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The Pursuit of Happiness (Beat Farmers album)

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The Pursuit of Happiness
Studio album by
the Beat Farmers
Released1987
StudioIndigo Ranch, Malibu, CA
LabelCurb/MCA[1]
ProducerDave Jerden
The Beat Farmers chronology
Van Go
(1986) 		The Pursuit of Happiness
(1987) 		Poor and Famous
(1989)

The Pursuit of Happiness is an album by the American band the Beat Farmers, released in 1987.[2][3] The band supported the album with a North American tour that included shows with Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper.[4][5]

The first single, "Dark Light", peaked at No. 27 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart.[6][7] "Hollywood Hills", for which a video was shot, was also released as a single.[8]

Production

[edit]

Recorded at Indigo Ranch, in Malibu, the album was produced by Dave Jerden.[9][10][11] Founding member Buddy Blue was replaced by Joey Harris.[12] Country Dick Montana sang on the cover of Johnny Cash's "Big River".[12][13] "Rosie" is a cover of the Tom Waits song.[14] Steve Berlin played saxophone on the album.[15] In a dig at the PMRC, the band allegedly included a "positive" subliminal message on the album.[4]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[17]
Houston Chronicle[18]
Los Angeles Daily NewsB[19]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[20]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[21]

The Vancouver Sun called the album "rocking with the familiar tough R&B favored by guitarist Jerry Raney, reeling with the hilarious depravity favored by wildman drummer Country Dick, and soaring with the touch of majesty brought into the fold by Harris."[22] The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote: "Blunt, vehement rock that regularly partakes of a country lilt, this is the West Coast quartet's best album yet."[21]

The Houston Chronicle noted that "few if any rock bands have a better understanding of the essential difference between ego and art."[18] The Los Angeles Daily News concluded: "Until either Rainy or Harris cuts a path as striking as Montana's, the Farmers will be just another good rockin' roots band with a joke instead of a great band with a sense of humor."[19] The Times determined that "although the Farmers hold rank as possibly the greatest bar-band in the world, this is a patchy collection redeemed mostly by the efforts of the new guitarist, Joey Harris."[23] The Oregonian listed the album among the 10 best of 1987.[24]

AllMusic deemed "Hollywood Hills" "one of the finest tracks the group ever recorded."[16]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."Hollywood Hills"4:17
2."Ridin'"4:08
3."Dark Light"4:06
4."Make It Last"3:59
5."Key to the World"3:22
6."God Is Here Tonight"3:38
7."Big Big Man"3:53
8."Elephant Day Parade"2:42
9."Rosie"2:22
10."Texas"3:24
11."Big River"2:38

References

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  1. ^ Popoff, Martin (September 8, 2009). Goldmine Record Album Price Guide. Penguin.
  2. ^ "Beat Farmers Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Arnold, Thomas K. (23 May 1987). "Montana's Music Takes 'Lot of Guts'". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 1.
  4. ^ a b MacInnis, Craig (25 Sep 1987). "'Howdy!' says Country Dick Montana of the Beat Farmers". Toronto Star. p. E18.
  5. ^ Gleason, Holly (1 Jan 1988). "Farmers Dish Out Country-Flavored, Home-Grown Fun". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 27.
  6. ^ Infusino, Divina (July 25, 1987). "New LP is boom or bust for Beat Farmers". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. C1.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008. Record Research Inc. p. 28.
  8. ^ Faris, Mark (September 25, 1987). "Earthy Name Hasn't Hurt Farmer's Beat". Akron Beacon Journal. p. C1.
  9. ^ Kim, Jae-Ha (September 18, 1987). "Beat Farmers cultivate their music". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 11.
  10. ^ Thompson, Dave (September 14, 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation.
  11. ^ Infusino, Divina (February 4, 1987). "Local news". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. D7.
  12. ^ a b "Beat Farmers". Trouser Press. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  13. ^ Trager, Oliver (December 4, 1997). The American Book of the Dead. Simon and Schuster.
  14. ^ Hiltbrand, David (5 Oct 1987). "Farmers Rock at Cabaret". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E4.
  15. ^ Healy, James (August 9, 1987). "Beat Farmers Get Down to Business in Wake of Buddy Blue's Departure". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald.
  16. ^ a b "Beat Farmers Pursuit of Happiness". AllMusic.
  17. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 485.
  18. ^ a b Racine, Marty (August 16, 1987). "Records". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 11.
  19. ^ a b Rosen, Craig (August 21, 1987). "Beat Farmers still pursue the joke". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L40.
  20. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. pp. 85–86.
  21. ^ a b Tucker, Ken (23 Aug 1987). "The Beat Farmers The Pursuit of Happiness". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. G9.
  22. ^ Mackie, John (8 Aug 1987). "Beat Farmers harvest even better crop". Vancouver Sun. p. D9.
  23. ^ Sinclair, David (May 28, 1988). "Back to the hot Rod – Rock Records". The Times.
  24. ^ Tomlinson, Stuart (December 13, 1987). "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree: 10 Albums to Get You Started". The Oregonian. p. B17.
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