Happy The Man

Formed in a James Madison University dorm room, Washington, D.C.-based Happy the Man recorded three venerated, mostly instrumental prog albums in the late 1970s, striking a seductive middle ground between sax-driven jazz-fusion lunacy (circa Zappa's One Size Fits All) and synth-heavy meditative twittering. After a showcase, Clive Davis reportedly told the band, "Wow. I don’t really understand this music. It’s way above my head”; yet he still signed them to Arista. Their debut is the band at its most dynamic, highlighted by intricate instrumental interplay as far-out as the song titles ("Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest," "Knee Bitten Nymphs in Limbo"). R.R. , Rolling Stone magazine.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-greatest-prog-rock-albums-of-all-time-20150617#ixzz3h7tFQO8S
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook