Search - Happy Rhodes :: Building the Colossus

A Colossal Achievement

George A. Gesner | New York, NY United States | 08/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I remember the first time I discovered Happy Rhodes. I was taking a break at Nevessa Studio in Saugerties and wandered by one of the mobile recording studios in the back and heard the title track of this CD playing inside. I was mesmerized and intrigued and had to barge in on an editing session to find out who it was. I could swear that I heard Cher, Celine Dion, Phoebe Snow, Bryan Ferry, and Kate Bush all singing on that CD. The engineer informed me they were all the voices of Happy Rhodes and the songs were fantastic. Happy, who isn't predisposed to her name, tends to lean to the haunting, melancholic, insightful, and the darkly humored end of the music spectrum. Ms. Rhodes and long-time partner and co-producer, Kevin Bartlett provide a sonic paradise with their mix of keyboards and guitars. Even though there is something to love about every track on this CD, my personal favorites include the first track, a slice of pop confection called "Hold Me," the sad and beautiful "Just Like Tivoli" and a song that should have been a worldwide smash "You Never Told Me.""

This CD is very impressive...

Kimmer | CT USA | 01/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard "Collective Heart" on a local radio station one evening driving home from a friend's house. I thought I was hearing a strange new Kate Bush song but something told me it wasn't quite my beloved Kate...but very close! I loved the track instantly and bought the CD as soon as I could find it. (her work is difficult to find...)I think "Down, Down" is one of my favorites. My imagination goes on a strange course when I hear it and I start to coreograph dance to it(and I'm not even a dancer!)It's colored blue. Her music is very dreamy. It transports me. The lyrics are very intelligent and poetic. She influences me to sing."

Artist deserving of greater recognition

leo | nj | 03/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Happy Rhodes has been compared to many female artists, including Kate Bush, Sinead O'connor, Tori Amos and Annie Lennox. There are definitely similarities between Happy and these singers. With a 4 octave vocal range she can sound similiar to one of these singers one moment and then like one of the others another moment and sometimes within the same song. The big shame is that while those other artists have found some degree of fame and success, Happy Rhodes has remained a fairly obscure singer. She doen't deserve to be.
The lyrics of Building The Colossus are cryptic and thought provoking. They deal with despair, loneliness and the threats and hatred of society. The music has an accoustic feel, with a touch of the orchestral sound found in the music of Kate Bush.
If you are a fan of any of the other artists I mentioned in the beginning, Try and find any of Happy's recordings. You won't regret it"