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The Golden Age of Grotesque

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The Golden Age of Grotesque
The Golden Age of Grotesque cover
Studio album by Marilyn Manson
Released May 13 2003
Recorded  ???
Genre Rock
Length 57:40
Label Nothing, Interscope
Producer(s) Marilyn Manson, Tim Sköld
Professional reviews
Marilyn Manson chronology
Holy Wood
(2000) 		The Golden Age of Grotesque
(2003) 		Lest We Forget
(2004)


The Golden Age of Grotesque is an album by Marilyn Manson released in 2003. It incorporates themes from the glamorous Swing era of the thirties, as well as from the Weimar Republic.

This album drew a mixed critical response. Although ending up in many critics' 'best of' lists for 2003, other critics consider this Manson's weakest album, proposing that it lacks originality and thoughtful lyrics compared to its predecessors.

Instrumentally, this album is more beat-driven and electronic than previous albums. This is perhaps due to Tim Sköld's presence — some believe this album's sound is at times reminiscent of KMFDM, with whom Skold had collaborated prior to recording with Manson.

Lyrically, this album is full of historical and pop references, much like Holy Wood. References include Peter Pan, Hitler, and Oscar Wilde. As in many of his other works, he makes use of word play and double-meanings, coining words like "gloominati", "sacrilegends", "cocaingels" "mOBSCENE", "vodevil" and "para-noir"

The Austrian-Irish artist Gottfried Helnwein collaborated with Manson on this album. The cover and the artwork inside the album sleeve was created by Helnwein, and this artwork was also shown in his exhibitions.

Also included with some copies was a DVD titled Doppelherz (Double-heart), a short film directed by Manson.

The Golden Age of Grotesque has been viewed by many long-time fans as mildly disregarded, with its main ideas lost. The most enduring theme is chiefly notable in the single "This is the New Shit". The song was seen as poppy, with the chorus - and title - possibly referring to the fact that Tim Skold had joined the band, bringing with him a completely new and different style of music that featured industrial beats and sounds previously ignored in earlier Manson albums. While this could be regarded as Manson's attempt to sell to the masses, the song in fact is railing against contemporary music, i.e., 'the new shit', and goes so far as to spell out the what Manson viewed the formula for mainstream success to be:

"Babble, babble, bitch, bitch, rebel, rebel, party, party, sex, sex, sex, and don't forget the violence, blah, blah, blah, got your lovey-dovey sad and lonely, stick your stupid slogan in, everybody sing along."

The album, probably misconcieved because of the parody that it has placed on its stereotypical audience, follows the evolution of Manson himself ("Thaeter")through to "Obsequey (The Death of Art)", or "art into a product". This album takes on dual layer storylines, first as a punk rock ballad spouting the notion to live life to its fullest in presumption that there is no future. The second storyline takes a parody to the idea that living life to the fullest has led us into a nihilistic stupidity, hence the "rebel to sell" references within 'The Bright Young Things' and the transformation into a commercially acceptable "happy" icon, Mickey Mouse (Manson posed as Mickey Mouse throughout the album's publicity.)

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Thæter" (music: Manson, Gacy, Sköld)
  2. "This Is The New Shit" (lyrics: Manson/music: 5, Manson, Sköld)
  3. "mOBSCENE" (lyrics: Manson/music: 5, Manson)
  4. "Doll-Dagga Buzz-Buzz Ziggety-Zag" (lyrics: Manson/music: 5, Sköld, Manson)
  5. "Use Your Fist And Not Your Mouth" (lyrics: Manson/music: 5, Manson)
  6. "The Golden Age Of Grotesque" (lyrics: Manson/music: 5, Manson)
  7. "(s)AINT" (lyrics: Manson/music: 5, Manson, Sköld)
  8. "Ka-boom Ka-boom" (lyrics: Manson/music: 5, Sköld)
  9. "Slutgarden" (lyrics: Manson/music: 5, Manson)
  10. "♠" (lyrics: Manson/music: 5)
  11. "Para-noir" (lyrics: Manson/music: 5, Sköld, Gacy, Manson)
  12. "The Bright Young Things" (lyrics: Manson/music: 5)
  13. "Better Of Two Evils" (lyrics: Manson/music: Manson, 5, Sköld, Gacy)
  14. "Vodevil" (lyrics: Manson/music: 5, Skold)
  15. "Obsequey (The Death of Art)" (lyrics: Manson/music: Manson/Skold)

Also included after track 15 in Australia, Germany, Spain, Portugal, México, Italy and Sweden:

  1. "Tainted Love"

In Japan:

  1. "Tainted Love"
  2. "Baboon Rape Party"
  3. "Paranoiac"

In United Kingdom:

  1. "Tainted Love"
  2. "Baboon Rape Party"

B-sides

  1. "Mind of a Lunatic" (Geto Boys Cover)

[edit] Credits

Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson | Tim Skold | Madonna Wayne Gacy | Ginger Fish
John5 | Twiggy Ramirez | Zim Zum | Daisy Berkowitz | Sara Lee Lucas | Gidget Gein | Olivia Newton Bundy | Zsa Zsa Speck</small>
Mark Chaussee | Chris Vrenna</small>
Albums and EPs
Portrait of an American Family | Smells Like Children | Antichrist Superstar | Remix and Repent | Mechanical Animals | The Last Tour on Earth | Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) | The Golden Age of Grotesque | Lest We Forget: The Best of | Sixth album
Cassette releases
The Raw Boned Psalms | Big Black Bus | Grist-O-Line | Lunchbox | After School Special | The Family Jams | Untitled ("Refrigerator") | Live as Hell
Selected singles
"Lunchbox" | "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" | "The Beautiful People" | "The Dope Show" | "Coma White" | "Tainted Love" | "mOBSCENE" | "This Is the New Shit" | "Personal Jesus"
Related articles
Nothing Records | Marilyn Manson discography | Jack Off Jill | Celebritarian Corporation | Trent Reznor | Michael Beinhorn</small>

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