Mansun: underrated or average?

dholliday · April 2, 2014

Mansun entered the scene just as 'Britpop' was peaking. They only had one 'hit' (Wide Open Space) and were prompty forgotten, doomed to be mixed up with the likes of Menswear, Marion and, on account of their name, Marylin Manson.

Unbeknownst to some, Mansun produced some fine rock music, with chorus licks to match Duran Duran and gained prog-points beyond even what Radiohead have attempted.

The band hail from Chester, with family ties to Liverpool. They may be most famous for throwing 25 grand in fiver notes off a Liverpool Street Station balcony. Paul Draper, the singer, is an Evertonian, and openly gay. So fits right in here.

Here are some choice cuts to help you decide:

Mansun's rival to Paranoid Android:

Lush strings here pre-date Bitter Sweet Symphony:

cute dainty playful fluff they do to:

and an excellent collection of quality b-sides, here's one:

and my personal favourite song, this EPIC PROG!

Walken · April 2, 2014

I'm a fan, under appreciated in the grand scheme of things

EDINHO1 · April 2, 2014

Saw them on my 18th birthday. Good band, Stripper Vicar is a right tune.

neil999 · April 2, 2014

Some of their stuff is amazing and some is absolute balls, especially their last album

coollino · April 2, 2014

Mansun and Granddaddy are two bands i've always want to listen to but never have.

Blue 1 · April 2, 2014

They did some ok stuff. Got "Skin up Pin Up" somewhere.

dion · April 2, 2014

Six is a great album.

dholliday · April 3, 2014

dion said:
Six is a great album.

it's amazing when considering most modern rock albums, the long proggy epics like Six, Shotgun, Cancer, Television, Special/Blown it and Being A Girl are surely required listening for anyone into the next-level.

Otherwise not much interest in this thread, even the comments have been short n sweet, so i guess Mansun are destined to remain a somewhat cult band.

larrygobfiend · April 3, 2014

I remember Gruff Rhys from the Super Furry Animals being asked the question: "Hanson or Mansun?"

His reply: "I'd rather have a sh!t"

I think I'm with Gruff on this one.

toffeesnuggs · April 3, 2014

I remember Wide open Space, and Tax Loss which i liked. I'll have a listen to those other ones later

tsubaki · April 3, 2014

the very epitome of Chester, that band

Billy Dean · April 3, 2014

toffeesnuggs said:
I remember Wide open Space, and Tax Loss which i liked. I'll have a listen to those other ones later

i only remember these 2 aswell. Will check out the rest of their stuff. Love hearing about forgotten-about bands from the 90s. Reminds me of some great times in my teens!

dholliday · April 3, 2014

toffeesnuggs said:
I remember Wide open Space, and Tax Loss which i liked. I'll have a listen to those other ones later

Billy Dean said:
i only remember these 2 aswell. Will check out the rest of their stuff.

The songs I linked, especially SIX and CANCER, are nothing like the singles. Cancer has some Floydish guitar work and song structuring going on. Six changes direction a lot, so if you liked Radiohead's Paranoid Android you might enjoy this.