Lest We Forget: The Best of Marilyn Manson

Manson’s Pure Evil Ages Pretty Well

By Richard Abowitz

It is hard to believe that a few years ago Middle America had no better nightmare than Marilyn Manson’s arena-rock evil. Best Of is a fitting tombstone to Manson’s moment in the mainstream: It includes all of his essential pied-piper calls to alienated suburban youth, such as “The Dope Show,” “The Beautiful People” and his cover of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams.” Manson’s mix of fetish, goth, hedonism and metal still jells on these tracks and others. But this devil worked better with his little helpers; Manson’s music stagnated after the departure of key collaborators. The one new track here is a predictably Manson-ized version of “Personal Jesus,” which makes for three Eighties covers. Marilyn Manson may have come on like a Horseman of the Apocalypse, but he needs to be careful that he doesn’t turn into a one-trick pony.

Full Article: Rolling Stone, 11-11-2004, Issue 961