Customer Reviews

Happy Days

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the Catherine Wheel's least accessible album. It is just too abrasive for the most part. It has some excellent tracks, though: God inside my head, Heal, Eat my dust..., and Judy Staring at the Sun are some of their best, but the rest are rather tough going. I totally agree with the other reviewer who said that most of the tracks sound like bad Smashing Pumpkins; too fast & harsh. But if you're a CW fan, you'll like at least some of this.

This is heavy, guitar-driven rock. HAPPY DAYS has much more of a conventional rock sound than the dreamier atmospheric guitar wash of previous albums, but the music is far from typical. The album tackles the subject of self-indulgence (not unfamiliar ground for CW) both celebrating it and portraying its ups and downs. Relationships are also explored as well as drug behavior and self-destructive thinking.

As good as the heavy songs are (most fit that description), the slow songs could be the best. "Eat My Dust You Insensitive F***" has a quiet power that really grabs hold while "Fizzy Love" is encircling, sensuous and sexy. Its string section is brilliant, too. Each song is truly great except for the limp "Shocking" and "Judy Staring At The Sun." "Judy" is good but not the greatest. I do like Tanya Donolly's contribution to "Judy" although it was slightly better before Rob Dickenson stole one of her lines (that she originally had on an early promo tape of the album that I have). It just goes to show his selfish trip is for real, I guess! My favorite song is the joyous "Love Tips Up" even though I tend to favor the darker material.

I must admit, I really dig male singers with sexy voices like Jim Morrison, Gavin Rossdale and CW's Rob Dickenson even though I'm a heterosexual male. It must have something to do with imagining the singer is me . . . anyway, I have no doubt I'm not the only one who thinks that Rob fits into this category. There's something hedonistic, almost luxurious about his deep, dreamy voice. His songs sound quite convincing, so I imagine he's singing from a place of experience. It may take a listener who's "been there" to fully appreciate these songs, but anyone can jam on this excellent rock 'n' roll.

As with some of Catherine Wheel's albums, this one takes a little getting used to. Once it starts to grow on you, however, there is no denying the true genius in their music. This album definitely isn't their easiest one to conform to quickly. If you are looking for a good Catherine Wheel starter album, try Ferment first. That was my first exposure to Catherine Wheel and it was one of those albums that you learn to love on the first listen, from beginning to end.

Happy Days has quickly jumped to the top of the list when I think of the best albums from Catherine Wheel. It has a good mixture of songs. I like to consider it a blend of song types from both Ferment and Chrome; some hard songs and some beautiful slower tunes. The gutiar and vocals that are found in almost every Catherine Wheel song makes any album worth the purchase.

I wouldn't recommend Happy Days for the first time Catherine Wheel buyer, but it is definitely a must have for anyone that is remotely familiar with their music. Songs like Hole, Kill My Soul, Shocking, and God Inside My Head qualify this album as money well spent....

This is the first Catherine Wheel CD I got. I didn't really want it. I wanted Ferment, or Chrome, or Adam and Eve. I bought it anyway, it was used. I now own Chrome, Ferment, and Like Cats and Dogs too, but you know what, my favorite CW CD is Happy Days. To me, this CD is way more lively and interesting than the others. I love all of CW's stuff, but this is by far the best. All the songs are excellent, but my favorite is Judy Staring at the Sun. This is a fabulous song, well written, beautiful music, great vocals, and a lot of emotion. Tonya adds a lot to the song. The whole CD is great from start to finish. I highly recommend this CD to any modern rock fan. If I was stranded on a desert island, and I could only have five CDs with me, I would most definitely pick Happy Days.

With _Happy_Days,_ The Catherine Wheel temporarily tried on a more indulgent hard rock approach, with giant guitars and pummelling drum production, but they deftly balanced it out with layers of subtlety and an obvious underlying intelligence. More of a "rock record" than anything before or since, but is no less of a great Catherine Wheel record because of it. Think of Sugar doing renditions of never-before-heard Pink Floyd songs -- big but tasteful guitars on top of powerful, melancholy songwriting (I hope I'm not the only one who hears definite elements of Pink Floyd in their song structures). One of my favorite albums.

Catherine Wheel did the lush, dreamy, wall of guitars, "shoe-gazing" sound better then anybody. Here, the sound is harder, crisper, heavier, and they do it oh so well. Turn up the volume and the assault is not unlike that of a heavy metal juggernaut. Yet there is still enough of the old beauty in there to keep it satisfying to most fans of the first 2 releases. Adam and Eve, the release to follow, was yet more of a compromise. It also was very nice of the band to pack 12 or more tracks on all of their first 4 releases, with no filler. You will definitely get your moneys worth. Playing all 4 releases back to back can certainly be one heck of a sonic adventure with all the guitar-driven pyrotechnics. Then you can use the Cats and Dogs (B-sides, (not really)) to recover.

The Catherine Wheel had been building slowly to this kind of album. Ferment was a shoegazer classic, Chrome rocked a little more but still messed with the old style, and then they broke completely free on this one. The album kicks off with the triple threat hard rock of "God Inside My Head" , "Waydown", and "Little Muscle." Mature lyrics and more laid-back contemplative mood surfaces on "Heal." There is some ggreat vocal harmony with Tanya Donnelly on "Judy Staring at the Sun." "Shocking" is a good poppy kind of rocker, a bizarre trippy acoustic tune "Fizzy Love," and the biting sarcasm of "Eat My Dust You Insensitive ****." CW moved on from this album to a concept album-style masterpiece ADAM & EVE, which in my opinion is their crowning achievement, only to shift gears completely and simplify it all on WISHVILLE. Every CW album is great so it's kinda hard to say what one you should get first. This one is a good rockin time.

it's a great album although not my favorite of catherine wheel's. this album rocks. it rocks in a way that is different from how chrome rocks. intricate percussion and clean, clear production are strengths. best tracks are (4) heal, (10) love tips up, and (11) judy staring at the sun, which features tanya donelly of belly. pick this one up.

Even harder than previous efforts by CW. Less etherial and swirling with a heavy dose of hard-driven RAWK. Plenty of blistering tracks to enjoy. I've always wondered if the lyrics for the track 'HOLE' were written for Kurt Cobain after his suicide?

I do have a suspicion that this record was lost under the aspyxiating pressure of grunge, britpop, crossover and nu-metal in the 90s, but whichever the case this is probably one of the most underrated records of the past decade.
Catherine wheel are one of these groups one would call generally "good", but you know, this alone wouldn't qulaify them as "must-know-them". That is if "Happy days" didn't exist.
This LP is nothing short of a masterpiece. A masterpiece of what? Hmm, hard to say. The music is hard enough but it's certainly not metal. It's rocky enough and accesible enough but it's not pop. Is it just a rock record? I guess if you must come up with an epithet it is, but then it's a very-very unique one.
It's uniqueness is characterised by a great vocalist who changes effortlessly from an angry performer to a velvet-voice crooner to heartbroken "alternative rocker" without blinking an eye. And its music is possibly as original as any of the so called "classic" LPs of the 90s.
It would be no exaggeration to say that you're in for a treat while listening to this. You'll hear rock recipes you've never heard before and vocal tricks you havent stumbled upon either.
The lyrics are often ironic, often angry, and delivered in true sharpness (a smooth calm voice singing "Eat my dust you insensitive f**k", for example).
But to me, the true strength of the record lies in the fact that for 15 songs there is no letdown, no fillers, and not only that, but all 15 songs on this album could easily be hit singles. Why werent they? Well, because that's not how the music industry works, and this is definately NOT the first great record of anyone to go widely unnoticed.
While Catherine wheel did get some press coverage for their "Chrome" LP, "Happy days" is their true peak. I know that this may sound a bit weird but i am of the opinion that this album rates among the top-20 albums i've heard all through the past decade and i worked in a record store for the past 10 years.
Do yourself a favor and discover this. No risk involved.