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The Happy End – Turn Things Upside Down

€13,50 €7,26

SKU: Cooking Vinyl 33 Categories: , Tag:

Description

 

The Happy End were active during the closing years of the eighties and into the very early 90s. They coupled political rhetoric with a huge sense of fun and expertly-played, edgy big band arrangements. Their live gigs were brilliantly inventive, breaking down the barrier between audience and performers, but on record they were well served by good production and engineering. This CD sounds fantastic on a good hi-fi.
The songs feature different vocalists, from growling female soul to Robert Wyatt's heartfelt socialist statement on the title track. Highlights are the crunchy brass chords behind Wyatt's vocal on that song, the unnerving swing behind the Oakey Strike Evictions, which tells a numbing tale of working people being turfed out on the street to die whilst causing you to tap your foot at the same time. The weird Basie arrangement of the current South African national anthem is quite moving, given that it was merely the ANC's rallying song at the time this CD was made. Rhumba por Nicaragua ditches the politics to highlight a scorching latin rhythm and a swooping, soaring flute solo.
Given the current political and musical climate in the UK, they should reform immediately! 
 
Track Listing:
1. The Oakey Strike Evictions - 5:15   2. Turn Things Upside Down - 5:29   3. What Keeps Mankind Alive? - 3:47   4. Nkosi Sikelelei' Afrika/Anc - 5:41   5. Starstruck - 7:21   6. Sailing the Seas (Depends Upon the Helmsman) - 7:11   7. The Big Rock Candy Mountain - 8:51   8. Rhumba por Nicaragua - 4:39   9. The Red Flag - 6:34
 
Personnel:
Bernadette Keefe (vocals on 1,3,5,6,7,8,9) , Robert Wyatt (vocals on 2) , Angus Avison (trumpet) , Loz Speyer (trumpet) , Lydie Drouillet (trumpet) , Richard Avison (trombone, Chines autolute) , Shirley McCaw (trombone) , Sue Samuelsson (trombone) , Rachel Ponsonby (flute, tenor sax) , Age Northover (soprano sax, alto sax, percussion) , Pete Boyse (alto sax) , Rob Ogleby (alto sax) , Rachel Bartlett (tenor sax, soprano sax) , Sue Lynch (tenor sax) , Mark Allan (baritone sax, bass clarinet) , Sarah Moore (baritone sax, congas) , Mat Fox (dulcimer, vocals, percussion, vibraphone) , Sarah Allen (accordion, flute ,piccolo) , Caroline Hall (vibraphone, trombone, clarinet, percussion) , Danny Manners (double bass) , Tim Walmsley (drums, percussion) , Keith Moore (tuba)