Rediscovered Albums

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mc
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Rediscovered Albums

Post by mc »

How about a thread for albums you didn't get/understand/enjoy at first, but have recently rediscovered and adored? The inspiration for this comes from recently reacquiring Mansun's Six and being utterly blown away. I bought it when it came out (ah, those heady first-year-of-uni days...) and never clicked with it despite being a huge fan of Attack Of The Grey Lantern. I guess I found it too rambling and confusing and hard to listen to, so I sold it soon after. I always kept my copy of Lantern though, and I recently decided to try Six again.

How stupidly wrong my teenage self was! Eighteen years later, it sounds like something approaching a (slightly flawed) masterpiece. It's remarkably coherent despite the bitty nature of the songs - Paul Draper really assembled this album with TLC - and the ambition is so ridiculously high I have to salute it and say 'well done'. There's catchy riffs and utterly gorgeous singalong melodies everywhere, and if part of a song isn't quite clicking there's inevitably something marvellous coming in the next thirty seconds. Some of the moody instrumental passages within songs are just sublime ('Shotgun', 'Fallout' and 'Cancer' in particular), and if 'Legacy', 'Being A Girl', 'Negative' and 'Six' isn't one of the great singles runs of the nineties I'll eat my hat. The Tom Baker interlude is pretty stupid, but apart from that, this album means serious business. I'm so glad to have it back in my life. Any other Six fans out there?

So, that's my recent glorious rediscovery. Over to youse :)
Last edited by mc on Mon Jun 20, 2016 12:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
moop
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Re: Rediscovered Albums

Post by moop »

yup, 'six' is amazing! definitely one of my favourite albums. i've mentioned it on here quite a few times, but never really had much interest. if you're a fan there's also some great stuff on the aborted 4th album sessions 'kleptomania', which is very dark and more rocky. also looks like paul is finally recording his first solo album, which could be quite something.

for balance i wanted to mention an album i've rediscovered too, but nothing jumps out at me. typical!
mc
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Re: Rediscovered Albums

Post by mc »

Hooray! I've probably listened to it a dozen times in the last five days, and every time I hear something magnificent I missed last time round. I actively avoided 'Little Kix' when it came out (thoughts on that, if you have any?) and I've not investigated 'Kleptomania' yet so I've got work to do yet. I am however currently listening to the 'Dead Flowers Reject' lost album, which Paul Draper apparently concieved as a companion of sorts to 'Six' (which ended up spread haphazardly across the album's B-sides). It's sounding fantastic so far :)
moop
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Re: Rediscovered Albums

Post by moop »

mc wrote:Hooray! I've probably listened to it a dozen times in the last five days, and every time I hear something magnificent I missed last time round. I actively avoided 'Little Kix' when it came out (thoughts on that, if you have any?) and I've not investigated 'Kleptomania' yet so I've got work to do yet. I am however currently listening to the 'Dead Flowers Reject' lost album, which Paul Draper apparently concieved as a companion of sorts to 'Six' (which ended up spread haphazardly across the album's B-sides). It's sounding fantastic so far :)
a quick reply since i should be asleep now...

mansun are one of those bands whose b-sides were often as good as their album tracks (of course some are more throwaway, but that's more indicative of their sense of humour). so yes, dead flowers reject is a good indication of that. but actually there are lots more. some are on kleptomania, and others are littered on the numbered EPs they released. even during little kix, there were some pretty good b-sides. (one called 'i've seen the top of the mountain' springs to mind). the good news for you is i'm sure all those b-sides have been collected up on youtube for you to check out.

in a nutshell i think 'six' was something a commercial failure. i couldn't understand that myself as i thought it was amazing from day 1. i remember reading a glowing review in the guardian at the time too, but apparently it wasn't recieved well by people who wanted a repeat of AOTGL and perhaps much like your own initial reaction, found it too weird (which i can understand). so i think that was a big knock to paul's confidence, since he'd basically been allowed control over the whole thing and obviously invested a lot of himself into its creation. after that the record company really pulled in the reigns, which is why little kix is horribly commercial - even the better songs were produced in a way that i can't imagine many people (fans or otherwise) liking. so it's best avoiding it. i remember buying it on the day of release and being really disappointed, which i was all too appropriate i with the lead single being 'i can only disappoint u'.

i saw them on the 4th album tour which was amazing. the new songs were really good, direct and personal, lyrically and heavy musically, and just seemed to balance out well. they were totally on form too. i remember being really excited for that album to get them back on track. but basically at this point the band couldn't stand each other so things fell apart in the sessions. despite this, 'kleptomania' is a pretty good document of some tracks and where they were heading, while others are nowhere near as powerful as when they played them live (essentially they were just left in demo form). but i'm really glad it exists. I would say once you've gone through all the b-sides, pick that up, but approach it aware that it's unfinished.

at one point paul revisited 'six' and wrote about the process of writing it, recording, what guitars, effects they used and what the songs were about. he also talks about the dead flowers tracks if i remember right. it's fascinating stuff. i'll see if i can find that for you...
One Asian Under A Groove
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Re: Rediscovered Albums

Post by One Asian Under A Groove »

I know this has turned into a Mansun thread, but forgive me for sticking with it. I still find it astonishing that an album as mad as Attack Of The Grey Lantern was such a massive hit - but then I hear the songs once again and they are undeniable. Imagine coming out with something so fully-formed and complex (musically and lyrically) for your debut, especially in the aftermath of Britpop and its dumbed-down music. Six is even madder, clearly too much for people at the time. I too never got it when it was released but have grown to like it. I think a few more listens now will make me grow to love it.

The album that I never got at the time but grew to love later in life was Beck's Midnite Vultures. I thought it was cheap and sleazy and far too Prince-indebted at the time. I still do, but I like those things now! Though funnily enough I listened to Odelay again just a couple of weeks ago to remind myself of the non-singles tracks and I really didn't like it. I think I must have skipped those songs before in favoured of Devil's Haircut, The New Pollution, Jack-Ass, Where It's At and Sissyneck. The rest of the album did not hold up for me.
Aquarian-Time
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Re: Rediscovered Albums

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Exellent thread. Yep six is superb, saw them at Manchester Academy on that tour and it was stunning, they played most of the album with hits and b sides scattered throughout. Was a long show if I recall. Little Kix was indeed rubbish though and I watched that tour and it was dull and they looked bored themselves
An album I overlooked but love now is Mogwai-Young Team and CODY for that matter. Went to a show at The Roadhouse in Manchester pre 1st album and I just didn't get it at all (far too many singalong anthems for me those days) sold all Mogwai stuff inc rare 7's which i had based upon not having the attention span required basically. Fortunately saw the error of my ways about 10 years later !!
TheWarmth
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Re: Rediscovered Albums

Post by TheWarmth »

I'm a big fan of Six. Haven't listened to Grey Lantern in forever, so I should go back to that. This is a coincidence, because I was just texting with a buddy who is also a fan of Six and I didn't know that previously. The only thing that really bothers me about the album is the lyric, "I'm emotionally raped by Jesus." Ugh. I'm not a religious individual, so it's not a matter of me being offended or anything. I just think it's a terrible line. Still, overall, killer album. Highly recommended.
The Dr
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Re: Rediscovered Albums

Post by The Dr »

in terms of the thread, mine's usually the opposite- i go back to albums i used to love but they leave me cold
“You're not Dostoevsky,' said the citizeness

'Well, who knows, who knows,' he replied.

'Dostoevsky's dead,' said the citizeness, but somehow not very confidently.

'I protest!' Behemoth exclaimed hotly. 'Dostoevsky is immortal!”
spunder
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Re: Rediscovered Albums

Post by spunder »

The Dr wrote:in terms of the thread, mine's usually the opposite- i go back to albums i used to love but they leave me cold

such as ...?
spunder
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Re: Rediscovered Albums

Post by spunder »

this year i've 'rediscovered' Second Coming, Definitely Maybe and XYZ and Honey Bee by Moose - tremendous records!

oh, and Headz Mo Wax
The Dr
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Re: Rediscovered Albums

Post by The Dr »

spunder wrote:
such as ...?
loads, such as

richard hawley- lowedges and cole's corner
the verve- urban hymns
oasis- most of the catalogue (i used to adore them)
the bands i listened to in my teens- brmc, ash (1977/free all angels), muse (origin of symetry), stereophonics (first three albums)
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture

and many more that don't spring to mind right now

every now and then i go back and listen to sometbhing like the above- stuff and there is no connection other than the knowledge that there used to be/should be some sentimeantal connection
“You're not Dostoevsky,' said the citizeness

'Well, who knows, who knows,' he replied.

'Dostoevsky's dead,' said the citizeness, but somehow not very confidently.

'I protest!' Behemoth exclaimed hotly. 'Dostoevsky is immortal!”
spunder
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Re: Rediscovered Albums

Post by spunder »

The Dr wrote:
loads, such as

richard hawley- lowedges and cole's corner
the verve- urban hymns
oasis- most of the catalogue (i used to adore them)
the bands i listened to in my teens- brmc, ash (1977/free all angels), muse (origin of symetry), stereophonics (first three albums)
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture

and many more that don't spring to mind right now

every now and then i go back and listen to sometbhing like the above- stuff and there is no connection other than the knowledge that there used to be/should be some sentimeantal connection

ha ha well yes, I'd agree with most of that! :twisted:
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