Letting Off the Happiness

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Professional reviews
Letting Off the Happiness

Studio album by Bright Eyes
Released	November 2, 1998 (US)
Recorded	Mar 1997-Mar 1998
Genre	Folk, Indie Rock
Length	57:02
Label	Saddle Creek (US) LBJ-23
Producer(s)	Mike Mogis
All Music Guide link Pitchfork (6.8/10) link
Bright Eyes chronology
A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997 (1998)	Letting Off the Happiness (1998)	Fevers and Mirrors (2000)

Letting Off the Happiness is the second album released by Nebraska musicians Bright Eyes. The album was released on November 2, 1998. A vinyl re-release of the album was included in the Bright Eyes Vinyl Box Set. Guest musicians include members of Neutral Milk Hotel, Tilly and the Wall, and Of Montreal.

This album is the 23rd release of Saddle Creek Records.

1 Track listing
2 Song information
3 Trivia
4 External links

[edit] Track listing

"If Winter Ends" – 3:25
"Padraic My Prince" – 3:48
"Contrast and Compare" – 3:57
"The City Has Sex" – 2:11
"The Difference in the Shades" – 4:23
"Touch" – 3:42
"June on the West Coast" – 3:34
"Pull My Hair" – 4:10
"Empty Canyon, Empty Canteen" - 2:47
"A Poetic Retelling of an Unfortunate Seduction" – 4:24
"Tereza and Tomas" – 25:46

[edit] Song information

as written by Conor Oberst
1. If Winter Ends - Recorded at home on four-track March 1997. I sang and played guitar. The keyboards and sampler were added later at Mike Mogis' house. I don't remember who ended up playing the keyboard part (it wasn't very hard).
2. Padriac My Prince - Recorded by Mike Mogis on his eight-track in my basement during several days surrounding New Years 1998. Matt Maginn played bass. Matt Focht played drums, Mike made the more atmospheric noises, and I sang and played guitar.
3. Contrast and Compare - Recorded by Mike on that same New Years break. My brother Matt played some guitar along with myself and Mike. Mike also played pedal steel, melodica, air organ, and maybe some other things. I played the acoustic and electric drums. Neely Jenkins and I sang. She has a beautiful voice.
4. The City has Sex - Recorded in Athens, Georgia at my friend Andy LeMaster's amazing hi-fi studio (chase park transduction). Andy sang on the second verse and played some of the percussion. Jeremy Barnes played the drums and the rest of the percussion. Mike played country guitar and did some keyboarding, and I did the usual stuff.
5. The Difference in the Shades - Also recorded in Athens in March of '98. Andy played bass. Mike played the pedal steel. Jeremy played the drums. Kevin Barnes played his Rhodes keyboard, and I sang and played guitar.
6. Touch - Recorded in Athens. Jeremy played several great drum tracks and made electronic noises with broken keyboards. Mike and I took turns playing other keyboards, and Andy made everything just right.
7. June on the West Coast - Recorded in my basement on Mike's eight track. There wasn't much to it.
8. Pull My Hair - Originally recorded on four track in my basement with Andy LeMaster singing and playing lead guitar. I also sang and played guitar. My dear baby boy Ted Stevens played sloppy drums (they sounded good at the time). Mike added the electric drums later at his house to cover up Ted's, and he also added a pedal steel track. I added some additional guitars and vocals at Mike's house. Neely also sang on this song.
9. A Poetic Retelling of an Unfortunate Seduction - Recorded in Athens by Andy. Mike played pedal steel and some keyboards/organs. I did what was expected. The kind Jeremy Barnes played drums and some serious accordion. Kevin Barnes did the angelic background vocals. When Mike and I got back to Nebraska, he felt it necessary to add another six or so pedal steel tracks.
10. Tereza and Tomas - Recorded on eight track in my basement by Mike. He and I played the piano. I sang and strummed. Matt Focht played the buckets and other percussion. Aaron Druery played the exceptionally haunting ebow bass. Little Robb Nansel played the finger cymbals perfectly. Mike played chimes or some shit with a bow and that was that.

[edit] Trivia

The closing track, "Tereza and Tomas" borrows from Milan Kundera's novel, The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
"Contrast and Compare" is remixed by Her Space Holiday, who Bright Eyes did a split with.