The progressive rockers from Harrisonburg, Virginia are fondly remembered for their achievements in the seventies of the last century, when they produced virtuoso instrumental songs with complex rhythmic structures.
With regard to their band name two accounts are doing the rounds. There are fans who claim that the name is a reference to the song Happy The Man by Genesis. That could be the case, given the similarity of sound between the two bands and the fact that the Genesis song was committed to vinyl in 1972.
But more satisfying is the view that the brother of Happy the Man guitarist Stanley Whitaker, Ken, came up with the band name; in this version Goethe's Faust is supposed to be the source. And indeed, in the first part of Faust, the following verses occur (translated into English):
‘Yet the delusion is imprinted on our souls
And to free himself therefrom who would feel inclined?
Happy the man in whose pure bosom truth doth dwell
No sacrifice he’ll ever have to rue!’
With regard to their band name two accounts are doing the rounds. There are fans who claim that the name is a reference to the song Happy The Man by Genesis. That could be the case, given the similarity of sound between the two bands and the fact that the Genesis song was committed to vinyl in 1972.But more satisfying is the view that the brother of Happy the Man guitarist Stanley Whitaker, Ken, came up with the band name; in this version Goethe's Faust is supposed to be the source. And indeed, in the first part of Faust, the following verses occur (translated into English):
‘Yet the delusion is imprinted on our souls
And to free himself therefrom who would feel inclined?
Happy the man in whose pure bosom truth doth dwell
No sacrifice he’ll ever have to rue!’
Active: 1973-1979; 2000-present, USA
Site: http://www.happytheman.com/
0 comments:
Do you know a different explanation? Were you there when it happened? Post a comment! >>