Customer Reviews

Miss Happiness

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Walt Mink were a kind of Big Star of the '90s. Massively talented, incredible songwriters, superb live players, and screwed over by two major labels. This is their debut disc, and it rocks in a way most '90s music doesn't.

The album is Beatlesque pop in places, screaming (yet groovy) metal in others ("Croton Harmon," their take on train communting), and elsewhere we have rip-roaring psychedelia in the form of a Nick Dake cover. This is an album that gets better and better with age.

John Kimbrough is a masterful guitarist, something like a funkier Bob Mould, with both serious technical chops and an amazing ear for rhythmic counterpoint. Bassist Candice Belanoff is a girl player who can actually PLAY, not just look good and play three-note punk lines, and drummer Waronker is like a groovier John Bonham. He would later work with Beck on "Mellow Gold". The three make an awesomely tight yet supple unit-- this is heavy but funky and groovy music that really breathes. If you can imagine the Beatles, Motorhead and Sly and the Family Stone playing in the same room, you are getting the idea.

This is superb indie rock form te '90s-- buy it!

This band is pure SAVAGE CHAOS ! I saw them in concert here in Chicago , and their bass player (a CHICK)is one of the best you will ever see. If you like Nirvana AND the Beatles , you will love Walt Mink. Be careful playing this in your car, you could easily get lots of speeding tickets !

Sounding a lot like Jane's Addiction but with raw, churning, aggressively paced power chords polished to a higher gloss and with a more well-rounded tone, the guitar work on Walt Mink is neither homage nor rip-off - John Kimbrough and Walt Mink are contemporaneous with Dave Navarro and Jane's Addiction, with Kimbrough's vocal delivery, though somewhere in the very general range of Perry Farrell's, is much clearer and easier on the ear, and Walt Mink's tracks have a less heavier edge. Seriously rippling explosive lead lines trade off with punchy, aggressive rhythmic chops to make Kimbrough's guitar the band's accelerative force, and when combined with the enormous lockstep groove established by Candace Bellanoff's heavily burbling basslines and Joey Waronker's aggressively flickering snare-work, I guess it wasn't difficult for me to make that connection, though I think Walt Mink have the better technical players, and craft much suppler material. While they may not have the metallic oversheen of Jane's Addiction, their brand of post-punk power pop still delivers a heavyweight punch, overlayered with gorgeous melodic arrangements, and if possible are capable of working much more deeply in the funky vein that Jane's mined to such commercial success.

I don't know why "Miss Happinesss" remained largely overlooked outside of the Indie community after its release; I was always perplexed at its perceived lack of commercial appeal when it was not only DIY daring, but also loaded with tremendously catchy choruses, callouts, and hooks. I guess that's because most radio stations, and especially the ones categorized as "modern rock" (the one place the music contained on this CD should've thrived) were being programmed by supercomputer. Songs that are especially tuneful and heavily gripping were "Love You Better", "Showers Down", "Shooting The Ride", the title track, and "Factory", but really, from beginning to end, the tracks each have some distinctive wrinkle while still retaining a remarkable sense of cohesion. I recently replaced my original CD; and can't recommend it enough; you should make an effort to snag one.

Miss Happiness is a gem. Every song works, rocks, and works some more.

Walt Mink, helmed by John Kimbrough produced some of the most interesting, driving rock music of the 90's. It is a tragedy that the band got caught in record label complications and other distractions because their music is inspired, and musically challenging while still doing it's basic job. Rocking. John's guitar work is hands down the bravest and most lyrical of any from that period, and I would argue others as well. Nobody turned a middle 8 like this band, and the combination of pyrotechnics and melodic structure is beautiful. When I first saw them I was perplexed, looking all over the stage for a fourth musician. This trio put out so much rhythmic and spacial drive it was as if they conjured sounds from phantom players.

This disk was just as awesome as I had remembered it being. I was a fan of Walt Mink in the early 90's, then somehow over time lost my cd's. I tried to buy Miss Happiness on Itunes but it was not available. Anyway, lots of technical musicianship and fantastic lyrics. I often found it hard to believe all this sound was from a 3 piece -- but I was fortunate enough to see them live many times, and they pulled off brilliantly. Great band, and this is this their best recording in my opinion.

right out of the chute hard rock power chords are juxtaposed with breezy pop vocals. things rock on from there. the hard rock version of nick drake's "pink moon," is the standout track, but there's lots of good stuff. "smoothing the ride," a power-pop psycedelia track with acoustic and electric guitar textures is a highlight, also. "showers down," could be black sabbath making power-pop, and "love you better," and "factory" wouldn't sound that out of place on a rush album (to all you snobs out there who would never sink so low as to listen to a rush album: your loss). all in all, this is a cd full of power chords & rock riffs that is well worth the purchase.

I'm in full agreement with the other reviewers here: this is a terrific record. I'd add that John Kimbrough is one hell of a rock guitarist. I love his playing because of his obvious talent and because he knows how to rock! But hey, all three are great at what they do, and what they do is make interesting, rocking music.

Unlike some albums that one might enjoy at the time of their release, only to be forgotten and permanently shelved, Miss Happiness stands out as one of the rare works that gets better with age. I saw this fantastic band at the old Palomino club in Los Angeles in 1991 and immediately bought this remarkable album. The song writing is superb and the musicianship masterful. The cover of 'Pink Moon', while completely different from the original, is the only one I have ever heard that rivals Nick Drake's recording. It is a shame that this record is out of print, as it should be available to all fans of great rock n roll. Bring back Miss Happiness!!

I love this album, but you know what pisses me off? the fact that AMAZON doesn't list "related CDs" for this one. I would really like to know what else has been bought by people who bought this one so I could find some new music. Great album by the way....

Cut my scene-ster teeth watching these three amazing musicians perform at basement parties in college. This first album is an incredible collection of what they were playing in their formative years. The album never lulls, and we are all a little less rich now that they have called it quits. Miss Happiness rocks with a grunge-jazz-folk-metal sensibility. Hard to describe the sound. But at this incredible price, you'll just have to listen for yourself!