Best of? Sort of more like (Legacy: The Best Of Mansun - Mansun)

Member Name: dtait09

Product:	Legacy: The Best Of Mansun - Mansun
Date:	20/08/09 (36 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some great indie tracks

Disadvantages: Some odd choices

**BRIEF HISTORY

Mansun are a, now redundant, 90s indie band of the britpop ilk from Chester who had moderate/cult success. They broke up back in 2003 and this is their 'best of' which was released in 2006.

This is my track by track guide: -

I Can only disappoint U - Piano led ballad about someone not being good enough in a relationship. Went top 10 and is a catchy single, and pop song, which was one of Mansuns great strengths 9/10

Wide Open Space - probably their best known track. Instantly recognisable finger picked guitar riff, which holds the track from start to finish. Charted at 15 which was impressive at the time for a relatively unknown indie band. Still arguably their best track 10/10

Stripper Vicar - Glorious indie song about a wacky, weird transvestite and a letter to someone called Mavis (concept of first album). Ultimately bizarre but catchy and brilliant. 10/10

Being A Girl - Described by Paul Draper (singer and chief songwriter) as a good little rock song and couldnt agree more. Once more bizarre concept of song but a firm favourite 9/10

Negative - Average rock song, which doesnt hold the same strengths as the previous songs. This was reflected in a 27 chart placing which at the time was out of sequence with other single releases 7/10

Take it easy chicken - First song they ever did, which doesnt feature on any mansun studio album but fans favourite. Great riff and signalled their early intent 8/10

Legacy - Album title and one of their best singles. Really classy lyrics, which had a cracking video with puppets actings as a band and showing their rise and fall. Greta lyric of "nobody cares when your gone". 10/10

She makes my nose bleed - Another out and out indie tune which led on from the success of wide open space before it. Charted at 9 when singles mattered; their first of four singles to do so. 8/10

Closed for business - not one of my favourites despite it also getting top ten. Lots of orchestra strings and bold sounds but losing the catchy appeal of their previous songs 6/10

Six - Single version of the song on the album. Album version weird and long, this short and catchy, and decent job of it. 8/10

Getting your way - what would have been a single off the album that was unfinished when they split up. Guitar led and back to old style after little kix's (3rd album) failure - but not quite getting there 6/10

Electric Man - Catchy song with acoustic guitar that was commercially viable but not quite hitting the heights of early career success. 6/10

The Chad who loved me - Weird choice given its quite obscure and wasnt a single. Opened the first album. Shows what great priomise they had in teh beginning 7/10

Egg shaped fred - Rocking indie tune once more. Early single which featured the heavy use of guitars. 8/10

Slipping away - another one from the 'unfinished' fourth album. It sounds like a band splitting up and just lacks that energy from the early stuff 6/10

Fool - Catchy later single, which was accessible for the radio but didnt quite have enough to be a classic mansun song 6/10

Taxloss - Awesome single from first album. Great representation of the early years. Good six minutes long but well worth listening to every second 9/10

**GOOD POINTS

Obviously being a best of it does include some of the best moments of the bands career. Wide Open Space and Legacy are two classic tracks that any band would be proud of writing. The inlay features notes from Paul Draper which are a good read, as well as quotes from reviews from papers like the NME, even damming ones which makes it more interesting.

**BAD POINTS

Im a big fan of this band but if I was doing a 'best of' I wouldnt have half these songs, especially the unfinished ones of the final album. This is clearly a record company selection of the main singles and not a thought of what were actually the best stuff.

**PRICE

I picked this up for £3 from an independent record shop and most online retailers should stock this for around £5. I would pay no more than £5 (expanded in overall review)

**OVERALL

If I was to recommend a Mansun album for a beginner I would still suggest the first album "Attack of the Grey Lantern" and then the second LP "Six". This is a real mish mash of an album that if you see cheap, is worth getting but if you do dont think that this is the best that the band had to offer. Paul Draper is a great songwriter who was unlucky to be cast among the britpop era. Mansun seemed to lose love for the music and resulted in breaking up but there are certain songs when you think what might have been.

Summary: Worth a buy if cheap but don't go out of your way