allow relentless soloing to dominate the songs. Instead, the focus is on complex interplay between the group's players: compositions like "Knee Bitten Nymphs In Limbo" and "Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest" are built on the kind of mathematically complex yet playful instrumental interplay that is normally associated with Frank Zappa's most complex work…

Throughout the 1990s, Cuneiform Records has released essential Happy the Man material that had been overlooked by the band's label Arista in the mid-'70s. Death's Crown presents three archival recordings made in 1974 and 1976 in Happy the Man's rehearsal room. The sound quality is rather poor (the voice is particularly lost in the background), but it is still enjoyable and the beauty of the music makes up for the inconvenience. The record opens with the title track, "Death's Crown," an 11-part suite of 38 minutes. Composed in 1974, "Death's Crown" was originally a multimedia performance including dancers, actors, and a light and slide show. The piece has been performed on numerous occasions, and the band later integrated some parts into its live show (as an example, part five appears on the Live CD as the track "Open Book"). It is the tale of a man's journey into the other side of life, sung in the most emotional way by Frank Wyatt…

Happy the Man's masterpiece takes their unique style to new levels of achievement, at points reminiscent of a blend between the complexity and occasional medieval embellishments of Gentle Giant and the soothing, melodic beauty of Camel circa The Snow Goose. On each of the album's instrumentals (and on the sole vocal track of the release, Wind Up Doll Day Wind) the band's capacity to evoke an atmosphere and remain accessible and catchy even when presenting their most challenging material constantly impresses.

Happy the Man's masterpiece takes their unique style to new levels of achievement, at points reminiscent of a blend between the complexity and occasional medieval embellishments of Gentle Giant and the soothing, melodic beauty of Camel circa The Snow Goose. On each of the album's instrumentals (and on the sole vocal track of the release, Wind Up Doll Day Wind) the band's capacity to evoke an atmosphere and remain accessible and catchy even when presenting their most challenging material constantly impresses.

These 25 tracks represent the Marmalade's complete recorded output for CBS Records, including a pair of outtakes. The band simply moves from strength to strength during their period with CBS, starting with the superb Mike Smith-produced "It's All Leading up to Saturday Night," with its great beat and catchy choruses, and getting better from there. The title track has a special resonance; it's a glistening piece that mixes hard-rock guitar and bass with exquisite harmonies in a manner that overlaps with the Hollies. Yet, with its careful use of guitar distortion pumped up to sound like an orchestra, and a soaring choral phrase or two, the song also strangely anticipates the sound of the Electric Light Orchestra at their most poppy…

These 25 tracks represent the Marmalade's complete recorded output for CBS Records, including a pair of outtakes. The band simply moves from strength to strength during their period with CBS, starting with the superb Mike Smith-produced "It's All Leading up to Saturday Night," with its great beat and catchy choruses, and getting better from there. The title track has a special resonance; it's a glistening piece that mixes hard-rock guitar and bass with exquisite harmonies in a manner that overlaps with the Hollies. Yet, with its careful use of guitar distortion pumped up to sound like an orchestra, and a soaring choral phrase or two, the song also strangely anticipates the sound of the Electric Light Orchestra at their most poppy…

These 25 tracks represent the Marmalade's complete recorded output for CBS Records, including a pair of outtakes. The band simply moves from strength to strength during their period with CBS, starting with the superb Mike Smith-produced "It's All Leading up to Saturday Night," with its great beat and catchy choruses, and getting better from there. The title track has a special resonance; it's a glistening piece that mixes hard-rock guitar and bass with exquisite harmonies in a manner that overlaps with the Hollies. Yet, with its careful use of guitar distortion pumped up to sound like an orchestra, and a soaring choral phrase or two, the song also strangely anticipates the sound of the Electric Light Orchestra at their most poppy…