Happy Mondays – Bummed

Bummed, released in 1988, is the second studio album by Happy Mondays and a defining artifact of the Madchester era. The record captures the band exploring the intersection of rock, funk, and newly emergent dance rhythms, with production by Martin Hannett that emphasizes texture and atmosphere over clarity. Tracks like Wrote for Luck and Lazy Itis showcase their ability to meld psychedelic swagger with groove, while songs such as Mad Cyril and Performance expose their more experimental edges. What gives Bummed its enduring power is the tension between looseness and precision—Shaun Ryder’s slurred lyricism, double-time funk bass, offbeat sampling, and echoing guitars coalesce into something both sly and unmoored. This album feels caught between club and rock bastions: a bit woozy, a bit fractured—but always compelling. Over time it’s come to be seen not just as a period piece, but as one of Happy Mondays’ most vital statements.

Reviews

“Despite its historical status as lesser sibling to 1990’s ‘Pills’N’Thrills And Bellyaches’, ’88s ‘Bummed’ has actually dated best of all the Mondays’ albums. Martin Hannett’s raw production shows the Madchester sound in its infancy; post-punk squall is squeezed next to acid-house expulsions, while Shaun Ryder’s laconic drawl … is like the absinthe cherry on the top.” – NME