Portrait of an American Family [PA] (CD - 1994)

Marilyn Manson: Mr. Manson (vocals, samples); Daisy Berkowitz (guitar); Madonna Wayne Gacy (Hammond organ, saxophone, samples); Twiggy Ramirez, Gidget Gein (bass); Sara Lee Lucas (drums).

Addtional personnel: Robert Pierce (vocals); Trent Reznor (guitar, horns); Hope Nichols (saxophone); Charlie Clouser (drums, programming), Chris Vrenna (percussion); Sean Beaven (programming).

Recorded at The Record Plant and The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, California; Pig, Beverly Hills, California; Criteria, Miami, Florida.

Adapter: Marilyn Manson.

Personnel: Marilyn Manson (vocals, brass, loops); Daisy Berkowitz (guitar, acoustic guitar); Trent Reznor (guitar, pandora, brass, programming); Madonna Wayne Gacy (saxophone, brass, calliope, loops, sound effects, Theremin); Hope Nichols (saxophone, background vocals); Beavan (brass, programming); Charles Clouser (drums, programming); Sara Lee Lucas (drums, sound effects); Chris Vrenna (percussion, programming); Sean Beavan (programming).

Audio Mixers: Alan Moulder; Sean Beavan; Trent Reznor.

Recording information: Criteria, Miami, FL; Le Pig, Beverly Hills, CA; REcord Plant, L.A., CA; Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA; The Record Plant, LA, CA; The Village Recorder, LA, CA; Village Recorder, L.A., CA.

Editors: Beavan; Sean Beavan; Trent Reznor; Charles Clouser.

Photographers: Robin Perine; Jeffrey Weiss.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Hope Nichols; Trent Reznor; Twiggy Ramirez.

While Marilyn Manson's approach was hardly original (in fact, many of the band's gimmicks could be directly linked to bands past), few rock groups on a major label had been so unashamedly confrontational and unapologetic. In fact, all the members went by aliases that combined a movie star's name with a serial killer's. While such future releases as 1995's SMELLS LIKE CHILDREN and 1996's ANTICHRIST SUPERSTAR would place the band at the top of the heavy metal/alternative heap, it was the group's debut from 1994, PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY, that got the ball rolling.

The band received a major break right off the bat by becoming good friends with Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor. Signed to his new record label, Nothing, Reznor helped co-produce the debut with singer Manson, and gave the band the opening slot on NIN's inaugural 1994-1995 arena tour. Manson's music was more straightforward and more metallic than Nine Inch Nails (it was based more around distorted guitar riffs than electronics), as evidenced by the debut's best tracks, "Cake and Sodomy," "Lunchbox," "Dope Hat," and "Get Your Gunn." minimize