Happy Head
1986 studio album by the Mighty Lemon Drops
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Happy Head is the debut album by the English band the Mighty Lemon Drops, released in 1986.[1][2] It peaked at No. 58 on the UK Albums Chart and was a hit on American college radio.[3][4] The band supported the album with a UK tour and by opening for the Chameleons on a North American tour.[5][6] The title track appeared on NME's C86.[7] Happy Head was rereleased in 2022 as part of the Inside Out box set.[8]
| Happy Head | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:33 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | Stephen Street | |||
| The Mighty Lemon Drops chronology | ||||
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Production
The album was produced by Stephen Street.[9] Its music was influenced primarily by the Sex Pistols, the Teardrop Explodes, and Echo and the Bunnymen.[10] Most of the songs were written by guitarist David Newton, with the entire band working on the arrangements.[11] The album was recorded quickly; singer Paul Marsh later expressed dissatisfaction with the results.[12] All of the songs are about relationships.[13]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [14] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [15] |
| Reno Gazette-Journal | [16] |
| Tamworth Herald | [17] |
The Washington Post stated that "the sunny outlook and artless charm of the four-man group's debut LP Happy Head hearkens back to the days of mop-top pop".[18] The Toronto Star noted the "blend of hard-nosed rhythms and nifty melodic hooks."[19] The Chicago Tribune labeled the album "mainstream rock, much of [which] has an aggressive, forceful undercurrent that suggests a familiarity with the late-'70s punk scene in Britain."[10] NME concluded that "the Mighty Lemon Drops teeter precariously on the brink of mediocrity."[13]
The Gazette called it "catchy pop that mixes Byrds' guitars with Echo and the Bunnymen mood."[20] The Omaha World-Herald said that Happy Head "benefits from the Lemon Drops' special blend of punk energy and pop instincts, a style not unlike Australia's Hoodoo Gurus."[21] Trouser Press determined that it "offers the neo-psychedelia of early Echo played with a ringing Rickenbacker as the lead instrument and a less mannered (and less interesting) vocalist."[22]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Other Side of You" | 2:42 |
| 2. | "My Biggest Thrill" | 2:58 |
| 3. | "All the Way" | 3:33 |
| 4. | "Hypnotised" | 4:15 |
| 5. | "Like an Angel" | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Behind Your Back" | 3:19 |
| 7. | "Happy Head" | 2:27 |
| 8. | "Pass You By" | 3:31 |
| 9. | "Take Me Up" | 2:51 |
| 10. | "On My Mind" | 3:44 |
| 11. | "Something Happens" | 3:38 |
| 12. | "Turn Me Round" | 3:35 |
| Total length: | 36:33 | |