Happy The Man- Crafty Hands (1978)

[Rand Kelly]

I was absolutely blown away by a comment from a member here in the s/t thread when they said that this band had nothing but technical virtuosity and no emotion or something close to that. I can't imagine anyone who loves Prog wouldn't literally melt listening to The Moon,I Sing(Nossouri) which gracefully closes their second masterpiece. It's beyond gorgeous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM7x55fUpWs

[Firth]

Whatever, HTM wasn't as EMO as Genesis or Yes, it is what it is, and it is great.

[PROGMONSTER]

Great album

[Yves]

I was introduced to this band by purchasing both albums at once, so they'll always stay connected in my mind. Top shelf stuff imo!

[eporter66]

Beauty is in the ear of the listener!! But, I'm with you, I find a lot of beautiful melodies and emotion in the bands music.

[ThomasKDye]

Wow, I really like this. I may have to blow some $$$ and find the CD.

[Reginod]

Emotion was bedrock with HtM, built into the compositions via heartspace and channeled out through their physical performances. There aren't many more (if any) bands out there that did it better.

[Rand Kelly]

Emotion was bedrock with HtM, built into the compositions via heartspace and channeled out through their physical performances. There aren't many more (if any) bands out there that did it better.

Well said Reginod.

[simon moon]

I guess emotion is in the heart of the beholder, because I detected plenty emotion even in their most technically challenging pieces.

But then, I've heard non-prog listeners state that they don't find emotion in any prog. To them, all of it is about chops. Just ask rock reviewer, Robert Cristgau.

So, whatever music the poster in the S/T thread does find emotion, there will be plenty of people that don't.

[Kcrimso]

Yes, emotion is completely subjective thing. I don't find or feel much emotional content in the music of Happy The Man. And you guys do. That's fine. I am happy (the man) for you!

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

indeed... many non Symph fans will tell you that theres no emotion in Symph, that it's all cold and calculated to the note

I disagree with those people. I find a lot of emotion in HTM and Camel and even Crimso

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

HTM was as close as we will ever get to an American Gentle Giant. Nuff said. Check out their debut as well, it's just as excellent.

[Baribrotzer]

They never quite grabbed me, and I've always wondered why. The best I could come up with is that while they have imagination and plenty of musicianship and they do everything right, somehow their music just doesn't seem to say all that much of anything. At least not to me.

I was absolutely blown away by a comment from a member here in the s/t thread when they said that this band had nothing but technical virtuosity and no emotion or something close to that.

That's an interesting way of putting it. Not sure how much water it holds. There's relatively dry music that still grabs me - Zappa, Stravinsky and certain other classical composers, some of the more compositional side of jazz - so that isn't necessarily it. (And in fact I tend to find music that's all raw emotion - singer-songwriter, quite a bit of soul music, the crudest punk, honk-and-squawk free jazz - a bit irritating.) The best I can come up with is that there's not much drama to Happy The Man, not much sense of a story being told. Or at least, not a very interesting story. Again, not too interesting to me, and things might be different for you.

[rcarlberg]

I was absolutely blown away by a comment from a member here in the s/t thread when they said that this band had nothing but technical virtuosity and no emotion or something close to that.

Some people are idiots.

They should go watch Mary Mudge and Midge (or whatever the F it was).

[Kcrimso]

Some people are idiots.

They should go watch Mary Mudge and Midge (or whatever the F it was).

Thanks! I will take a look at this Mudge/Midge -thing. New recommendations are always welcome!

[Reginod]

They never quite grabbed me, and I've always wondered why. The best I could come up with is that while they have imagination and plenty of musicianship and they do everything right, somehow their music just doesn't seem to say all that much of anything. At least not to me. That's an interesting way of putting it. Not sure how much water it holds. There's relatively dry music that still grabs me - Zappa, Stravinsky and certain other classical composers, some of the more compositional side of jazz - so that isn't necessarily it. (And in fact I tend to find music that's all raw emotion - singer-songwriter, quite a bit of soul music, the crudest punk, honk-and-squawk free jazz - a bit irritating.) The best I can come up with is that there's not much drama to Happy The Man, not much sense of a story being told. Or at least, not a very interesting story. Again, not too interesting to me, and things might be different for you.

Hmmm it's interesting the difference in perceptions and emotional reactions . . . . . . . if you took "The Moon I Sing" as an exemplar, to my ears there is . . . . . . . . I won't say drama, but a certain bittersweet or melancholy aspect to it that strikes a very deep chord for me. The ability to go that level is something that I've found to be relatively rare among musicians and/or composers. Much of HtM's music evokes a similar reaction.

But a lot of Zappa's music goes there too. At least for me it does. "Duke Of Prunes" taken as an instrumental, "Let's Make The Water Turn Black", "Oh No", "Blessed Relief", "RDNZL", even something as "dry" as "While You Were Art II" from Jazz From Hell . . . . . . those are only a few examples of FZ's stuff that can go to that "place of rare beauty".

I would say that it is that ability to go to those places that separate HtM and Zappa and . . . . . (add your own preferred bands/composers/musicians), from the average "raw emotion" examples that you cited. Like you I find those things to be rather irritating. It also separates them from an embarrassing percentage of the gazillions of "prog" bands that have proliferated over the last few decades.

I would also go so far as to say that it is the ongoing search for music that goes to those places that has caught and held my interest and made me a music enthusiast over the decades. For me the emotional dividend is far greater than that evoked by any other art form. Not even close.

[Scrotum Scissor]

while they have imagination and plenty of musicianship and they do everything right, somehow their music just doesn't seem to say all that much of anything. At least not to me. [...] there's not much drama to Happy The Man, not much sense of a story being told. Or at least, not a very interesting story.

Although I'm a fan of HtM, I still see what you mean - and indeed it took me some time to get fully under their skin, so to speak. Obviously, HtM approached the medium of "symphonic rock" (with a fusion slant) from a somewhat more academic angle than their British counterparts, and this, along with a very vast production value, rendered *some* of their music a bit apparently cold, distant or perhaps dissociated.

What essentially made me listen anew to them was hearing the live album. They play vitally and ecstatically there, and I don't think I needed more than a single listen to be convinced. Going back to the first two studio records after that made me perceive them in a different light.

[JJ88]

There's relatively dry music that still grabs me - Zappa...

This one surprises me. I've personally avoided almost all his 80s Synclavier and orchestral excursions (not something I need to delve into, myself) but I don't feel anything else he's done is dry, as complex as it is.

With Happy The Man, the overall sound is a little slicker than the earlier prog, but that's something I find true of most mid-late 70s prog generally.

[Rand Kelly]

I'd just like to say that just because I said I was blown away in my opening post that someone couldn't feel any emotion from Happy The Man in no way should be perceived as an insult of any kind. I truly meant that I was surprised is all. So, please don't anyone who disagrees resort to personal attacks. Everyone has a right to what they do or don't feel when it comes to anything and that includes this magic thing we all love called music. I'm sure I would raise all hell by stating how I feel about some music that many here find quite worthy of their time and appreciation. I was hoping that by doing these individual threads for their albums we could delve deep into the songs and discuss how they stand up 37 years later.

N.P. Oblivion Sun-s/t.

[Dean Watson]

Wind up Doll - such a killer track!

[miamiscot]

Different strokes for different folks. I personally love HTM but that doesn't mean anything to someone who doesn't. Those first two albums stack up against anything done in the 70's.

[JKL2000]

I love HTM, but I think part of the bittersweetness someone mentioned comes from the fact (and IMO this is true for much mid-late 70s prog) that they were making this music in such a non-conducive environment, against all odds as it were. The sense of nostalgia heightens everything - that's my experience, anyway. Especially mellower, more melodic prog. I get the same effect with something like Camel from this period.

Just the fact that at this time a band would make mellowish, melodic music that wasn't at all pop gets me all verklempt. HTM is like buttah!

Stupid IOS keeps changing HTM to HTML.

[Scrotum Scissor]

HTM was as close as we will ever get to an American Gentle Giant. Nuff said.

In terms of showcasing a most original approach to their medium ("symphonic" style progressive rock) - yes. But there have been several other US and/or Canadian (Quebecois) bands who wore their GG-sleeves far more blatantly than HtM. And kudos to the latter for developing their own sound.

[Rand Kelly]

In terms of showcasing a most original approach to their medium ("symphonic" style progressive rock) - yes. But there have been several other US and/or Canadian (Quebecois) bands who wore their GG-sleeves far more blatantly than HtM. And kudos to the latter for developing their own sound.

Yezda Urfa sure comes to mind.

[Firth]

You

I love HTM, but I think part of the bittersweetness someone mentioned comes from the fact (and IMO this is true for much mid-late 70s prog) that they were making this music in such a non-conducive environment, against all odds as it were. The sense of nostalgia heightens everything - that's my experience, anyway. Especially mellower, more melodic prog. I get the same effect with something like Camel from this period.

Just the fact that at this time a band would make mellowish, melodic music that wasn't at all pop gets me all verklempt. HTM is like buttah!

Stupid IOS keeps changing HTM to HTML.

Since I lived near where HTM was in the late 70's, I'm kind of wondering why you think the environment wasn't conducive to development of their music. Is this a lack of recognition of how progressive and eclectic the DC and Baltimore music scenes were? Of course Stan Whitaker and Rich Kennell were military beats who were in Germany in the early 70's. Progressive rock was popular enough and a campus station in Baltimore (WCVT) was playing great good music. I saw HTM at the Warner theatre in DC in 77/78, it was awesome, the crowd was awesome. The double billed with Renaissance during those years. Like the Dixie Dreggs which had a connection to the music education in college, so did HTM. Anyway, I don't get these comments.