3rd: Better Late...

Artist: Happy the Man
Label: Cuneiform
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Live
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 045775500126
EAN: 0045775500126
ASIN: B000008T0S

Release Date: 1995-03-29

3rd: Better Late...

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Tracks:

Eye Of The Storm
The Falcon
At The Edge Of This Thought
While Chrome Yellow Shine
Who's In Charge Here?
Shadow Shaping
Run Into The Ground
Footwork
Labyrinth
Such A Warm Breeze

Similar Items:

Beginnings
Happy The Man
The Muse Awakens
Death's Crown
Live

Customer Reviews:

Happy The Man - The Album That Never Was.......2007-05-04

The album that never was...... Happy The Man recorded demos for their 3rd album in 1979, but the band would be dropped by Arista and break up prior to the album ever coming to fruition. It was finally released as "Better Late" on a small label in 1983. In 1990 Cuneiform records finally re-released "Better Late" so it is available once again. It is not as good as the other to "official" studio releases and has a bit of an unfinished feel to it, but there is some very nice stuff to be found here and the album is certainly worth picking up for fans of the band. The sound quality is decent, but not up to the sonic quality of the first two albums. Material wise it is really a shame that the band never finished this stuff up to put out on a proper album. Most if it is quite good, and there are makings of what could have been classics here. There are more vocal tracks that usual on this one including "The Falcon", "Who's in Charge Here", and the album finale "Such A Warm Breeze". The band misses drummer Ron Riddle who does not appear here, but Watkins, Kennell, Wyatt, and Whitaker are in fine form as usual. Instrumental highlights include "While Chrome Yellow Shine", "Shadow Shaping", and "Run Into The Ground". If you are looking to explore Happy The Man I would pick up their first two, and most recent releases first, but if you have those and like them you will probably find a lot to like on this one as well.

Better Late is about right.......2006-06-22

This third album from Happy the Man was recorded in 1979, but Arista Records dropped them by this point, so it was left to gather dust until 1983, when a small, Virginia-based label called Azimuth released this album, with the appropriate title, 3rd: Better Late... And better late than never I have to say. After this album was recorded, the band broke up, with Kit Watkins first joining Camel for the album I Can See Your House From Here (1979), which is usually not regarded as one of their better albums, before pursuing a solo career. HTM certainly had trouble keeping drummers, Ron Riddle was gone, in place of a French drummer, Coco Roussel, of Heldon. It's not really a surprise that HTM broke up when they did, since 1979 pretty much spelled doom for the prog rock scene, after many of the major prog acts the previous year already released what many regarded as their worst albums (like Yes' Tormato, Gentle Giant's Giant For a Day or ELP's Love Beach), not to mention the punk and disco scene already taking the toll on prog if it weren't also for inferior albums by these groups.

Luckily for Happy the Man, they recorded yet another excellent album. Admittedly a little less quirky than previous, but fans will certainly not be disappointed, but I seriously doubt this will bring any new surprises to those familiar with their music. "The Falcon" and "Shadow Shaping" are the album's two vocal cuts, vocals courtesy of Stanley Whitaker. Kit Watkins still had the sense to use the same string synths, electric piano, and Minimoog as before, although his Moog playing was more downplayed here. "While Crome Yellow Shine" (which Kit Watkins also recorded for a solo album of his in 1981) is certainly one of the album's high points, especially the nice solos and the changes this piece goes through. "Run into the Ground" has a stronger fusion feel, especially from Kit Watkins' Moog solos.

Glad to see this album got released, even if people had to wait four years after it was recorded. Obviously you should start with their first two albums first, but this is certainly worth having for the fan.

A studio version would have got 5 stars.......2003-03-08

Better Late has some of HTM's finest material. The 4 track recording doesn't do justice to the material, but I'm glad it exists. Songs like "Footwork", "Shadow Shaping" and "While Chrome Yellow Shine" are excellent example of what this band had to offer. Kit had remastered the original mix tape and this release is much better than the original vinyl release was.

Happy The Man reformed in 2000 with the Crafty Hands lineup (minus Kit Watkins) and new product is expected shortly.

For the HTM listener.......2002-09-04

Another blissful fruit to be savored by those who are already Happy the Man fans. As this is a demo tape for their third album (which never went to full production), there is some tape hiss and loss of dynamics. As far as rehearsal tapes go, though, the production is better than can be expectd.

Not as aggressive as Crafty Hands or as quirky as the first album, these works tend to be more contemplative and reflective. Some pieces are strikingly haunting ("While Chrome Yellow Shine", "At the Edge of this Thought"), while others are Canterbury-influenced , and others still are more fusion-related.

If you are not already familiar with their work, look first to the first two albums, the self-titled progressive woodland "Happy the Man" first album, and the more gripping, powerful "Crafty Hands" 2nd album. And as they are back together now, watch for their upcoming release, "The Muse Awakens".

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