Little Kix

Infobox Album |
Name = Little Kix
Type = Album
Artist = Mansun


Released = August 14 2000 (UK)
Recorded = 2000
Genre = Rock
Length = 52:14
Label = Parlophone
Producer = Hugh Padgham, Michael Hunter
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:k06atrpekl7x link]
*"NME" rating-10|3 [http://www.nme.com/reviews/2659.htm/ link]
*Pitchfork rating-10|6.8 [http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/19699/Mansun_Little_Kix link] |
Last album = "Six" (1999)
This album = "Little Kix" (2000)
Next album = "Kleptomania" (2004)

"Little Kix" (released summer 2000 - see 2000 in music) was the third album by English rock group Mansun. A departure from their previous style, employing a more commercial 'soulful' sound.

Track listing

tracklist
title1 = Butterfly (A New Beginning) | length1 = 5:52
title2 = I Can Only Disappoint U | length2 = 4:47
title3 = Comes as No Surprise | length3 = 4:01
title4 = Electric Man | length4 = 5:21
title5 = Love Is... | length5 = 4:37
title6 = Soundtrack 4 2 Lovers | length6 = 4:11
title7 = Forgive Me | length7 = 4:44
title8 = Until the Next Life | length8 = 4:49
title9 = Fool | length9 = 4:17
title10 = We Are the Boys | length10 = 4:25
title11 = Goodbye | length11 = 5:10

All tracks written by Paul Draper (musician), except tracks 1, 2 and 6 written by Paul Draper and Dominic Chad.

Personnel

* Hugh Padgham - Producer
* Mike Hunter - Co-Producer
* Mark 'Spike' Stent - Mixed by
* Anton Corbijn - Photography
* Pennie Smith - Live photography

Notes

Little Kix was Mansun’s third album, and was a dramatic turnaround of the bands sound after Six, dropping it’s predecessor’s “prog rock” styling for a more commercial and soulful sound.

It later transpired that Paul Draper had been removed from his position of band producer by the record company, to make sure than the album was more “independent Local radio' friendly” [http://www.last.fm/group/Mansunites/forum/12640/_/106418] The band found themselves crippled as an artistic force, and were faced with having lyrics changed and altered, and other songs the band had written off, being pushed to the fore as singles. The band were effectively pushed into putting "Fool" onto the album, and despite the band's misgivings for the song it was also released as a single, generally considered to be their poorest offering. "Until the Next Life" was always intended to be a single, after the album's release the band hoped to re-record the song as a single, as the version on the album is essentially a home demo which was touched up in the studio.

This outside interference had an understandably negative effect on the band, in particular Paul Draper, who felt the band was already beginning to end.

Perhaps due to poor reviews and a reluctance in Paul Draper's case to engage in any press duties, "Little Kix" only managed to chart at UK #12, despite the popularity of "I Can Only Disappoint U", which had been the band's second biggest single to date.

"I Can Only Disappoint U", "Electric Man" and "Fool" were each released as singles charting in the UK #8, #23 and #29 respectively.

Early album titles include "Magnetic Poetry" and "The Trouble With Relationships".

In late 2005, in a fan interview, when asked what had led to Mansun splitting, Andie Rathbone replied simply; "Little Kix".

ingles

I Can Only Disappoint U

* Released 31 July 2000.
* UK Singles Chart: #8