The truth of Mavis and her transvestite stripper vicar father (Attack Of The Grey Lantern - Mansun)

Member Name: Mildew82

Product:	Attack Of The Grey Lantern - Mansun
Date:	25/07/09 (124 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Highly original with some beautiful melodies

Disadvantages: May be a bit weird and obscure for some people's taste

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A Bit of Background
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Mansun were formed in 1995 in Chester by Paul Draper (vocalist/rhythm guitarist) and Stove King (bassist), alongside Dominic Chad (lead guitarist) and Andie Rathbone (drummer). The band started in controversy by originally being called Manson after the infamous Charles Manson but were legally required to change it due to copyright issues.

Mansun were caught up in the Britpop explosion around the same time that such bands as Blur, Oasis, Cast, Pulp, Sleeper, Garbage, Elastica etc were hitting form, but for me they erred much more on an Indie rock style than Britpop, perhaps due to the deeper, darker nature of some of their tracks.

For me, the fact they showed an interest in Charles Manson so far as wanting to be named after him gave an indication of what to expect from their style of music - just plain weird - but definitely not in a bad way. Their first studio offering of "Attack of the Grey Lantern" is a highly original and thought provoking album, with a subtle theme running through many of the songs which has left fans debating the true meaning.


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The Album
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With an eye-catching and surreal sleeve cover, an intriguingly imaginative name for the album and some bizarre track names, "Attack of the Grey Lantern" grabs your attention before track 1 has even begun.

As the album progresses we are treated to some great melodies, some deep, witty and sometimes sarcastic lyrics and some solid vocals from Paul Draper, which he moulds to the styles of each song so sometimes it may have a little childish quality to it and sometimes it remains strong with some intense emotion which adds an extra dimension to each song.


1. The Chad Who Loved Me

This is a great opening track for the album.

With nearly a full 2 minutes of instrumentals before the first words are sung, this is a slow building song, with a beautiful orchestral sound which builds to a crescendo before the slightly distorted and low timbres of the vocals kicks off. With sparing, but very poetic lyrics which are very much open to interpretation this song acts as more an intro song than the main feature.

8/10.


2. Mansun's Only Love Song

As the first song merges straight into the second, Mansun are clearly indicating their intentions by declaring that this will be their only love song (read into that what you will). In this song some clearly defined themes are highlighted - we are introduced to the mysterious Mavis (a recurring subject of several songs), the effects of grey lantern light upon the aforementioned Mavis and an obvious religious connection. Weird, huh?

"Standing in the lantern light
Mavis looking sexy through her dress, it shines
Hiding in the vestry she recites her lines"

Again, this song has a beautiful orchestral quality to it, and has a fairly medium tempo before delivering a dramatic chorus backed up a melodic tune and some great ranging vocals from Draper. With some obscure but intriguing lyrics this song sets the tone for the rest of the album and gives a great indication of what is to follow.

10/10.


3. Taxloss

The third track takes on a much more upbeat and faster tempo than the previous two tracks. This song has a very cynical feel to it Draper's vocals takes on a much more sarcastic tone as the band are perhaps making a dig at the dubious nature of the banking world (or it could be something more complex than that- again it is open to interpretation) and with some amusing lyrics to back this up this song has a very intriguing feel to it.

There is a more subtle melody to this as the orchestral instruments take a bit of a back seat and there is a much more synthesised sound. This is a much more fun and perhaps radio friendly song, and was the fifth single released from the album in the UK where it reached #15.

8/10.


4. You, Who Do You Hate

This song reverts back to a much slower tempo, with much more of an emphasis on the acoustic guitar backed up with a gentle orchestral sound. The lyrics become much darker and slightly depressing, which Draper backs up with softer, more emotional vocals. Again, this is a slow building song which builds up to a dramatic chorus, in which Draper raises the intensity of his voice to match the increased tempo to create a very turbulent, yet moving song.

9/10.


5. Wide Open Space

This was the third single released off the album in the UK reaching #15. For me this is probably the most depressing and arguably the best song off the album. Again, with a much greater emphasis on the guitar and just a subtle orchestral undertone, this song has an epic quality to it: with beautifully crafted and moving lyrics; a stunning chorus with a very emotional melody; brilliantly constructed passages throughout the song with some superb changes in tempo, and the best range of vocals I have heard Draper sing throughout the whole album both in terms of intensity and emotion this song is quite simply outstanding.

10/10.


6. Stripper Vicar

This was the second single released off the album in the UK reaching #19. This song sees a return to the more upbeat and fun side of Mansun and to the under running themes occasionally touched upon throughout this album. Through the narration of some letters we see the return of Mavis, and learn that she is vicar's daughter, but not only is he a vicar, but a stripper vicar! This song definitely gets The Most Wacky Song Award for a Debut Album from me.

With fun and witty lyrics and a great melody, and once again great changes of tempo throughout, this song is an excellent addition to the album (even if it is a bit tongue-in-cheek) and adds to the variation of the album. I love the way Draper sings with such sincerity and seriousness about such a ridiculous dilemma and this song always leaves me with a smile on my face.

9/10.


7. Disgusting

As soon as Mansun throw anything even remotely light hearted into their album they seem to be compelled to revert back to the depressing. Disgusting takes a much slower tempo again, and the emphasis returns to orchestral tones. Draper's vocals once again take on a much stronger and emotional quality which back up the slightly angrier lyrics not really experienced in any of the other tracks.

I think this song adds an extra dimension to the album but expanding the range of emotions Mansun have so far touched upon. Again the subject of the song is open to interpretation - it could be a standalone song, or could be part of the bigger theme!

9/10.


8. She Makes My Nose Bleed

This is the fourth single released in the UK reaching #9 in the charts. This is a much rockier song than any heard before on this album. Draper's vocals are on top form showing great range throughout the whole song and the lyrics are quite complex and obscure - again is the subject of the song part of the on-going theme? For me this is one of the catchiest songs off the album and again was very radio friendly which I guess helped greatly with its chart position which was the best out of all releases.

9/10.


9. Naked Twister

This song is definitely from the same vein as Wide Open Space. There are some major depressing undertones enhanced by the beautiful lyrics and melody and orchestral arrangements, alongside some amazing vocals from Draper. This is probably my second favourite song off the album and keeps the balance of the album perfectly.

As per most of their previous songs, Mansun's ability to construct their songs through changing tempos and beautiful melodies gives this song the extra quality that makes it so great.

10/10.


10. Egg Shaped Fred

This was the first single released off their album when they were relatively unheard of and reached #37. This is quite a rocky tune again, and with some very nonsensical and slightly childish lyrics (with more references to the elusive Mavis) this is one of the more bizarre songs off the album. It is a solid song, but doesn't reach the dizzy heights of some of the other, more epic songs off the album, and Draper is not really tested vocally here. It's not a bad song, it's just not as captivating as some of their other ones.

7/10.


11. Dark Mavis

The theme of Mavis and her seemingly transvestite vicar father continues here in an even more obscure way. As the title suggests this is a much darker song, with a piano intro and a heavy emphasis on the orchestral tones, this is a beautiful if not slightly depressing song, again with a great vocal effort from Draper and some poetic lyrics this is a great finish to the album.

After the song reaches its epic climax, it begins to wind down with some lovely instrumentals which kind of end the album as it began...a very fitting end to a thoroughly imaginative album.

9/10.


Hidden Track. An Open Letter to the Lyrical Trainspotter

But wait, it's not over yet. If you manage to wait long enough at the end of the last track you will be treated to a bonus hidden track. This final track is a bit of a self-deprecating, self-mocking rant. However, there is a very nice melody and some nice singing so it is worth giving it a try- in Draper's own words:

"The lyrics aren't supposed to mean that much
They're just a vehicle for a lovely voice
They aren't supposed to mean that much"

7/10.


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Conclusion
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With no album fillers in sight, Attack of the Grey Lantern is a beautifully constructed and well balanced album, with some fantastically bizarre lyrics and themes running throughout and some great melodies and very catchy tunes. This was a much darker and deeper album than most of the others released during the Britpop of the late 90s and well worthy of getting to #1 in the albums chart in 1997.

Due to its age, at only £4.98 from Amazon if you are looking for something original and extremely creative then this will be the album for you!

Summary: A fantastic debut album for anyone looking for an original and imaginitive album