Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy?
| Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Nomeansno | ||||
| Released | May 21, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Punk rock | |||
| Length | 58:56 | |||
| Label | Alternative Tentacles | |||
| Producer | Nomeansno | |||
| Nomeansno chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Rock Hard |    |
Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy? is the sixth full-length album by Vancouver punk rock group Nomeansno. Released in 1993, it is their second album recorded by the original two-piece lineup of brothers Rob and John Wright following Mama (1982), and first after the departure of longtime guitarist Andy Kerr. The songs on the album generally lack the hardcore punk energy Kerr brought to the band, and Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy? instead features a slower, heavy metal sound with progressive rock influence. The album was popular among critics and praised for its balance of heaviness and subtlety, showcasing the dynamics of the band in its original incarnation.
Brothers Rob and John Wright formed Nomeansno in 1979 as a two-piece, first making home recordings and then rehearsing as a bass-and-drums duo. Their self-released 1982 debut album, Mama, features material written and performed in this incarnation. In 1983, guitarist Andy Kerr joined, and the band proceeded to sign to Alternative Tentacles records and issue four albums and several EPs.
Kerr departed the band after touring late in 1991 and emigrated to the Netherlands. The Wright brothers then turned their focus towards The Hanson Brothers, their Ramones-influenced side project, while Rob also began working on solo material under the name Mr. Wrong.
In February 1993, the brothers began working on material for a sixth Nomeansno album. Rob Wright, typically the band's bass player, played the guitar parts during the recording sessions. Demo tracks for the album were recorded at Dollhouse Studio. The final versions were recorded at Cecil English's Profile Sound Studios. The record was engineered by Brian Else, produced by Nomeansno, and mixed by Else, Nomeansno, and longtime roadie Craig Bougie. The band experimented in the studio; the final track, "Cats, Sex, and Nazis", features audio samples of Faith No More's "We Care a Lot", songs by The Residents and Deep Purple, and a previously released Nomeansno song, "I Am Wrong".
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