Mansun
Attack Of The Grey Lantern 豆瓣
9.6 (67 个评分) Mansun 类型: 摇滚
发布日期 1997年2月17日 出版发行: Parlophone
MANSUN是英国已经解散的英伦摇滚团体简称,他们的团名是取自The Verve的同名EP(当时叫Verve)里的一首美丽脱俗的歌曲“a man called sun”。虽然比不上Radiohead和Suede但或许是因为他们也只不过出了三张专辑,成军时间也只不过短短的六七年,但是他们绝对是BRIT-POP末期最异军突起的一团,因为MANSUN有个俊俏的主唱Paul Draper,Paul的声音也如同Radiohead、Suede一样妖魅,吉他手Dominic Chad弹奏起来也是非常辛辣。Paul受70年代Prog-Rock影响很深,以致于MANSUN的专辑都是一气喝成,且听他们的处女大碟《Attack of the Grey Lantern》,每一首歌间都是彼此连贯在一起,完完全全一刻都无法令人喘息。
Mansun曾在电影"Spawn(再生侠)"的原声大碟里与808 State合作一曲。
作为Brit-pop的后起之秀,他们是英伦摇滚音域上空最闪亮的星星之一,虽然比不上Radiohead和Suede,或许是因为他们也只不过出了三张专辑,成军时间也只不过短短的六七年,但是他们绝对是Brit-Pop末期最异军突起的一团,他们的音乐唯美迷人,即使颓废也是那么优雅、华丽,Mansun能让我们想起很多艺人——Suede、Manic Street Preachers、Tears for Fears、David Bowie、ABC、Blur和Prince,但Mansun也不是在完全模仿他们。他们是对90年代indie rock的一种融合,吉他和鼓机紧紧跟随着旋律的发展,颠覆性歌曲结构,使得Mansun的音乐宏大而又灰暗,相当吸引听觉。
mansun是从日本红起来的。如果当年他们不是突然在日本红起来的话,可能没有人会留意到他们。来自伦敦西北部的mansun 的成员某次在酒吧一见如故,于是便组成了乐队。他们的队员包括主音paul、吉他手dominic、低音吉他手stove及鼓手 andie。电台DJ们视他们为新一代偶像,只可惜当年伦敦已成为了Suede、Blur、Oasis等的天下。挣扎了几年后,他们才在日本崭露头角,成为日本人的偶像。1996年的年尾,他们在东京所开的演唱会场场爆满。从此他们成为了英伦乐队的光荣。
1997年,乐队的首张专辑《灰色灯笼的进攻》(The Attack of the Grey Lantern)在英国打上排行榜首位,令乐队一举成名。这是一张完美的专辑,概念的完整巧妙和音乐细节的精益求精直逼ra diohead的巅峰经典《ok computer》。mansun有许多外号:"post oasis" , "british r.e.m." , "new radiohead" ,"new duran"……不过如果仅从这张专辑看,"new radiohead"的称号是最贴切的。当然,这并不意味着他们是radiohead的翻版,两个乐队的音乐也是千差万别,只不 过《attack of the grey lantern》和《ok computer》都是超完美的概念化brit-pop作品,在整体唯美氛围的构筑上也确实异曲同工,都运用了大量的电子音效。融合大量管弦乐、舞曲HIP HOP节拍,当然还有动人的歌曲。专辑如同歌剧般一气呵成,恢弘而流畅。在音乐风格上,他们既非走自披头士以来的流行路线,也没有跟风创作较硬的摇滚。如果要拿其他Britpop乐队类比的话,Mansun的对应乐队应该是山羊皮(Suede)或是“疯癫街道传教士”(Manic Street Preachers),它们全都属于那种风格远离主流Britpop风而同时又能笼住一批死硬乐迷的组合。风格的难以定义使得Mansun最初未受到评论家们应有的重视,在《灰》专辑打败了Blur登上冠军宝座后,Mansun立即被捧为年度最棒的新生乐队。首张专辑刚推出即登上英国销量镑冠军。将电子舞曲、吉他流行曲与弦乐完美地结合,他们为摇滚披上了电气化的优雅外套。Attack of the Grey Lantern是对new wave和90年代indie rock的一种融合,吉他和鼓机紧紧跟随着旋律的发展,同时又加入显得不和适宜却又短促的——近乎5分钟左右——颠覆性歌曲结构,使得Mansun的音乐宏大而又灰暗,相当吸引听觉,比如“Mansun's Only Love Song”——没有什么歌曲题目可以比这首更为直白了,歌曲魂灵乐上融入着流行元素,“Stripper Vicar”那以new wave的背景主音衬托硬摇滚旋律,以及“Taxloss”将Suede灰暗的glam摇滚节奏与焦虑的迷幻乐相结合。这张专辑可以说野心勃勃甚至是自命不凡,但Mansun仍有足够自信和技能把Attack of the Grey Lantern做成一张具有非凡创新力的专辑。(但美国版的专辑Attack of the Grey Lantern却是命运稍为不同。由于种种原因,原来专辑歌曲顺序被打乱了,而且“Stripper Vicar”给乐队早期比较次等的一首单曲“Take It Easy, Chicken”所替代。由于专辑中原来的单曲以及编排都是互相联系互成联系,体现音质和情感声音上的不断切换,因此对这张专辑的重新编排简直就场灾难,就这样莫名其妙地破坏了专辑的总体概念。)
一年后乘胜追击的第二张大碟SIX,Mansun的选择是铤而走险艰深的Prog-Rock曲调,天马行空的歌曲不断在专辑里流串,Paul Draper的演唱功力在这张专辑里也尽显无疑,尤其是假音的提升(在Television中更是展现的淋漓至尽),可以说这是Mansun最经典的专辑,每一首歌都精彩得令你惊讶,整张专辑就象在上演一部传奇故事,环环紧扣,高潮迭起,变幻多端,过瘾至极,SIX!绝对是乐迷心目中的狠专辑!一张更加贴近市场的专辑。
如果说第二张专辑SIX令人啧啧称奇,第三张Little Kix专辑的推出,则同样让人惊讶不已,但这种惊讶不象上一张专辑那样具有赞赏的成份,而更多的是令人感到不解的郁闷,因为与第二张的自信和前卫风格截然不同,这张Little Kix真是大众化的可以了,无丝毫实验性可言,但也不能说这张专缉不好了,主唱Paul Draper是如此形容这张专辑的“Epic, Soulful, Melancholy, Sad Rock”专辑曲风非常优美,舒缓,流畅,每一曲都很值得去听,尤其是那首I Can Only Disappoint U 优美动人,柔情似水。还有那首We Are the Boys也始终令人念念不忘,喜爱柔美情歌的朋友,这张专辑是绝佳的选择,你会发现里面每一首歌都那么美妙动人。
Mansun是个饱受非议的乐队,little kix这张专辑做得偏流行,个人认为这是他们在以一种特殊的形式在反抗,以一种庸愚的方式对待那些庸愚的人们。
2003年,Mansun还在忙于新专辑的制作,5月初乐队灵魂人物保罗·德拉帕(Paul Draper)接受采访时说乐队已完成了15首新歌。尽管如此,与许多曾经辉煌的乐队一样,Mansun最终仍然没能逃过解散的命运。但乐队成员表示Mansun的解散并非由于成员之间不和。“这背后没有什么险恶的东西,我们友善地解散了。我们只想各自去做点其他的事,”吉他手多米尼克·查德(DominicChad)说。就像是Little Kix最后一首歌里面唱的:
"WE MUST SAY GOODBYE TO YOU"
Six 豆瓣
9.3 (46 个评分) Mansun 类型: 流行
发布日期 1998年9月7日 出版发行: Parlophone
After Mansun's first album, drenched in synthesizers and covered in the sheen of heavy production, many would have expected them to do the same but even bigger: bigger orchestra, cleaner, more 'pop'. However the market had caught up since 'Attack Of the Grey Lantern', and an album of such would not be considered as particuarly innovative or classy as the first was - still as their style became more mainstream at least it would be more commercially viable. However the band took the important and clever decision to change direction with their second attempt, replacing studio gloss for a full CD of live mayhem mixed out of control.
Six takes its title from two references: a book by AA Milne and a character in TV series 'The Prisoner'. Both favourites of the band, the influences are indictive of the subject matter - personal issues replace the imaginery characters of their first album. Songs about tramps sleeping in doorways and having an AIDS test lie alongside songs about eastern philosophy and western religion. Musically though, influences are fairly absent - Paul's idols Bowie and De Voto do seem to have helped tailor the sound, but really 'Six' is pretty unique - there is no sound like it. This is because although there is only 13 tracks on the album there are hundreds of tunes, and only a few choruses. The structures are revolutionary, and that is not the only originality. The band, fed up with the music industry supporting more britpop rock have made guitars sound un-like guitars, with the use of many effects pedals and under-used mixing techniques. And yet the album was still based on Mansun playing live, so even though the album would be impossible to play live as it is, there is a feeling of natural aggresion and ad-libbing fuelled creativity.
(from mansunheaven)
Vol.2 - SIX十周年纪念刊在线阅读(2008.9):
Little Kix 豆瓣
8.7 (27 个评分) Mansun 类型: 流行
发布日期 2000年1月1日 出版发行: Parlophone
Third album for UK indie guitar-pop act, their follow up to the 1998 release, 'Six'. 11 tracks including the first single, 'I Can Only Disappoint U'. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.
Legacy: The Best of Mansun 豆瓣
9.3 (11 个评分) Mansun / EMI Int'l
发布日期 2006年1月1日
From their formation in 1995 to their split in 2003, Mansun released three critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums including the No.1 album Attack Of The Grey Lantern. The band also released fourteen EPs, nine of which entered the UK Top 20 singles chart and four of which were Top 10 hits. Legacy is their first ever Best Of collection and has been compiled by frontman Paul Draper, who also wrote the liner notes for the release. Legacy features the lead tracks from all the band's EPs including Stripper Vicar, Taxloss, Being A Girl and the classic Wide Open Space. Also included in the tracklisting is their last 7" only single 'Slipping Away', plus fan favourites 'Getting Your Way' and the epic 'The Chad Who Loved Me'. This release is long anticipated by the Mansun fanbase, who were asked to send in their photos early in 2006 to contribute to the album's artwork. EMI. 2006.