In Pursuit of Your Happiness

Mark Mulcahy | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 22, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mezzotint Label
• ASIN: B0007TFI0G
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #152,000 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. In Pursuit of Your Happiness

2. Cookie Jar

3. I Have Patience

4. Be Sure

5. Can't Find a Reason to Let You Go

6. A World Away from This One

7. A Smack on the Lips

8. Everything's Coming Undone

9. 4:04

10. Nothing But a Silver Medal

11. Propstar

12. He Vanished

13. Pigs in Pursuit [Multimedia Track]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem, August 3, 2005

By 

GimmeSomeD (boston, ma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Pursuit of Your Happiness (Audio CD)

For crying out loud, isn't anybody buying this guy's albums? Mulcahy has never gotten his due, and it would be a shame for this particular album to slide under the radar the way that most of his past recordings have.

This is a return to a full rock band setup, but not a return to Miracle Legion. Mark's songs here are crisp, catchy and diverse. His voice has matured and possesses a full range of expression, and the supporting band - a variety of guitars, pianos, organs and strings, played by Mark, Scott Helland, Joey Santiago and J. Mascis, among others - is perfect.

One of Mark's strengths has always been the way he captures childhood experiences with wit, intensity, and a sense of innocence and wonder (it is illustrative that a video track on the CD shows Mark romping around in a field with pigs). This is the quality that gives his songs of anger and disappointment - "the things I love, don't bring me joy; the things I want, I want to destroy," or the sarcastic tribute to phoniness in 'Nothing But a Silver Medal' - more poignancy. He's not just a guy whose music you appreciate. He's a guy who you know, and who you are pulling for.

Someone recently wrote that Mark Mulcahy is who Thom Yorke thinks he is, who Jeff Buckley could have been, and who Michael Stipe was. This is a great characterization, and Mark deserves to be included in that kind of company. If you've never heard Mulcahy before, then look no further - you have found your new favorite singer.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So much good stuff here, May 24, 2005

By 

Outside Looking In (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Pursuit of Your Happiness (Audio CD)

I have listened to "In Pursuit of Your Happiness" about 8 times through and I cannot remember the last time I felt so good when the aural pleasure response one feels when an album finally 'kicks in' hit me (probably listen 5).

This is a great album, working on the mind on a number of differnt levels. I did not think I could like an album better than "Smile Sunset," but this might be it.

Miauri's organ and Scott Helland's bass stand out for me (along with Mulcahy's distinctive guitar sound). Mascis' leads are subtle and wonderful as well. When you finally get to "He Vanished" you are as wasted as the narrator of the song.
What is the significance of the polaroid shot of the Organic Tomatoes dated 09-10-01 (the day before 9-11)?

This is one of the mysteries of this compelling album.

I like the fact that it was recorded in Hartford (recently cited as the No. 1 stress city in the USA).

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mark Mulcahy needs your ears, June 16, 2005

By 

Karen Stern "aspiring tastemaker" (Colchester, VT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Pursuit of Your Happiness (Audio CD)

This is more of a comment than a review. I just heard this guy on the radio. I rarely hear an original songwriter these days with Mulcahy's combination of sophistication and emotional resonance. I heard "Be Sure," "Patience," and "Can't Find a Reason to Let You Go," and, for once, I couldn't find a reason to turn off the radio.

I went right to the computer to order his CD. Please listen to his songs. If you don't nurture brilliance it may disappear. Order "In Pursuit of Your Happiness": it lives up to its title.