Portrait of an American Family is the debut studio album by Marilyn Manson. It was released on July 19, 1994, by Nothing and Interscope Records.
The group was formed in 1989 by vocalist Marilyn Manson and guitarist Daisy Berkowitz, whose names were created by combining the given name of a pop culture icon with the surname of a serial killer: a naming convention which all other band members would conform to for the next seven years.
The most prominent lineup of musicians during their formative years included keyboardist Madonna Wayne Gacy, bassist Gidget Gein and drummer Sara Lee Lucas.
The band’s highly visualized concerts earned them a loyal fanbase in the South Florida punk and hardcore music scene, eventually gaining the attention of Nine Inch Nails vocalist Trent Reznor, who signed them to his Nothing Records vanity label.
The album was initially produced by Roli Mosimann at Criteria Studios in Miami under the title The Manson Family Album. However, the band was unhappy with his production, and this material was then re-produced and remixed in various Los Angeles recording studios by Manson and Reznor, along with assistant producers Sean Beavan and Alan Moulder.
Parts of the album were re-recorded at Reznor‘s home studio at 10050 Cielo Drive, where members of the Manson Family infamously committed the Tate murders in 1969.
Tracklist:
- Prelude (The Family Trip) (Manson, Madonna Wayne Gacy)
- Cake and Sodomy (Daisy Berkowitz)
- Lunchbox ( Berkowitz, Gidget Gein)
- Organ Grinder (Gein, Berkowitz)
- Cyclops (Berkowitz, Gein, Gacy)
- Dope Hat (Manson, Berkowitz, Gacy)
- Get Your Gunn (Berkowitz, Gein)
- Wrapped in Plastic (Berkowitz)
- Dogma (Berkowitz)
- Sweet Tooth (Gacy, Gein)
- Snake Eyes and Sissies (Gacy, Berkowitz, Gein)
- My Monkey (Berkowitz)
- Misery Machine (Gein, Berkowitz, Gacy)
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson: vocals, brass, loops, production, lyrical adaption, musical composition, artwork, logo (credited as “accusations, child manipulations, backwards masking, polaroids, doll family, album design”)
Daisy Berkowitz: lead, rhythm, acoustic and wah-wah guitars, musical composition (credited as “psychoacoustical guitars”)
Gidget Gein: bass and musical composition
Madonna Wayne Gacy: keyboards, calliope, Hammond organ, theremin, saxophone, sound effects, loops, musical composition (credited as “Hammond organ, theremin, saxophone, calliopenis, brass, babies, distorted muzette, loops, Maria, the pitiful pot pie brass section”)
Sara Lee Lucas: drums and sound effects (credited as “hitting”)
Production, technical and additional personnel
Tom Baker: mastering (at Future Disc, Los Angeles)
Sean Beavan: brass (track 12), digital audio editing, programming, engineering, assistant producer, mixing
Frank Callari: tour manager (for TCO Group)
Charlie Clouser: drums (track 8), African drums, drum programming, digital audio editing
Donovan: “tattoos”
Mark Freegard: mixing
Barry Goldberg: assistant engineer
Marc Gruber: assistant engineer
Roli Mosimann: engineering and original production
Alan Moulder: engineering, assistant producer, mixing
Chris Meyer: live sound
Hope Nicholls: saxophone (track 7), background vocals (track 9)
Robin Perine: photography
Robert Pierce (aged 6): vocals (tracks 3 and 12)
Brian Pollack: assistant engineer
Twiggy Ramirez: live bass for the “Portrait of an American Family Tour” (credited as “base tendencies”)
Trent Reznor: “bionic” guitar (track 3), brass (track 12), digital audio editing, programming, production, executive producer, mixing
Melissa Romero (aged 19): ‘violation’ on “Wrapped in Plastic”
Brian Scheuble: assistant engineer
Albert Sgambati: “tattoos”
Gary Talpas: packaging
John Tovar: management (for TCO Group)
Chris Vrenna (credited as “Podboy”): percussion (track 6; credited as “skull” on track 10), programming, assistant engineer
Jeff Weiss: album cover image and additional photography
Wade Wright: “mood lighting”
Sioux Z.: publicity (for Formula)
