SUNDAY DROP - SPIN #100
If this blog was a Test Match in Cricket, I would be happily holding up the bat to the crowd to celebrate a century of spins. It has been 2 years since we started R'nR with Rylo and a lot has happened during that time. I hope that you have enjoyed being introduced to new albums or reminiscing about your favourties, as we have selected a record from our collection to share every week. It has been fun showing my wife and kids different albums at their little age and capturing the moments, even if it is only by way of a blog. Something to look back on in the future and as we spin these records, we get a deeper connection to the music that we are listening to.
Good to be back home this weekend after a big week travelling for work and this week I've chosen the 11th studio album released from Brian Warner a.k.a Marilyn Manson - WE ARE CHAOS. His stage personality that he has created has always been controversial in the public eye and that is all by design. Whether it is shocking stories being released to the critics and media in order to build intrigue or just plain shock value, Manson has been solid throughout his career. My sister was really into his music and I remember her playing 'Holywood' and 'Antichrist Superstar' albums the most on her CD player. Then she showed me 'The Golden Age of Grotesque' and I was blown away by how good it was. That album particularly, really made me follow his career over the years and I'm always looking to add his earlier albums to the R'nR collection. I'm waiting on a few more official re-presses and not interested in bootlegs. What is his best album? Big question to answer and one that I don't know if I can. If you asked me what is his best album of his more recent work - it would be 'Pale Emperor' or 'WE ARE CHAOS'.
If you have a good pair of headphones, make sure to play this one loud in order to hear everything the artist wants you to hear. The album is highly focused and thoughtful, creating a world within the album that invites you to the chaos. We had some chaos this morning when the kids started building a firefighters water plane in the loungin. Talk about inventive! They were firefighters and walked Night Kat Kiz and I through the doorway and into our seats. After a while of playing that game, our daughter decided she was a zombie and started chasing all of us whilst saying, "I am a Zombie". Nothing scarier than zombies on a plane!
Our turntable in the loungin needs some lovin' and we will play this one across the 4 x speaker set-up. Will our children like this music? I think so. They really do love all kinds of music and they are going to grow up with such an awesome taste in music. Night Kat Kiz and I were watching some music videos and concert clips on Friday night, reminiscing about great songs we grew up with - Queen at Wembley, AFI - Silver and Cold and also The Darkness in concert in England. When I put on the Manson song, 'This is the New Shit', Night Kat Kiz went, "Oh yeah I love this song". This week I also listened to the new 'Vultures 1' album by Ye and have the lyric stuck in my head - "Beautiful, butt naked, big titty women just don't fall out of the sky ya know" - Thanks mate.
Image: Marilyn Manson a.k.a - Brian Warner or 'The God of Fuck'
It's time to #dropthestylus on this 2020 album - 'WE ARE CHAOS'. Manson would say, "Are you motherfu#$ers ready?"
Whether it is time or maturity, I really do enjoy this album and didn't realise when it was chosen randomly, that it was also our 100th Sunday Spin. I think it's fitting because there is a lot to like about this album. I think a strength of mine is my range of genres that I enjoy listening too, always have some album or artist that I can relate to others with.
Let me take you back a bit, to the '70s and see how many of you have heard of Country music star - Waylon Jennings. If you have, then you'd be surprised to know that his son -Shooter Jennings collaborated with Manson to create this album together. Jennings has become a talented producer and stated that he originally began playing guitar because he was a huge fan of Manson's music. To then work together and feed off Manson's confidence in him must have been a dream come true.
The opening track of 'WE ARE CHAOS' is menacing and primal sounding with the pulsing sounds and deep bass tones coming through the speaker. 'RED BLACK AND BLUE' has Manson speaking to us like he is the presenter or announcer on the television as different broadcasts are being transmitted through. He mentions that, "But I didn't realise that you could walk on water without legs. Now I'm a bee, the king bee and I will destroy every flower". The drum tracking of Jennings comes in as Manson's says, "All I can see are gods on the left and demons on the right". At that moment the song comes to life as if you have found the program on the television that the artist wants you to watch. The title track ('WE ARE CHAOS'), offers a new program coming through your broadcast, one with acoustic guitars and ballad sounding vocals that show Manson's range as an ever evolving artist. I find the lyrics are very poetically written, often melancholy or evocative too. This song is almost anthemic to be honest, would sound amazing in a mosh pit with everyone singing along and Manson up on stage orchestrating the masses.
One of the first songs that was recorded by Jennings and Manson is up next, 'DON'T CHASE THE DEAD'. There are some creepy tones coming through the speakers, layered with mesmerizing guitar riffs both electric and acoustic. This song makes me visualise a person who delves into the use of a Ouija board and they get more than what they bargained for. You only have to check out our Spin on The Mars Volta - Bedlam in Goliath to understand what I mean. A song that is a warning and rolls very nicely into the next song, 'PAINT YOU WITH MY LOVE'. Almost a romantic sounding song, suitable for Valentine's Day that fell during the week. I managed to get my wife some delicious coffee beans and fresh honey from my working trip that I hope she enjoyed. I found myself looking at the artwork again while this song played, singing along to the words, "Because the king is invisible, the king is invisible and death is a profession. So let me paint you with my love, with my love". There is a very distinct change within this song and it sounds awesome through the speakers at a louder volume. Piano/keyboard being played with some vocal altering screams provide a moment where you could mosh in the loungeroom if you really wanted.
Probably my favourite track on Side A is up next, 'HALF-WAY & ONE STEP FORWARD'. The moment you hear the opening keys being played and tempo pouring into the room, you will be tapping your fingers or feet along to Manson singing, "It's not about the storm of tears, that you make when you're alive. Half-way and one step forward, past the point of no return". What has been your overall feeling of the first side? I bet you are pleasantly surprised by how much you are liking this album aren't you. We are half-way of the album now and the stylus has found its way to the dead wax, signaling time to flip the LP over to Side B.
Favourite lyric:
"I'm not special, I'm just broken and I don't wanna be fixed. No one else I, No one else I wanna be like. So I stayed the same like nobody else" ~ Solve Coagula - Side B
I read somewhere online that Manson wanted to create two distinct halves on this album and that it was best presented as an LP, because you have to physically change from Side A to Side B. Instantly, the opening sounds of 'INFINITE DARKNESS' provide a darker sound. He did name the artwork after this song title too and once again find myself holding the artwork in my hands, almost hypnotized by the painting. If you have frames on your wall to hang some vinyl artworks, this one would make you look at it every time you walk into the room. Manson has also included a painting on a pull-out poster called, 'Never-ending Astral Vampire' and it is pretty well painted too. I think it is effective because of the colours used and the imperfections - just like in life, nothing is perfect. Except if you are talking to Night Kat Kiz, she will tell you that coffee is. If you are following along with the lyrics over the album, it will give you a deeper appreciation to the music and also to the creativity and talent of Manson as an artist.
Almost instantly the sounds of "Get behind me, get behind me, Satan" blasts through the speakers on the song - 'PERFUME'. I think he had a lot of creative inspiration on this album with all that was going on in his personal life and the world events. I'm glad to see that he and his wife are settled and he can focus on his music again. Not fair that people take advantage of his stage personality to impact his life, when the allegations weren't true. On this album, I find that the music does go too quickly and forces you to spin it over and over. The talent on each song was so concentrated and there was no fat left over from the sessions, as every creative moment made the album. If they work together on Manson's next album it will be very intriguing to see what direction they move towards.
Drum tracking by Jennings is used again and even though I prefer an actual drummer, the production and detail on this album is incredibly good. 'KEEP MY HEAD TOGETHER' is a song talking about Manson remaining himself and keeping a level head, no matter what is going on. The darkness is seeping through the light on this track and I can hear the battle back and forth between the music and the layers being heard. The guitar work on this song by Jennings is a standout and his dad would be proud, even though it isn't his traditional country and western style.
The title of this song is spoken at the end of the previous track, 'SOLVE COAGULA'. What does it mean? I think from what I could find online, is "nothing new can be built if we don't first make space for it - separate and join together". The lyrics on this song are pretty self-reflective of Manson and what he was going through at the time. Once again the guitar work on this song blends well with his vocals and I've chosen the chorus as my favourite lyrics (see above). I see this song and the last song as a combo, best listened too as a whole and that makes the last track my favourite on the whole album. 'BROKEN NEEDLE' is an interesting song that lasts forever, or until your stylus breaks or the power goes out. They have pressed the record with a locked groove that really does sound like a broken needle, skipping on the song for eternity. One to close your eyes and listen too, absorbing the music and appreciating the direction this album has taken you on. Our kids have asked if they can build Lego and make a 'mega' construction. I'll have to lift the stylus on WE ARE CHAOS because, it honestly never stops.
This 100th Sunday drop of our R'nR collection has come to and end and we hope that you liked what you heard. Definitely an album best heard in its entirety and in sequence to capture the moment it is trying to deliver. Give your loved ones a hug, appreciate these moments and don't be so hard on yourselves ok. Interested to know what has been your favourite spins from the blog over the previous #99. Please let me know in the comments below or on our social pages if you have the time.
Until our next Spin, be Kind to the misunderstood ones and be Kind to your Wax!
"When people say' I want to be like you', I tell them if you want to be like me, Then be yourself"Â - Marilyn Manson
YEAR RELEASED | 2020 |
PRODUCED BY | MARILYN MANSON & SHOOTER JENNINGS |
LABEL | LOMA VISTA |
PRICE RANGE | $60+AUD |
SPEED PLAYED AT | 33 1/3 RPM |
ALBUM BEFORE | HEAVEN UPSIDE DOWN (2017) |
ALBUM AFTER | N/A AT TIME OF WRITING |
FURTHER LISTENING | THE PALE EMPEROR (2015) |
FAVOURITE SONG | SOLVE COAGULA OR BROKEN NEEDLE |
RATING OUT OF 5 | 5 |
WHAT'S INSIDE THE RECORD SLEEVE | 1 X RED TRANSPARENT LP, PRINTED INNER SLEEVE AND 24X24 POSTER OF ORIGINAL MARILYN MANSON PAINTING - NEVER ENDING ASTRAL VAMPIRE. SIDE B LAST SONG HAS LOCKED GROOVE SO THE ALBUM NEVER NEDS |
TRACK LISTING
LP / SIDE | SONG | TRACK LENGTH |
​SIDE A | RED BLACK AND BLUE | 5:03 |
WE ARE CHAOS | 4:00 | |
DON'T CHASE THE DEAD | 4:17 | |
PAINT YOU WITH MY LOVE | 4:29 | |
HALF-WAY & ONE STEP FORWARD | 3:16 | |
SIDE B | INFINITE DARKNESS | 4:15 |
PERFUME | 3:33 | |
KEEP MY HEAD TOGETHER | 3:49 | |
SOLVE COAGULA | 4:22 | |
BROKEN NEEDLE | 5:23...LOCKED GROOVE |
Marilyn Manson up on stage singing the masses