Type: Contains explicit content, Lyrics are included with the album
Genre: Rock
Review
Coming up screaming from the depths of Florida -- there being no scarier state in the union -- Marilyn Manson cannily positioned themselves as a goth-industrial hybrid on their debut album, Portrait of an American Family. At this stage in their evolution, Marilyn Manson was clearly a band, not just the project of Brian Warner, aka Mr. Manson, who would later simply adopt his band's name as his own. Also, horror-show schlock was a bigger factor than it would be later on, when he wanted to be the Antichrist Superstar for the world at large. In other words, it's Manson at his silliest, singing about "My Monkey" and "Snake Eyes and Sissies." Nevertheless, beneath all the camp shock there are signs of Warner's unerring eye for genuine outrage and musical talent, particularly on the trio of "Cake and Sodomy," "Lunchbox," and "Dope Hat." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Marilyn Manson (Vocals), Marilyn Manson (Producer), Marilyn Manson (Brass), Marilyn Manson (Main Performer), Marilyn Manson (Loops), Marilyn Manson (Artwork), Marilyn Manson (Art Direction), Marilyn Manson (Adaptation), Marilyn Manson (Logo), Charles Clouser (Drums), Charles Clouser (Programming), Charles Clouser (Drums (African)), Charles Clouser (Digital Editing), Charles Clouser (Editing), Mark Gruber (Assistant Engineer), Mark Gruber (Assistant), Roli Mosimann (Engineer), Alan Moulder (Engineer), Alan Moulder (Mixing), Alan Moulder (Assistant Producer), Alan Moulder (Assistant), Hope Nichols (Saxophone), Hope Nichols (Vocals (Background)), Hope Nichols (?), Trent Reznor (Guitar), Trent Reznor (Programming), Trent Reznor (Producer), Trent Reznor (Brass), Trent Reznor (Pandora), Trent Reznor (?), Trent Reznor (Executive Producer), Trent Reznor (Digital Editing), Trent Reznor (Editing), Trent Reznor (Mixing), Brian Scheuble (Assistant Engineer), Brian Scheuble (Assistant), Daisy Berkowitz (Guitar (Acoustic)), Daisy Berkowitz (Guitar), Madonna Wayne Gacy (Calliope), Madonna Wayne Gacy (Organ (Hammond)), Madonna Wayne Gacy (Saxophone), Madonna Wayne Gacy (Sound Effects), Madonna Wayne Gacy (Theremin), Madonna Wayne Gacy (Brass), Madonna Wayne Gacy (Overdubs), Madonna Wayne Gacy (Loops), Mr. Manson (Producer), Twiggy Ramirez (Bass), Twiggy Ramirez (?), Sean Beavan (Programming), Sean Beavan (Digital Editing), Sean Beavan (Editing), Sean Beavan (Mixing), Sean Beavan (Assistant Producer), Sean Beavan (Assistant), Brian Pollack (Assistant Engineer), Brian Pollack (Assistant), Chris Vrenna (Percussion), Chris Vrenna (Programming), Chris Vrenna (Assistant Engineer), Jeffrey Weiss (Photography), Gary Talpas (Packaging), Beavan (Programming), Beavan (Brass), Beavan (Editing), Beavan (Assistant Producer), Barry Goldberg (Assistant Engineer), Barry Goldberg (Assistant), Sara Lee Lucas (Drums), Sara Lee Lucas (Sound Effects), Chris Meyer (Engineer), Tom Baker (Mastering), Robin Perine (Photography)
Portrait of an American Family is Marilyn Manson's debut album, released in 1994. This album was produced by Trent Reznor. As on the band's next two releases, Trent Reznor is co-producer. The album has sold 2.5 million copies worldwide.
The Portrait of an American Family album has an especially wide array of American cultural references. The words "Go on and smile, you cunt" at the beginning of "Cake and Sodomy" are spoken by Marlon Brando in the film Last Tango in Paris. In the song "Dogma," there is a sample from the John Waters film Pink Flamingos, when Mink Stole's character says "Burn, you fucker!" before setting fire to a trailer. Although the clip from Desperate Living is credited in the liner notes, this audio clip is not. Furthermore, John Waters was thanked in the liner notes. The phrase "We're gonna ride to the Abbey of Thelema" in the song "Misery Machine" is a reference to Aleister Crowley's Abbey of Thelema, which was used as the Headquarters from which the doctrines of Thelema would be spread throughout the world.
The track "My Monkey" borrows certain lyrics from a Charles Manson song called "Mechanical Man;" the lyrics of "My Monkey" are credited simply to "Manson". At 02:29 of "Get Your Gunn", there is a sample of a crowd murmuring and a gun shot. This is the audio from the press conference in which Budd Dwyer committed suicide in front of an audience. The words to "Prelude (The Family Trip)" come from Roald Dahl's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Also, the printing of Marilyn Manson on various promos during this time and on the remix album Smells Like Children resemble the printing of the title to the 1971 film version of the novel.
"Killing is killing, whether done for duty, profit or fun" is a quote by Richard Ramirez that is an audio clip at the start of "Snake Eyes and Sissies". "Organ Grinder" features the sample "Lollipops for the kiddie winkies," spoken by the Child Catcher from the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. At the start of "Cyclops" there is a very slowed down and distorted sample of the preacher from Poltergeist II singing "God Is In His Holy Temple". "Dope Hat" contains the samples "the great Hoodoo!" and "Prepare to meet your doom" taken from the Sid and Marty Krofft cult TV show Lidsville. These words are spoken by the actor Charles Nelson Reilly. "Lunchbox" contains the sample "I bring you fire!" from the song "Fire" by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. "Misery Machine" contains a sample from "Beep Beep" by The Playmates. "Wrapped in Plastic" is influenced by Twin Peaks, referencing the image of character Laura Palmer wrapped in plastic, which was one of the show's most enduring images. It also featured the distorted words "Hallelujah" and "Meanwhile" from the Twin Peaks scene in the Black Lodge. This is followed by the distinctive scream of Laura Palmer.
"Misery Machine" (with bonus track. actual song is 5:08)
Gein, Berkowitz, Gacy
13:09
Additional Song Information
The song "Filth" was deleted from the album prior to release, and has never been officially released.
Although there are technically no hidden tracks on the album, there is some additional audio a few seconds after the end of last track, "Misery Machine". The sample, "Go home to your mother! Doesn't she ever watch you!? Tell her this isn't some Communist day-care center! Tell your mother I hate her! Tell your mother I hate you!" is spoken by Mink Stole from the John Waters film "Desperate Living". After this, a telephone can be heard ringing very quietly for several minutes, which is then followed an irate answering machine message, presumably from a parent of a Manson fan.
The song "My Monkey" is different than the version on Big Black Bus.
"Wrapped in Plastic" recycles lyrics from another Manson song, "IV-TV"
"Snake Eyes and Sissies" was originally 5:09, and had extra lyrics.
Album Artwork Conflict
Manson has stated in his auto-biography The Long Hard Road Out of Hell that he originally wanted to use a nude photograph of himself as a child as artwork for the album jacket, but the label rejected the idea on the grounds that it could constitute child pornography. This made it the only Marilyn Manson studio album not to feature an image of Manson on the cover. However, Manson did use a nude photo of himself as an adult for the inside flap photo for the CD Single for Lunchbox The photo did not expose his genitals.
Credits
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson - vocals, producer, brass, loops, artwork (accusations, child manipulations, backwards masking, polaroids credited in the album)
Daisy Berkowitz - guitars (psychoacoustical guitars credited in the album)
Madonna Wayne Gacy - calliope, hammond organ, saxophone, theremin, brass, overdubs, loops (hammond organ, theremin, saxophone, calliopenis, brass, babies, distorted muzette, loops credited in the album)
Sara Lee Lucas - drums, sound effects (hitting credited in the album)
Twiggy Ramirez - in an often misunderstood pun, Twiggy is listed in album artwork as "base tendencies", which of course, would be different from the bass guitar
