NFOmation.net - Your Ultimate NFO Upload Resource! Viewing NFO file: 000-mike_doughty-sad_man_happy_man-_limited_edition_-2cd-2009.nfo 000-mike_doughty-sad_man_happy_man-_limited_edition_-2cd-2009
ARTiST: Mike Doughty
ALBUM: Sad Man Happy Man
BiTRATE: 181kbps avg
QUALiTY: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.97 Final / -V2 --vbr-new / 44.100Khz
LABEL: Nois-o-lution / ATO
GENRE: Indie
SiZE: 94.91 megs
PLAYTiME: 1h 08min 51sec total
RiP DATE: 2009-11-28
STORE DATE: 2009-11-27
Track List: Disc #1/2
--------
01. Nectarine (Part Two) 2:26
02. (I Keep On) Rising Up 3:25
03. (You Should Be) Doubly 3:07
(Gratified)
04. Lorna Zauberberg 3:02
05. (I Want To) Burn You (Down) 2:01
06. Pleasure On Credit 2:48
07. Lord Lord Help Me Just To Rock 2:57
Rock On
08. (He's Got The) Whole World (In 2:40
His Hands)
09. (When I) Box The Days (Up) 2:12
10. Year Of The Dog 2:29
11. Diane 2:02
12. How To Fuck A Republican 2:52
13. Casper The Friendly Ghost 1:32
Track List: Disc #2/2
--------
01. Lazybones (Half Smofe: Live In 3:18
Minneapolis)
02. Sunkeneyed Girl (Half Smofe: 3:43
Live In Minneapolis)
03. Busting Up A Starbucks (Half 3:20
Smofe: Live In Minneapolis)
04. Maybe I'll Come Down (Half 4:17
Smofe: Live In Minneapolis)
05. Madeline Plus 9 (Half Smofe: 2:52
Live In Minneapolis)
06. Thank You Lord For Sending Me 2:34
The F Train (Half Smofe: Live
In Minneapolis)
07. Rising Sign (Half Smofe: Live 2:16
In Minneapolis)
08. Grey Ghost (Half Smofe: Live In 3:53
Minneapolis)
09. Soft Serve (Half Smofe: Live In 3:12
Minneapolis)
10. True Dreams Of Wichita (Half 3:59
Smofe: Live In Minneapolis)
11. Train To Chicago (Half Smofe: 1:54
Live In Minneapolis)
Release Notes:
--------
A mere nineteen months after releasing his last album, "Golden Delicious," Mike
Doughty is back again with another eclectic collection. Cutting to the chase,
ôSad Man Happy Manö sums up every one of DoughtyÆs best skills and condenses
them into one thirteen-track, thirty-three minute collection. This may very
well be his strongest work as a solo artist, not only because the songs are
appealing, but every aspect of his work through the years is represented. Yes,
at its core the albumæs closest relative is his stripped down solo debut,
ôSkittish,ö but thatÆs because most of the songs here are delivered with minimal
arrangements and emphasis on Doughty and his acoustic guitar. The songs on
ôSkittishö often dealt with loss and the overall tone was rather somber. In
comparison, ôSad Man Happy Manö is downright optimistic. ItÆs evident that this
was written in a happier place. Maybe this is intended. Maybe this is meant to
be a sequel to ôSkittish.ö Both records are essential parts of the Doughty
canon.
Long term Doughty fans should note that a few of these songs contain the wacky,
spoken-word beat-poetry side he hasnÆt truly exhibited (quite to this extent)
since his days fronting Soul Coughing. A few bits of sonic experimentation
recall his former band, as well. This is a mature Mike Doughty. All of these
aspects are present yet informed by the polished troubadour offerings of his
last two records. Thus, the combining of all these facets of Doughty makes this
record a complex and compelling stew.
The record begins with ôNectarine (Part Two),ö the love-struck, upbeat sequel to
the darker, jazzier first part found on ôGolden Delicious.ö The lyrics are
conflicted as if about someone who wronged him who he wants to ôlove (him) right
again!ö As he so eloquently puts it, ôSweetness swept through all my senses.ö
This line really can be seen as the trackÆs thesis statement.
With its bouncy beat and slight electro touches, ô(I Keep On) Rising Upö sounds
like it couldÆve been on his ôRockity Rollö E.P. It should also please fans of
Soul CoughingÆs hit, ôCircles.ö Like many of the tracks on here, the arrangement
of this track benefits from some edgy, screeching string work.
In a different life, one can imagine ô(You Should Be) Doubly (Gratified)ö on the
Soul Coughing album ôEl Oso.ö ThereÆs an almost grungy, knowing defiance in
DoughtyÆs delivery. If you are familiar with that record, this song s somehow
simultaneously reminiscent of both the second half of ôHoustonö and ô$300.ö
ôLorna Zauberbergö is another warm acoustic guitar exercise. The use of chopped
up and mangled vocal samples during the instrumental section brings to mind the
answering machine on ôJanine.ö The sound experimentation is a nice element to
hear back in DoughtyÆs work. It separates him from the pack of
singer-songwriters in the best way possible. Even at his most
commercial-sounding, Doughty has always added enough twists and turns to keep
his audience enthralled. In this context, despite being merely a man playing an
acoustic guitar, this is worlds away from coffee-house blandness, yet not so
strange and ôartsyö that it smacks of pretentiousness. In this respect, Doughty
has found the perfect balance. He should still get the hipsters in his fan-base
but he should also appeal to the more open-minded older listeners brought up on
the acoustic music of the past.
DoughtyÆs apparent love of parenthesizing his song titles continues humorously
withö(I Want To) Burn You (Down)ö The track is a concise two-minute reflection
in which he says, ôHey soothsayer, listen up / I donÆt know who I am.ö Even
when expressing feelings of self doubt, one thingÆs clear. Mike Doughty is more
comfortable than ever in his skin as a songwriter. This track is on par with
the haunting closer of ôSkittish,ö ôRising Sign.ö Perhaps this is over-thinking
it, but the two share a lyrical theme of fire and fire-causing agents when you
consider ôRising SignöÆs refrain, ôI swear IÆd like to drink the fuel straight
from your lighter.ö (By the way, it goes without saying that you definitely
shouldnÆt try that at home!!)
The ôdeep slacker jazz,ö wordplay wizard side of Doughty returns in top form
with ôPleasure On Credit.ö This has some of funniest most random couplets to
date including ôBlast faster, plaster postmaster. / Go Bleecker, Union, Astor.ö
Repeating the phrase ôChase the mermaid, / Chase, chase the mermaidö brings
forth some rather vivid imagery as well.
Next up is ôLord Lord Help Me Just To Rock Rock On.ö In his solo career,
Doughty has often put religious references in his titles. ItÆs hard to tell
what this really means and whether itÆs a statement of true religiosity or if it
is just there to be contrary. After all, a previous deity shout-out was called
ôThank You, Lord, For Sending Me The F Train.ö (IÆve ridden the F train and in
Brooklyn, it goes local when it should be an express. If it were to magically
become an express, which it supposedly eventually will, then there might be some
reason to praise some outer force! But, I digress!) This track is driving and
one pictures that it would be a good soundtrack to a sporting event. (I somehow
always picture people playing basketball for unknown reasons whenever I hear
this song!)
The religious references continue with ô(HeÆs Got The) Whole World (In His
Hands.)ö Thankfully, it is not the campfire hymn. Rather, like ôPleasure On
Creditö it is a fantastic spoken-word piece. No, the title doesnÆt refer to God;
it seems to refer to DoughtyÆs protagonist. His lyrics can be dense and hard to
decipher amidst the clever wordplay, so my reading might be wrong, but I picture
the protagonist as a young guy out on the town. The random lyrics might be what
he sees. He might have a Messiah-like complex of sorts. Then again, it could be
just a cool collection of words. (Either way, think of this as a companion piece
to the Soul Coughing classic, ôBlue Eyed Devilö about a smiling door-to-door
salesman, ôslugging down fruit juice. / Extra tall, extra wide.ö) On this
track, Doughty equals the cleverness of ôPleasure On Creditö when he says lines
like, ôGoth girls holler in the bright cafes. / I call it corn / You call it
maize.ö
ô(When I) Box The Days (Up)ö is another winning acoustic number. Again, the
track is aided by what sounds like an unhinged cello.
ôYear Of The Dogö finds Doughty in his most troubadour-esque state, but it
begins with a strange set of lines. ôTime tells butter fat lies. / Sweet, lousy
cupcakes of lies.ö My sweet-tooth asks why Doughty would equate something so
ugly with something so delicious, but my mind appreciates his adventurous use of
metaphors. (Haha!)
ôDianeö is about a quest for a lost love. ItÆs one of DoughtyÆs most winning,
straight-ahead love songs to date.
Next is a song which is probably going to get some attention merely for its
title. ôItÆs called ôHow To F___ A Republican.ö The title is not uttered at all
in the song but there are sexual references. In the song, Doughty picks up a
stock-broker business woman, decked out in pearls. The part of the song which
stands out the most is when Doughty says, ôYou may ask, æwhat are girls like?Æ/
Girls are soft and they smell nice. / Girls like flowers and they just might be
nice to you.ö Why do these line stand out? Maybe because they are so
uncharacteristically basic coming from him. But in this case, they help the
song.
The album closes with a winning, appealing cover of Daniel JohnstonÆs ôCasper
The Friendly Ghost.ö This cover would have gone very well on the ôThe Late Great
Daniel Johnstonö tribute album from a few years back because it captures
JohnstonÆs child-like wonderment. Doughty can be a very playful artist, so a
quirky song like this is a nice fit.
ôSad Man Happy Manö is stellar. Doughty has never released a bad album. All
three Soul Coughing records are winners. His solo career has been strong as
well, but here he seems to have a level of confidence not heard before. HeÆs
the most grounded and focused heÆs ever been. Soul Coughing were one of the
most adventurous bands of the nineties and sadly they didnÆt get the credit they
deserved. ItÆs nice to see Doughty is still making great records in his solo
career. Hopefully the public will catch on and heÆll finally get the amount of
respect he is due. ôSad Man Happy Manö is essential listening for anyone who
has ever liked anything Mike Doughty has ever touched. ItÆs a bold, stripped
down record exhibiting the best of the writer at his essence.
This NFO File was rendered by NFOmation.net
ARTiST: Mike Doughty
ALBUM: Sad Man Happy Man
BiTRATE: 181kbps avg
QUALiTY: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.97 Final / -V2 --vbr-new / 44.100Khz
LABEL: Nois-o-lution / ATO
GENRE: Indie
SiZE: 94.91 megs
PLAYTiME: 1h 08min 51sec total
RiP DATE: 2009-11-28
STORE DATE: 2009-11-27
Track List: Disc #1/2
--------
01. Nectarine (Part Two) 2:26
02. (I Keep On) Rising Up 3:25
03. (You Should Be) Doubly 3:07
(Gratified)
04. Lorna Zauberberg 3:02
05. (I Want To) Burn You (Down) 2:01
06. Pleasure On Credit 2:48
07. Lord Lord Help Me Just To Rock 2:57
Rock On
08. (He's Got The) Whole World (In 2:40
His Hands)
09. (When I) Box The Days (Up) 2:12
10. Year Of The Dog 2:29
11. Diane 2:02
12. How To Fuck A Republican 2:52
13. Casper The Friendly Ghost 1:32
Track List: Disc #2/2
--------
01. Lazybones (Half Smofe: Live In 3:18
Minneapolis)
02. Sunkeneyed Girl (Half Smofe: 3:43
Live In Minneapolis)
03. Busting Up A Starbucks (Half 3:20
Smofe: Live In Minneapolis)
04. Maybe I'll Come Down (Half 4:17
Smofe: Live In Minneapolis)
05. Madeline Plus 9 (Half Smofe: 2:52
Live In Minneapolis)
06. Thank You Lord For Sending Me 2:34
The F Train (Half Smofe: Live
In Minneapolis)
07. Rising Sign (Half Smofe: Live 2:16
In Minneapolis)
08. Grey Ghost (Half Smofe: Live In 3:53
Minneapolis)
09. Soft Serve (Half Smofe: Live In 3:12
Minneapolis)
10. True Dreams Of Wichita (Half 3:59
Smofe: Live In Minneapolis)
11. Train To Chicago (Half Smofe: 1:54
Live In Minneapolis)
Release Notes:
--------
A mere nineteen months after releasing his last album, "Golden Delicious," Mike
Doughty is back again with another eclectic collection. Cutting to the chase,
Sad Man Happy Man sums up every one of Doughtys best skills and condenses
them into one thirteen-track, thirty-three minute collection. This may very
well be his strongest work as a solo artist, not only because the songs are
appealing, but every aspect of his work through the years is represented. Yes,
at its core the albums closest relative is his stripped down solo debut,
Skittish, but thats because most of the songs here are delivered with minimal
arrangements and emphasis on Doughty and his acoustic guitar. The songs on
Skittish often dealt with loss and the overall tone was rather somber. In
comparison, Sad Man Happy Man is downright optimistic. Its evident that this
was written in a happier place. Maybe this is intended. Maybe this is meant to
be a sequel to Skittish. Both records are essential parts of the Doughty
canon.
Long term Doughty fans should note that a few of these songs contain the wacky,
spoken-word beat-poetry side he hasnt truly exhibited (quite to this extent)
since his days fronting Soul Coughing. A few bits of sonic experimentation
recall his former band, as well. This is a mature Mike Doughty. All of these
aspects are present yet informed by the polished troubadour offerings of his
last two records. Thus, the combining of all these facets of Doughty makes this
record a complex and compelling stew.
The record begins with Nectarine (Part Two), the love-struck, upbeat sequel to
the darker, jazzier first part found on Golden Delicious. The lyrics are
conflicted as if about someone who wronged him who he wants to love (him) right
again! As he so eloquently puts it, Sweetness swept through all my senses.
This line really can be seen as the tracks thesis statement.
With its bouncy beat and slight electro touches, (I Keep On) Rising Up sounds
like it couldve been on his Rockity Roll E.P. It should also please fans of
Soul Coughings hit, Circles. Like many of the tracks on here, the arrangement
of this track benefits from some edgy, screeching string work.
In a different life, one can imagine (You Should Be) Doubly (Gratified) on the
Soul Coughing album El Oso. Theres an almost grungy, knowing defiance in
Doughtys delivery. If you are familiar with that record, this song s somehow
simultaneously reminiscent of both the second half of Houston and $300.
Lorna Zauberberg is another warm acoustic guitar exercise. The use of chopped
up and mangled vocal samples during the instrumental section brings to mind the
answering machine on Janine. The sound experimentation is a nice element to
hear back in Doughtys work. It separates him from the pack of
singer-songwriters in the best way possible. Even at his most
commercial-sounding, Doughty has always added enough twists and turns to keep
his audience enthralled. In this context, despite being merely a man playing an
acoustic guitar, this is worlds away from coffee-house blandness, yet not so
strange and artsy that it smacks of pretentiousness. In this respect, Doughty
has found the perfect balance. He should still get the hipsters in his fan-base
but he should also appeal to the more open-minded older listeners brought up on
the acoustic music of the past.
Doughtys apparent love of parenthesizing his song titles continues humorously
with(I Want To) Burn You (Down) The track is a concise two-minute reflection
in which he says, Hey soothsayer, listen up / I dont know who I am. Even
when expressing feelings of self doubt, one things clear. Mike Doughty is more
comfortable than ever in his skin as a songwriter. This track is on par with
the haunting closer of Skittish, Rising Sign. Perhaps this is over-thinking
it, but the two share a lyrical theme of fire and fire-causing agents when you
consider Rising Signs refrain, I swear Id like to drink the fuel straight
from your lighter. (By the way, it goes without saying that you definitely
shouldnt try that at home!!)
The deep slacker jazz, wordplay wizard side of Doughty returns in top form
with Pleasure On Credit. This has some of funniest most random couplets to
date including Blast faster, plaster postmaster. / Go Bleecker, Union, Astor.
Repeating the phrase Chase the mermaid, / Chase, chase the mermaid brings
forth some rather vivid imagery as well.
Next up is Lord Lord Help Me Just To Rock Rock On. In his solo career,
Doughty has often put religious references in his titles. Its hard to tell
what this really means and whether its a statement of true religiosity or if it
is just there to be contrary. After all, a previous deity shout-out was called
Thank You, Lord, For Sending Me The F Train. (Ive ridden the F train and in
Brooklyn, it goes local when it should be an express. If it were to magically
become an express, which it supposedly eventually will, then there might be some
reason to praise some outer force! But, I digress!) This track is driving and
one pictures that it would be a good soundtrack to a sporting event. (I somehow
always picture people playing basketball for unknown reasons whenever I hear
this song!)
The religious references continue with (Hes Got The) Whole World (In His
Hands.) Thankfully, it is not the campfire hymn. Rather, like Pleasure On
Credit it is a fantastic spoken-word piece. No, the title doesnt refer to God;
it seems to refer to Doughtys protagonist. His lyrics can be dense and hard to
decipher amidst the clever wordplay, so my reading might be wrong, but I picture
the protagonist as a young guy out on the town. The random lyrics might be what
he sees. He might have a Messiah-like complex of sorts. Then again, it could be
just a cool collection of words. (Either way, think of this as a companion piece
to the Soul Coughing classic, Blue Eyed Devil about a smiling door-to-door
salesman, slugging down fruit juice. / Extra tall, extra wide.) On this
track, Doughty equals the cleverness of Pleasure On Credit when he says lines
like, Goth girls holler in the bright cafes. / I call it corn / You call it
maize.
(When I) Box The Days (Up) is another winning acoustic number. Again, the
track is aided by what sounds like an unhinged cello.
Year Of The Dog finds Doughty in his most troubadour-esque state, but it
begins with a strange set of lines. Time tells butter fat lies. / Sweet, lousy
cupcakes of lies. My sweet-tooth asks why Doughty would equate something so
ugly with something so delicious, but my mind appreciates his adventurous use of
metaphors. (Haha!)
Diane is about a quest for a lost love. Its one of Doughtys most winning,
straight-ahead love songs to date.
Next is a song which is probably going to get some attention merely for its
title. Its called How To F___ A Republican. The title is not uttered at all
in the song but there are sexual references. In the song, Doughty picks up a
stock-broker business woman, decked out in pearls. The part of the song which
stands out the most is when Doughty says, You may ask, what are girls like?/
Girls are soft and they smell nice. / Girls like flowers and they just might be
nice to you. Why do these line stand out? Maybe because they are so
uncharacteristically basic coming from him. But in this case, they help the
song.
The album closes with a winning, appealing cover of Daniel Johnstons Casper
The Friendly Ghost. This cover would have gone very well on the The Late Great
Daniel Johnston tribute album from a few years back because it captures
Johnstons child-like wonderment. Doughty can be a very playful artist, so a
quirky song like this is a nice fit.
Sad Man Happy Man is stellar. Doughty has never released a bad album. All
three Soul Coughing records are winners. His solo career has been strong as
well, but here he seems to have a level of confidence not heard before. Hes
the most grounded and focused hes ever been. Soul Coughing were one of the
most adventurous bands of the nineties and sadly they didnt get the credit they
deserved. Its nice to see Doughty is still making great records in his solo
career. Hopefully the public will catch on and hell finally get the amount of
respect he is due. Sad Man Happy Man is essential listening for anyone who
has ever liked anything Mike Doughty has ever touched. Its a bold, stripped
down record exhibiting the best of the writer at his essence.
This NFO File was rendered by NFOmation.net
