Graham Coxon – Happiness In Magazines (CD)
Product Details
Blur's lead guitarist had spent his solo career pushing against the Britpop expectations that followed him, and with this 2004 release he finally found the sweet spot between his love of American lo-fi indie and the sharp, hook-driven songwriting he'd grown up on. Coxon's admiration for artists like Pavement and Guided by Voices runs through the record, but the melodies are pure British pop tradition, the kind you can trace back through XTC and the Kinks.
?Recorded with producer Stephen Street (The Smiths, The Cranberries), Happiness In Magazines is Graham Coxon's fifth solo album. His most successful solo venture up to that point, Happiness In Magazines went top 20 in the UK album charts and earned the guitarist the Best Solo Artist prize at the 2005 NME Awards. Spearheaded by 'Bittersweet Bundle Of Misery's note-perfect pop and the riotous, Skids-like 'Freakin' Out', it plugged him into a lineage of classic power pop, UK punk and '60s songwriting. ""'Bittersweet Bundle Of Misery' and 'Freakin' Out' were two of the first things I wrote,"" recalls Graham. ""I remember thinking, Oh, actually, maybe my songwriting is getting a bit better? Maybe I should take this seriously and not be such a control freak? Stephen just got it. He loved what I was getting at, the sound of it and the era it was influenced by - things like The Cars and The Jam."" ""perfect pop"" - The Guardian ""his most accessible work since Parklife"" - Uncut 8/10. Available as part of a comprehensive solo catalogue reissue campaign via Transgressive. Faithfully reproduced packaging, including kraftboard digisleeve. Limited Edition deep blue vinyl. Follows Coxon's first wave of reissues in June, which included the critically acclaimed unreleased studio album (reached #6 on the OCC Independent Chart). 5-date UK tour in November including SOLD OUT Kentish Town Forum
Tracklist:
- Spectacular
- No Good Time
- Girl Done Gone
- Bittersweet Bundle of Misery
- All Over Me
- Freakin' Out
- People of the Earth
- Hopeless Friend
- Are You Ready?
- Bottom Bunk
- Don't Be a Stranger
- Ribbons and Leaves
UPC: 5063176119223
Label: Transgressive
Release Date: 9.11.26
Format: CD