Happy Songs for Happy People
| Happy Songs For Happy People | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Mogwai | ||||
| Released | 17 June 2003 | |||
| Recorded | Cava Studios, Glasgow, Scotland | |||
| Genre | Post-rock | |||
| Length | 41:50 | |||
| Label | Play It Again Sam, Matador | |||
| Producer | Tony Doogan | |||
| Mogwai chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 85/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| NME | (8/10)[3] |
| Pitchfork Media | (7.1/10)[4] |
| Rock Sound | (8/10)[5] |
| Rolling Stone | |
Happy Songs for Happy People is the fourth full-length studio album by Mogwai. It represents a further evolution of Mogwai's toned down, more electronic sound: all songs are based on electric guitars and live drums, but synthesizers are used frequently and often take the main stage on this album, with strings and piano also making the occasional appearance. The songs on the album are subdued, with the only exceptions being the towering "Ratts of the Capital," and the closer "Stop Coming to My House".
Mogwai's usual vocalist Stuart Braithwaite does not sing on this album at all. Barry Burns ("Hunted by a Freak", "Killing All the Flies") and John Cummings ("Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep") accept vocal duties, however nearly all the vocals are heavily processed and incomprehensible.
The CD also contains a demo version of Cubase and the individual tracks for each instrument in "Hunted by a Freak" allowing remixing and reconstructing of the song.
The pre-release MP3s of this album circulating on the net had a sample of "Happy Tree Friends" cartoon main theme mixed in at the end of the last track. Some of the fans were frustrated buying the released CD afterwards and not finding the sample there.
It was the first Mogwai album to appear in the US charts, spending one week on the Billboard 200 at #182.
A computer animated video was released for the song "Hunted by a Freak", depicting a person throwing pets to their death.
The song "Kids Will Be Skeletons" was featured in the 2015 video game Life Is Strange.
Track listing
All songs written by Mogwai
- "Hunted by a Freak" – 4:18
- "Moses? I Amn't" – 2:59
- "Kids Will Be Skeletons" – 5:29
- "Killing All the Flies" – 4:35
- "Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep" – 3:05
- "Ratts of the Capital" – 8:27
- "Golden Porsche" – 2:49
- "I Know You Are but What Am I?" – 5:17
- "Stop Coming to My House" – 4:53
- Japanese version Bonus Track
- "Sad DC" - 4:34
Personnel
- Mogwai
- Dominic Aitchison - bass guitar
- Stuart Braithwaite - guitar
- Martin Bulloch - drums
- Barry Burns - guitar, keyboard
- John Cummings - guitar, piano
- Additional musicians
- Luke Sutherland - violin on "Killing All the Flies" and "Stop Coming to My House", guitar on "Ratts of the Capital"
- Caroline Barber - cello on "Hunted By a Freak", "Moses? I Amn't" and "Golden Porsche"
- Donald Gillian - cello on "Killing All the Flies"
- Scott Dickinson - viola on "Killing All the Flies"
- Greg Lawson - violin on "Killing All the Flies"
- Production
- Tony Doogan - producer, recording, mixing
- Mogwai - producers
- Michael "Frango" Bannister - assistant engineering
- Gavin Lawrie - assistant engineering
- Adam Nunn - mastering
- Uncontrollable Urge - cover
- Divine Inc - design
References
- ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/music/happy-songs-for-happy-people/mogwai
- ↑ Heather Phares. "Happy Songs for Happy People". allmusic.com. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ↑ Tim Jonze (June 13, 2003). "Mogwai: Happy Songs For Happy People". nme.com. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ↑ Eric Carr (June 18, 2003). "Mogwai: Happy Songs For Happy People". pitchfork.com. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ↑ Pierre Perrone. "Mogwai: 'Happy Songs For Happy People'" (JPEG). Rock Sound. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
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