Uncle Dysfunktional
Uncle Dysfunktional | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 2 July 2007 | |||
Recorded | 2006 | |||
Studio |
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Sequel | ||||
Producer | Sunny Levine | |||
Happy Mondays chronology | ||||
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Singles from Uncle Dysfunktional | ||||
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Uncle Dysfunktional is the fifth studio album by English
Uncle Dysfunktional received generally mixed reviews from
Background and recording
Between 1987 and 1992, Happy Mondays released four studio albums – Squirrel and G-Man... (1987), Bummed (1988), Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches (1990) and Yes Please! (1992) – through Factory Records and London Recordings. During this period, the band and the Stone Roses led the Madchester music scene; Happy Mondays mixed house music, soul guitar parts and 1960s psychedelia.[1][2] Following the band's demise, frontman Shaun Ryder and dancer Bez formed Black Grape, with whom they released It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah (1995) and Stupid Stupid Stupid (1997).[3] While touring in support of the latter, Black Grape broke up. Ryder decided to reform Happy Mondays in 1999, and toured throughout 2000.[3][4] Ryder released his debut solo album Amateur Night in the Big Top (2003) to little success. He reunited Happy Mondays again in 2004, though with a line-up of him, Bez and drummer Gary Whelan.[4]
Kavin Sandhu joined the band soon after; Ryder had met him while DJing.[5] The new line-up toured throughout 2005, and released the single "Playground Superstar" in 2006.[4] Happy Mondays' managers Eliot Rashman and Stuart Worthington suggested they should make a new album with Sunny Levine, the grandson of Quincy Jones and who they knew through Rashman.[6] Legal issues, mostly stemming from former bassist Paul Ryder, prevented the band from recording a new album until mid-2006.[7] The band's line-up by this point consisted of Ryder, Whelan, Bez, Sandhu, Mikey Shine, Julie Gordon and Dan Broad. Initial recordings and demos for the band's next album were recorded and engineered by Dave Parkinson at The Studiosound in Rochdale, and then at Make It Nice Studio in Leicester.[8]
Steve Fenton then digitally transferred and engineered the material at Calder Recordings in Cragg Vale. Levine produced and engineered the final recordings at Moolah Rogue Studios in Stockport, with assistance from Seadna McPhail.[8] Sandhu and Whelan worked with Levine during the day time, while he worked with Ryder during night sessions. Ryder said Whelan often complained about the production of the songs with Levine. Ryder estimated that he spent one day per track coming up with lyrics for them; Levine liked the majority of the lyrics Ryder wrote, and would tell him if a line did not work. Ryder compared this to how he would work with producer Danny Saber when he was in Black Grape.[9] Sessions finished in August 2006, when Levine, Whelan and Broad prepared mixes; Howie B mixed the final recordings at Miloco Studios in Hoxton, with assistance from Ben Thackeray. Bernie Grundman then mastered the album at Bernie Grundman Mastering.[8][10]
Composition and lyrics
Musically, the sound of Uncle Dysfunktional has been described as electro-funk,[11] with influences from country and hip hop.[12] Despite Ryder claiming he overcame a drug addiction, they remain a reoccurring topic throughout the songs.[13] He said the album's overstatement was about being "middle-aged and becoming a boring old fart".[14] Ryder said Levine's connections allowed them to bring in outside musicians who he was friends with to contribute to the recordings, including his father Stewart Levine, Ry Cooder and his son Joachim, Juliette Commagere of Hello Stranger, Paul Newsome of Proud Mary, multi-instrumentalist Robert Francis and singer Selema Masekela.[8][15]
The opening track to Uncle Dysfunktional, the psychedelic "Jellybean", sees Ryder detailing an obsession with
Release
On 26 March 2007, it was announced that Happy Mondays had signed to
Uncle Dysfunktional was released on 2 July 2007 through Sanctuary-imprint
Reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 57/100[40] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [11] |
Cokemachineglow | 39%[41] |
FOK! | [16] |
laut.de | [12] |
musicOMH | [13] |
NME | 7/10[42] |
The Observer | [43] |
Ox-Fanzine | 7/10[44] |
Stylus Magazine | D+[45] |
Yahoo! Music | [17] |
Uncle Dysfunktional was met with mixed 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 57, based on eight reviews.[40]
Jim Butler of
Yahoo! Music's Niall O'Keeffe did not consider it a proper Happy Mondays album by virtue of excluding former members, such as guitarist Mark Day. He added that Ryder comes across as a "shadow of his former self", aside from the infrequent "strangely phrased lyrical gems".[17] FOK! editor Rich wrote that despite only having three original members, Ryder, Bez and Whelan "managed to resuscitate the Happy Mondays in a dignified way with this album", though he could not "really call the music innovative".[16] David M. Goldstein of Cokemachineglow said it "plods with an aimlessness", with the exception of "Jellybean". He added that if the listener tackled the album as "as little more than an excuse for Shaun Ryder to head back out on the road, I guess it works fine".[41] AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine's first reaction is about the album's "really ugly, garish cover". He found the music to be "directionless", and stated that if Ryder was able to offer lyrics that "linger in the imagination," the album could have had "some longer staying power".[11] NME writer Alex Miller said from the album's third track "Deviants", it "begins a slow decline into the most putrid of doldrums".[42]
The Village Voice included "Jellybean" at number 34 on their 50 Worst Songs of the '00s list.[47]
Track listing
Writing credits per booklet. All recordings produced by Sunny Levine.[8]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Jellybean" |
| 5:51 |
2. | "Angels and Whores" |
| 3:30 |
3. | "Deviantz" |
| 4:00 |
4. | "Rats with Wings" |
| 4:26 |
5. | "Cuntry Disco" |
| 3:47 |
6. | "In the Blood" |
| 3:57 |
7. | "Anti Warhole (On the Dancefloor)" |
| 4:08 |
8. | "Rush Rush" (Debbie Harry cover) |
| 4:20 |
9. | "Dysfunktional Uncle" |
| 4:00 |
10. | "Dr Dick" |
| 4:09 |
11. | "Somebody Else's Weather" |
| 4:44 |
12. | Untitled (silence; no audio) | 3:20 | |
13. | "0161'ers (Northern Soul Weekender)" (hidden track) | 4:46 | |
Total length: | 54:58 |
Personnel
Personnel per booklet.[8]
Happy Mondays
Production
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Additional musicians
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See also
- Pop Voodoo – Black Grape's post-reunion album
References
Citations
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Happy Mondays Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ Sawyer, Miranda (25 February 2007). "It's great when you're straight". The Observer. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Black Grape Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ a b c Sutton, Michael. "Shaun Ryder Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ Ryder 2012, p. 384
- ^ Ryder 2012, p. 386
- ^ "Mondays to showcase new album in Highland Capital". The Inverness Courier. 18 May 2007. Archived from the original on 22 August 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ Sequel Records. SEQCD012/FACT 500.
- ^ Ryder 2012, p. 387
- ^ "Happy Mondays complete first album in 14 years". NME. 2 August 2006. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Uncle Dysfunktional - Happy Mondays | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d Lütz, Jasmin (27 July 2007). "'Uncle Dysfunctional' by Happy Mondays" (in German). laut.de. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ a b c Simpson, Claire. "Happy Mondays - Uncle Dysfunktional : album review". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 27 June 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ Cooper, Neil (23 August 2007). "Happy Mondays". The List. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ a b Ryder 2012, p. 388
- ^ a b c d Rick (15 July 2007). "CD: Happy Mondays - Uncle Dysfunktional / Reviews" (in Dutch). FOK!. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ a b c O'Keeffe, Niall (6 July 2007). "Happy Mondays Uncle Dysfunktional Album Review". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ a b c Carr, Eamon (28 June 2007). "Ryding their luck". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ Long, Chris (2007). "Review of Happy Mondays - Uncle Dysfunktional". BBC Music. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ Udell, Phil (25 June 2007). "Uncle Dysfunktional". Hot Press. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
- ^ "Happy Mondays to release new record". NME. 26 March 2007. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (6 May 2007). "And Now, a Few Words in Defense of Nostalgia". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ "Happy Mondays preview new tracks at Coachella". NME. 30 April 2007. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ "Happy Mondays announce additional live dates". NME. 16 April 2007. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ Darmanin, Rachael (15 May 2007). "Tony Wilson Talks In The City". Happy Mondays. Archived from the original on 16 September 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ "Happy Mondays cancel New York shows". NME. 11 June 2007. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Gigs". Happy Mondays. Archived from the original on 1 July 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ a b Happy Mondays (2007). Uncle Dysfunktional (sleeve). Sequel Records. SEQPR012.
- ^ "Press Bio". Happy Mondays. Archived from the original on 23 May 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ Morley 2021, pp. 527–8
- ^ "Happy Mondays extend UK tour". NME. 14 August 2007. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Gigs". Happy Mondays. Archived from the original on 18 September 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ "Episode 5: Dysfunktional Uncle Video". Happy Mondays. 22 October 2007. Archived from the original on 5 December 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ "Happy Mondays announce new single". NME. 23 October 2007. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Happy Mondays announce Christmas homecoming show". NME. 11 September 2007. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Happy Mondays and The Fratellis set for charity gig". NME. 9 January 2008. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Estelle and Happy Mondays added to Wakestock festival bill". NME. 6 May 2008. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Uncle Dysfunktional [2020 Mix] - Happy Mondays | Release Info". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- London Records. LMS5521624/FACT 500.
- ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Uncle Dysfunktional". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ a b Goldstein, David M. (3 August 2007). "Happy Mondays: Unkle Dysfunktional". Cokemachineglow. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ a b Miller, Alex. "Happy Mondays Uncle Dysfunktional". NME. Archived from the original on 6 July 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ a b Butler, Jim (17 June 2007). "Happy Mondays, Uncle Dysfunktional | Pop and rock". The Observer. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ a b Kolodziej, Markus (August–September 2007). "Happy Mondays Uncle Dysfunktional CD". Ox-Fanzine (in German). Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ a b Southall, Nick (13 July 2007). "Happy Mondays - Uncle Dysfunktional - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 January 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- OOR (in Dutch). Archived from the originalon 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ Weingarten, Christopher (27 November 2009). "The 50 Worst Songs of the '00s, F2K No. 34: Happy Mondays, 'Jelly Bean'". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
Sources
- Morley, Paul (2021). From Manchester with Love: The Life and Times of Tony Wilson*. London: ISBN 978-0-571-25249-7.
- Ryder, Shaun (2012). ISBN 978-0-552-16547-1.
External links
- Uncle Dysfunktional (2020 mix) at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)