Search - Clarks, The Clarks :: Another Happy Ending

Best Album from the Best Band in America

D. Karchner | Connecticut | 02/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is no band in America that is more true to basic rock and roll than the Clarks. The music is simple, but creative. It's easy to relate to the lyrics and the beat is always up tempo. "Another Happy Ending" is by far their best album to date (even better than "Let It Go", which was hard to top). Their latest, "Fast Moving Cars", is good, but doesn't measure up to this masterpiece."

The best from the Clarks

K. S. | Pittsburgh, PA, USA | 11/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to admit that I'm a little biased when it comes to The Clarks. (I grew up in Western PA, the area The Clarks came from, and people around here have a great deal of local pride.) But, this cd is, in my opinion, the best cd they have put out yet and one of my favorite cds of all time.



Let me give you an idea of what to expect if you've never heard of The Clarks before: Some of the most unique breakup songs you've ever heard, lots of references to cigarettes, and some absolutely amazing rock.



The Clarks have been making great music for years, yet until quite recently, they haven't had much success nationally. But, staying under the radar for so many years has really given them a chance to polish their sound. To me, the thing that makes Another Happy Ending stand out from every other Clarks cd is that polish combined with a good balance of fast and slow songs, each of with stands out as a really good song on its own.



Instead of going into detail on all the songs on this album, I'll just highlight a couple of my favorites. Going into depth on all of them would take forever.



I really like "Saturday." Like most Clarks songs, it's about a break up. The guy in the song is upset because his girlfriend's moving out on Saturday, but it's very upbeat song with some fun lines: "She said `It's not you, I just need my space'/I said, `it is me just say it to my face' ... She said it was you and I found somebody new'/She said, `that's not the color I wanted I said blue'" Nothing beats seeing The Clarks perform this one live, but the cd comes awfully close to being just as good.



It wouldn't be fair of me to write a review and not mention "Hey You." No, it's not a cover of the Pink Floyd song of the same name. I can't say it's a personal favorite since there are so many other great songs on this cd, but I know a lot of other people really love this one. It can really speak to you when you're feeling down. I have to admit, I do love the line: "Things will go your way, in another year or two, in a hundred years or two, in a thousand years or two." Another reviewer called this song a 9/11 tribute, but I have no idea where he got that. The lyrics don't really suggest it at all, and this cd came out June 2002, so I doubt that it is.



Another favorite of mine is "This Old House is Burning Down Tonight." Basically, the guy in the song burns down the house that he and his girlfriend (wife?) were living in. The concept is a little disturbing, but it's a fun song - a bit slower than some of the other Clarks songs that I'd consider to be fun, but fun none the less.



If you're still not convinced, check out clarksonline.com for song samples and lyrics.



If you liked Another Happy Ending, you'll probably also enjoy the cds that came right before and right after it, Let It Go and Fast Moving Cars. Like Another Happy Ending, both contain some amazing songs that really stand out, but I didn't think Let I Go flowed as well, and Fast Moving Cars contains too many slower songs for my taste. If you limit yourself to newer Clarks cds, you'll be missing some real classic songs like "Cigarette" and "Penny On the Floor," but I think newer fans are most likely to enjoy the more polished, more recent cds."