Happy Head

Happy Head
Studio album by
the Mighty Lemon Drops
Released1986
Genre
Length36:33
Label
ProducerStephen Street
The Mighty Lemon Drops chronology
Happy Head
(1986) 		Out of Hand
(1987)

Happy Head is the debut album by the English band the Mighty Lemon Drops, released in 1986.[1][2] It peaked at No. 58 on the UK Albums Chart and was a hit on American college radio.[3][4] The band supported the album with a UK tour and by opening for the Chameleons on a North American tour.[5][6] The title track appeared on NME's C86.[7] Happy Head was rereleased in 2022 as part of the Inside Out box set.[8]

Production

The album was produced by Stephen Street.[9] Its music was influenced primarily by the Sex Pistols, the Teardrop Explodes, and Echo and the Bunnymen.[10] Most of the songs were written by guitarist David Newton, with the entire band working on the arrangements.[11] The album was recorded quickly; singer Paul Marsh later expressed dissatisfaction with the results.[12] All of the songs are about relationships.[13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star[14]
The Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStar[15]
Reno Gazette-JournalStarStarStar[16]
Tamworth HeraldStarStarStar[17]

The Washington Post stated that "the sunny outlook and artless charm of the four-man group's debut LP Happy Head hearkens back to the days of mop-top pop".[18] The Toronto Star noted the "blend of hard-nosed rhythms and nifty melodic hooks."[19] The Chicago Tribune labeled the album "mainstream rock, much of [which] has an aggressive, forceful undercurrent that suggests a familiarity with the late-'70s punk scene in Britain."[10] NME concluded that "the Mighty Lemon Drops teeter precariously on the brink of mediocrity."[13]

The Gazette called it "catchy pop that mixes Byrds' guitars with Echo and the Bunnymen mood."[20] The Omaha World-Herald said that Happy Head "benefits from the Lemon Drops' special blend of punk energy and pop instincts, a style not unlike Australia's Hoodoo Gurus."[21] Trouser Press determined that it "offers the neo-psychedelia of early Echo played with a ringing Rickenbacker as the lead instrument and a less mannered (and less interesting) vocalist."[22]

Track listing

Happy Head track listing
No.TitleLength
1."The Other Side of You"2:42
2."My Biggest Thrill"2:58
3."All the Way"3:33
4."Hypnotised"4:15
5."Like an Angel"3:43
6."Behind Your Back"3:19
7."Happy Head"2:27
8."Pass You By"3:31
9."Take Me Up"2:51
10."On My Mind"3:44
11."Something Happens"3:38
12."Turn Me Round"3:35
Total length:36:33

References

  1. ^ Reinhardt, Robin (January 1990). "Rock Candy". Spin. Vol. 5, no. 10. p. 18.
  2. ^ Carey, Jean (16 March 1990). "Sweet Lemon Drops". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 33.
  3. ^ "Mighty Lemon Drops". Official Charts. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  4. ^ Reilly, Terri F. (2 February 1990). "Hot Tickets". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. F4.
  5. ^ Weir, Patrick (1 December 1986). "Familiar Taste of Lemon". Derby Evening Telegraph. p. 19.
  6. ^ Hiday, Jeffrey L. (24 June 1988). "Sweet sounds of British pop". The Providence Journal. p. D9.
  7. ^ Hasted, Nick (27 October 2006). "How an NME cassette launched indie music". Home. The Independent. p. 30.
  8. ^ "A Mighty Collection". Shropshire Star. 9 December 2022. p. 32.
  9. ^ Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock: Third Ear: The Essential Listening Companion. Miller Freeman Books. p. 805.
  10. ^ a b Popson, Tom (6 March 1987). "Mighty Lemon Drops on a Roll". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. H.
  11. ^ Rolfsen, Bruce (16 March 1990). "British band accepted by American tour audiences". Northwest Florida Daily News. p. D12.
  12. ^ Toombs, Mikel (21 March 1987). "Stratus opening gets a sweet set – Chameleons' complex music joins pop-style Lemon Drops". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. D6.
  13. ^ a b Brown, Len (27 September 1986). "The Mighty Lemon Drops: Happy Head". NME.
  14. ^ "Happy Head The Mighty Lemon Drops". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  15. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
  16. ^ McClary, Eric (30 November 1986). "Rock". Reno Gazette-Journal. p. 9E.
  17. ^ Holliday, Sam (3 October 1986). "Music Box". Tamworth Herald. No. 5513. p. 29.
  18. ^ "Common Chameleons". The Washington Post. 20 February 1987. p. N17.
  19. ^ MacInnis, Craig (27 February 1987). "Drop-off". Toronto Star. p. D16.
  20. ^ Kelly, Brendan (6 March 1987). "Exciting British 4-play fills the Spectrum". The Gazette. p. C4.
  21. ^ Healy, James (9 November 1986). "'Happy Head' Mighty Lemon Drops Sire". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 1.
  22. ^ Schulps, Dave; Robbins, Ira. "Mighty Lemon Drops". Trouser Press. Retrieved 11 August 2024.

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