Happiness in Magazines

{{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |Template:Short description|noreplace}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=The Kiss of Morning2002Love Travels at Illegal Speeds2006AlbumHappiness in MagazinesHappiness In Magazines.jpgGraham CoxonTemplate:Start dateTemplate:HlistTemplate:DurationTranscopic, ParlophoneStephen Streetx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}} Happiness in Magazines is the fifth solo album by Graham Coxon. It was produced by Stephen Street who also produced Blur's first five albums and is Coxon's most commercially successful album to date. Happiness in Magazines reached 19 in the UK Albums chart and was certified Gold.

Production

Happiness in Magazines was produced by Stephen Street, accompanied by engineer Cenzo Townshend. It was then mastered by Bunt Stafford-Clark at Townhouse Studios in London. The artwork was designed by Alex Hutchinson, with images provided by Coxon.<ref name=HIMsleeve/> Alongside Coxon, other musicians contributed to the recordings: organ and piano on "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery", "All Over Me", "Hopeless Friend", "Are You Ready?", "Bottom Bunk", and "Ribbons and Leaves" by Louis Vause; backing vocals on "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery" and "Don't Be a Stranger", and marimba on "Don't Be a Stranger" by Angie Pollock; strings on "All Over Me", "Hopeless Friend", and "Are You Ready?" by the Duke Street Quartet; French horns on "Ribbons and Leaves" by Marcus Bates, Pip Eastop, and Phillip Woods. John Metcalf arranged the strings and horns parts that the Duke Street Quartet, Bates, Eastop, and Woods played.<ref name=HIMbooklet/>

Singles

Four singles have been released from Happiness in Magazines.

• "Freakin' Out", released 8 March 2004 - charted at #37
• "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery", released 3 May 2004 - charted at #22
• "Spectacular", released 26 July 2004 - charted at #32
• "Freakin' Out" / "All Over Me", released 25 October 2004 - charted at #19

Reception

Template:Album ratings Happiness in Magazines was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 77, based on 23 reviews.<ref name=Metacritic/>

Track listing

All lyrics and music written by Graham Coxon.<ref name=HIMsleeve/>

1. "Spectacular" – 2:48
2. "No Good Time" – 3:21
3. "Girl Done Gone" – 3:57
4. "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery" – 4:53
5. "All Over Me" – 4:16
6. "Freakin' Out" – 3:42
7. "People of the Earth" – 3:04
8. "Hopeless Friend" – 3:22
9. "Are You Ready?" – 4:42
10. "Bottom Bunk" – 3:16
11. "Don't Be a Stranger" – 3:29
12. "Ribbons and Leaves" – 4:11

Personnel

Personnel per booklet and sleeve.<ref name=HIMsleeve>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref><ref name=HIMbooklet>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 Musicians

• Graham Coxon – performer
• Louis Vause – organ (tracks 4, 5, 8–10 and 12), piano (tracks 4, 5, 8–10 and 12)
• Angie Pollock – backing vocals (tracks 4 and 11), marimba (track 11)
• The Duke Street Quartet – strings (tracks 5, 8 and 9)
• John Metcalf – stringer arranger (tracks 5, 8 and 9), horns arranger (track 12)
• Marcus Bates – French horns (track 12)
• Pip Eastop – French horns (track 12)
• Phillip Woods – French horns (track 12)

Template:Col-2 Production and design

• Stephen Street – producer
• Cenzo Townshend – engineer
• Bunt Stafford-Clark – mastering
• Graham Coxon – images
• Alex Hutchinson – design

External links

• Happiness in Magazines at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)