Happy End of the World

Happy End of the World (ハッピー・エンド・オブ・ザ・ワールド) is the tenth studio album by Japanese pop band Pizzicato Five. The album was released on June 21, 1997 by Readymade Records.[3] In the United States, it was released by Matador Records on September 9, 1997 and peaked at number 32 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart.[4][5] A companion remix album, Happy End of You, was released in 1998.[6] Happy End of the World was reissued by Readymade on March 31, 2006.[7]

Happy End of the World
Matador issue
Studio album by
Pizzicato Five
ReleasedJune 21, 1997 (1997-06-21)
GenreShibuya-kei
Length62:40
Label
Producer
Pizzicato Five chronology
Great White Wonder: Rare Masters 1990–1996
(1996)		 Happy End of the World
(1997)		 Porno 3003
(1997)
Pizzicato Five US chronology
The Sound of Music by Pizzicato Five
(1995)		 Happy End of the World
(1997)		 Happy End of You
(1998)
Singles from Happy End of the World
  1. "It's a Beautiful Day"
    Released: March 1, 1997[1]
  2. "Mon amour Tokyo"
    Released: June 21, 1997[2]
Alternative cover
2006 reissue

Composition

On Happy End of the World, Pizzicato Five incorporated influences from contemporary styles of electronic music, including breakbeat, downtempo and drum and bass, into their trademark Shibuya-kei sound.[8][9] Tokyo Weekender writer Ed Cunningham found that the album saw the band expanding on the "beat-driven experimentation" that had been hinted at on previous albums such as Sweet Pizzicato Five (1992) and Bossa Nova 2001 (1993).[9] He describes it as having "both the density and adventurousness of a plunderphonics record (despite much of it being performed live) and the chilled, featherweight listenability of lounge and easy-listening pop."[9]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[11]
The Guardian[12]
Pitchfork7.4/10[13]
Select4/5[14]

Matt Diehl of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Japan's favorite avant-lounge duo, Pizzicato Five, returns with a more club-oriented set, but their blend of '60s kitsch and savvy pop-culture references remains intact in Happy End of the World, giving the Cardigans a run for the retro-hip money."[11] Stephen Thompson of The A.V. Club said, "It's an excellent addition to the duo's expansive canon, and a must for any pop fan who thinks mainstream dance music can and must be better than the 'Barbie Girl' drivel that populates Top 40 radio playlists."[15]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said, "It's a surprisingly laid-back album, but that's not necessarily a bad thing – the lush arrangements have an engaging, low-key charm, and the beats are nice and subtle."[10] He added, "Happy End of the World runs a little too long, and no song stands out as a single, but it's an engaging record that suggests there may be more to the Pizzicato Five than kitsch."[10]

In 2007, Rolling Stone Japan placed it at number 64 on its list of the "100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time".[16]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Yasuharu Konishi, except where noted.

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."World Is Spinning at 45 RPM" (世界は1分間に45回転で廻っている)  4:40
2."The Earth Goes Around" (地球は回るよ)Michio YamagamiOsamu Shoji2:55
3."Trailer Music"  1:50
4."It's a Beautiful Day" (イッツ・ア・ビューティフル・デイ)  4:26
5."Love's Prelude" (愛のプレリュード)  2:18
6."Love's Theme" (愛のテーマ)  4:16
7."My Baby Portable Player Sound"  5:05
8."Mon amour Tokyo" (モナムール東京)  4:55
9."Collision and Improvisation" (衝突と即興)  4:35
10."Porno 3003"  9:51
11."Arigato We Love You" (アリガト WE LOVE YOU)
  • Konishi
  • Arling
  • Cameron
5:15
12."Ma vie, l'ete de vie" (私の人生、人生の夏)  5:05
13."Happy Ending" (ハッピー・エンディング) 
  • Konishi
  • Yukihiro Fukutomi
7:29
Total length:62:40

Notes

  • "Porno 3003" is divided into the segments "Music for Sofa" (ソファのための音楽), "Galaxy One" and "It's All Too Beautiful".

Charts
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[17] 15
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[18] 32

References
  1. "イッツ・ア・ビューティフル・デイ | ピチカート・ファイヴ" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  2. "モナムール東京 | ピチカート・ファイヴ" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  3. "HAPPY END OF THE WORLD | ピチカート・ファイヴ" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  4. "Pizzicato Five". Matador Records. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  5. "Pizzicato Five | Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  6. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Happy End of You – Pizzicato Five". AllMusic. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  7. "HAPPY END OF THE WORLD | ピチカート・ファイヴ" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  8. Rosean, Samuel (December 29, 2018). "A Beginner's Guide: Shibuya Kei". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  9. Cunningham, Ed (March 31, 2020). "A Complete Guide to Shibuya-kei: Tokyo's '90s Music Revival". Tokyo Weekender. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  10. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Happy End of the World – Pizzicato Five". AllMusic. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  11. Diehl, Matt (September 12, 1997). "Happy End of the World". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  12. Sullivan, Caroline (October 24, 1997). "Pizzicato Five: Happy End of the World (Matador)". The Guardian.
  13. Schreiber, Ryan. "Pizzicato Five: Happy End of the World". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 13, 2008. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  14. Barnes, Mike (November 1997). "Pizzicato Five: Happy End of the World". Select. No. 89.
  15. Thompson, Stephen (March 29, 2002). "Pizzicato Five: Happy End Of The World". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  16. Lindsay, Cam (November 14, 2007). "Finally! 'The 100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time' Listed". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  17. Okamoto, Satoshi (2006). Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Oricon. ISBN 978-4-87131-077-2.
  18. "Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. September 27, 1997. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
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