R.i.p Scott and brad. They need more credit than they get. There wouldn't be a manson today, i dont think without them.

I was 24 when this came out. If you haven't experienced seeing him live, you've missed out.  Great job on this video.

I agree that things went over peoples head. I did a project in school about the lyrics to "wrapped in plastic"

I got mad at first when he said Cyclops was a weak song because I personally feel that even if it isn’t a “strong point” in the album, I feel as though it fits perfectly with this album. Plus, it is one of the only songs with a real Daisy style guitar solo, kinda like lunchbox and wrapped in plastic. Also, Sweet tooth is actually one of my favorite songs and maybe the problem is that it doesn’t suck, but it is in fact overrated. I mean let’s be honest, everything Brad touched or did turned to gold, except drugs. R.I.P. Gidget Gein 😤🙏

I remember Manson use to scare the sh*t out of me as a kid. My neighbor listened to him and I was a quiet and easily scared of everything kid. And I always saw pictures of him and it creeped me out. but when I turned 13 I listened to this album and I fell in love with this band and Manson. I became a huge fan of horror movies and weird and obscure things and this was right up my alley. What scared me the most as a kid was the first Manson song I ever heard. which was on Halloween. my brother set up a haunted house in our a living room, dining room and hallway. And he played Revelations 9 on repeat over and over. Literally we had a kid in the back behind a decoration next to the boom box playing it. and he had the kid hit replay over and over again. It creeped me TF out but many years later I got to hear the full portrait album and get your Gunn single and became a massive fan.

To me, musically this album sounds like a mix of janes addiction, alice in chains, soundgarden, rhcp, nirvana, hole, smashing pumpkins, nine inch nails and white zombie.

Charlie Cliuser is a friend of mine and I met his family when I moved to the town I’m in now back in middle school through a kid I fought a lot and is now a good friend 😃

Awesome review. The first album that I heard of Marilyn Manson was Portrait, so if holds a special place in my heart. 1994 was an incredible year for music. In fact 94 through 96 had some of the most intriguing album releases on the 90’s as a whole.

I was 13 years old when Portrait came out and I wouldn’t trade their influence on me for the world. They were my introduction to a word outside of the one that I thought I knew.

It came out prior to the Magazine covers and internet etc. So you had to really dig for info and album credits. It felt like trying to find a long lost treasure. And the closer you got, the further it went.

I think another great ingredient of Portrait was that Manson drew all of the artwork. That fact helped to tie it all together.

Without POAAF there would be no Antichrist, Mechanical or Holywood etc. It set the course for their future creative endeavors and undertakings.

Great review!!! I’m excited to see your review for each of their albums.

It’s crazy that both Portrait and The Downward Spiral came out in 1994. They both sound like family. But totally different in production and style.

1994 was a damn good year for music, bands the fans!!!

This is still one of my favorite albums by Manson. I love how unique it is compared to his other albums and other albums of the time.

This one is the only album of Manson that I'm not 100% familiar with. I definetely love some songs in it, but others I never really paid attention to. Will definitely give it some more listens.

I'm looking forward to this series, I love all his work.

Btw I like how you talk about all the songs and their meanings.

would love to have the old manson back

I think this MM album is GREAT! I'll give it 9.5/10!    My two favourite songs on Portrait Of An American Family is Cake & Sodomy, and Organ Grinder. I think this album is a great start for MM!

I wish they would have put out one more album together with that same vibe. It went from a grounded low level view of society to a high level spotlight which took away from of the grittiness. It's like going from TV Show Married With Children slice of life reality to Hollywood high production in terms of showmanship. Like MAD TV vs SNL. I don't know if I make sense. But I just loved how raw the first two albums were more like. I say both because songs like Tourniquet on AS had that vibe still and Daisy and Twiggy wrote it. Even the music videos still had that raw dirty grimy feel to it, like Halloween on Skid Row.  I know it's not the same but kind of that feel that Alice In Chains had but from a different perspective. After that it became more polished. Not bad at all, just different like you said. Forever grateful for all the interviews and talk shows MM went on though. Loved the soft spoken eloquent approach against the grain. Early 2000s MM reminded me most of Kyo and the band Dir en grey (which was my obsession as a teen). A fun "opposite" in musical style, energy but still has that similar band feel is mid-90s bubblegum glam bands that came and disappeared, like Heart Throb Mob; like weren't afraid to be weird for the fun of it vibe.

Great review. Would love to hear more stories shared to you by Daisy. One song I would loved to have heard your opinion of, is the album closer. Misery Machine is damn near the top song on the album for me. It's just so rock'n'roll and in your face and the riffs are amazing

Love that song

I really enjoyed  this review.

Gunn story was new to me.

” Here is my real head!”. Cyclops is funny.

This Cd shaped who I'm today

I love this album. I had the cassette in 1996 (I was 13 at the time) listened to this everyday and til this day. Amazing musicians and artists. Loved Daisy's sound. Manson's vocals were great. 100% lyrically and musically this Manson album is #1 to me.

i had no idea twiggy had nothing to do with this album, he's in the pamphlet too