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"The Last Tour On Earth" is a companion piece to Manson's "Mechanical Animals". It's an edited show from the "Mechanical Animals Tour". A lot of bands around this time were releasing these live companion albums. I guess they used them to drive up ticket sales. For the most part, I'm OK with these, but I'm also disappointed.
"Mechanical Animals" is my favorite Manson album and I saw this tour in Vegas at the Hard Rock on New Years Eve. As many times as I've seen Marilyn Manson live, this was also my favorite tour. And that's why I'm disappointed in this release.
Some bands would release an entire show on CD and video, but Marilyn Manson released this edited version of a show. It certainly contains most of the show's highlight numbers. The most famous and notorious of the bunch being 'I Don't Like The Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me)'. At this point, I don't really remember the entire show, but I do remember being extremely upset certain songs didn't make it on this release.
I really feel like Manson's band was in the pocket during this tour. The show was tight, the special effects and onstage art was beyond amazing to see. At one point, Manson appears crucified on a cross made of televisions.
I've never been a huge fan of Manson's earlier albums. I did buy them because I thought they were interesting but compared to the subsequent music he would record and release, I find a lot of it useless. If you could delete the first couple Manson releases and start his career with "Antichrist Superstar" I'd probably be a bigger fan. The inclusion of 'Get Your Gunn' and 'Lunchbox' over a number of "Mechanical Animals" tracks that were cut out like 'Coma White' or 'The Speed Of Pain' is absolutely painful. As thematic and conceptualized this album and tour was, those earlier numbers just seem out of place and distracting.
The disc also features a segue way intro dubbed into the first live song from the set and the last track is an unreleased song they added. It's kinda cool to have a new song, but I still feel like this particular release would've fared better with a full version of the concert and none of the bells and whistles they added or edited out to make what they thought was a more commercial product.
My final words: A LIVE DISC I HATE AS MUCH AS I LOVE. IN THE END, THE ALBUM LEAVES ME UNFULFILLED AND IN THAT SENSE, I DEEM IT A BUST.
MARILYN MANSON - THE LAST TOUR ON EARTH
01. Inauguration Of The Mechanical Christ
02. The Reflecting God
03. Great Big White World
04. Get Your Gunn
05. Sweet Dreams / Hell Outro
06. Rock Is Dead
07. The Dope Show
08. Lunchbox
09. I Don't Like The Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me)
10. Antichrist Superstar
11. The Beautiful People
12. Irresponsible Hate Anthem
13. The Last Day On Earth
14. Astonishing Panorama Of The Endtimes
"Lost Highway" is the soundtrack of the movie with the same name. How I came to own this little gem is a story in itself and I think I'll share it with you.
I can't remember the exact date but I was at a Marilyn Manson concert and he played 'Apple Of Sodom'. I'd never heard the song before and I absolutely loved it. The performance was eerie and compelling at the same time. I couldn't take my eyes off him. I couldn't understand the lyrics, but a little bit of research online and I eventually found a message board where some kid who'd seen the same tour in another city posted his feelings about the tour and he mentioned the title of the song and how surprised he was to have seen it in the live set. Once I had the title, I was able to find out where I could get the song and as luck would have it, I found this disc in a used music store on my first attempt to find it. If I recall, it only cost $4.
The album has since taken a more esteemed place in my music collection as I discovered Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails produced the project and was largely responsible for the sound. It also features tracks by a number of bands I was into at the time including The Smashing Pumpkins, Rammstein and David Bowie.
A couple of composers are also featured on the disc interspersed between band tracks with pieces of film scoring they contributed to the film. One of them writes a form of unconventional Vegas Lounge jazz. There's a lot of dated instruments and the horns are right out of a 50's stripper song catalog. The other composer's pieces are just as creepy, but take on the sound and feel of old time country western films; if they were spooky as hell.
The album starts off with an edit of David Bowie's 'I'm Deranged'. Right around this time, David Bowie's "Outside" was one of my favorite albums. I was utterly enthralled with it and played it constantly. When Bowie started working with Trent Reznor on some mixes for 'The Heart's Filthy Lesson', I thought I was in heaven. I would eventually see them share the stage at a concert they played together in Vegas. As an "Outside" track, 'I'm Deranged' was already a favorite of mine. It's inclusion here only makes the soundtrack that much more satisfying for me. As the last track on the album, it reprises and takes the listener out on the same note they came in on.
You know, I've never actually seen this movie, but based on the soundtrack, I'm guessing it was bizarre and strange. I feel confident that guess is accurate.
Although I'm tempted to break the disc down track by track, many of these songs appear on other albums and I'm sure I'll discuss them at length on those reviews. So I'll focus on the highlights. Manson's 'Apple Of Sodom' is a disturbed number that absolutely lived up to my expectations. I find the studio track just as interesting and thought provoking as the version I saw live. Manson is also featured on 'I Put A Spell On You', a song he covered on one of his earlier records. It's inclusion heightens the dark themes of the compilation and simultaneously introduces a supernatural element to the mix.
Rammstein appear on two tracks. Both are edits of songs from their albums, "Sehnsucht" and "Herzeleid". The tracks in question, 'Rammstein (Edit)' and 'Heirate Mich (Edit)' are right at home on this moody assemblage. Till's deep growling vocal delivery adds to the tension of the overall feel of the disc. The Smashing Pumpkins, ever the masters of genre bending composition appear on one track, 'Eye' and somehow, even though I would say it's the most different sounding number on the disc, it still blends and adds to the mystery.
Lou Reed appears on a cover of 'This Magic Moment' and again, his unorthodox vocals take a perfectly innocent song and bends it to a sinister end. One of the most interesting things about this album is the tracks Trent Reznor contributes to the film score. If I'm not mistaken, this is his first attempt at writing score material. Whether or not I'd call his additions a success is irrelevant to one thing... and that is simply that as the musical director of this project, he succeeds in creating an artistic, moody combination of music that initially would seem musically at odds, but somehow finds a resolution that creates an intense feeling of anxiety and paranoia as you follow along.
I should also point out Reznor's popular music moniker, Nine Inch Nails, is also part of the mix with the track he also released as a single, 'The Perfect Drug'.
This is certainly a disturbing compilation of material and it's definitely worth exploring if you're into any of the artists and bands featured on the disc. If you can track it down, experience the strange for yourself. My final words: REZNOR'S FIRST FORAY INTO FILM MUSIC IS A DARK AND STORMY SUCCESS.
LOST HIGHWAY - LOST HIGHWAY
01. David Bowie - I'm Deranged (Edit)
02. Trent Reznor - Videodrones: Questions
03. Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug
04. Angelo Badalamenti - Red Bats With Teeth
05. Angelo Badalamenti - Haunting & Heartbreaking
06. The Smashing Pumpkins - Eye
07. Angelo Badalamenti - Dub Driving
08. Barry Adamson - Mr. Eddy's Theme 1
09. Lou Reed - This Magic Moment
10. Barry Adamson - Mr. Eddy's Theme 2
11. Angelo Badalamenti - Fred & Renee Make Love
12. Marilyn Manson - Apple Of Sodom
13. Antonio Carlos Jobim - Insensatez
14. Barry Adamson - Something Wicked This Way Comes (Edit)
15. Marilyn Manson - I Put A Spell On You
16. Angelo Badalamenti - Fats Revisited
17. Angelo Badalamenti - Fred's World
18. Rammstein - Rammstein (Edit)
19. Barry Adamson - Hollywood Sunset
20. Rammstein - Heirate Mich (Edit)
21. Angelo Badalamenti - Police
22. Trent Reznor - Driver Down
23. David Bowie - I'm Deranged (Reprise)
Another European single! This time, Marilyn Manson's 'The Fight Song'! This is the first of a 2-Disc set and also came with collectible Tarot cards with Manson and band members posing as figures from the Major Arcana cards in a standard tarot deck. My particular copy came with the Emperor, Fool, Devil and Death cards.
Although there are 3 tracks listed on this disc, the third is actually a multimedia track you can only play on a computer. Therefore, it doesn't count towards the running time on the disc and allows the song to be counted on the Euro charts.
I would comment to say 'The Fight Song' is standard Manson fare, but it's more accurate to say, it's standard fantastic Manson fare! This is one of his good songs and I quite love it. The second track is Slipknot's remix of the track and although they sorta dropped the bottom out of the tempo, it's a pretty good mix. The multimedia track is the music video for 'Disposable Teens'.
Usually, these first discs in multi disc UK and Euro sets are the ones I find the least value in. Especially when the additional track is an edit, mix or another album track. However, in this case, there's all kinds of added value. The remix is a bit of a cop-out but the addition of the multi media track and the collectible tarot cards makes this an awesome release and one I seriously enjoy owning! Like other European and UK singles this disc comes housed in a slim case.
My final words: EXTREMELY COOL MANSON SINGLE WELL WORTH YOUR TIME IN TRACKING DOWN.
MARILYN MANSON - THE FIGHT SONG
01. The Fight Song
02. The Fight Song (Slipknot Remix)
03. Disposable Teens (CD-Rom Video)
This interesting import single is actually the product of a film soundtrack rather than a Marilyn Manson album which explains the addition of tracks by other bands. Both Mest and Stabbing Westward get a chance to deliver some goods with a track each.
Marilyn Manson starts off the single with a cover of 'Tainted Love' the song made a household name by 80's New Wave band, Soft Cell. Although Manson's version is a lot heavier in the beat and slower in tempo, it's a fairly straightforward rendition. It stays faithful to the arrangement created by Soft Cell and Manson's spooky vocal delivery takes a song that already borders on soft core s&m and turns it into sinister snuff porn. You'll be hiding under the bed after this one. And that's exactly what I think he wanted to accomplish! Well done!
Mest appears next and I know absolutely nothing about this group other than their appearance on this disc. They cover Modern English's 'I Melt With You'. There seems to be a trend in recent films to have newer bands cover 80's hits. That's cool most of the time. Sometimes it isn't. I'm not a huge fan of Mest and what they do here. Whereas the goal would be to make a better version of the older track, they just bang it out in a rather aggressive manner that doesn't recall the original track in a way that will make you remember it fondly. Obviously the original is better.
Marilyn appears again on track number three performing 'Suicide Is Painless'. This is a song that was actually the theme song for M*A*S*H*. Unlike the other tracks on this disc, this song dates all the way back to the early 70's. And Manson delivers what could possibly be the creepiest version of this track ever recorded. Again, they score with an amazing sound. If you like Manson at all, this is one track you need to get your hands on.
The final track is by Stabbing Westward. I saw them open for Depeche Mode once. They did a good job. On track number four they offer up a hit by New Order, 'Bizarre Love Triangle'. New Order is a complicated band with so many musical directions it's often hard to interpret their music. But Stabbing Westward are up to the challenge. They don't stay faithful to the original, but they offer up a grunge tinged version more appropriate for the time and it's actually enjoyable to listen to.
The fact is, even the Mest track isn't bad. It's still fun to listen to. That being what it is, this is a great single to own and if you like any of these bands, I don't know why you wouldn't own it. Of course there's always the chance the songs all show up on other releases but I don't own any.
My final words: MANSON DELIVERS SOME CREEPY COVERS FOR ALL THE GOOD LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS TO ENJOY!!!!
MARILYN MANSON - TAINTED LOVE
01. Marilyn Manson - Tainted Love
02. Mest - I Melt With You
03. Marilyn Manson - Suicide Is Painless
04. Stabbing Westward - Bizarre Love Triangle
The Crystal Method are a Vegas band who went to LA to get famous. They came out of that same electronic music movement that spawned The Chemical Brothers. In fact, they are most often compared to The Chems. I remember the days of Napster... And Limewire... People used to list TCM tracks as Chem tracks and vice versa. Always somebody who wants people to think they've got something no one else has. Or to trick people into listening to a different group.
I discovered TCM on the local Las Vegas Alternative Rock station. Xtreme Radio actually played them back in the 90's right alongside Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and Nirvana.
Over the years, I've purchased a lot of their material. My opinion of them is a bit skewered. Because they're so heavily compared to the Chems, I get caught up in comparing them as well... Which, is stupid because they're actually very different bands. I think the only thing they might actually share in common is the equipment they use and the fact they're both mostly electronic bands.
The Chems seem to be influenced by math and anthem stadium rock. They're psychedelic. TCM is another creature entirely. With TCM, I hear the distant influence of house music floating in the background, but what really sets them apart is the fact this band is focused on the beat. They're songs are written with rhythm in mind and the beat is often the biggest part of the song. Everything else takes second place. On the other hand, what sets them apart is the soul I hear when I listen to them. They incorporate a lot of R&B/Soul sounds in their songs. From vocalists to beats, you can hear it bubbling up. Let's face it, they're funky. And that's where their edge comes from.
The first song on "Tweekend" is 'PHD' and it's a groove if ever there was one. I think this is a great opening track because it doesn't overload you, but it reeves the engine and gets you going for something more substantial like track #2, 'Wild, Sweet And Cool". This is one of the funky numbers and they don't so much play the song on the album so much as blow it up in your face! This is the game changer song. It immediately flips you on your ear and sets up the rest of the disc. 'Roll It Up' keeps the beat rolling along. This is another great tune and one you could imagine yourself blasting out the window of whatever vehicle you're driving.
'Murder' features former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman, Scott Weiland on lead vocals. It's a decent track. I feel like it sorta drops the bottom out of the momentum though. Still, it's got a deep bass sound if you pump your speakers up. The next track is probably the strongest on the disc. 'Name Of The Game' is the reason this disc gets a parental warning sticker so if you're listening to the disc with your kids, you might want to skip this one. Even though the song is kicking and the best on the album.
'The Winner' is a track that starts off slow, but has a decent build and eventually gets the sound back on target. I actually think this song would've been better if they'd put it right before 'Name Of The Game'. You'd have the breakdown bit where everything seems to slow down. This track would gradually bring the tempo back up and the punch of NOTG would've been much more exciting. 'Ready For Action' pounds in like a military maneuver from Call Of Duty. It's just so dang funky once the beat solidifies. 'Ten Miles Back' tones everything down and actually starts off sounding like TCM are sampling sounds from old Casio Keyboards, but then their rich, textured beats jump up and you're deep in the track. I love this one too. The female vocalist is subdued and her levels are perfect for the track. She's singing about something left behind and her vocals can sometimes sound distant. At the pace this track moves, it's not hard to imagine you've left something behind. It's followed by 'Over The Line' and this groove is one for chillin'. You can listen to this number while relaxing and it will get your feet stomping without making you move your butt. It's just a nice, calm groove. Sometimes, these are the best kinds.
'Blowout' is up next and it starts off sounding like the opening theme to a science fiction series. There's some drawn out keyboard notes playing over and over until Boom!!!! The beat drops in and suddenly, you're off! This is another one of those funky beats that make TCM so groovy. It's a driving machine of a beat. 'Tough Guy' is the last track on the disc and as it starts you suspect it may also be the only ballad on the disc. And you'd be partly correct. The track is ambitious in that it's constructed of a series of movements rather than a straightforward beat or song structure. And each one has its own tempo. Still, it's probably my least favorite track on the disc even though I appreciate it the most.
"Tweekend" throws you a final curve in the form of a remix of 'Name Of The Game' as a hidden bonus cut. That's always a treat and I like it when groups do stuff like that. Bonus tracks are always awesome!
I quite like this disc and I like TCM so it's not a huge surprise. I don't think they're doing anything unique or different in electronic beat music. But they are the best at what they do. They're out to make you dance, not challenge preconceptions and that being the case, I think they succeed famously. My final words: GOT NOTHING TO DO THIS WEEKEND? TRY TWEEKEND!
THE CRYSTAL METHOD - TWEEKEND
01. PHD
02. Wild, Sweet And Cool
03. Roll It Up
04. Murder
05. Name Of The Game
06. The Winner
07. Ready For Action
08. Ten Miles Back
09. Over The Line
10. Blowout
11. Tough Guy
12. Name Of The Game (Remix)
My copy of the slip was one I had to order online. I think Trent Reznor gave the album away for free, but if you wanted to own a CD copy, you had to buy it from his website. Which I did. Not only did I buy it in advance, I got the Limited Edition with the bonus DVD.
I later went and saw the tour that accompanied this release and it was phenomenal. I loved every minute of it.
Although I enjoy this album a lot, it's by no means Reznor's best work. It's still above average by any means, but it seems a bit disjointed. At least to me. For collector's and fans, "The Slip" is the 27th Halo.
As with previous releases, "The Slip's" opening track, '999,999' is a cresting wave of sound seguing into the first actual song on the disc. It's an ambient pulse that gradually gets louder until the pulse pounding drums kick in for '1,000,000'. This song makes me think of that moment in life where you look in the mirror and wonder, "How the heck did I get here?" It's the realization things haven't quite happened the way you wanted them to. Even a rock star like Reznor can feel this sense of detachment. It's followed by 'Letting You'; which is basically an outcry against the political lies politicians of the day used to drag the US into another war. He cries in disbelief that even when we know the truth, we let the people who deceive us get away with it and we still follow their direction. It's a song raging against apathy and a battle cry for accountability. In cases like this, I think Reznor is probably one of the few artists who can be political without crossing a huge moral line. Mostly because what he's calling out for isn't revolution or a change in government, he's calling the listener out to hold people responsible for their actions. In other words, we have to stop letting people get away with bad behavior.
In its own way, 'Discipline' continues the theme. This incredible track blazes forward like a funky train rolling down the tracks. He finds himself unable to find a thread or way to organize his thoughts. He finds that in another person. Maybe a sounding board he can share his thoughts with. It's in the sharing that he finds a structure. A way to shape what he's feeling into something more than abstract thought. It's this discipline of his audience/confidant to preserve his sanity. To focus his rage. His anger.
'Echoplex' is a more complicated concept. Live, this was one of my favorite performances of the tour. On the album, it's a thought provoking song. It seems to aspect 'Discipline' in a strange way. Where the listener is the one who brings structure to his thoughts, 'Echoplex' is his way of viewing them from the distance of the stage or from his position in live. He wonders just how effective his influence is and just how powerful it could be as well. Interesting subject matter. 'Head Down' kicks in with a stuttering drum track and some distortion ripping over the top of it. I feel like this song is Reznor telling his public that the image we have of him isn't really who he is. It's a facade. A character he plays. It's just a fantasy. But it's not real. This is an idea you hear from other artists like Alice Cooper or Marilyn Manson. I believe it only to a certain degree. The music he creates and shares with the public obviously comes from a very personal place and he shares honest feelings and thoughts. Because of that, it's hard to divorce a character from the real person underneath. I see Nine Inch Nails concerts as being filled with special effects that enhance the reality of the music and the song writer. In that sense, there is a distortion covering him. But what's underneath is still real.
'Lights In The Sky' is a terribly sad song. Of all the tracks on this album, this one feels the most personal. It's a farewell of sorts to a specific person. We may never actually know who, but there are so many metaphors for death in this tune, one can only speculate... This is a simple piano and vocal track. Very effective and minimalist. The next number is the longest on the disc. 'Corona Radiata' is one of the soundscapes he's been working on lately. It could've easily fit on "Ghosts" or on the soundtrack to one of his film scores. It starts off like a note held in an infinite loop. Sound is filtered, and layered around it, but it doesn't change until midway through the song when it devolves into a painfully slow distant beat. It trudges along and sound begins to swell up and surround it. This is a remarkable soundscape. One of his best. The crescendo is magnificent and haunting.
'The Four Of Us Are Dying' builds on a small sounding beat and more subtle noises to create a something that sounds like a satanic carnival rolling into town. There's something sinister moving through this track and it's remarkable. It flows into 'Demon Seed', the final song. He finally realizes what his purpose is. He has to use his influence to destroy the system of control governing our world. He must rage and fight against everything that champions as right that which is actually wrong. And quite frankly, we're given the choice to go along with the ride or get out of the way.
There's an amazing theme running through this disc and I could actually discuss it in depth for hours. Even though I think it pales in comparison to his other works, this is still an exceptional record and shouldn't be discounted. It feels more like a personal period of reflection and epiphany for Reznor. He took it and turned it into music and shared his journey for his fans to hear.
For those of you lucky enough to go for the ride, it's a thrilling experience. For those of you who didn't, you really missed out.
The DVD contains 5 songs from the album recorded live from the rehearsals for the tour. They were filmed in June of 2008. It's a short set, but one that's enjoyable to watch. You see the band perform the music without all the special effects of the live stage. It feels somehow more genuine even though the stage show was incredible.
My final words for "The Slip": WITHOUT A DOUBT AN INCREDIBLE RELEASE! A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY NINE INCH NAILS FAN AND THOSE WHO ARE CURIOUS ABOUT REZNOR'S WORK! AN UNPARALLELED EXPERIENCE!
NINE INCH NAILS - THE SLIP
AUDIO
01. 999,999
02. 1,000,000
03. Letting You
04. Discipline
05. Echoplex
06. Head Down
07. Lights In The Sky
08. Corona Radiata
09. The Four Of Us Are Dying
10. Demon Seed
VIDEO
01. 1,000,000
02. Letting You
03. Discipline
04. Echoplex
05. Head Down
I've often thought the way to be successful in entertainment is to find a niche and fill it. More often than not, groups that have longevity appeal to a very specific audience or they become tied to something that appeals to a large group of people. Rob Zombie is one of the few artists who've actually done this better than just about anyone by taking his love of B movies and classic horror and turning it into a music career. He bases his songs on horror culture themes. But not so much the slasher murder genre as the old Bela Lugosi, Ed Wood, Vincent Price horror classics. He named one song, 'Dragula' after the car created by Grandpa in "The Munsters" TV series. He also writes music aimed towards a more Americana genre.
With 'Educated Horses', Rob returns with typical Zombie flare. Many of the songs feature the power guitar chords Zombie fans have come to expect. He writes music in the vein of old movie scores. There are some different styles happening here. These are mainly caused by the presence of new band members who bring a different sound to his work. You can hear former Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5 experimenting with acoustical guitars on songs like 'Sawdust In The Blood'. There are some strange things happening I'm not sure I like.
While reading up on this record, I was surprised to learn this album sold so well. In all actuality, I didn't like it nearly as much as previous efforts. Of the entire record, I have only three songs I really enjoy. The rest I can safely ignore. The three tracks I really like are 'American Witch', 'Foxy Foxy' and my absolute favorite, 'Let It All Bleed Out'. 'Let It All Bleed Out' has one of the most interesting vocal builds on a chorus I've heard in ages. Rob's harsh roar repeats the phrase building in volume and anger until he's practically yelling at you. It's very exciting.
There's plenty of creepy crawlies, scary monsters and power chords on 'Educated Horses'. More than enough to keep Zombie enthusiasts happy for another couple years until another disc is due. But for this fan, it left me a little homesick for his more adventurous days. My final words: SKIP IT UNLESS YOU'RE A TRUE ZOMBIE FAN.
ROB ZOMBIE - EDUCATED HORSES
01. Sawdust In The Blood
02. American Witch
03. Foxy Foxy
04. 17 Year Locust
05. The Scorpion Sleeps
06. 100 Ways
07. Let It All Bleed Out
08. Death Of It all
09. Ride
10. The Devil's Rejects
11. The Lords Of Salem
The one thing I've always loved about Marilyn Manson is what I call the great "galloping" drum beats they sometimes use. Adam and the Ants championed the loping drum sound back in the 80's and Marilyn picked up the banner for the 90's and 2000's. But that's not the only reason. I've also been drawn to the theatricality of this group. So much outrage over something so simple minded.
Marilyn Manson is one of those people who woke up one morning, looked out the window on his suburban neighborhood and said, "I'm gonna write and perform music based on everything a mother would hate." The band and songs were conceptually created to upset parents. In that sense alone, Marilyn Manson is a social experiment in modern parent/child relationships.
As a "Best Of" compilation, 'Lest We Forget...' fails to achieve a true "Best Of" title. I've always thought if you really wanted to create a "Best Of" record you'd let the hardcore fan base choose the tracklist. These are the people who would really have a say in what the best songs by the group actually are. In the grand tradition of record company formula releases, the "Best Of" is actually a single disc collection of released singles and oddities. But hardly represents the band's best work.
For the most part, I genuinely like the majority of the songs on this release. Marilyn Manson falls into a category of music I like to call "Go-Go Metal". Bands who use industrial beats and sounds, combined with new wave synthesizers, power chord guitar work and a theatrical approach to live performance. I've enjoyed bands in this genre for a long time. They have so many elements of entertainment I find exciting.
Considering I have all of Manson's albums, going through this disc song by song will be kinda pointless. Better by far to focus attention on the tracks that are safely assigned strictly to this release. The cover tunes are the most obvious. Depeche Mode's 'Personal Jesus' makes an appearance and the arrangement is fairly faithful to the original version. Of course the very subject matter and lyrics make it perfect for Manson's character to perform. In fact, after listening to his version, Martin Gore would have done better donating the tune to Manson first time around. It easily fits his image more than it ever fit theirs. And that's from a die-hard Mode fan.
Although Soft Cell's version is also a cover of the 1964 Gloria Jones classic 'Tainted Love', it's the first version of the song to gain any notoriety. Based on it's success, other bands have recorded the track or sampled Soft Cell's arrangement. From my understanding, Manson recorded this song for a movie soundtrack that used popular artists of the time covering 80s classics. Another track worth drawing some attention to is the cover of the Eurythmics classic 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)'. Although it appears on a regular album, it's interesting to see it among a compilation containing to many cover tunes.
I think I'd be interested in seeing Manson release an all cover tune record. He's done some brilliant covers. Like the cover of Danny Elfman's 'This Is Halloween' from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" or David Bowie's 'Golden Years'. He's also performed live cover versions by other artists such as Madonna's 'Like A Virgin'. That would be an interesting CD.
My final word: TWO THUMBS UP. I quite like what's happening here. Great disc with some awesome tunes. Would be better if was titled 'Lest We Forget The Singles Of', but that's being nit picky (even if it is accurate).
MARILYN MANSON - LEST WE FORGET THE BEST OF
01. The Love Song
02. Personal Jesus
03. Mobscene
04. The Fight Song
05. Tainted Love
06. The Dope Show
07. This Is The New Shit
08. Disposable Teens
09. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
10. Lunchbox
11. Tourniquet
12. Rock Is Dead
13. Get Your Gunn
14. The Nobodies
15. Long Hard Road Out Of Hell
16. The Beautiful People
17. The Reflecting God
Sigue Sigue Sputnik emerged from the London punk scene as the New Wave Romantic movement was gaining speed and Punk was on the decline. In a way, the Sputniks were a power group, culled from some of punk rock's biggest name bands and coming together to create experimental music. The Sputniks embraced everything about the 80's. From punk hairstyles, strange clothes and material excess, this band championed Western Free Market system. They viewed social politics and the world markets and created a product to reflect the environment they found themselves in.
Punk is similar to Grunge in many ways. Both sprung up from the struggles of an underclass trying to find a voice and a face. Both created a movement of sorts among young people. But the 80s were a different time. There seemed to be more emphasis on getting famous and shopping. Materialism ran rampant. In many ways, the Sputniks were the ultimate example of materialistic self promotion. Even the band's videos showed them behaving excessively. Limousines, women, helicopters and military arms...
To take it even further, the band actually sold advertisement space between the songs. The forerunner to the modern day "Segue". Different companies purchased short commercials that were then transformed by the Sputniks into musical bleep transition pieces. An ingenious, albeit before its time notion...
Sadly, the press and music reviewers didn't get the joke. The group was taken way too seriously and were hounded by bad press and terrible reviews. They were doomed to failure.
I, however, quite liked the disc. I thought the synthesizer and sampling use was original and progressive. Other groups were doing similar things, but the Sputniks were really out there on the forefront of electronic technology. I thought they were amazing. The look was punk/glam... One Marilyn Manson would later pick up for his 'Mechanical Animals' album and various other groups followed course. They were the Bowie's of the punk/new wave world and it's a shame they never took off.
My advice is to give the Sputniks a try. They were extremely shocking back in the day. Today, not so much. But they were the grandfathers of the "Go-Go Metal" movement. The theatricality and over the top production of glam metalheads today can thank Sigue Sigue Sputnik for opening the doors of acceptability for strangeness. The Sputnik corporation should be alive and kicking today. It was on target back then. Even dated, it's still a fun listen. My final word: SPUTNIK-A-RIFIC!
SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK - FLAUNT IT
01. Love Missile F1-11
02. Atari Baby
03. Sex Bomb Boogie
04. Rockit Miss USA
05. 21st Century Boy
06. Massive Retaliation
07. Teenage Thunder
08. She's My Man
Orgy came out on the heels of Marilyn Manson, Rammstein, Rob Zombie and other go-go metal acts. My first exposure to this group was seeing them perform live. They were part of a festival show I saw. I quite liked them live and when I saw the CD, I picked it up. My opinion of Orgy is kinda strange. I like them... Especially some of their later stuff. The first album isn't all that great though. There's all the elements of a great industrial metal disc and yet, none of the songs really jump out and grab you. Each one has an interesting hook at one point or another, but nothing that sets it apart from anything else at the time. Sadly, it came across as rather generic for the time.
There seems to be a preoccupation with shocking lyrics. Especially at the time Orgy came on the scene. Including words like razor, rape... seemed to be a way for bands to make themselves seem very anti-social. But with so many acts writing and producing outrageous music, the little lyrical dabbling of Orgy seems almost silly. Later on, the band seemed to move into a more mature view of things. Their subject matter extended to things beyond the typical overblown drama of ridiculous teenage angst. There's a lot of songs dealing with the miasma of petty relationships. Not to devalue a relationship in any way, but there are those people, and you know who I'm talking about, who constantly go on and on about their boyfriend/girlfriend and drive the world crazy by over-analyzing every single minutiae of every single detail... It's too much. And for some reason, the lyrics of this album make me feel like I'm being bombarded by someone's life I just don't care about.
The New Order cover is pretty exciting and better than the original. It's actually the song that got me into them. At one point I had the single but it's since been appropriated by those who plundered my collection. I like Orgy, and I like the album ok. Just not a stand out performance. Still, it's got a great title. My final words: ANGST DRIBBLE.
ORGY - CANDYASS
01. Social Enemies
02. Stitches
03. Dissention
04. Platinum
05. Fetisha
06. Fiend
07. Blue Monday
08. Gender
09. All The Same
10. Pantomime
11. Revival
12. Dizzy
