June 20, 2022

Harvey Danger - Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone? (1998)

Harvey Danger was an American alternative rock band that was formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1993 by journalism students at the University of Washington. 
The band rose to prominence in 1997 with the single "Flagpole Sitta", which was later used as the theme tune to the British sitcom Peep Show.

Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? is the debut studio album by American rock band Harvey Danger. It was initially released by the independent record label the Arena Rock Recording Company on July 29, 1997. 
The second song on the album, "Flagpole Sitta", received extensive airplay in the United States and resulted in the band's initial fame. 
As the song gained national attention, the album was picked up and reissued by Slash Records, a label associated with London Records. 
The album has been described by Fuse as "a definitive indie power pop punk record at a time and place where grunge reigned supreme".
The album was recorded over three different sessions with John Goodmanson at John & Stu's Place in Seattle, WA. "Private Helicopter", "Terminal Annex", and "Carjack Fever" were recorded on March 16, 1996 and released on a commercially produced cassette tape, titled simply Harvey Danger, which was sold by the band at their shows and sent to music industry professionals. Three more songs ("Flagpole Sitta", "Wooly Muffler", and "Wrecking Ball") recorded at the June 1996 session, were sent on a one-off cassette tape to Slash/London Records at the request of Greg Glover, an intern who was convinced on the strength of the recordings that he should fund a full album. 
All of the recordings, except one ("Carjack Fever"), became Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? 

Harvey Danger seem to have incorporated a variety of "alternative" influences -- notably the Pixies, the Wedding Present, and Joy Division -- plus bits of Gang of Four, Sonic Youth, the Smiths, Hole, Green Day, Buzzcocks, Ride, and Iggy Pop. 
The band's use of dynamics on this album is subtle and skillful, gliding within one song from a whisper to a Wall of Noise and back again seamlessly. 
With its melodic basslines and roomy, fuzz-box guitars chugging away at forceful riffs that straddle the line between '70s British punk and '80s indie, Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? should be immediately accessible to fans of intelligent, sardonic, hard-edged rock.
The album title comes from a line in the song "Radio Silence," which itself may have been inspired by a line from the Paul Newman film Harper. "Private Helicopter" was released to radio on October 13, 1998.


Track listing

1.  Carlotta Valdez - 2:44 
2.  Flagpole Sitta - 3:35 
3.  Woolly Muffler - 4:30 
4.  Private Helicopter - 3:31 
5.  Problems and Bigger Ones - 5:41 
6.  Jack the Lion   (Vocals – Abby Grush) - 5:30 
7.  Old Hat   (Vocals – Abby Grush) - 3:48 
8.  Terminal Annex - 3:43 
9.  Wrecking Ball - 4:39 
10.  Radio Silence   (Vocals – Abby Grush)  (Includes hidden track after 5:15, a partial recording of "Carjack Fever" played backwards.) - 5:15/8:26 

All lyrics are written by Harvey Danger; all music is composed by Harvey Danger.


Personnel

Adapted credits from the album's media notes.


Companies, etc.
Credits

Notes
Released:  July 29, 1997 
Recorded:  March and June 1996, February 1997 
Recording Location:  Studio John & Stu's Place (Seattle, Washington) 
Genre:  Indie rock, Alternative Rock 
Length:  42:56 

Label - Slash Records
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