BEGINNINGS

HAPY THE MAN's "Crafty Hands" from 1978 are one of my favorite albums ever. The recordings on "Beginnings" (1990) are from HAPPY THE MAN's first two years - 1974 and 1975. Five out of the seven songs were recorded with two mikes onto 2-track tape, while the other two were recorded onto 4-track tape. They may not be as good as on "Crafty Hands", but their originality and strong compositions are already shown at this early stage of their career. And although the songs were simple recorded the sound quality is magnificent. The blend of Canterbury, Jazz, Progressive and Symphonic Rock are delicate. They had already found an original style, but there are also traces of CAMEL, CARAVAN, GENESIS, MIRTHRANDIR, PINK FLOYD and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR in their sound. The music is really intricate and in many ways it reminds a lot of 70's Italian Progressive Rock. This album is a must have for HAPPY THE MAN fans, and I can add another album to my favorites.