12 Bar Blues or Happy in Galoshes?

[kazuality]

12  bar blues but i like happy so much

[Garrett]

still waiting for disc 2 (damn you best buy!) before I make a judgement call.  If it were just disc one vs. 12BB...  I'd have to go with 12 Bar Blues easily.

[rustic]

12 Bar Blues by a large margin.

Happy is a huge disappointment for me.  I've given it 4 or 5 listens, but I can't get into it.  Everyone here talks about how varied it is, but I find that 75% of it blends together into one nondescript, whiny song.  The instruments change, but the beat stays roughly the same, and the lyrics are equally forgettable.  The other 25% is good, but nothing to write home about.  I could do without the second CD entirely, if not for Hyper-Fuzz-Funny-Car, which fits into that "good, but nothing to write home about" category.

The mix on both CDs is kind of odd, in that the vocals are too low and some of the synthesizer sounds are way too loud.  For a great example, listen to Arch Angel.  The 1980's $50 Casio keyboard sound that runs through the whole song is annoyingly loud compared to everything else.

The artwork is pretty nice, so at least it'll look good sitting on my shelf.  Obviously, I'm "happy" with my purchase.

[STPaul]

I'd vote for Happy.  There are a number of songs where I think Scott's vocals are much more pure and sound than 12BB (no thanks to the production however).  Even though he was going through challenging/depressing times while writing this latest solo effort, I think he was in a better place than he was in '98, and I think it is reflected in Happy.

[Rocketboy]

12 Bar Blues by a large margin.

Happy is a huge disappointment for me.  I've given it 4 or 5 listens, but I can't get into it.  Everyone here talks about how varied it is, but I find that 75% of it blends together into one nondescript, whiny song.  The instruments change, but the beat stays roughly the same, and the lyrics are equally forgettable.  The other 25% is good, but nothing to write home about.  I could do without the second CD entirely, if not for Hyper-Fuzz-Funny-Car, which fits into that "good, but nothing to write home about" category.

The mix on both CDs is kind of odd, in that the vocals are too low and some of the synthesizer sounds are way too loud.  For a great example, listen to Arch Angel.  The 1980's $50 Casio keyboard sound that runs through the whole song is annoyingly loud compared to everything else.

The artwork is pretty nice, so at least it'll look good sitting on my shelf.  Obviously, I'm "happy" with my purchase.

So, which is it?

[drynaski]

12 BB by far... the production of 12 BB blows Happy out of the water, and Scott still had a powerful voice when 12 BB was done... don't get me wrong, I like 70% of what's on these discs a lot but 12 BB was adventurous yet a polished product. Happy sounds like my friend down the street recorded it, and happened to think the drums should be the loudest part on the album.

I'd bet that if Plush was not on Core and was a song on this album it wouldn't be a radio hit. Aaaand if these current songs were recorded better and sung by Scott 12 years ago, maybe he'd be a little more popular.

[rustic]

12 Bar Blues by a large margin.

Happy is a huge disappointment for me.  I've given it 4 or 5 listens, but I can't get into it.  Everyone here talks about how varied it is, but I find that 75% of it blends together into one nondescript, whiny song.  The instruments change, but the beat stays roughly the same, and the lyrics are equally forgettable.  The other 25% is good, but nothing to write home about.  I could do without the second CD entirely, if not for Hyper-Fuzz-Funny-Car, which fits into that "good, but nothing to write home about" category.

The mix on both CDs is kind of odd, in that the vocals are too low and some of the synthesizer sounds are way too loud.  For a great example, listen to Arch Angel.  The 1980's $50 Casio keyboard sound that runs through the whole song is annoyingly loud compared to everything else.

The artwork is pretty nice, so at least it'll look good sitting on my shelf.  Obviously, I'm "happy" with my purchase.

So, which is it?

I think it's pretty clear that I was being sarcastic in that last sentence.

[UTRR]

I'm going to say Happy Galoshes, just because of all the different styles Scott uses on this album. I've been rocking out for the last week with it.

[CMCracker]

maybe we should poll it??  how do u do that?

[STPGurl]

maybe we should poll it??  how do u do that?

Gotta do it as a new post... instead of "New Thread" you select "New Poll"

[everylilwhore]

I have to agree that they are nearly impossible to compare.

I think that Fuzz and Big Black Monster are probably the only two songs I could have heard on 12BB (which makes sense as BBM was written way back when, right?).

Elisa hates 12BB and loves almost all of this new material. For myself I really have to say that Happy is much easier to listen to. 12BB was good for 10 years, but to me this shows how Scott has changed a bit and how dynamic he is with his musical tastes and style.

HAPPY for me.

[crackerdude]

12 bar blues by a landslide. Barbarella, Lady Your Roof Brings me Down, Son, Mocking Bird Girl are better than anything on Happy. I just don't care for Happy that much.

[StoneTempleBrett]

I love 12 Bar Blues it's an amazing trippy album, but this is far more focused and it has a bunch of different shit on it.  12 Bar Blues was the whole distorted heroin trip you know.  I love it, but Happy In Galoshes is something I can listen to all of the time.  12 Bar Blues is something I listen to when I'm pissed or sad.  Happy In Galoshes has a song for every mood.  It's just amazing, so I'm going with Happy In Galoshes, at least for the time being.  It's by far Scott's best work since Shangri LA DEE DA.

[overmatik]

12 BB has a few amazing songs, and a couple of fillers and horrible tracks too. Happy is more of a traditional rock album, with no bad songs. It's Happy for me too!

[Me(hdi)]

Let's hope Scott makes another solo album down the line and reverts back to the days of 12BB.  That being said, Happy is a grower - still, no matter how much it grows on me, I can't foresee it over-taking his first.