[MUSIC] THE SAVAGE ANIMAL "Top 13 Marilyn Manson Covers"
10.17.12
BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
Marilyn Manson is an artist. If you don’t like him it’s because he touched a hypocritical nerve or you just have no taste in quality. He’s known to the mainstream culture of over protective parents, righteous douchebags, and the uninformed media as a “shock rocker”. There is nothing “shocking” about holding a mirror up for everyone to see themselves. He has utilized theatrics and the macabre to express himself, entertain millions, and rock the fuck out.
Obviously I’m a fan. I can understand how some of his antics can be “tongue-in-cheek”. I’m sure to some teenagers and some folks they see Manson in the same way people my age saw an Alice Cooper. As much as I love me some Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson brings a poetic and literate verbiage that is really slept on. Yes, there ARE lyrics that can be pin pointed and smirked at but the grand picture of his lyrical work is on a level that I’d place with and in some cases above the so called “rock and roll legends”.
I can sit here and babble on about my fan boy love for Manson all day. I’ll spare you. If you’re this far then odds are you’re a fan at least on some level. For all the awesome stuff that Manson has brought to the table, we have to remember he’s a fan boy just like us. I’m sure Manson is the biggest Manson fan boy out there, but over the years he has proven to be a huge fan of certain bands, styles, and songs.
He is not shy to show it. Going back to the Spooky Kid days, Manson has put out a plethora of cover songs. I won’t lie and say I loved them all, but the dude has put out some kick ass tracks. A few of his bigger hits are covers of songs he wanted to re-do or show homage to. At the same time, Manson has snuck in some hidden gems over the years in the guise of random covers.
Today I’m going to take a look at my picks for Marilyn Manson’s top thirteen cover songs.
Off the bat I’ll eliminate a few. I agree with Trent Reznor, Manson’s cover of “Personal Jesus” was a bit too close to the original. It was like karaoke. Good karaoke, but karaoke nonetheless. That is the most I’ve used the word “karaoke” in a long time. Other notable covers I wasn’t feeling include their “This is Halloween” cover for the re-release of “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, I never dug any version of “Rock and Roll Nigger” at all, and the “Working Class Hero”, “Surrender”, and “Highway to Hell” drops weren’t up to par with what I’m going with on my list. Let’s get to it…
-----[13 : “A Rose and a Baby Ruth”
Original by: John D. Loudermilk
Release: The Last Tour on Earth(UK Import), 1999
In the 1950’s John D. Loudermilk released the original, but George Hamilton’s version is the one that would gain more attention. Manson’s version is more like a cover of a cover. It has that 1950’s “teenage heartbreak” croon to it and Manson tears it up. It was recorded for shits and giggles during the Mechanical Animals sessions, but it didn’t show up until the 1999 on the bonus disc of The Last Tour on Earth’s UK version. This is a really fun song. Why hide it on an import?
-----[12 : “Down in the Park”
Original by:
Release: Lunchbox(CD Single), 1995
I had never heard the original, but in the mid 90’s I listened to Manson’s version at least four billion times. It was originally recorded in 1979 by a group called Tubeway Army. Manson’s cover came out on the CD single for “Lunchbox” in 1995. This is just a staple in Manson-dom.
-----[11 : “Tainted Love”
Original by: Soft Cell
Release: ’Not Another Teen Movie’ Soundtrack, 2001
I considered not including this. The original came out back in the day, but the 1981 Soft Cell cover was the big one. It made it high on the charts and became the band’s biggest hit. I didn’t think that much of it before. For some reason it always left a bad taste in my mouth. It just didn’t feel that inspired at the time. Now I listen to it and watch the video and I’m thoroughly entertained. The song is fun and doesn’t take itself seriously, but goes in some really cool directions that otherwise would have been a bland rehash. It’s a good cover and the video is one of the best movie-tie in cross overs I can think of at this time.
-----[10 : “Alabama Song”
Original by: Kurt Weill
Release: Grotesk Burlesk Tour, 2003
I could have sworn I’ve seen this performed more than once, but it was for sure performed on April 11th, 2003 in Berlin, Germany. The original was actually by Kurt Weill in the 1920’s, but over the years it has been covered many times over. The most renowned cover of this is most definitely by The Doors. Still, Manson brings his personal touch to this like anything else. The imagery he had during this Grotesk Burlesk tour matched up to the prohibition imagery we’re painted with the drunkenly cheerful lyrics about boozing it up and losing children.
-----[9 : “Redeemer”
Original by: Jonathan Davis
Release: ’Queen of the Damned’ Soundtrack, 2002
This has to be the most evil song you’ll want to snap your fingers a long to. It just has that old Rat-Pack swagger and bounce to it. Maybe I’m just weird. I’m a big fan of this movie’s soundtrack, even more than the movie itself. Jonathan Davis was the man to put it all together and write the songs for the movie, but due to contract issues and record labels being record labels they couldn’t release a soundtrack. This was no good to Davis or the producers. Davis then enlisted in the help of friends from other popular bands to come in and record their own vocals. This included Wayne Static, Jay Gordon, and Marilyn Manson among others. Manson took the task of recording “Redeemer”. It’s enjoyable and I wish Manson would have gotten to “own” it more or even if he and Davis put it out together with joint vocals.
-----[8 : "You're So Vain"
Original by: Carly Simon
Release: Born Villain, 2012
Carly Simon released the song in 1972 to pretty big acclaim. Others would go on to cover it or “sample” it over the years. Manson’s cover came during the most recent album. The music is credited to Bruce Witkin on bass and keyboard while this dude named JOHNNY DEPP is on guitar and drums. The song is basically about an asshole that Carly Simon seemed pretty hateful towards. This cover is a fun one and is a pleasant surprise on a pretty damn good album.
-----[7 : “Golden Years”
Original by: David Bowie
Release: ’Dead Man On Campus‘ Soundtrack, 1998
“Golden Years” seems like one of the mid-level greatest hits in David Bowie’s catalogue. That’s basically just saying it’s not as “famous” or as celebrated as a “Space Oddity”, a “Fame”, or a “Changes”. That said, I love “Golden Years”. It’s been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember knowing who David Bowie is. Manson recorded a really sweet cover of it in the mid 90’s during the Antichrist Superstars sessions. It would get dusted off in 1998 for the underrated soundtrack to the underrated film “Dead Man on Campus”. It’s not a big featured part of the movie. You turn the movie on, catch the opening credits, and there you have it. It’s a nice casual cover that doesn’t quite match the original, but brings a nice airy and loose feel to it. Bowie’s feels like it’s a good song to dance to. Manson makes it feel like you’re swaying in a pleasant drug coma. Maybe it’s just a guilty pleasure.
-----[6 : “Get My Rocks Off”
Original by: Doctor Hook & the Medicine Show
Release: The Last Tour on Earth(UK Import), 1999
This has to be one of the biggest Manson sleeper picks. I don’t know anything about the 70’s band Dr. Hook. They had a crazy country rock thing going on, but based on this one song they had some good funk and bounce to their credit too. One bad ass aspect is that poet and creative mad man Shel Silverstein is actually credited for the lyrics to this song. The lyrics are perfect for Manson to take a tongue-in-cheek stab at. The lyrics cover all of the fun parts of the Rockstar life of excess. I’m reminded of Queens of the Stone Age’s “Feel Good Hit of the Summer”, but obviously this tune was first. It’s fun to hear Manson rattle off this playful tune. This should have been a single.
-----[5 : “Suicide Is Painless”
Original by: Mike Altman and Johnny Mandel, 1970
Release: ’Blair Witch Project 2: Book of Shadows’ Soundtrack, 2000
In 1970, Robert Altman released one of the best war comedies of all time in MASH. The movie was great and put a new tone on a really serious topic. The movie’s theme song was written by Altman’s son and musician Johnny Mandel. The words are right up Manson’s alley. It’s basically an almost lullaby-esque poem dedicated to the darkness of all hope being lost. Anyone with any life experience can read the words and get chills by its simplistic take on death. Like I said, it’s right up Manson’s alley. The melody is probably even more iconic as the TV version of the movie would adopt an instrumental version for the hundred years that great show was on.
-----[4 : “I Put a Spell on You”
Original by: Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
Release: Smells Like Children, 1995
This is another classic. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins is considered one of the first “shock rock” type of performers. He’d have himself put in a coffin and taken on stage. The music would start and to the fright of 1950’s crowds would peak when this creepy man would come from the coffin and belt out this bad ass song. Manson’s version is respectful of the original, but he takes it to a high level of emotive pain. With Hawkins he had a sense of confidence to his “spell”, but Manson brings a level of desperation to the pleading that is just raw tension.
-----[3 : “What Goes Around... Comes Around”
Original by: Justin Timberlake
Release: Radio 1 Live Performance, 2007
I remember my mind being blown when I first heard this cover. You just wouldn’t expect Manson to sneak out a cover of a Justin Timberlake song. J.T. put the song out in 2006 and was huge at the time. Manson made some ironic jokes about carrying around a picture of Justin Timberlake with him while promoting the album Eat Me, Drink Me. While in London promoting he and Tim Skold did a song or two. One of those songs was this slow and heart felt ballad. The result was a really weird, yet really beautiful acoustic rendition of one the 2000’s biggest pop hits. I always wanted to see Manson put this on an album and start pushing it a little, but at the same time the spontaneous “moment captured” vibe of this out of tuned, cracking cover would be lost.
-----[2 : “People Are Strange”/”Love Me 2 Times”/"Five to One”
Original by: The Doors
Release: Live
Manson’s love for The Doors has been apparent for years, but in August of 2012 he took the stage at the Sunset Strip Music Festival. Those old stories of The Doors on the sunset strip are iconic and I’m sure as a fan Manson knows them as well as anyone. It had to be a cool as shit moment for him to get to rock out with Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger. Manson has that “loose cannon” thing to him that could have seen this performance go down very badly. Instead, he brought his A-game and really channeled the spirit of these all-time best ever songs. I guess that “loose cannon” thing IS the spirit of these songs. I’d LOVE to see a one-off tour of Manson and The Doors. Get in all The Doors hits and then sprinkle in a few reworked Manson gems and a few others covers and I’d gladly plop down the cash for a ticket. I’m very sure I’m not alone.
-----[1 : “Sweet Dreams(Are Made of This)”
Original by: The Eurythmics
Release: Smells Like Children, 1995
The Eurythmics version was already a song that everyone knew. They tore that shit up and put out a really catchy and cool song. Manson started performing it at the release parties of the debut album. Slowly and surely, they’d warp it into something of their own and put it on the 1995 EP. This is the song that started it all for a lot of Marilyn Manson fans. I’m not going to say I was into things for the Portrait of an American Family debut, but this song made me go back and get this album, the EP it was on, and every proceeding release for a good ten years. The sound evil and rebellion was loud and clear once that break down hits where the vocals get choked and the already Evil-licious song takes a turn for the uber-sadistic. I’ll always appreciate the Eurythmics original, but you only need to hear Manson’s take on this track once to know true terror.
