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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Most Innovative British band of the 1990's, June 4, 2005
Sadly, Mansun are no longer with us, having broken up at the end of 2003, but this, their first album (the UK version) is fantastic. This is rock album as sweeping cinematic epic, every song seguing into the next and containg a central thread filled with colorful (sordid, in frontman Paul Draper's words) characters such as Dark Mavis, the Stripper Vicar, The Chad, and Egg Shaped Fred. Absolutely gorgeous in its musicianship, singing, and production, this is a great album if you're into great British bands like Blur, Suede, Pulp, and Radiohead, and want to dig a little deeper into that sound and style. In fact this album is the one that knocked Blur's fantastic 1997 self titled album off the #1 spot in the charts. All the songs on here are excellent, but check out the opening trilogy of tracks, Stripper Vicar, Egg Shaped Fred, Wide Open Space, and the majestic and haunting finale, Dark Mavis. Phenomenal. One last note...DO NOT BUY THE US VERSION OF THIS ALBUM. It is chopped up, rearranged, has songs missing, and completely ruins the album as it was intended. You'll spend a bit more for the UK version, but it's worth it. Besides, the added tracks on the US version are available on the excellent Kleptomania box set.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
BRING IT ON DOWN FROM HEAVEN..., October 11, 2000
I used to be the girl who found the groundbreaking music and introduced it to my friends and later to my younger brother and his friends, who took longer to come around to good taste in music! But the tables have turned at my ripe old age of 25. Sometimes too busy to follow developments in the music world, as much as I might love to, and one day my brother's friend approaches me to tell me about Mansun. Instantly, I am skeptical, with a strange slide show going through my head... Hanson, Marilyn Manson, Charles Manson, Shirley Manson... and I tell him so. He tells me not to worry, just listen to Mansun. I didn't listen. This was a few years ago. Then, as I used to do when I had nothing better to spend money on, I wandered through a music store, and I came across Mansun again. I decided, "What the heck?" and bought it... and immediately kicked myself for letting the intervening years of listening to this album slip away! With its symphonic opening and closing the album feels tight and complete... and resplendent. One songs blends seamlessly into the next... with some absolutely brilliant songs in between. "Wide Open Space" (be careful when you discuss this song with those who are not familiar with Mansun; they might think you are referring to the Dixie Chicks or something equally preposterous) is superb... "Naked Twister" is delightful, "Take It Easy, Chicken" is aggressive and entertaining... and my favourite here is the mellow but ever-engrossing "Mansun's Only Love Song". I also like the final track a lot... overall this is an exquisite effort. Not perfect, but I never tire of this album... definitely erased any imagery that might have been conjured by their name.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Album, May 4, 2000
With the advent of Hanson and Marilyn Manson, this band's name is unfortunate -- whenever I talk about them, I always have to preface who I'm talking about because people get confused. I bought this album on the strength of "Wide Open Space", the only single I'm aware of that got any radio play.This is too bad, because this is a wonderful album. I've found more often these days a good album is a rare thing; maybe a song or two is worth your time, but many albums stink, overall. But "Attack of the Grey Lantern" is very British and very listenable. I find it hard to classify -- there is a strongly hypnotic keyboard element to them, but they're not an overproduced electronica band. Paul Draper's singing voice has an androgynous quality that is simultaneously world-weary and resonant. There are hints of Pink Floyd in the production, but hints of something else, too -- I think the Cure influences their work, too, and the Stone Roses. The tracks play into one another (the Floyd influence) with assorted sounds intermingled between songs. In fact, "The Chad Who Loved Me" begins and "Dark Mavis" ends with the same theme, so if you listen to this album on continuous play, it's hard to tell whether it's beginning or ending, because of that keyboard music binding the two songs together. "Mansun's Only Love Song" is excellent, as is "Take It Easy, Chicken" -- both of those tracks are treats to listen to with headphones. I haven't heard anything from Mansun since this album, so I don't know what their status is as a band, but I thoroughly enjoyed this album, and am curious to hear what they'd do with follow-up works.
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