PROGRESSIVE ROCK GIANT HAPPY THE MAN BACK IN THE GAME

Happy the Man is pleased to announce that they are re-releasing The Muse Awakens on their own label, ending a period of the record being out of print. Referred to as the “Grandfathers of American Progressive Rock,” and once highly sought after by Peter Gabriel directly after he left Genesis, Happy the Man released two albums in the 1970s that are considered classics of the art-rock/progressive rock genre: 1977’s Happy the Man (named by Rolling Stone as one of the “50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time”) and 1978’s Crafty Hands. After several years of touring and “unofficial” releases, the group disbanded. Years later, fueled by a fan-demanded reunion concert, the band went back into the studio with original members Frank Wyatt, Stan Whitaker, and Rick Kennell, along with new keyboardist David Rosenthal (Billy Joel, Rainbow, Steve Vai) and drummer Joe Bergamini to release 2004’s The Muse Awakens, the third official studio album of the band’s career.

Having been featured in books such as producer Ken Scott’s Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust, Will Romano’s Prog Rock FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Rock's Most Progressive Music, and Douglas Harr’s coffee-table book Rockin’ The City Of Angels, HTM’s place in rock history is secure, and during the out-of-print period copies of The Muse Awakens sold online for upwards of $100. Now their fans will once again have access to the critically acclaimed reunion album that brought the band to the attention of younger progressive audiences.

“Only Happy the Man, Crafty Hands, and The Muse Awakens were recorded in actual studios,” said co-founder and bassist Rick Kennell. “The other five releases were assembled after the fact—from basement tapes, rehearsals and live shows—and while we love them, we were always disappointed with the audio quality. But our fans wanted more and it was the best we could do, since the band was inactive at the time.”

“Playing with Happy the Man was one of the musical highlights of my career,” said keyboardist David Rosenthal. “I’m very proud of the album we made together and I’m thrilled that The Muse Awakens is available again.”

“The Muse Awakens was an incredible new chapter in the life of a legendary band that I am proud to be a part of. I hope fans of all eras of progressive rock—from the early art rock bands all the way up to modern prog metal—will check out The Muse this time around,” said drummer Joe Bergamini.

For ordering information, please visit www.happytheman.com.

Record Label

Happy the Man, Inc.
Post Office Box 1199
Kent Lakes, New York 10512
845-225-2271

This release was published on openPR.