Happy Hour (King Missile album) explained

Happy Hour (King Missile album) should not be confused with Happy Hour (N-Trance album).

Happy Hour
Type:	studio
Artist:	King Missile
Cover:	King Missile - Happy Hour.jpg
Length:	60:00
Label:	Atlantic
Prev Title:	The Way to Salvation
Prev Year:	1991
Next Title:	King Missile
Next Year:	1994

Happy Hour is the fifth studio album by experimental music band King Missile, and released on December 15, 1992, by Atlantic Records.^{[1] [2]} The album is exactly one hour long, hence its title.

Reception

Ned Raggett of AllMusic wrote that "due in part to the return of Kramer to production – or in this case co-production – duties, along with a slew of more immediately memorable songs, Happy Hour trumps The Way to Salvation as the peak of the band's high-profile days, an inspired collection of tunes ranging from deranged pop to full-on epic metal stomp." The critic also said "thanks to a catchy arrangement via Rick's clipped, stuttered guitar riff and the sweetly sung title phrase in the background, the result is giddy left-field nonsense." and "it's the blessed liveliness of the whole album – at a premium in the days of full-on grunge when it came out, still rare enough years later – that makes it stand up so well." Trouser Press said "Hall's surreal accounts have the vivid sense of purpose previously absent; he’s not aiming at eliciting wan smiles, he’s trying to provoke intelligent thought" and "meanwhile, the band (drummer Roger Murdock is that new face in the booklet photo) locks into diverse rock grooves that would be worth hearing even without the vocals."^[3] Robert Christgau chose the band's hit single "Detachable Penis" as the album's "choice cut".

Personnel

Adapted from the Happy Hour liner notes.^[4]

King Missile

• John S. Hall – lead vocals, production
• Dave Rick – guitar, production
• Roger Murdock – drums, percussion, keyboards, Emulator, production, guitar (17)
• Chris Xefos – bass guitar, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals, production

Additional performers

• Mal Rick – clarinet (17)

Production and design

• Annalisa – photography
• Tom Bouman – design
• Jola Hesselberth – cover art
• Ron Jaramillo – design
• Mark Kramer – production, Mellotron (9), bass guitar (17)
• Inge Schaap – art direction
• Steve Watson – production, assistant engineering

Charts

Chart performance for Happy Hour! Chart (1993)! Peak
position

Australian Albums (ARIA)^[5]	93

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
United States	1992	Atlantic	CD, CS	7567-82459
Canada			CD
Germany
Japan	1993			AMCY-549

Notes and References

1. Book: Thompson, David . Dave Thompson (author) . Gravy . Alternative Rock: Third Ear – The Essential Listening Companion . . November 1, 2000 . 784 . 9780879306076 . September 6, 2020.
2. Book: Joshua . Blum . Bob . Holman . Mark . Pellington . Bob Holman . Mark Pellington . John S. Hall . United States of Poetry . . March 30, 1996 . 171. 9780810939271 .
3. Richard . Gehr . Ira . Robbins . King Missile (Dog Fly Religion) . . Trouser Press LLC . September 6, 2020.
4. Happy Hour . Happy Hour (King Missile album) . . 1992 . booklet . . New York City.
5. 155.