Slightly off topic, but can we all talk about how similar One Life is to Oasis' Don't Look Back in Anger? I know it's been discussed before, but god damn. DLBIA came on shuffle the other day, and I couldn't stop thinking of One Life. The guitar tone, chorus, progression, overall feel, they're fraternal twins.

also rhythms, structure, and cues (instrumental and dynamic). i think the progressions are what really get me though, particularly the verse which is THE EXACT SAME PROGRESSION except for a couple of embellishments. i will say that even though both songs are in the same key, "DLBIA" completely avoids the D-minor for some reason whereas "One Life" uses it fairly often.

btw "One Life" is definitely the better song. better melodies, better singing (chorus melody), better solo, better progressions (cuz of that D-minor), better riffs, way more emotional, more concise, more going on.

[quote="Spike"]Happy Bivouac opens with one of their best songs, Runners High opens with [i]Sad Sad Kiddie.[/i] Runners High has some amazing songs, but it also has several that are very average and if you stacked them up against each other Happy Bivouac would win every time.

Happy Bivouac vs. Sad Sad Kiddie? No question. Juliet vs. Last Dinosaur, White Ash vs. Carnival, Paper Triangle vs. Crazy Sunshine, it's not even a contest. Happy Bivouac has more hits.

Not trying to shit on anyone's favorite album here, really. I just think that Happy Bivouac raises the bar right from the start and never lets up.[/quote]

There you go, comparing songs with completely different styles and elements perfectly justifies your argument. Dude, you can't just argue that x>y if they are two different things. If x^2>x then you have a valid argument. Otherwise its not an analysis of why album x is better than album y, its just your opinion then.

[quote="Brye916"]There you go, comparing songs with completely different styles and elements perfectly justifies your argument. Dude, you can't just argue that x>y if they are two different things. If x^2>x then you have a valid argument. Otherwise its not an analysis of why album x is better than album y, its just your opinion then.[/quote]

Everything here is an opinion. You can't apply objective logic to subjective music, any attempt at analysis will be inevitably clouded by your own preconceptions. I'm more than happy to argue for my opinions, but music isn't some math equation you can solve by factoring.

Well, we can try to deconstruct what Spike is really grasping at when he describes Happy Bivouac and Runners High in that fashion; he's saying "this, this right here? I fucking love this. Perfection to me, and this other thing just doesn't hit that same pacing and shape and sound that pulls me to this first one, though it's also good."

I mean, I too think that a track by track rundown is not necessarily the best way to compare two albums in terms of strengths and weaknesses, but everyone has their own preferences in what they're looking for in the listening experience.

It's definitely their best album post-Little Busters and is certainly in the running for best: period. It's always been my personal favorite. I think what sets it apart is, if this makes any sense, the texture of the sounds. There are lots of pillows albums with great songs, but when I listen to this one, it's like running fingers over an exquisitely textured surface that sends sparks through all kinds of nerve endings. Every instrumental track has a flavor on this record.

One of the things I feel I've noticed in music across the board these days is that many artists' sounds seem less varied across the scope of an album. That individual texture just isn't as apparent much of the time, and I'd say that is by far my biggest complaint with modern production styles.

Happy Bivouac sounds more influenced by American indie rock than their other albums, in my opinion. I hear shades of [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvMtduR6XFM]Built to Spill[/url] in the title track.

It's a great album/no complaints.

[size=150][i][b]Reminder that our lord and savior will soon™ be immortalized with a vinyl record release.[/b][/i][/size]

[i]I wrote a whole analysis of this album track-by-track for another thread and I actually spent a lot of time trying to put words to abstract concepts like the "feeling" of this album that I enjoy so much, so i'm re-posting it here if anyone is bored enough to read it or wants to know why I think HB is so great.
[/i]

[b][i]Happy Bivouac[/i][/b] - The title track, what an opener. This song shares its title with the album for good reason, because it captures the emotion and feeling present throughout the entire album in the first 5 seconds. No soft open here, no buildup, just a gut punch of ascending octaves and Shin's rhythmic drumming. The guitar work on this song is phenomenal, flowing and melodic, and I don't just mean Manabe's liberal use of the octaver. There's a grit to it, espically during the chorus. That thick overdrive really defines this era of their music and on Happy Bivouac it's been developed to perfection. Heavy, but not like the muddy sound they've adopted since Pied Piper. The solo in this song is a great example, fuzzy and buzzing undertones dominate the track with manabe riffing over it, prominent in the mix. A lot of their modern music, the production is way too clean. It's a [i]happy[/i] fuckin' song. Shin marches the whole thing forward with that punchy shuffling drum beat.

[i][b]Rush[/b][/i] - After such a heavy opener you'd expect the album to take a bit of a breather afterwards, but then Rush starts up with all the subtlety of a bulldozer. The same heavy, fuzzy riffing is present here again with Manabe slamming those power chords in the intro only to dial back just a bit when the verse starts, picking up a smoother groove. Throughout all of it, Sawao's vocals remain really clean and the contrast is what makes this song so good. You expect him to be belting, screaming the lyrics to match the ferocity song, but he grooves through the verses like it's a damn Barry Manilow track, only raising his voice for the chorus. Compositionally, this is a much simpler song and the guitar work takes a depature from the layered tones of Happy Bivouac for a grungy, power-chord-laden den of fuzz, it's very punk. What I like about this this song is the intensity and how relentless it is, something which is explored even further in the next track on the album...

Motherfuckin' [b][i]Last Dinosaur[/i][/b] - Third song on the album and they haven't skipped a beat or let up on the intensity at all, entirely the opposite in fact since this is the loudest, heaviest song on the album. This album is Jun's first outing with The Pillows and his strong bass playing is the driving force behind this song. Sawao's vocals have a much greater sense of [i]urgency[/i] on this song compared to Rush, and Manabe's guitar is much cleaner here with a ringing chime over the verse. Very bright and very strong in the mix, it never gets lost in that sea of fuzzy strumming that forms the backbone of this song along with Jun's thumping bass. Even with all of the noise, each of the instruments can be identified in the mix, everything is given space and that sense of space is a strong thematic element of the song. Sawao's "[i]ooh ooh's[/i]" at the end of the track really bring it all together as the song winds down and everything coalesces with that slamming drumbeat. This whole album is so upbeat, so energetic, and so full of emotion, none of which is more obvious than on Last Dinosaur.

[b][i]Carnival[/i][/b] - The fourth song in and the first to let up with its minimal intro and Shin's marching-band-esque beat, this song has a slower, smoother groove to it than the previous three and a much cleaner sound to the guitars. Sawao's vocals are interesting here, they really stand out as being on [i]top[/i] of the music rather than in the middle of it like the previous two songs on the album, the production on his voice is similar to Happy Bivouac with a subtle layering going on in some places. Every song on here has a really deep bottom end which contrasted with the bright guitars produces the hallmark sound of the album and makes it really enjoyable to listen to. Manabe has a few subtle extra fills over his lead that expand on the repetition in the verse, while Jun's bass is largely pushed back into the mix to thicken up the rhythm section. It's harder to pick out, but occasionally breaks through during the verse with a pounding sort of intensity. Carnival is a good song that forms part of the slower, more brooding section of the album which continues with...

[i][b]Our Love And Peace[/b][/i] - Arguably the weakest song on the album and a bit of a black sheep with its slow pacing, this one has grown on me over the years. The chorus is my favorite part of the song, with Sawao hitting a few high notes reminiscent of WI/LF-era Pillows. It's easy to pick on this song because it really does sound out of place, but that's part of why i've come to find it interesting. They could have put this song at the end of the album, but they didn't, they stuck it right in the middle. Manabe's sparse guitar playing fades in and out with a kind of haunting vibe as the notes float around Sawao's lyrics, and I like it. I think when taken in context with the songs around it and its place in the album, it works.

[b][i]Crazy Sunshine[/i][/b] - Immediatly after Our Love And Peace, Crazy Sunshine opens up with big, crashing chords and furious drumming. The title is appropriate, this song is like a blast of sunshine, i've said it before but Happy Bivouac is the perfect summer album. Again, Sawao's lyrics have an easy flow to them underlined by Manabe's layered, melodic riffing in the verse. The guitars sound [i]fantastic[/i] on this track, with Manabe drawing influence from their fusion years for his lead runs that really fill out the song, and holy hell what a great solo. The quiet/loud dynamic in the pre-chorus is great, very Pixies. This song in general has great dynamics, the guitars are [i]crisp[/i] and the lyrics are full of emotion. When I originally listened to these albums I never looked up the lyrics, they weren't important. I could imagine what they were trying to say just from the energy and emotion behind the words, even without knowing the words themselves. That raw emotion is part of why I love this album, and this song in particular. After Crazy Sunshine, the album changers gears again with...

[i][b]Back Seat Dog[/b][/i] - This song mirrors the quiet/loud dynamic present in the composition of many songs on the album with its placement directly between Crazy Sunshine and Kim Deal. This song has a really interesting sound and it's one of my favorite tracks on the album, Sawao's lyrics are right in the center while the guitars are seperated and pushed to the left and right channels with a sort of back-and-forth melody, trading riffs and then layering each other. I really love the backing vocals in the verse and the harmonies in the chorus, having a female singer on this track broadens the overall sound of the album and offers a nice balance to the heavy rock sound that dominates most of it, but unlike Our Love And Peace it keeps that energetic, upbeat pacing. It's a nice change of pace that keeps the flow of the album interesting, and has a cool solo and a great outtro. Woah Woah Yeah. [size=50]Here Comes Your Man.[/size]

[b][i]Kim Deal[/i][/b] - The Pixies references continue. Man, what a great song this is. Sawao's layered vocals are present again on this track along with thick, crunchy guitars that really make it stand out after Back Seat Dog. Super upbeat and super energetic, the buzzing undertones give this song an interesting sound. Happy Bivouac never really settles into a niche, each song has something different to offer in its own way, and each song feels like a complete thought. There's a wide dynamic soundstage in the mastering on this album that does it all the right kinds of favors and makes everything sound really [i]big.[/i] Kim Deal sort of just wraps around you and has an almost shoegazey quality in the way the guitars are always loud, noisy and relatively consistent throughout the length of the song, never dipping in the pre-chorus or before/after the solo. A fuzzy wall of sound, and some really nice backing vocals in the chorus from the other pirouzu. This song is so damn catchy.

[i][b]Funny Bunny[/b][/i] - Even as i'm writing this, even though i've listened to it a thousand times, i'm amazed at how [i]good[/i] this album is. The fact that a track this strong is placed third-to-last on the album says a lot. Funny Bunny, where to even begin. The constantly evolving sound of Happy Bivouac is evidenced again in this track, with its acoustic rhythm and Manabe's quiet, relaxed lead in the verse. All of this gradually builds and builds twords the first chorus which doesn't happen until 2/3rd's of the way through the song, with a solo right after that's bookended by another chorus. I like the way this song is structured, and I think this is very much a Sawao song since his vocals really carry it all forward, strong and clear. I really love that chorus and how prominant Shin's drums are here. Have I talked about great Manabe's guitar tone is yet on this album? It has a whole characteristic in and of itself and he goes through a few different sounds on Funny Bunny with a nice warbling chorus after the verse and a really thick (but short) solo.

[b][i]Beautiful Morning With You[/i][/b] - While talking about Kim Deal I said that this album never really settles into a comfortable niche, and this song just further proves it. An appropriately named song, makes me think of an early morning sunrise. The verse is just great, with Manabe showing off his flexibility by creating a number of eerie, haunting sounds on his guitar. The quiet/loud dynamic is represented strongly on this track, with the verse featuring sparse music and Sawao's quiet singing. All of which is immediatly shattered by the chorus, dominated by big thundering chords and then ending just as abruptly. This song has a similar structure to Funny Bunny, with a long verse followed by back to back chorus / solo / chorus. The building intensity, and the payoff at the end is so great with Sawao belting out those [i]YOU![/i]'s in the outtro. This is a band who is at the top of their game, every single song on the album is such a powerful effort. This isn't just a collection of songs, it's an album.

[b][i]Advice[/i][/b] - Rast but not reast, Advice. Mirroring the first track on the album, Happy Bivouac ends with a bang. Goofy engrish lyrics, but a hella fun song. Loud, noisy and agressive, Advice is simple in structure but delivers big on energy, much like Rush. Sawao goes from serious, to goofy, to screaming all in a matter of seconds and it feels like the band is getting out all of their frustrations, like a release at the end. "Okay, we made it, now here's a fuckin' headbanger." Don't get angry over trifles. Thank you.

It’s a great analysis, Spike.
I know that it’s a tall order, but I wish that you could make it over here to attend the vol. 2 tour. I’m possibly looking more forward to this one than the first.

You and me both. I don't think [i]Beautiful Morning[/i] or [i]Back Seat Dog[/i] have been played live for a long time, best I can hope for is some decent recordings of the tour.

At least the LP release will fufill a long time desire of mine to add this album to my record collection.

Cool write up, Spike. I really really hope they put in some more effort into the polish of this thing. Not that the Happy Bivouac album art is an art masterpiece, but...it would be great if they could do justice to the album by using the art at a decent resolution.

For years after I got into the band, if you asked me to pick their best album, I would have pointed to Happy Bivouac. It's the seminal sound that made me fall in love with the pillows, it has what's probably still my favorite song (Carnival), and it's awesome front to back. Yet as my tastes evolved and I realized Please Mir Lostman's their best album, and then became a bit more hipster and also fell for Living Field etc (but not hipster enough to be outright in love with 1st Movement), Happy Bivouac almost lost some luster for me... though, maybe, as someone who's only seen the pillows in the US, it's because I've already been able to experience the bulk of my favorite songs live in-person while yearning to be able to see them play the core of PML.

I'd still personally rate it as my third favorite album behind PML and Little Busters. PML is autumn and, yeah, Happy Bivouac screams summer.

(I really should start listening to it more often again)

It's never the wrong day to listen to Happy Bivouac from front to back.

I'm excited to see how the remasters sound. Full disclosure: I haven't had the chance to play LB and PML yet but Mafu's rip got me pumped af. My dad is super pessimistic about remasters because they're different than the originals but I love hearing albums in a new way. I mean, we've already got the old ones, so let's hear a new take on them.

I'm hoping to make a good quality rip when I finally get the chance to spin them.

What do you guys think about the difference in sound between the originals and the new remasters?