Six

by

Mansun

Edit

Is this album full of hit singles? No

Is this album immediately accessible? No

Then why do I think Mansun's Six is the best cd in my collection of nearly 800 cds? Because it's the perfect concept album. You can't just pick a track from this cd at random. Like Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, this is an album that is meant to be listened to as a whole. Haunting lyrics. Great musicianship. This album gives me chills every time I hear it. I introduced it to several friends in college, and they all agree with me that it is completely brilliant. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.

How brave or, for that matter foolhardy depending on your point of view,is it for a band to follow up an extremely fine,cohesive album that was ''ATTACK OF THE GREY LANTERN''with the awkward,baffling though intriguing beast that is ''SIX''.

Taking its title from the character played by PATRICK MCGOOHAN in the cult tv series from the sixties ''THE PRISONER''{a must see incidentally) SIX sets out to be bold and literate mixing poetry with shattering realism and philosophy with well.. erm nonsense in the EDWARD LEAR sense. It is an album that does eventually reward but you is gonna have to listen and concentrate hard over several sessions with this ungainly monster.Folks who like immeadiate music should give it a wide berth.It has moments of staggering genius ''CANCER'' which charges in with industrial muscle then evolves into a quite gorgeous melody with a vocal by DRAPER that can only be described as pure angelic,''INVERSE MIDAS'' is utterly utterly beautiful this delicate creature hurtles into ''ANTI EVERYTHING''

which is angular,chunky and real catchy.''LEGACY'' and ''BEING A GIRL''feel out of place here purely by their normalicy.''WITNESS TO A MURDER'' is both bizzarre and chilling and features TOM BAKER (YES!!) the former DR WHO.Some Tracks feel like several parts of song welded together like musical pile-ups they are brutal,bruising nightmare visions that confuse and astound in equal measure.''SIX''goes for the jugular with teeth bared and yet it (mostly) enthralls.''SIX''reeks of doom and yet it it can be funny and painfully honest.

Wether DRAPER and co ever return to the alien, KAFKAESQUE landscapes of ''SIX'' remains to be seen(last years LITTLE KIX is determindly 80's in feel)but im betting that YOU will not have heard many albums like this one.Try it!.You may find a strange solace in MANSUN'S uglybeauty.