wMarilyn Manson: Mechanical Animals
It’s not often an album cover gets so much publicity but I guess Marilyn Manson is used to this. I remember reading about this cover everywhere when it was released in 1998. Now it was the album cover that was scaring the grannies not just the music.
Wal Mart wouldn’t stock it and it was actually altered for Japan, not because of the naked alien like figure of Marilyn Manson but because he has six fingers. The Japanese don’t like physical deformities it seems. Funny, only the offensive hand was altered for the Japanese cover.
The breasts are prosthetic and manufactured by George Lucas’ ILM. MM was actually in full body latex for the shoot no photo shop work done here. There’s also a slight scar on MM’s right side, is this meant to resemble the one Jesus gets on the cross?
Wikipedia reports that Johnny Depp is the proud owner of the fake breasts right now. Weird.
The cover was originally shot with nipples and it was Paul Brown (the same designer who worked with MM on Antichrist Superstar and subsequent albums) who suggested it would look more alien and androgynous to remove them. Good call as the nipples just look wrong.
Hidden Messages:
The 1 & 5 are reference to MM’s birthday Jan 15 and also the albums release date Sept 15 and the Devils Tarot Card XV.
Quoted from the Wiki entry: The double vinyl featured opaque white and transparent blue colored vinyl. When viewed through the original blue CD packaging or the transparent blue LP, one can read hidden messages in yellow text in the booklet, which becomes green (such as “www.comawhite.com,” “I no longer knew if Coma White was real or just a side effect,” and “now children it’s time for recess, please roll up your sleeves”).
Omega:
This reminds me of Bjork’s or David Bowie’s approach to making albums. They adopt a character for their albums and each cover. Marilyn Manson in this instance created the character Omega (a Ziggy Stardust like character) who features on the alternate cover for the second vinyl and on the flip side of the CD booklet.
The photographer Joseph Cultice, who seems to have photographed every major pop star, also shot these extra promo photos.
Check the feet out, finding shoes must be a pain.
A cover that only a handful of musical artists around today could pull off.
Explore an Ancient Tomb
Artifacts give you clues to find out who is buried in the tomb.
Play now!
Ancient Egypt
Scroll through pictures of ancient temples and paintings.
Take a look.
Recycle Roundup
Help Gus sort trash and score big!
Play Now
A Different Way to Wake Up
2010 Gulf Oil Spill
No comments:
Post a Comment