Happiness

Beloved | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 10, 2010)
• Original Release Date: March 6, 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B000002IP0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #206,578 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

As a British dance-pop outfit, The Beloved found commercial success with Happiness both on and off the dance floor. Validated by the hit "Hello," they were able to configure the vocal-dance scene for chart consumption. Combining electric rhythms, orchestral slams, guitar leads, and sultry singing, The Beloved secure a niche that sounds like a happier version of New Order or Depeche Mode. Softened by wandering lilts and melodic hooks, the emotional feedback seeps through, impelled by the early-'90s pop conventions that brought them onto the scene. --Lucas Hilbert

Product Description

Happiness by BELOVED, THE

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Happiness Wrapped Up in a Fun Little Bundle of Music, February 21, 2000

By 

J. Derek Reardon (KC, MO, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Happiness (Audio CD)

The Beloved hit it big in 1990 with their release Happiness. I still remember dancing around my dorm room while enjoying the video for "Hello." Even today, I still "spit" in the appropriate spot, and I still do my finger movements for the "LSO" lyrics toward the end. Happiness is a fun Synth-Alt-Euro-Pop album with danceable beats and addictive lyrics. You're sure to find yourself singing and bopping along to every song.

The album starts off on a fun, fast, and furious pace with "Hello" and "Your Love Takes Me Higher" which get your blood pumping and toes tapping. "Time After Time" is a bit more solemn ("she turns towards you and sticks the knife in"), however the musical and lyrical hooks make this a great song to vent through. The next three songs I tend to lump together since they were the songs that took me the longest to appreciate. The attitudes and emotions they exude are a bit different from the positive take-charge attitude of the rest of the album, however they provide a unique break aurally for the listener. "Don't You Worry" is trite and sappy, but it's still addictive; "Scarlet Beautiful" is fast and upbeat, but it's more manic stress upbeat than happy (good for venting road rage stress); and "The Sun Rising" is a trancey, ethereal trip. The last 4 songs, like the first three, engage the listener and get one dancing and singing out loud again. "I Love You More" is eternally happy in its orchestration and lyrics, and one can't help but smile while singing along. "Wake Up Soon" is a funky "attitude" song ("don't go telling me that everything must have a reason"). Fast paced and happy, "Up, Up and Away" does just that - send the listener up to the clouds to fly around in a hyper, happy, hazy high (yelling the lyrics "H-A-P-P-Y"). The last song, "Found," is a fantastic closer, calming the listener back down, however leaving one with a sense of happy serenity and hope.

I was debating what kind of rating to give this album. While the average music listener might only give the album three stars, I would give it at least 4 based on its musical content, especially after time has allowed me to appreciate those middle three songs. However, I decided to give the album 5 stars based on some personal deciding factors. I have many good memories and associations with this album, giving me a sense of "ownership" of this release. And I still find myself sometimes saying, "Hey, I'd really like to listen to some Beloved right now." And despite owning all their releases (except for the greatest hits comp.), this is the album that defines The Beloved for me.

For the casual listener, Happiness is a great, fun album, especially for fans of Synth-Alt-Euro-Pop. And for those who like to let the music take control and wash over you, Happiness is sure to find a special place in your heart that will bring you happiness whenever you listen to it.

As a side note for Beloved fans, here are some additional releases that you might want to keep an eye out for in relation to Happiness. Happiness resulted in the release of three singles: "Hello" in 1990 (which has 5 mixes and the unreleased "Paradise (My Darling, My Angel)"), "Time After Time" in 1990 (which has 4 mixes, a mix of "Your Love Takes Me Higher," and the non-album track "Pablo"), and "The Sun Rising" in 1997 (which has 5 mixes of the song, released in conjunction with the greatest hits comp.). Also, The Beloved released Blissed Out in 1990 or 1991, which is pretty much a remix album of Happiness (and at the time of this review, it appears Amazon.com has this once very rare release available - a review will be forthcoming). Happy hunting!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Experience happiness, July 25, 2000

By 

"k-sdavies" (Bakersfield, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Happiness (Audio CD)

This album bears proof that there is a world of fabulous music outside of mainstream. I'm not sure where to start. First, this disc is alot of fun; "Happiness" is a perfect name for the cd. Whenever I listen to it I seem to get lost in the sweet melodies. I find myself pushing the back button and repeating song after song. From the 1990 club classic "Hello" to "Scarlet Beautiful" I just can't get enough. I don't think there is one track that I skip when listening.

So, take a chance on this instant classic, I promise "Happiness" (Also, check out X & Conscience)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Happiness Is The Beloved, June 30, 2005

By 

Alan Caylow (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Happiness (Audio CD)

After their 1987 indie-label debut, "Where It Is," the British group the Beloved, led by singer/songwriter Jon Marsh, changed musical direction and went into the world of synth-pop, making a considerable splash in 1990 with their second album, "Happiness," and it's name-dropping dance hit, "Hello." Simply put, this is a great album, with great catchy tunes, solid hooks, rhythms, and Marsh's smooth lead vocals. It's also the group's best album to date. Besides the memorable hit "Hello," there's also the beautiful "Time After Time" & "Don't You Worry," the incredibly sensual "The Sun Rising," the uplifting pop of "I Love You More," and the killer grooves of "Wake Up Soon." A true "feel-good" album if there ever was one, the Beloved's "Happiness" is a gem. Buy it right now!