"Get Happy" Thirty Years Strong

[Jack of All Parades]

I have been spending the last few months revisiting "Get Happy"and to a lesser extent, it's sister album "Trust". Re-listening has only reinforced my unequivocal appreciation for this album as my favorite EC record in his discography. I continuously marvel at the inventive and fun word play, the tightly constructed melodies and harmonies that throb with great bass lines and which are punctuated with vibrant drumming. The piano and organ bits add great color. My favorite musical aspect of the record has to be the bass playing with a close second given to EC's singing[he has rarely sung a ballad so well as he does on "Riot Act" or "Motel Matches"].

The twenty songs that comprise the record are like a guided tour through 60's pop and R&B music played with a verve and speed that gets one's pulse up and foot tapping. I love the sampling of R&B, country, pop racing by one's ears. I have previously talked of 'clutter' in his music as EC progressed into the eighties and beyond as a songwriter-there is no evidence of that in these songs. The lyrics are a model of compression with inventive conceits and lines that are concisely expressed emotional statements offered in a non-trite way. There is no cliche, just real emotion and strong conviction and self-judgement presented honestly and with an urgency that I often find missing in his later musical efforts that to my ears sound too frequently artificial in their construction.

You have an artist in his prime commenting on his fame, his troubles with women, his tenuous connection with the world around him and paying homage to influences on his music either directly quoting lines from songs or borrowing a lyrical reference. I cannot get enough of the singing. I think this is one of my favorite albums for EC's vocal efforts[it made me appreciate his abilities as a ballad singer]. You have a band that as a working unit never sounded stronger to my ears. Mostly you have an album that never disappoints me whenever I listen to it. It is a life affirming record for me; it keeps me 'happy' when I am in the dumps. That the Rhino re-release has 50 songs between the two cds is a nice bonus. Though I would not want to see EC frozen in this time period as a songwriter or performer, I am grateful that this album exists and that I can continuously revisit it for refreshment. It is simply that life affirming for me as an aural document.

[Ypsilanti]

Yes, hats off to Get Happy!! That record is pure pleasure and pure brilliance from start to finish--a good listen any time--never gets old for me. The key for me on GH is Steve and his giddy, almost wacky, use of organ--like awesome, demented ice rink music.

[sheeptotheslaughter]

Get Happy is my favourite too. The Band were really at the top of their game in this period. (I was at the Canvey Island gig that Don't Look Back' on the extra CD is from.) Freezing cold February at a closed seaside resort. Those were the days. Where did that 30 years go by the way

[wordnat]

GH ranks just behind IB and KOA in my book -- best claustrophobic cocaine hoedown ever committed to wax!

[Mikeh]

I remember buying the LP in a market stall in Bradford and a middle aged lady served me. She took a look at the sleeve (remember it had that well worn look?) and kept going back to the rack to get another copy before sighing and saying: "I'm sorry love, they're all like that!"
Great album, in fact I think I'll give it a listen tonight!

[ahawkman]

While I slightly prefer his first 3 records, esp. TYM, I agree GH is a great album. The word play is obtuse yet concise.. brilliant. And great description of the "demented ice rink organ", I thouhgt of the opening riff from The Imposter immediately. Speaking of that song, until I saw the lyrics some time later, I always thought he warned the girl about the imposter "....it's only going in inches" rather than "....it's only going to end in tears". That's what it sounded like to me!

[Ypsilanti]

This conversation reminded me...
Isn't it weird how similar these package designs are--same colors, shapes, etc? And the Buddy Holly one is from 1985, so it looks like the designers may have been referring to Get Happy--not the other way around as one might assume.

buddy holly (2).jpg (4.57 KiB) Viewed 24338 times

get happy.jpg (10.32 KiB) Viewed 24338 times

BTW...Hi, Hawkman! Good to hear from you!

[Poor Deportee]

Love the album - manic energy, brilliant speed-freak writing, it's got it all. Except for good production. I don't understand how all the praise for this, perhaps EC's most impressive single-album burst of pop songcraft, just overlooks the fact that most of these songs sound as though they're being played in a bathtub. Nick Lowe, you are a great talent and a gentleman, in fact your own late-career surge surpasses EC's own work over the last decade or two - but you f*cked that one up.

[bronxapostle]

Love the album - manic energy, brilliant speed-freak writing, it's got it all. Except for good production. I don't understand how all the praise for this, perhaps EC's most impressive single-album burst of pop songcraft, just overlooks the fact that most of these songs sound as though they're being played in a bathtub. Nick Lowe, you are a great talent and a gentleman, in fact your own late-career surge surpasses EC's own work over the last decade or two - but you f*cked that one up.

gotta disagree...who wants GH all shiny and pretty? THAT's imperialbedroom. i think Nick did it RIGHT!!! it's supposed to be urban/garage/sixties sounding!!! a dreamy mess. whenever i'm forced to think of my ONE favorite LP: GET HAPPY!!

[sabreman]

What a great album and my personal favorite EC album. I remember getting the import (out a few weeks before the US release) from a place called "Yesterday and Today Records" in Rockville, MD. They made frequent visits to London to pickup the latest releases (amazing record store). WHFS Bethesda, MD played the entire album and featured cuts from it non stop. Wow those were the days!

[Poor Deportee]

Love the album - manic energy, brilliant speed-freak writing, it's got it all. Except for good production. I don't understand how all the praise for this, perhaps EC's most impressive single-album burst of pop songcraft, just overlooks the fact that most of these songs sound as though they're being played in a bathtub. Nick Lowe, you are a great talent and a gentleman, in fact your own late-career surge surpasses EC's own work over the last decade or two - but you f*cked that one up.

gotta disagree...who wants GH all shiny and pretty? THAT's imperialbedroom. i think Nick did it RIGHT!!! it's supposed to be urban/garage/sixties sounding!!! a dreamy mess. whenever i'm forced to think of my ONE favorite LP: GET HAPPY!!

Oh, I don't want it all shiny and smoothly-produced either. I loathe contemporary production values, which suffocate all life out of the music, and wish all albums were recorded live off the floor like 'Blood and Chocolate.' I just don't want that cheap, tinny sound laquered over everything. That's not what the band *sounded* like, it's a result of the way the music was transferred onto tape. 'Trust' is a much superior production, I'd say.

I'm not sure what the deal was with that tinny sound. Did it have something to do with the mysterious 'groove cramming' the sleeve bragged about? Was it a deliberate attempt to echo the sound of the old Stax singles that inspired the whole project? But those songs don't sound as bad as these...so it beats me. Presumably Nick Lowe was just as booze-and-drug-addled as the band when making these decisions

[Jack of All Parades]

Reading through the thread has brought back some very vivid memories of shows seen at that time, both for support of this album, for "Trust" and "Imperial Bedroom" as well. I think they were my favorite times to see EC perform except perhaps for Radio City Music Hall with Burt Bacharach. Most vivid an evening under the stars in Forest Hills with Nick Lowe opening. EC and The Attractions were so on that evening. I would love to see that show be released in the new live series. A close second, a wonderful night out at Jones Beach-water, salt air and the tunes of IB wafting at you. As I reminisce, it was a perfect troika for me- EC, my soon to be wife and being loose in NYC-those three albums, GH, TR and IB, and the shows associated with them will always have a high spot in my memory. Perhaps I am put back in this reverie because of the ton of snow outside and Marty Balin singing an exremely aching and evocative "Today" on the computer. Now I just need Grace singing "triad" to keep the theme of three going.

[wordnat]

re Nick Lowe as a Producer:

I don't think any NL-produced EC records sound particularly good -- but they sound very appropriate. At least up until TRUST, which has always sounded a tad hackneyed to my ears....

[Top balcony]

Poor Deportee

most of these songs sound as though they're being played in a bathtub

...thats cos they were being played in a bathtub

the sound is one of the attractions

( sorry I'll get my coat!)

Colin Top Balcony

[sulky lad]

GH - still the most awesome album EC has made by a country mile imho.
It inspired me to learn to play the bass and still, 30 years on, it's a pale comparison of Bruce's fluid, groove ( how can a man play with such a sense of pace and rhythm and dance like he's never heard of "best" - see the Right Spectacle videos for proof)
I first heard it in my final year at University in London and had actually debated whether to buy this or "In The City " I think, by The Jam - great choice !
In 1982 I went to a little record shop in St. Austell, Cornwall where I bought "From head to toe " and was given a copy of GH as a promo/single return scam and then failed to persuade my father to go and buy a second single to get another Get Happy !!

[Neil.]

Absolutely my favourite Elvis album, only occasionally supplanted by Blood and Chocolate. But really, for sheer crazed creativity, this album is hard to beat. The playing is astonishing - all the Attractions appearing to want to outdo each other, jostling for the spotlight. The energy is fantastic, the singing sublime - bullying and overbearing, unhinged, deeply tender and pained elsewhere - and the production is fine: it was meant to sound like that, all rough and ready. I believe they recorded in glass booths. Oh, and I love the shouty, double-tracked backing singing. King Horse is astonishing. Motel Matches heartbreaking, Possession wonderful, Love For Tender, Riot Act - ach, it's all amazing.

It's a classic example of a grower - impossible to take in at first listen - it's all too much, it all sounds the same - then, once you've broken through, there are seemingly endless riches!

Love it.

[bronxapostle]

Absolutely my favourite Elvis album, only occasionally supplanted by Blood and Chocolate. But really, for sheer crazed creativity, this album is hard to beat. The playing is astonishing - all the Attractions appearing to want to outdo each other, jostling for the spotlight. The is energy fantastic, the singing sublime - bullying and overbearing, unhinged, deeply tender and pained elsewhere - and the production is fine: it was meant to sound like that, all rough and ready. I believe they recorded in glass booths. Oh, and I love the shouty, double-tracked backing singing. King Horse is astonishing. Motel Matches heartbreaking, Possession wonderful, Love For Tender, Riot Act - ach, it's all amazing.

It's a classic example of a grower - impossible to take in at first listen - it's all too much, it all sounds the same - then, once you've broken through, there are seemingly endless riches!

Love it.

exactly!!! a STELLAR recap Neil...and i like your runner up of B&C also. what would be your number three..TYM? AF? BY? cheers, ba

[Neil.]

Bronx Apostle, the tops for me are Get Happy, Blood & Chocolate, This Year's Model, Brutal Youth and Trust. The number two slot could be taken by any of those on any given day.

And he still amazes, even in his fifties! Long may he reign!

[Ypsilanti]

Neil--well said! "endless riches"--that's exactly what GH provides! Fabulous post!

[sulky lad]

Neil and Yps - spot on for me too- B&C is my "bastard" album which I play really loudly, when I'm mad .
Brutal Youth probably just makes 3 if only because of Bruce's playing on 13 Steps, Hell and of course Sulky Lad ( I mean Girl !!)

[Jeremy Dylan]

Love the album - manic energy, brilliant speed-freak writing, it's got it all. Except for good production. I don't understand how all the praise for this, perhaps EC's most impressive single-album burst of pop songcraft, just overlooks the fact that most of these songs sound as though they're being played in a bathtub. Nick Lowe, you are a great talent and a gentleman, in fact your own late-career surge surpasses EC's own work over the last decade or two - but you f*cked that one up.

Couldn't agree more. This is where the production begins to slide into 80s madness for me. It has an awful watery quality to it. I'll plump for live versions of these tunes over the record anytime (especially the ICSUFFD and High Fidelity from the Toussaint tour).

[Neil.]

A 'watery' quality? I think it has a rough, sweaty sound entirely suited to the mood and the music. Everyone sounds equal, fighting for the limelight - entirely appropriate, and thrilling, to these ears!

[Poor Deportee]

A 'watery' quality? I think it has a rough, sweaty sound entirely suited to the mood and the music. Everyone sounds equal, fighting for the limelight - entirely appropriate, and thrilling, to these ears!

I prefer the adjective 'tinny.' 'Sung in a phone booth' is another phrase I've seen used to describe the sound. On further reflection, part of the 'problem' (and not everyone agrees there is one, obviously) may be as simple as excessive levels of echo applied to the background vocals in particular. But there's something else amiss here...much of the record sounds like my old cheap record player used to sound when I turned the 'treble' knob up too high. I don't know enough about the ins and outs of record production to presume to know the technical cause - but hey, Nick Lowe was in charge so it's on him!