Happy Songs for Happy People
Encyclopedia
Happy Songs for Happy People is the fourth full-length studio album by Mogwai
. It represents a further evolution of Mogwai's toned down, more electronic sound. The songs on the album are subdued, with the only exceptions being the towering "Ratts of the Capital," and cacophonous closer "Stop Coming to My House". Synthesizers often take the main stage on this album, with strings and piano also making the occasional appearance.
Mogwai's usual vocalist Stuart Braithwaite
does not sing on this album at all; however, Barry Burns
("Hunted by a Freak", "Killing All the Flies") and John Cummings ("Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep") do.
The CD also contains a demo version of Cubase and the individual tracks for each instrument in "Hunted by a Freak" allowing remixing and reconstructing of the song.
The pre-release MP3s of this album circulating on the net had a sample of "Happy Tree Friends
" cartoon main theme mixed in at the end of the last track. Some of the fans were frustrated buying the released CD afterwards and not finding the sample there.
It was the first Mogwai album to appear in the US charts, spending one week on the Billboard 200
at #182.
Additional musicians
Production
Mogwai
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...
. It represents a further evolution of Mogwai's toned down, more electronic sound. The songs on the album are subdued, with the only exceptions being the towering "Ratts of the Capital," and cacophonous closer "Stop Coming to My House". Synthesizers often take the main stage on this album, with strings and piano also making the occasional appearance.
Mogwai's usual vocalist Stuart Braithwaite
Stuart Braithwaite
Stuart Leslie Braithwaite is a Scottish guitarist, bassist, drummer, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of post rock band Mogwai, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums.-Early life :...
does not sing on this album at all; however, Barry Burns
Barry Burns
Barry Burns is a Scottish musician best known for his work with post-rock band Mogwai.-Early life:Burns went to Cardinal Newman High School in Bellshill before enrolling with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, taking up a Bachelor of Education degree in teaching music. He did...
("Hunted by a Freak", "Killing All the Flies") and John Cummings ("Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep") do.
The CD also contains a demo version of Cubase and the individual tracks for each instrument in "Hunted by a Freak" allowing remixing and reconstructing of the song.
The pre-release MP3s of this album circulating on the net had a sample of "Happy Tree Friends
Happy Tree Friends
Happy Tree Friends is an American Flash cartoon and made by Mondo Mini Shows, created and developed by Aubrey Ankrum Rhode Montijo Kenn Navarro and Warren Graff. The show has become a popular Internet phenomenon and it's since debut and has also won a cult following.As indicated on the official...
" cartoon main theme mixed in at the end of the last track. Some of the fans were frustrated buying the released CD afterwards and not finding the sample there.
It was the first Mogwai album to appear in the US charts, spending one week on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at #182.
Track listing
All songs written by Mogwai- "Hunted by a Freak" – 4:18
- "Moses? I Amn't" – 2:59
- "Kids Will Be Skeletons" – 5:29
- "Killing All the Flies" – 4:35
- "Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep" – 3:05
- "Ratts of the Capital" – 8:27
- "Golden Porsche" – 2:49
- "I Know You Are but What Am I?" – 5:17
- "Stop Coming to My House" – 4:53
- "Sad DC" - 4:34 (Japanese Bonus Track)
Personnel
Mogwai- Dominic AitchisonDominic AitchisonDominic Aitchison is a Scottish bassist. He is best known as the bassist and founding member of post-rock band Mogwai. Aside from Mogwai, he also plays bass guitar in Crippled Black Phoenix and Stage Blood....
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Stuart BraithwaiteStuart BraithwaiteStuart Leslie Braithwaite is a Scottish guitarist, bassist, drummer, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of post rock band Mogwai, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums.-Early life :...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Martin BullochMartin BullochMartin Bulloch is a Scottish musician, best known for being a member of Mogwai.-Early life:Bulloch was born in Bellshill, South Lanarkshire. He was once a cook at a Chinese Restaurant in Glasgow.-Mogwai:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Barry BurnsBarry BurnsBarry Burns is a Scottish musician best known for his work with post-rock band Mogwai.-Early life:Burns went to Cardinal Newman High School in Bellshill before enrolling with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, taking up a Bachelor of Education degree in teaching music. He did...
- guitar, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - John CummingsJohn Cummings (musician)John Cummings is a Scottish musician and record producer, best known for being a member of Glaswegian band Mogwai, mostly playing guitar, as well as programming, keyboards and vocals.-Mogwai:...
- guitar, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
Additional musicians
- Luke SutherlandLuke SutherlandLuke Sutherland is an English-born Scottish novelist and musician.-Biography:Sutherland was brought up in Orkney and Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross by his adoptive Scottish parents, who moved to Scotland from Lincolnshire in 1976. He was educated at Glasgow University, where he read English and...
- violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
on "Killing All the Flies" and "Stop Coming to My House", guitar on "Ratts of the Capital" - Caroline Barber - celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
on "Hunted By a Freak", "Moses? I Amn't" and "Golden Porsche" - Donald Gillian - cello on "Killing All the Flies"
- Scott Dickinson - viola on "Killing All the Flies"
- Greg Lawson - violin on "Killing All the Flies"
Production
- Tony Doogan - producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, recording, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Mogwai - producers
- Michael "Frango" Bannister - assistant engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Gavin Lawrie - assistant engineering
- Adam Nunn - masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Uncontrollable Urge - cover
- Divine Inc - designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...