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):