Cult US prog rockers Happy The Man are to have their first two albums reissued in remastered form on CD and digital through US label Iconoclassic Records in July.
1977's self-titled debut and 1978's Crafty Hands, both originally released on the Arista record label, went a long way to establishing the credentials of the then quintet.
Happy The Man was listed in Rolling Stone Magazine's 50 greatest prog-rock albums of all time, while follow-up Crafty Hands reinforced the band's uncompromising musical stance by only featuring vocals on one track, Wind Up Doll Day Wind.
Although in seemingly good company on Arista, alongside David Sancious and Tone, Pierre Moerlen’s Gong and Stomu Yamashta’s Go, the band's deal faltered when Crafty Hands did not sell well, and although the band began work on a follow-up, when keyboard player Kit Watkins left to join Camel, momentum faltered and the third album, with a working title of Labyrinth, failed to see the light of day, although an album, 3rd - Better Late..., recorded in 1979, was released through Wayside in 1990
Long unhappy with the mixes of the Arista releases, and having secured the rights back from Sony Music, the band have enlisted the help of Ray Staff, Senior Mastering Engineer at Air London Studios, to remaster the records, which will now be reissued on American Independence Day, July 4.
Bassist Rick Kennell, who spearheaded the projects on behalf of his bandmates, describes Staff’s work as “masters the band can finally be proud of; this is the way that these two albums were always intended to sound.” Drummer Ron Riddle enthuses, “I haven’t heard it sound this good since we were in the studio!! Seriously AWESOME. I can hear the space and separation, it’s not all mushed together. The delicacies and the power really come out. Total déjà vu hearing it just like it was the studio. I can even hear the reverb chambers like I remember. Beautiful stuff.”
Although keyboard player Frank Wyatt sadly passed away in 2023, original members Rick Kennell, Stanley Whittaker (guitar) and Mike Beck (drums), along with Riddle, are still active as Happy The Man, while Kit Watkins continues a solo career.
