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Dick Heath View Drop Down
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    Posted: September 08 2008 at 12:38
About ten years ago one of my younger listeners recommended I listen to Mansun's album 6, because in his opinion  it was 'modern progressive'.
 
Six
 
 
There was much then to agree with the longer tunes going through several "movements". However, I felt the follow up Attack Of The Grey Lantern had distanced itself from this type of tune structure to more traditional indie pop/rock. To be honest, I only returned to Mansun 6 for the first time after 7 years this weekend, and reminded on 6's proggie moments. Comments please since perhaps there are some similarities with Muse????
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Dean View Drop Down
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2008 at 16:50
You've got the release order of Grey Lantern and Six back to front: Wink
 
Attack of the Grey Lantern (1997)
Six (1998)
Little Kix (2000)
 
They split-up in 2002 during the recording of their 4th, the material they'd recorded during those sessions was released in 2004 as part Kleptomania after a 4,000 signature petition on behalf of the fans was presented to the record company.
 
Grey Lantern was a huge hit on its release, knocking Blur from the No. 1 spot, its blend of britpop and indie shoe-gazing with gothic overtones and lavish production, coupled with narrative songs singled it out as being something removed from the Second-wave of Britpop they were associated with by the music press. If I were allowed 50 CDs to take onto a desert Island, then Grey Lantern would be one of them.
 
The follow-up, Six, wasn't quite so successful chart-wise (ironically, only reaching No. 6), but draws heavily from Prog with longer songs that chop and change tempo seemingly on a whim, extended instrumental breaks, an operatic interlude, narrative and oblique literary references that tie 60s cult tv program The Prisoner (No. 6, Schizoid Man) to the Marquis de Sade and Winnie the Pooh (Now We Are Six).
 
Paul Draper has just published a comprehensive and enlightening Blog to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Six on his Paul Draper/Mansun forum
 
 
Little Kix is straight indie rock with shades of glam, and was a huge disappointment especially since it was produced by Hugh Padgham.
 
Mansun were one of the first modern band to re-discover the EP, releasing 14 of them throughout their career, where they included non-album tracks alongside the obligatory single.
 
In my opinion there wouldn't be Muse without Mansun; Radiohead were great admirers of the band; and (although I doubt there is any direct influence), listening to Six again this afternoon I was reminded of The Mars Volta in terms of compositional structure and lyrical phrasing.
 
Mansun Website: http://www.mansun.co.uk/
Mansun Official MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/mansunspace (the six MySpace tunes change every week)
Paul Draper Official MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/pauldraperofficial
 
 
The subject of Mansun has come-up on the forum several times over the years:
 
 
They were listed on the Bands to Add list back in 2004 (http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=754&PN=1)
They have also been on the Band Admission Master List since it's inception (link for Collabs: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=27879&PID=2666626#2666626)
 
On the strength of Six I think Mansun are worthy for inclusion on the site.
 


Edited by Dean - September 14 2008 at 16:52
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micky View Drop Down
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Points: 46838 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2008 at 17:33
something for us Dean in your opinion.. or the related category?
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Dean View Drop Down
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2008 at 19:00

To be honest, it could go either way.

As I said in one of the other Mansun threads back in December of last year:
Originally posted by myself myself wrote:

...They were undoubtedly influenced by Prog and pull their influences from similar source material yet didn't fully resolve those influences: AotGL is a superbly vague concept that hints at greater things to come but stays within the confines of Pop; Six (which is a remarkable album) is a very experimental album, yet is not an entirely progressive in the accepted sense. I think they are Prog within the limitations of 1990s Indie - whether that is enough for inclusion in PA is something worth discussing.
 
Without question, Mansun were at the forefront of a movement that leads directly from Radiohead to Muse to the new Alternative/Progressive bands that are now emerging, (some of whom are being added to the PA).
 
...so they are borderline, (wherever the border lies LOL) - re-listening to Six this afternoon, my opinion of them has jumped to the Crossover side of the line. But I'd go with Prog Related if that was the team consensus.
 
ProGGnosis lists them as Prog - Sub-Genre Not Assigned
 
As Dick says, Six is the album to concentrate upon - it is the one that has the Progressive label attached to it in just about every review and article about them. Here is a link to a couple of highlights streamed on LastFM
 
Television - http://www.last.fm/music/Mansun/_/Television?autostart (listen to the guitar at 4:20ish Wink)
 
Try this Google search and you'll get dozens of links where they are referred to as New Prog or Neo Prog, my favourite being in a review of Little Kix: "After the prog rock folly of Mansun's last album, Six, it's a relief to report that Paul Draper has rediscovered verses and choruses - and catchy ones"
 
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micky View Drop Down
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Points: 46838 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2008 at 21:48
I'll take a listen Dean...  give my two cents on it..

and any group that has this written about them NEEDS to be here LOL

"After the prog rock folly of Mansun's last album, Six, it's a relief to report that Paul Draper has rediscovered verses and choruses - and catchy ones"
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Jim Garten View Drop Down
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Points: 14693 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 15 2008 at 07:50
In my own humble opinion, Six is one of the great 'lost' prog albums of the 1990's.

Just my opinion, you understand...

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Points: 7606 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 15 2008 at 10:03
love this album

certain bands that got promoted as part of "brit-pop" had something more art rockish going for them and I think Mansun were the best. Six would be their key into the archives, as it's split into acts with an overall conceptual feel, but more importantly has songs that do the unpredictable and wander off into strange tangents, switch between time signatures and attempt epic guitar solos now again. and isn't it Tom Baker doing the monologue over the Interlude? yeah

much less predictable and hit oriented than Muse, at least during this period. and their lyrics are better
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Points: 7028 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 16 2008 at 06:13
They definitely qualify just from hearing Six. I was familiar with the single legacy but when listening to those meandering delights like Shotgun and Cancer you can see why there is a call for inclusion. I have not heard any other material from them as of yet, Draper does sound quite  a lot like Roland Orzabal which is a good thing right? Much more comfortable in Crossover than Prog Related IMO but that is not having heard the other albums.
 
A post thought. Anybody remember Kula Shaker from the late 90's? A Psychedelic outfit that released 3 albums and Mansun reminded me of them in someway. Also worth contemplating if not already been.


Edited by Chris Stacey - September 16 2008 at 06:22
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micky View Drop Down
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Points: 46838 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 20 2008 at 09:06
^ I LOVE Kula Shaker Chris...  good call. Don't know if they have been considered by the the dope smokers.


listening to Six btw...
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micky View Drop Down
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Points: 46838 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 20 2008 at 09:55
Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

In my own humble opinion, Six is one of the great 'lost' prog albums of the 1990's.

Just my opinion, you understand...


wow...  listening to it... I couldn't agree more. GREAT stuff....
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Points: 2689 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 20 2008 at 11:22
Mansun were a great band, I saw them live when Six was released, and collected almost all their EPs (not the later ones)
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Dean View Drop Down
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 21 2009 at 12:06
Mansun are now in the PA Approve
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