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Often derided as clingers-on to the tail end of Britpop, Mansun is considered by a loyal fanbase to be one of the finest, if silliest, rock bands of the 1990s.
Early independent singles were followed upon their signing to Parlophone with a run of excellent singles, initially released as EPs but later with the titles of the singles in question (they will always be known as the One EP and onwards to the fanbase).
The early singles showcased a sound heavily influenced by the prog stylings of the 70s, but with much more reference to pop. Certainly singles like Take It Easy Chicken owed a great deal more simply to the desire to produce a good pop song than to any genre of rock.
The early singles were followed by the critically acclaimed album Attack Of The Grey Lantern which showcased a very complicated concept heavily debated by fans whilst following it all with a hidden track (An Open Letter To The Lyrical Trainspotter) proclaiming 'The lyrics aren't supposed to mean that much,' ensuring that no-one thought they took themselves too seriously.
The second album Six was preceded by the single Legacy, driven by a memorable riff and lyrical references to the Marquis de Sade. The album was a suite of connected song segments, ranging from the musically intricate to the plain weird. The album included guest vocals by cult icon Tom Baker. Several more singles followed, including the first two minutes of the closing nine-minute epic Being A Girl.
Mansun's third studio album, Little Kix was plagued by the record company's desire to release it quickly, and internal schisms in the band. While containing several memorable songs (initial single I Can Only Disappoint You and Electric Man among them) the album left many people, and critics, cold.
The end came, inevitably, and was followed in 2004 by the release of the sessions for their fourth album along with the non-album singles and a selection of B-sides and rarities which filled out Mansun's career in a three-CD box set entitled Kleptomania - reuniting a lot of fans with the non-album singles Take It Easy Chicken and Closed for Business.
While unlikely to be remembered as the 90s' finest band, Mansun produced a series of records that will not be forgotten. In the minds of their obsessive fanbase, they will endure for a long time.
Discography
Albums
- "Attack Of The Grey Lantern" (17/02/1997)
- "Six" (07/09/1998)
- "Little Kix" (14/08/2000)
- "Kleptomania" (27/09/2004)
Singles
- "Egg Shaped Fred [One EP]" (25/03/1996)
- "Take It Easy Chicken [Two EP]" (03/06/1996)
- "Stripper Vicar [Three EP]" (09/09/1996)
- "Wide Open Space [Four EP]" (25/11/1996)
- "She Makes My Nose Bleed [Five EP]" (03/02/1997)
- "Taxloss" (28/04/1997)
- "Closed For Business [Seven EP]" (01/09/1997)
- "Legacy [Eight EP]" (18/05/1998)
- "Being A Girl (Part One) [Nine EP]" (24/08/1998)
- "Negative [Ten EP]" (26/10/1998)
- Six [Eleven EP]" (01/02/1999)
- "I Can Only Disappoint U" (31/07/2000)
- "Electric Man" (06/11/2000)
- "Fool" (29/01/2001)
- "Slipping Away" (20/09/2004)
External Links
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