Six

This album was my first exposure to Mansun, and I was incredibly impressed with it, it very quickly became one of the most heavily played albums in my collection.I love the way that the band are not at all afraid to experiment throughout this album - it has various elements that are certainly far from the mainstream, and quite possibly contributed to their decline in album sales, but it is so refreshing to hear music that combines superb melodies and riffs with an adventurous side.The first half of the album is the more conventional - but still packed full of invention. There's certainly a prog influence to their expansive rock, there is some self-indulgence but they pull it off brilliantly - the title track is an excellent opener, and Negative and Anti-Everything are probably the most normal, catchy melodies on the albums, and are both songs that grab you at first listen. Fall Out (which samples the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy) and Cancer are also top draw, the length (9 minutes) of Cancer means plenty of changes of pace, and is a great closer of 'Part One' of the album. Shotgun is my favourite song on the album, and it is a fantastic rock song. The opening of it is uncharacteristically cheesy, and I was rather disappointed with that at first, but of course, with Mansun, you know that it is just because they are enjoying themselves, and the song changes direction to awesome effect, with two separate riffs grabbing the song by the scruff of the neck and driving it on - great songwriting.The second, more adventurous half of the album, opens up with some opera, accompanied by a Tom Baker narration. Gloriously bonkers, but it works. Television is probably my second favourite song on the album, some delightful lyrics in there as well as the melodies, but Special/Blown It and Legacy are both good songs. Being a Girl rounds off the album, and in typical fashion it starts off in one style, and continues very effectively in another - the variety within one album whilst maintaining a sound that is quite clearly 'Mansun' is what marks this album out as being so good.The quality throughout is extremely high - Serotonin is the only song I'm not that fond of, but the rest of the album really is top stuff. They are refreshingly different from the majority of mainstream and popular rock these days, much more substance and invention to the music, and it's worth noting that the production is excellent as well - really brings every aspect of the music to life. All in, a brilliant album.

Not as immediate as their previous album but after a second listen, this is an enjoyable album from an underatted band.

Great purchase and great service, delivered on time just as promised.

Happy

love this cd

Happy with this item

My wife loves this, the digital copy on Prime is also a great addition

Really really nice. I'd play this to people i was trying to impress at bus stops.