HAPPY THE MAN
Crafty Hands
(ONE WAY RECORDS OW 34547)
It are often the details that matter. This is also the case with “Crafty Hands” from Happy The Man. This record from 1978 has been described positively in Sym Info, SI Magazine and in iO Pages (three Dutch progressive rock magazines). The LP excelled by the clear, deep sound, especially from the drums from Ron Riddle and the keyboards from Kit Watkins. The record screamed for a CD-release, but it wasn’t easy to get one. The compilation “Retrospective” from 1989 was available though, with six out of eight tracks, including “Steaming Pipes”, the closing track from side A. It was striking that the subtle sounds that closed the piece after a few seconds of silence weren’t on the CD. And since the beautiful “Ibby It Is” and the melancholy “The Moon, I Sing (Nossuri)” were also missing, the compilation fell short of expectations. Meanwhile it was known that “Crafty Hands” was released on CD in Japan. But this release was also a disappointment, comparable with the disillusion at the appearance of England’s “Garden Shed” on CD in Japan. The sound wasn’t as sparkling as one would expect from a Ken Scott-production, with the headphones on you could hear the for- and after-echo’s known from long-playing records and the closing seconds from “Steaming Pipes” were disappeared on this one too. It wasn’t until 1999 that One Way Records, specialised in re-releases, came with a full release of “Crafty Hands” (and from the eponymous debut from 1977), which made the album available on a normal way at last. The sound is really sublime, which isn’t in the last place due to the fact that no one less than Kit Watkins himself was involved with the re-mastering. And the missing detail can finally be admired in its full glory, precisely in the year that Happy The Man has been re-founded and can be seen at the NEARfest. By the way, Musea will be re-releasing both albums too.
Crafty Hands
(ONE WAY RECORDS OW 34547)
It are often the details that matter. This is also the case with “Crafty Hands” from Happy The Man. This record from 1978 has been described positively in Sym Info, SI Magazine and in iO Pages (three Dutch progressive rock magazines). The LP excelled by the clear, deep sound, especially from the drums from Ron Riddle and the keyboards from Kit Watkins. The record screamed for a CD-release, but it wasn’t easy to get one. The compilation “Retrospective” from 1989 was available though, with six out of eight tracks, including “Steaming Pipes”, the closing track from side A. It was striking that the subtle sounds that closed the piece after a few seconds of silence weren’t on the CD. And since the beautiful “Ibby It Is” and the melancholy “The Moon, I Sing (Nossuri)” were also missing, the compilation fell short of expectations. Meanwhile it was known that “Crafty Hands” was released on CD in Japan. But this release was also a disappointment, comparable with the disillusion at the appearance of England’s “Garden Shed” on CD in Japan. The sound wasn’t as sparkling as one would expect from a Ken Scott-production, with the headphones on you could hear the for- and after-echo’s known from long-playing records and the closing seconds from “Steaming Pipes” were disappeared on this one too. It wasn’t until 1999 that One Way Records, specialised in re-releases, came with a full release of “Crafty Hands” (and from the eponymous debut from 1977), which made the album available on a normal way at last. The sound is really sublime, which isn’t in the last place due to the fact that no one less than Kit Watkins himself was involved with the re-mastering. And the missing detail can finally be admired in its full glory, precisely in the year that Happy The Man has been re-founded and can be seen at the NEARfest. By the way, Musea will be re-releasing both albums too.