Mansun - Legacy Album Review

Mansun
Legacy - The Best Of
Album review

It was during the mid-nineties that Mansun arrived on the music scene, the familiar story of four friends wanting to escape the trappings of their hometown (in their case Chester). Led by Paul Draper, success was close to instantaneous, with their 1997 record "Attack Of The Grey Lantern" topping the charts, but this was to be the height of their popularity. Three albums later and they were finished, Draper now a solo artist.

This collection of 17 tracks showcases just why Mansun were liked and also why they faded away. Arguably their most accomplished track, "I Can Only Disappoint U", is a slick and sexy affair with a driving bass and rolling guitars that touch on the psychedelic, a complimentary backing to Draper's fragile crooning. The brooding "Wide Open Space" follows it up and the good times continue on the fabulous "Stripper Vicar". A gem that shines with the fun of Britpop, it's only bettered by the blistering dynamics of "Being A Girl (Part One)" and searing rock "Take It Easy Chicken".

So we've the good, now for the bad - and in fairness to Mansun, their downfall isn't so much from a lack of tunes, but a lack of ideas. For example, "Legacy" seems to use the same melody as "Stripper Vicar", albeit at a slower pace and there is more than a hint of "Wide Open Space" to "Closed For Business". At other times they just miss the mark completely, "The Chad Who Loved Me" a string-laden but yawn-inducing number and "Egg Shaped Fred" missing the vital ingredient of a hook. With the majority of songs falling between the band's best and worst it seems highly unlikely that this release will see a new found appreciation for the quartet.

Alex Lai