Anne Richmond Boston
I Should Be Happy
DB Records
Georgia was a hot music scene in the early ’80s. REM was the breakout act that put Athens on the map, but they weren’t the first Georgia band to get national attention. The B 52’s, Pylon, and the Swimming Pool Q’s were the first.
The Swimming Pool Q’s formed in 1978 in Atlanta. Their first album, The Deep End, came out in 1981 on the Atlanta-based DB records, before they were picked up by major labels. Anne Richmond Boston played keyboards and sang with the Q’s until 1987. In 1990, Anne released her first solo album, The Big House of Time, and then recorded tracks for a second album that got shelved and more or less forgotten for 30 years.
I Should Be Happy is that second solo album. Anne’s friend, Clay Harper, reminded Anne that the analog tapes were still sitting on a shelf somewhere and encouraged her to digitize them. That kicked off a reexamination of the music. Original producer Rob Gal (also Anne’s ex husband) wasn’t interested in working on the album after all these years, so David Barbe (Sugar) worked with Anne on reimagining and remixing the album. Of the 12 tracks originally slated for I Should Be Happy, seven were ultimately used, with additional tracks added.
I Should Be Happy doesn’t sound like an artifact from the early ’90s. The album has an introspective, melancholy air. Anne and Rob’s relationship was falling apart while these songs were being recorded, which undoubtably influenced the overall mood. The title track sets the tone with its wistful, pensive self doubt. Anne sings, “I always wanted a little house. Flowers growing in the yard. Feels good when I got home, I wouldn’t mind working hard. Now I got one, It’s such a fine one. I should be happy.” It’s a meditation on disappointment and how even when we get what we’re after, it somehow isn’t enough.
The haunting melancholy of “Speedboat’s Wake” reminds me of the meditative side of Brian Eno’s Before and After Science, pairing well with “Julie With…” “Torn Apart” features some subtle country blues guitar, accenting Anne’s seeming resignation in the face of loss.
The album isn’t all moody introspection. “Amazing” is a joyful romp written by Rob Gal about their young daughter and the joys of being a parent. “The Wind Cries Mary”is an engaging take on the Jimi Hendrix classic. “Dark Room” is an upbeat tune that points to a way out of the doldrums. “Come on out of your dark room,” Anne coaxes.
The final two tracks are beautifully austere and feel like they came from another session. “Who Cares” is a stark duet between Anne’s voice and Terry Adams’ (NRBQ) smokey lounge jazz piano. The final cut is an a cappella version of the Beatles classic, “In My Life.” The wistful lyric about love and memory is a fitting summation to the album.
These days, Anne lives near Athens, Georgia, and works as a graphic artist. The bird on a branch illustration on the album sleeve is one of Anne’s prints. She still plays the occasional gig with the reformed Swimming Pool Q’s.
