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Little Kix

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Little Kix
Studio album by
Mansun
Released14 August 2000
Recorded2000
StudioAstoria on the River Thames
Genre
Length52:14
LabelParlophone
ProducerHugh Padgham, Michael Hunter
Mansun chronology
Six
(1999) 		Little Kix
(2000) 		Kleptomania
(2004)
Singles from Little Kix
  1. "I Can Only Disappoint U"
    Released: 31 July 2000
  2. "Electric Man"
    Released: 6 November 2000
  3. "Fool"
    Released: 29 January 2001

Little Kix is the third album by English alternative rock band Mansun, released on 14 August 2000 and was the band's last studio album to be completed and released before their dissolution in 2003. It was promoted by three singles, and peaked at #12 on the UK Albums Chart.[2]

Overview

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Little Kix was recorded on the Astoria.

The album was recorded aboard the Astoria, a boat that housed a recording studio owned by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, and marked a departure from the band's previous way recording in that bandleader Draper had been removed from his position of producer by the record company and was replaced by Hugh Padgham, formerly a producer for Phil Collins, XTC and the Police, to ensure more "independent local radio friendly" sound.[3] Draper also stated that the working method was greatly different from his work on the former two albums: "Little Kix was the only album I had to make demos for, the rest I just made up as I went along".[4]

Record label interference extended further than the choice of producer, with Parlophone imposing several limitations that Draper felt restricted their creativity: "[W]e were battered into being a pop group with 'Little Kix'... We were told absolutely definitively 'You are not allowed to have any prog rock elements in the album', so that's why the album fades in and it's one second longer than Dark Side of the Moon, just to piss the record company off (laughs)".[5] In the liner notes of Legacy: The Best of Mansun Draper provided an example of the dysfunction that existed between the band and its label that centred on the track "Fool". After reading a book on song writing by Jimmy Webb he claimed it "inspired me to write an ironic song that is now my least favourite Mansun track. Bowie intro, comical chorus lyrics and guess what? The label wanted it as a fucking single! I couldn’t believe it".[6]

Draper credits the album's gestation process as part of what ultimately led to the end of the band: "What's left is an odd story, people have spoken to me about writing books about it, I don't think I'll ever go on the record and tell the true story, there are one or two people that know. At the end of the day people always say bands split over musical differences but they never do. It's all to do with money and drugs and all sorts of shit."[5]

Release

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Leonard's Lair[8]
NME(3/10)[9]
Pitchfork(6.8/10)[10]
Select[11]

Little Kix was released in August 2000. Early album titles include Magnetic Poetry and The Trouble with Relationships.[12] Little Kix did not match the popularity of the group's previous albums and reflected a continuing decline in commercial fortunes for the group. It peaked at #12[2] on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Silver[13] by the BPI.

Three singles were released from the album. The first, "I Can Only Disappoint U" became one of the group's most successful singles peaking at #8[2] on the UK Singles Chart in the run up to the album's release. "Electric Man", the second single was released in November and peaked at #23.[2] The final single "Fool" charted at #28.[2]

Reception

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Dean Carlson of Allmusic observed in negative review, "a new, lovelorn Mansun is shown stripped of their highly divisive costuming of old -- and their bare bodies are ugly. It's this album's simpler approach that shows them naked and floppy without their previous new romantic/prog-rock garments to hide their failings."[14]

Leonard's Lair gave a positive review on the album, saying that it was "a return to former glories" as they felt Six was "a prog-rock album which even early Genesis fans might have called self indulgent." but felt that the album "doesn't contain anything as fantastic as 'Legacy' or 'Stripper Vicar' but certainly has its fair share of great moments." and concluded,"Mansun sometimes fly a little too high with ideas above their station but more often than not they deserve to get away with it thanks to superb musicianship and sheer spirit."[15]

NME gave a scathing review saying "If ‘Attack Of The Grey Lantern’ was a trip and ‘Six’ was a panic attack, then ‘Little Kix’ is cold turkey. Mature, mainstream and utterly predictable, the band that once promised us the world have delivered yet more lame, cripplingly self-referential, puffed-up, headache-inducing, late-Manics-style retro indie-pomp. From vital to utterly redundant in just three albums. What an horrendous cockup."[16]

Pitchfork observed the departure of glam rock and progressive influence that featured on their previous albums saying. "This is almost shifting onto another plane of music. But that's not to say the shift is dramatic enough for comparisons to become meaningless. The band has expressed a taste for the Bee Gees, ABBA, and mid-'80s Prince, and this record is probably the result of such affinities." but was critical of the lyrics saying "The album's largest detractor lies with its lyrics. The complete lack of irony prevents it from reaching its potential as a genuinely satisfying production... Everything is so amazingly darling and clichéd."[17]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Paul Draper; except as indicated

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Butterfly (A New Beginning)"Draper, Dominic Chad5:52
2."I Can Only Disappoint U"Draper, Chad4:47
3."Comes as No Surprise" 4:01
4."Electric Man" 5:21
5."Love Is..." 4:37
6."Soundtrack 4 2 Lovers"Draper, Chad4:11
7."Forgive Me" 4:44
8."Until the Next Life" 4:49
9."Fool" 4:17
10."We Are the Boys" 4:25
11."Goodbye" 5:10
Total length:52:14

Personnel

[edit]
Mansun
Production

B-sides

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from "I Can Only Disappoint U"
  • "Decisions, Decisions"
  • "Repair Man"
  • "My Idea of Fun"
  • "Golden Stone"
from "Electric Man"
  • "The Drifters"
  • "The Apartment"
  • "I Can Only Disappoint U (Perfecto club mix)"
  • "Electric Man (Acoustic version)"
  • "I Can Only Disappoint U (Instrumental mix)"
from "Fool"
  • "I've Seen the Top of the Mountain"
  • "Promises"
  • "Fade in Time"
  • "Black Infinite Space"

Charts

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Chart (2000) Peak
position
Japanese Oricon Album Chart[18] 47
Scottish Albums Chart[19] 13
UK Album Chart[20] 12

References

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  1. ^ Forrester, Iain (9 June 2016). "Top Ten Post-Britpop Flops". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Mansun at OfficialCharts.com". Retrieved 4 August 2009.
  3. ^ "Paul Draper talks exclusively to The Downloader...(new interview)". Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  4. ^ "www.PaulDraper-Music.co.uk : Q&A". PaulDraper-Music.co.uk.
  5. ^ a b "INTERVIEW: PAUL DRAPER on the anniversary of 'Six', getting sacked from Mansun & 'Spooky Action'". Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  6. ^ Legacy: The Best of Mansun liner notes (2006)
  7. ^ Carlson, Dean. "Review: Little Kix - Mansun". Allmusic. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  8. ^ "Mansun - Little Kix". 2001 www.leonardslair.co.uk. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  9. ^ "Review: Little Kix - Album Reviews". IPC MEDIA 1996-2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  10. ^ Griffith, Craig. "Review: Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Mansun: Little Kix". 2010 Pitchfork Media Inc. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  11. ^ Lowe, Steve. "Review: Select: Album Reviews: Mansun: Little Kix". Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  12. ^ "MANSUN: 'TROUBLE' AT THE TOP!". NME. 17 January 2000. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  13. ^ "'Little Kix' Silver Certificate". BPI. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  14. ^ Little Kix - Mansun | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 4 May 2024
  15. ^ "Mansun - Little Kix". www.leonardslair.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  16. ^ NME (12 September 2005). "Little Kix". NME. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Mansun: Little Kix". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Japan: Album positions". oricon.co.jp. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  19. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". officialcharts.com. 20 August 2000. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  20. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 348. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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