Mechanical Animals [Enhanced, Explicit Lyrics]

However, it is in the storyline where we find the brilliance on the record. Manson plays two characters in this, these being the "Marilyn" or good side, called Alpha, and the "Manson" or dark side, called Omega. Even though the caracters are the same person, they represent opposite sides of the personality, with Alpha being naieve, hopeful and somewhat charitable, whilst Omega is a cynical, bitter manic-depressive addicted to every drug in California.

As for the songs....

1. Great Big White World: Genuinely goregous glam track, sung by Alpha, as he is horrified by the conformity of our world.
2. The Dope Show: Musically brilliant, this lets us in on Omega's cynicism, and the emptiness of his fame.
3. Mechanical Animals: Alpha dealing with the mechanical nature of this "Bride".
4: Rock Is Dead: Industrio/Glam mixture, Omega bitching over the agonisingly ignorant criticism he recieves for being controversial. Damn catchy too.
5. Dissassociative: Omega overdoses on drugs (again), obstensibly for his depression, and reverts to Alpha, seeing the world as a "Dead Astronaut". Very Bowie, and very good.
6. Speed of Pain: Omega, now on a come down, vents his angst, and it is here where we first see his despiar.
7: Posthuman: Alpha, infuriated at the superficiality of our world and our religion, reminds us of the Antichrist Superstar and tells us to wake up to our god being a Statistic.
8: I want to dissapear: Omega, full of anger and frustration, blasts us in a punk sneer about how shallow he has become thanks to our screwed up society.
9: I dont like the drugs: Omega makes fun of all those who have supposedly 'given up' their addictions, but really traded in the drugs for the church, ending up with another addiction.
10: New Model: Omega raves about how the media is creating a new type of person, all shallow and "Homopolitan."
11:User Friendly: Omega is distraught, and now the sex is as mechanical as the people, with it being a weapon and not a f**kfest.
12: Fundamentally Loathsome: Omega resolves to end it all, not knowing what is real emotion, and what is preprogrammed.
13: Last Day on Earth: Omega reverts back to Alpha, and confesses his love for Coma White, and pledges eternal devotion. The most moving song on the album, and a good one too.
14: Coma White: The death of our Heroine, exiled from society for the 'crime' of individuality. Tragic ending, but beautiful...

Overall, this is Marilyn Manson's masterpiece. The music is far more sophisticated (and more rock than metal) than any of his previous efforts, and it has some of his best songwriting ever. It is deeply intellectual, it sounds great, and works very well overall.