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Happy Hour

 
Album Review: Happy Hour

  • Artist: King Missile
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1992
  • Total Time: 59:18
  • Type: Contains explicit content, Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

With this King Missile found themselves with a fluke hit, thanks to the knowingly idiotic "Detachable Penis." It's not quite the "My Ding-a-Ling" of its time, but it did get airplay, MTV coverage, and the like, Hall telling a sad tale of waking up in the morning, finding the titular organ missing, and then having to search for it, all while pondering the benefits and flaws of having a detachable penis in the first place. Thanks to a catchy arrangement via Rick's clipped, stuttered guitar riff and the sweetly sung title phrase in the background, the result is giddy left-field nonsense. Due in part to the return of Kramer to production -- or in this case co-production -- duties, along with a slew of more immediately memorable songs, Happy Hour trumps The Way to Salvation as the peak of the band's high-profile days, an inspired collection of tunes ranging from deranged pop to full-on epic metal stomp. It's the blessed liveliness of the whole album -- at a premium in the days of full-on grunge when it came out, still rare enough years later -- that makes it stand up so well. "Martin Scorcese," an on-the-edge celebration of the director in question, has Hall threatening him with physical violence, so appreciative a fan is he, the music snaking along with a psych/new wave bite (no, really!). Highlights of Hall's vocal turns this time out: from "It's Saturday," "I want to be different/Like everyone else"; from the mock classic rock love anthem "Take Me Home," "You're the one who knows my whole life is a pathetic sham." In all, the merry feeling of the songs, spiked with the solid playing of the individual members, proves again to be King Missile's ace in the hole, making Happy Hour -- which is indeed literally an hour long -- the entertaining listen it is. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
[Untitled Track] King Missile (:11)
Sink (Lyrics) Chris Xefos, John S. Hall, Roger Murdock, Dave Rick King Missile (3:00)
Martin Scorsese (Lyrics) John S. Hall, Dave Rick, Roger Murdock, Chris Xefos King Missile (1:57)
(Why Are We) Trapped? Roger Murdock, Dave Rick, Chris Xefos, John S. Hall King Missile (4:30)
It's Saturday (Lyrics) Roger Murdock, John S. Hall King Missile (2:33)
VVV (Vulva Void) Roger Murdock, John S. Hall, Dave Rick, Chris Xefos King Missile (3:24)
Metanoia (Lyrics) Chris Xefos, Roger Murdock, Dave Rick, John S. Hall King Missile (3:20)
Detachable Penis (Lyrics) John S. Hall, Chris Xefos, Roger Murdock, Dave Rick King Missile (3:22)
Take Me Home (Lyrics) John S. Hall, Dave Rick, Roger Murdock, Chris Xefos King Missile (6:16)
Ed (Lyrics) Dave Rick, Roger Murdock, Chris Xefos, John S. Hall King Missile (6:01)
Anywhere Dave Rick, John S. Hall King Missile (3:33)
The Evil Children Dave Rick, Roger Murdock, John S. Hall, Chris Xefos King Missile (5:47)
Glass (Lyrics) King Missile (:23)
And (Lyrics) Chris Xefos, John S. Hall, Roger Murdock, Dave Rick King Missile (2:49)
King Murdock John S. Hall, Dave Rick, Roger Murdock King Missile (:54)
I'm Sorry (Lyrics) Dave Rick, Roger Murdock, Chris Xefos, John S. Hall King Missile (3:03)
Heaven (Lyrics) Roger Murdock, John S. Hall King Missile (3:14)
Happy Hour (Lyrics) Roger Murdock, Dave Rick, John S. Hall, Chris Xefos King Missile (5:39)

Credits

John S. Hall (Lyre), Roger Murdock (Drums), John S. Hall (Vocals), Chris Xefos (Guitar (Bass)), Steve Watson (Engineer), Chris Xefos (Vocals), Steve Watson (Producer), Roger Murdock (Keyboards), Roger Murdock (Emulator), King Missile (Producer), Dave Rick (Guitar), Roger Murdock (Guitar), Chris Xefos (Percussion), Roger Murdock (Percussion), Chris Xefos (Keyboards), Kramer (Producer)
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Wikipedia: Happy Hour (King Missile album)
Top
Happy Hour
Studio album by King Missile
Released December 15, 1992
Genre Avant-garde
Length 60:00
Label Atlantic Records
Producer Kramer, Steve Watson, King Missile
Professional reviews
King Missile chronology
The Way to Salvation
(1991)
Happy Hour
(1992)
King Missile
(1994)

Happy Hour is the fifth album by avant-garde band King Missile, and the band's second for Atlantic Records. It was released on December 15, 1992.

The album is approximately one hour long, hence the title.

Track listing

All lyrics by John S. Hall.

  1. untitled track – 0:11
  2. "Sink" (Hall, Roger Murdock, Dave Rick, Chris Xefos) – 3:00
  3. "Martin Scorsese" (Hall, Murdock, Rick, Xefos) – 1:57
  4. "(Why Are We) Trapped?" (Hall, Murdock, Rick, Xefos) – 4:30
  5. "It's Saturday" (Hall, Murdock) – 2:33
  6. "VvV (VulvaVoid)" (Hall, Murdock, Rick, Xefos) – 3:24
  7. "Metanoia" (Hall, Murdock, Rick, Xefos) – 3:20
  8. "Detachable Penis" (Hall, Murdock, Rick, Xefos) – 3:22
  9. "Take Me Home" (Hall, Murdock, Rick, Xefos) – 6:16
  10. "Ed" (Hall, Murdock, Rick, Xefos) – 6:01
  11. "Anywhere" (Hall, Rick) – 3:33
  12. "The Evil Children" (Hall, Murdock, Rick, Xefos) – 5:47
  13. "Glass" – 0:23
  14. "And" (Hall, Murdock, Rick, Xefos) – 2:49
  15. "King Murdock" (Murdock, Rick) – 0:54
  16. "I'm Sorry" (Hall, Murdock, Rick, Xefos) – 3:03
  17. "Heaven" (Hall, Murdock) – 3:14
  18. "Happy Hour" (Hall, Murdock, Rick, Xefos) – 5:39

Personnel


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Happy Hour (King Missile album)" Read more

 

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