release date: Nov. 1988
format: cd (2000 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,64]
producer: Martin Hannett
label: Factory / London Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Country Song" - 2. "Moving in With" - 3. "Mad Cyril" - 5. "Performance" (studio session) - 6. "Brain Dead" - 7. "Wrote for Luck" - 9. "Do It Better"
2nd full-length studio album by Happy Mondays follows 1½ years after Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People... (apr. 1987) and is made with Factory-label's acclaimed producer, Martin Hannett. The band consists of the usual five: vocalist Shaun Ryder, his younger brother Paul on bass, Mark Day on guitar, Paul Davis on keyboards, [Gary] 'Gaz' Whelan on drums, and with Mark 'Bez' Berry on percussion. All ten songs are credited the band but it's commonly known that Shaun wrote the lyrics 'cause "the rest of 'em can't be arsed".
Musically, it's a big move from the debut but the band has progressed from being an indie rock band to one founded on a mix of styles, including alt. dance, indie, soul, funk and neo-psychedelia making Happy Mondays one of the original bands behind the 'baggy / madchester' style it should later be known as. The band also went by the alias The Mondays or The 24 Hour Party People and they were one of many artists and bands playing at the famous The Haçienda music club founded by Factory and New Order in unison. Together with The Stone Roses and 808 State - all originating from Greater Manchester they all produced dance-oriented music with various stylistic elements. The Stone Roses played an alt. dance founded on jangle pop and indie rock, and 808 State built their sound on electronica, and then a number of other artists soon emerged on the scene. Producer Martin Hannett surely proves his worth here after having been recognised for his simplistic, dark and strict sound when engineering the soundscape for Joy Division less than a decade ago. Or perhaps John Cale produced the debut album one year earlier with the intend to approach something with a more distinct art rock sound. As a contrast to that, the sound here weaves in and out of focus making room for a multi-coloured palette, and on top of that, Shaun bounces freely in his original mumbling narrating style.
The album doesn't contain any noteworthy hits, although the track "Wrote for Luck" had been chosen for single release in late October and is highly characteristic for the band, but it really launched its own life and positioned the band up the charts when it was released in a re-mixed version as "W.F.L." (official video) by Paul Oakenfold and Vince Clarke. The album was met by positive reviews, although, its status as a stylistic cornerstone has only added to its value. The album is included in "1001 Albums You Must hear Before You Die" and is quite enjoyable. However, it's truly mighty fine but given its position I have never really fancied it all that much, and frankly find The Stone Roses debut a greater achievement. With Bummed, Happy Mondays may have found their feet but to me, their successor, Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches (1990) is a better album.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com, NME 4,5 / 5, Mojo, The Guardian 5 / 5 stars ]
