Legacy - the Best of Mansun [CD + Bonus DVD]

Appearing in the mid 1990s with debut single `Take It Easy Chicken', Mansun were a bit confusing. They said they couldn't play properly, though had a fine songwriter in the form of Paul Draper. They changed their image more often than Girls Aloud, dressing like Oasis one minute, Manic Street Preachers pre-EMG the next. They had a number one album one year and seemed forgotten the next - suggesting that `Six' is their `Wilder' and that they might have been the Teardrop Explodes of their age? A recent feature in Uncut magazine suggests a somewhat traumatic existence centring on illness, addictions, financial irregularities and related traumas. A canny publisher might contact Mr Draper as there sounds to me material worthy of `Diary of a Rock'N'Roll Star' and `Head On/Repossessed' there. Mansun were confusing, and this compilation probably details why.

This is a two disc set, the second a DVD-themed collection that includes the great `Nobody Cares When You're Gone' - but I'll focus on the 17 track best of. We open not far from the end with the catchy `I Can Only Disappoint U' which sounds pretty darn fine now and has made me return to `Little Kix' with my tail between my legs - like Scritti Politti's `Anomie & Bonhomie' it's an album I dismissed at the time on a listen or two. What was I thinking? Why was I thinking that? Their best known song and one that everyone seems to like is next - the super `Wide Open Space' which samples the late ODB and is the kind of record folk probably wish that Radiohead would make.

There was much more to Mansun than that, as suggested by the string-laden `The Chad Who Loved Me' from debut `Attack of the Grey Lantern' (I'd have probably included `Mansun's Only Love Song' too). `Grey Lantern' did include `Egg Shaped Fred' (from `One'), 1996's `Stripper Vicar', 1997's anthemic `She Makes My Nose Bleed', and `Taxman'-nodding `Taxloss' too. I wonder if we have too many tracks from that source, when we could have had something like `Flourella' or `Railings' instead? `Taxloss' is an odd one, starting off as a post-modern Beatles allusion and drifting into Moroder-electronica, one example of band who were many things...

The debut single and later lead track on `Two' `Take It Easy Chicken' is thoughtfully included, one that the hardcore Mansun fans who contributed suggestions for the `Kleptomania' box-set and campaigned to get the fourth album released will be happy to see included. Equally pleasant to hear the downbeat `Closed for Business' present, though I'd have definitely included that same e.p.'s `Everyone Must Win' (like `Railings' co-written with Howard Devoto) and the anthemic `The World's Still Open' (how wasn't that the lead track? Were the band being wilfully obtuse?).

Mansun then shifted up a gear or two and Draper set about his masterpiece - this was the album known as `Six' that has a very devoted reputation on here (look at the reviews), but has been venomously dismissed by others in the same manner as early Genesis. It appears that Draper was removed from the producer's role around this time, so his vision of an avant-pop-prog masterpiece didn't come to fruition. Despite the fact `Six' pretty much wiped out their commercial career, as the critical knives came out more frequently, it contained three supreme pop singles in the form of `Legacy' (as great as early Bunnymen), the muscular glam-stomp `Being a Girl', and the remodelled version of `Six' by Arthur Baker. All splendid stuff, though I would point you to joys on that record that aren't here, e.g. `Cancer', `Television', `Special/Blown It.' Am still not sure about `Negative' though!

`Legacy' is a pretty fine single disc reminder of Mansun's, er, legacy - the version with the DVD is even better. A much maligned and underrated act who were nodding to post punk like Joy Division, Killing Joke & Magazine before bands like Editors and Interpol. They changed their look every few weeks. They were named after an early Verve song. Their back catalogue is quite cheap to pick up and well worth doing so. Like Dog Man Star-Suede & Ultrasound they were nodding towards the better side of prog, and their OTT directions must have influenced stuff like Muse. Mansun sound like a bit of a disaster, but amid all that, they were relentless and often on target. This compilation is a reminder, Mr Draper's solo career awaits - here's to a comeback of sorts...

A bit of a strange album to release as the advertising campaign for this was virtualy non existant and as the group has been disbanded for three years, I cannot see who this album is aimed at apart from the fanatical fans that linger on.

On the plus side, it rounds up all the single a-sides on one album and includes another disc containing all the videos (I had only seen the Taxlo$$ video) plus some video extras. This album is also available as a best of music only disc too at a cheaper price.

Five stars for the music, but I find that the title is misleading as some of their best tracks were album tracks. Still, a cracking album which I recommend highly for people who want to hear something different and may have not heard Mansun and wouldn't want to delve through their back catalogue.

I remember the first time i heard Mansun, it was the single 'she makes my nose bleed' and i searched high and low (well local Our Price (RIP) and Woolworths) for the single, then suddenly stumbled across the album 'Attack of the Grey Lantern'. This album, its fair to say, changed my life. Mansun were criminally underrated, a band who if were to release AOTGL now, would probably get critical acclaim. Looking down the tracks, theres the stape classics (wide open space, she makes my nose bleed, i can only dissapoint u, taxloss) mixed in with the wonderful b-sides and album tracks that made Mansun who they were, inventive, brilliant and way beyond their time. Anyone who's interested in broadening thier indie taste should make this top priority to buy. Beautiful instrumentally, lyrically moving and completely immersive, this best of is well and truly deserved and justified by a band, similarly to hope of the states, who split up way too soon. they were massive in japan too!!!

buy it and hear the brilliance of mansun.