From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch
Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch
Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch who died in 2004. The photo shoot for this album took
place around Staten Island in New York State.
Background
By early 1998, while touring for Clumsy, the members of
Our Lady Peace were already eager to get back into the
studio. "We’re all starting to get that itch," bass player
Duncan Coutts said in a March 1998 interview. "We’re
all writing collectively and individually. Everyone’s hov-
ered over their four-track machines, if we’re not trying
to work things out in sound checks."[3]
Mike Turner and Raine Maida say they wanted to
make an album that didn’t sound derivative, an accusa-
Studio album by Our Lady Peace tion that had stung them in the past. Smashing Pumpkins
leader Billy Corgan infamously accused them of ripping
Released September 21, 1999
(see release history) off his band. They tried to counter the remark for their
new album. "We’ve toured so much for the last five years
Recorded January - June 1999 at Arnyard Studios throughout the U.S. and Canada and with all the bands
(Toronto, Ontario)
we’ve played with . . . music became so diluted and so dis-
Genre Alternative rock, art rock, post grunge posable we said: `If we’re going to make a record, let’s put
out something that maybe challenges people.’" [4]
Length 43:23
According to Raine Maida, the overall idea of the al-
Label Columbia bum is human obsession, "A lot of this record came from
Producer Arnold Lanni obsessions: Definitely seeing those obsessions in the
States, the guns, the Gap ads and how the media deter-
Our Lady Peace chronology mines who you are these days.... During the recording
of this record, we talked a lot about death, for whatever
Clumsy Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Spiritual
(1997) Can Catch Machines
reason. There’s definitely an obsession with death and a
(1999) (2000) huge fear. But in knowing that, it makes you hate these
other things more, because it’s not what life’s about. Buy-
ing Tommy Hilfinger (sic) because it’s cool has nothing to
Singles from Happiness...Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch
do with any kind of emotional value or content, and mu-
1. "One Man Army" sic for me does. So when they hit each other, I get pretty
Released: July 30, 1999 emotional about it."[5]
2. "Is Anybody Home?"
Released: January 10, 2000
3. "Thief"
Released: March 21, 2000
Recording
For their third studio album, Our Lady Peace chose again
Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch is the third stu- to work with producer Arnold Lanni in Toronto. The
dio album by Canadian alternative rock band Our Lady band began writing, demoing and general jamming for
Peace. It was released on September 21, 1999 by Columbia Happiness... in late November soon after their appearance
Records. The album was very successful in Canada, de- at the 1998 Summersault festival.[6] Raine brought in
buting at #1 on the Canadian Albums Chart.[1] The album many of the songs he had written in demo form already
was certified 3x Platinum in July 2001.[2] Hit singles from recorded and the rest of the band expanded upon
the album include "One Man Army", "Is Anybody those.[7] Unlike previous albums, Mike Turner took little
Home?", and "Thief". The final track on the CD, "Stealing part in writing the album. Recording began in mid-Jan-
Babies", features Elvin Jones, a famous jazz drummer uary 1999. The band isolated themselves in the studio
with little outside contact. They spent one and a half
months recording the bed tracks of vocals and guitar and
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [14]
Mike Stagno [15]
Entertainment Weekly C+[16]
Richmond Times-Dispatch B-[17]
Rolling Stone [18]
San Antonio Express-News [19]
a week and a half each for drum and bass parts. The al- of songwriting than on the previous albums which in-
bum took four months to record in all.[7] For the first cluded tightening up songs and forming more cohesive
time, this album was recorded entirely on digital equip- tracks.[7] This allowed each song to have the utmost at-
ment using ProTools to edit. "It’s the best thing for us tention given to it while being written and it sometimes
because you don’t have to wait between takes like if I’m took one week or more to record one song.[12] "Annie"
doing a vocal take or Jeremy’s doing drum stuff, if you for example, took over two weeks of jam sessions to be-
want to do it again, you can do it instantaneously."[7] come a fully realized song.[7] The only recorded song that
Other new effects the band used included filtering per- did not make the album was the long running concert
cussion through a distortion box and recording guitar favorite "Trapeze", which had previously been recorded,
parts through antique microphones, including one used and omitted from "Clumsy".[12]
by Stevie Wonder.[7] This was the first album of theirs to not be mixed by
Former drummer for John Coltrane, Elvin Jones their producer Arnold Lanni. It was instead sent to Kevin
makes a guest appearance on the final track of the album Shirley at Avatar Studios in New York City. The mixing
"Stealing Babies". Jeremy Taggart was a big fan of Jones’ of the album was completed by late June 1999 when they
and was able to meet him through his drum technician played many of the songs for the first time for a large au-
while at a show in Seattle.[8] He invited Jones’ into the dience at Woodstock 1999.[13]
Toronto studio early into the recording sessions to
record drums for the song, which were recorded in one
take.[7]
Release and reception
Halfway through recording, the band realized that To promote the upcoming release of their album in
the music they were recording would be very hard to September, Our Lady Peace performed a live in-studio
recreate live, especially for Mike Turner.[9] They decided concert and Q&A which was aired to 12 canadian radio
to hire Boston area multi-instrumentalist Jamie Edwards, stations simultaneously utilizing satellite and ISDN tech-
who had formerly played with Blue Man Group and that nology. Listeners to any of the stations could call in and
Jeremy knew through a mutual friend, to augment their ask the band members questions. On September 13, 1999
live shows. "The turning point was when we decided to a special listening party was held on a newly redesigned
take off the table our usual constraint, which is that if ourladypeace.com where fans could listen to the entire
we can’t pull it off as a three-piece instrumental then we album via streamlink. The band also held an online chat
shouldn’t be doing it," said Mike Turner. "Now we’re like, with fans for a Q & A session.[20]
we’ll get another guy, we’ll do whatever we have to, let’s Happiness... was released in Canada on September 21,
just make a great record. So we indulged ourselves with 1999. The album was very successful in its first week, sell-
a lot of textures, a lot of other sounds."[10] Jamie pro- ing 40,090 copies and debuting at #1 on the Canadian Al-
vided extra guitar as well as Keyboards and other spe- bums Chart.[21]
cial effects and ended up recording for the album. The Upon its release, Happiness... was panned by many
band was looking to make a sonic leap forward from their critics who cited it as being over-ambitious and too dour
previous albums. "We took the things we thought were in subject manner. In the band’s hometown, Ben Rayner,
original from ’Clumsy’ and ’Naveed’ and tried to overdo the reviewer of The Toronto Star said, "...there’s something
them." said Raine Maida, "As well, our songwriting really curiously unmoving and dispassionate about it - it’s
improved."[11] canned angst ordered from some overstocked and in-
Raine Maida has stated that the album is so tight creasingly disused alt-rock warehouse outside of Seattle,
and so well executed because the band only recorded 12 too studious and sterile to ever really hit you the way
songs during the Happiness sessions, instead of record- rock ’n’ roll is supposed to."[22] Leigh Buckley Fountain
ing 20 or more like they did with their previous two al- of the Richmond Times-Dispatch gave the album a B- and
bums.[7] They strove to achieve a much simpler method positively noted that, "The same catchy melodies, same
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch
distracted off-kilter rhythms dominate this album that person. The lyrics are usually about unusual
dominated 1998’s "Clumsy." but went on to criticize Mai- themes—laziness, isolation, loneliness and happiness,
da’s vocal performance as being "too experimental". He most explained in a metaphorical manner. The track "Ly-
also had to say about the lyrical content, "One problem ing Awake" was said to be about Benny Hinn, and how
with the album is its typically vague, tangential lyrics. Raine Maida viewed him as a con-artist, trying to scam
Critics have called Maida a "philosopher," but I’m not so people into religion[citation needed]. "Annie" is said to be
sure I’d go all that far. I like what he does, but snippets about a girl who is made an outcast, and ends up killing
out of the blue like "Nazis breast feeding" don’t do much everybody in the end, similar to Pearl Jam’s song "Jere-
for me."[23] my" on their début album Ten. The band has said in many
David Gerard of the Boston Globe praised the guitar interviews that "Thief" was about Mina Kim, a girl the
playing from the album, especially on the song "Blister" band knew who was dying of a brain tumor.[citation needed]
and also noted how the band had expanded its musical
turf.[24] Melissa Maino of The Buffalo News also reviewed Stealing Babies
the album positively, citing "Theif" as a stand-out track In an online chat in March 2001, Mike Turner revealed
and saying that, "Our Lady Peace’s music may be a little the inspiration for this song. "The song was inspired by a
predictable, but if it’s not broke, don’t fix it."[25] In a 2.5 PBS documentary about a little girl named Eve that was
star review, the San Antonio Express-News praised the al- diagnosed with AIDS when she was 6 years old. She went
bum for its high energy and subtle textures but criticized around the world and visited other kids with AIDS. Raine
the vocals, saying "Raine Maida’s overexposed falsetto is was so inspired. John Coltrane’s drummer, Elvin Jones, he
grating enough to send borderline psychotics over the played on A Love Supreme.[27]
edge."[19]
Tour
Music and lyrics Before their show at Woodstock in June, Our Lady Peace
The songs on Happiness... focus on a lighter melody, often played a set of secret gigs in Muskoka and Toronto under
following vocalist Raine Maida’s extreme range of oc- the pseudonym Belly Flop Communist, at Jamie Edwards’
taves sung in a falsetto-like manner. He could travel from suggestion. T-shirts were even made up and sold at the
one octave to another with ease and very smoothly. This shows.[28] While the shows were secret, the band di-
created a very surreal effect to the songs, best shown on vulged their true identity over the radio causing the
songs like "Happiness & the Fish", "Blister" and "Lying shows to soon sell out.[29] Here, the band played many of
Awake", much like "Big Dumb Rocket" from Clumsy. The the songs from Happiness for the very first time live. They
overall sound was quite a departure from their first al- played at Woodstock on July 25, 1999 where they played
bum, Naveed, featuring very toned-down guitars and the a 12 song set including six songs from the new album.
addition of synthesizers and other instruments, typical in Soon after the release of Happiness... in September
most alternative rock albums. 1999 the band set off on a tour across the United States
Raine explained the album’s overall concept in an opening with Oleander for Creed.[4][30] They did a short
early 2000 interview with Vue Weekly[26]: tour in Europe opening for The Stereophonics in Decem-
“ There was definitely a lot of talk around the ” ber as well as in February 2000 back in Canada.[31] The
studio about death and mortality and spiritu- cross-America tour continued into January 2000 before
ality and trying to figure out what happens af- the band began their cross-Canadian headline tour
ter this. That’s the one question we can’t an- dubbed "The World’s a Blister Tour". They returned to
swer, and it’s interesting. It’s obvious that it’s the United States in the Spring to participate in multiple
something that haunts me on a personal level, music festivals such as Pointfest in St. Louis, Missouri and
as I try to fall asleep in some hotel room alone Springfest in Pensacola, Florida.
somewhere. I’d rather try to figure it out now During August 2000, the members of OLP organized
than do the typical ‘Turn 65 and try to find the second Summersault tour, where them and other
God because I’m afraid of dying’ business. I Canadian and American bands including The Smashing
don’t think life should be like that. There has Pumpkins and Foo Fighters toured together across Cana-
to be some attention to detail and substance da. Touring effectively ended after Summersault as the
throughout your life. The whole Happiness... band had announced work for a brand new studio album,
thing stems from that. It’s about trying to find Spiritual Machines which they had been working on since
something in a superficial world that isn’t su- before the festival and which would be completed and re-
perficial. leased in Canada before the end of the year.
The lyrics on the album are mostly written in the first-
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch
Region Date Label Format Catalog
Canada September 21, 1999 Columbia CD
United States September 28, 1999 CK 63707
2CD CK 63899
United Kingdom November 15, 1999 Epic CD
Asia March 8, 2000 CD ESCA 8108
Track listing 2. "Ordinary/Ordinary Day" - Abandoned track from
recording sessions for Happiness. The PPU Christmas
All songs written and composed by Our Lady Peace and 1998 video included clips of the band rehearsing this
Arnold Lanni, with lyrics by Raine Maida. song; never released
No. Title Notes Length 3. "Sleeping In" - Abandoned track from recording
sessions for Clumsy. The lyrics were published in the
1. "One Man Army" 3:22
PPU Christmas 1998 newsletter; never released. A
2. "Happiness & the 3:34 poor quality recording is available on Youtube.
Fish"
3. "Potato Girl" 4:27
Release history
4. "Blister" 3:57
5. "Is Anybody Home?" 3:37
6. "Waited" 3:32
References
[1] "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 69, No. 24, October 04
7. "Thief" 4:01
1999". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/
8. "Lying Awake" 4:02 rpm/
9. "Annie" 4:02 028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.8436&type=1&interval
10. "Consequence of 3:16 Retrieved 2010-10-11.
Laughing" [2] "Gold & Platinum Certification - July 2001".
Canadian Recording Industry Association.
11. "Stealing Babies" featuring Elvin 5:30
http://www.cria.ca/gold/0701_g.php. Retrieved
Jones
2010-10-11.
Total length: 43:23 [3] Anon. "Our Lady Peace trips over the success of
’Clumsy’" Pause and Play 22 March 1998. Retrieved
Japan Bonus tracks March 6, 2010
[4] ^ Powell, Betsy "Our Lady Peace angling for U.S.
No. Title Notes Length
Breakthrough" - Toronto Star 20 Sept. 1999.
12. "The Needle and the 1996 Neil 3:44 Retrieved November 30, 2009
Damage Done" Young cover [5] Ross, Mike "Restless in Peace: Don’t ask Raine
13. "Clumsy" 4:29 Maida how he is. He’ll tell you!" - Canoe.ca 1999.
• Even though the album contained Explicit Lyrics, It Retrieved June 17, 2009
did not have a Parental Advisory Label. [6] Bliss, Karen "Our Lady Peace writing next album" -
Chart 25 Nov. 1998. Retrieved November 30, 2009
[7] ^ Anon. "Our Lady Peace" - Canadian Musician Dec. -
Personnel Nov. 1999. Retrieved November 30, 2009
• Duncan Coutts - bass guitar [8] Blain, Craig "Our lady Peace’s Jeremy Taggart on
• Jamie Edwards - keyboards, electric guitar Drum Sounds and hangin’ with Elvin" - Modern
• Elvin Jones - drums on "Stealing Babies" Drummer Jul. 2000. Retrieved November 30, 2009
• Raine Maida - vocals, acoustic guitar, piano [9] Campbell, Greg "Our Lady Peace" - Extreme
• Jeremy Taggart - drums, percussion (magazine) Winter - Spring 2000. Retrieved
• Mike Turner - electric guitar November 30, 2009
[10] Ostroff, Joshua "Give Peace a Chance: Canuck
Rockers’ Third Album Reflects Today’s Troubled
Studio Outtakes Times" - Ottawa Sun 20 Sept. 1999. Retrieved
1. "Trapeze" - song taken from Clumsy sessions; live November 30, 2009
version available on internet
4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch
[11] LeBlanc, Larry "Happiness is Third Columbia Set 18 Sep. 1999, ProQuest Newsstand, ProQuest. Web.
from Canada’s Our Lady Peace" - Billboard Magazine Retrieved 28 Sep. 2010.
11 Sept. 1999. Retrieved November 30, 2009 [23] Fountain, Lee Buckley "Vocalist on `Fish’ needs
[12] ^ "Ourladypeace.com chat transcription" - reeling in :[City Edition]. " Richmond Times-Dispatch
OurLadyPeace.com 13 Sept. 1999. Retrieved 21 Oct. 1999, ProQuest Newsstand, ProQuest. Web.
November 30, 2009 Retrieved 28 Sep. 2010.
[13] Fischer, Blair R. "Our Lady Peace Return with [24] David Gerard. "Our Lady Peace >Happiness. . .
’Happiness...Is Not a Fish You Can Catch’" - Rolling >Columbia > :[City Edition]. " Boston Globe 30 Sep.
Stone 26 May 1999. Retrieved September 21, 2009. 1999, ProQuest Newsstand, ProQuest. Web.
[14] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Our Lady Peace — Retrieved 28 Sep. 2010.
Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch". Allmusic. [25] Maino, Melissa. "Latest effort from Our Lady Peace
http://www.allmusic.com/album/r431352. is a good catch :[CITY Edition]. " Buffalo News 12
Retrieved 2010-02-27. Oct. 1999, ProQuest Newsstand, ProQuest. Web.
[15] Stagno, Mike (2007-06-01). "Our Lady Peace — Retrieved 28 Sep. 2010.
Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch". [26] Johnston, Dave "Let it Raine: Our Lady Peace
Sputnikmusic. http://www.sputnikmusic.com/ continues their pursuit of Happiness" Vue Weekly 3
album.php?albumid=5357. Retrieved 2010-02-27. - 9 Feb. 2000. Retrieved January 22, 2010
[16] Morgan, Laura (15 Oct, 1999). "Happiness...Is Not a [27] Chat Transcript on archived web pages for
Fish That You Can Catch - Our Lady Peace". ourladypeace.com. Retrieved September 19, 2009
Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/ [28] Bliss, Karen "OLP Debuts New Tracks as Belly Flop
article/0,,271156,00.html. Retrieved 2010-03-06. Communist" The Record Jul. 2000. Retrieved January
[17] Fountain, Lee Buckley (21 Oct, 1999). "Vocalist on 22, 2010
’Fish’ Needs Reeling In". Richmond Times-Dispatch. [29] Bliss, Karen "Our Lady Peace play pseudo-secret
[18] Powers, Ann (28 Oct, 1999). "The Distance to Here / gigs" Canoe.ca 19 Jul. 1999. Retrieved January 22,
Human Clay / Happiness...Is Not a Fish That You 2010
Can Catch". Rolling Stone. [30] Tarlach, Gemma "Our Lady Peace, like Creed, does
[19] ^ "Quickspins". San Antonio Express-News. 3 Nov, it their way" The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel 15 Oct.
1999. 1999. Retrieved January 22, 2010
[20] "Our Lady Peace celebrates several firsts on eve of [31] Jennings, Nicholas "Dark Optimism: Our Lady Peace
third album release. " Canada NewsWire 21 Captivates with Smart, Moody Rock" Macleans Dec.
September 1999 ProQuest Newsstand, ProQuest. 1999. Retrieved January 22, 2010
Web. Retrieved 28 Sep. 2010.
[21] "Our Lady Peace skyrocket up the Cdn. charts".
Jam!. http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/O/
External links
Our_Lady_Peace/1999/09/30/748522.html. • Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch lyrics at
Retrieved 2011-03-01. Rhapsody
[22] Rayner, Ben "Strange how many people give Peace
a chance Pop Recordings :[1 Edition]. " Toronto Star
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/in-
dex.php?title=Happiness..._Is_Not_a_Fish_That_You_Can_Catch&oldid=456749835"
Categories:
• 1999 albums
• Columbia Records albums
• Our Lady Peace albums
• Albums produced by Arnold Lanni
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