Get Happy!!

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Get Happy!!, 1980

From the Rykodisk liner notes:
"Several of the songs on "Get Happy" had been played on the mysteriously named "Armed Funk Tour" in the spring of 1979, our last American trip for over two years. However our first trial sessions revealed our "road" arrangements to be trite, brittle, and uncomfortably close to the rapidly dating style which was now called "New Wave". The decision to change was not exactly agonized over. It took a few drinks, a handful of old Stax singles (which I had recently bought in Camden Town) and our copies of "Motown Chartbusters vol. 3" for us to imagine that we could quickly find a new blueprint for the album.

Some songs, such as "Men Called Uncle" and "Riot Act", retained the shape sketched out at the demo sessions, while almost everything else was reworked, often to the extent of trying the patience of more than one member of the band. Of course, just because you listen to somebody's record doesn't mean that you will sound anything like them. Sessions were often far from coherent and anything but analytical: A song or singer would be mentioned and it was sheer luck if we all handsome response to a direction such as: "Play it like a Garnet Mimms tune". In other cases it is hard to imagine who, or what, we were thinking of. Having said that it is fairly obvious that "Temptation" is based on the Booker T. and the MG's hit "Time is Tight", while "Love for Tender" and "High Fidelity" both quote in different ways from Supremes songs. I could also point out that "King Horse" uses the guitar figure from the Four Tops' "Reach Out (I'll Be There)", but after that you are on your own.

Tracks

01. Love For Tender (1:57)
02. Opportunity (3:13)
03. The Imposter (1:58)
04. Secondary Modern (1:58)
05. King Horse (3:01)
06. Possession (2:03)
07. Men Called Uncle (2:17)
08. Clowntime Is Over (2:59)
09. New Amsterdam (2:12)
10. High Fidelity (2:28)
11. I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down (2:06) (Homer Banks/Alan Jones)
12. Black And White World (1:56)
13. 5ive Gears In Reverse (2:38)
14. B Movie (2:04)
15. Motel Matches (2:30)
16. Human Touch (2:30)
17. Beaten To The Punch (1:49)
18. Temptation (2:33)
19. I Stand Accused (2:21) (Tony Colton/Ray Smith)
20. Riot Act (3:35)

Credits

Elvis Costello - vocals and guitar, (organ on Possession and all instruments on New Amsterdam)
Steve Nieve - piano and organ
Bruce Thomas - bass, and harmonica on I Stand Accused
Pete Thomas - drums

Original discography pages

Reviews

Internal links

External links