#402: Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar (1996)

Zack; I was pretty apprehensive of this album. On the one hand, there are things like the title or the artwork or the names of the songs. On the other, I kind of like the few Marilyn Manson songs I’ve encountered in the wild (namely Beautiful People and Vampire) and I remember watching Bowling for Columbine when I was a kid and seeing Marilyn Manson be probably the most thoughtful and articulate person in that whole documentary (I rewatched that interview before I wrote this and it still kind of holds up, especially the part where he says “I wouldn’t say anything to [the people of the Columbine High School community], I would listen to them because it’s the one thing that no one did.”) Both of those points gave me hope. I found that the album confirmed that my reasons for hope were right. While I was listening to it, I was reminded of this band that I’ve gotten kind of into in the past few years, Deafheaven. In terms of general sound, there really aren’t that many similarities. But what I like about Deafheave is how well produced the rollicking metal riffs and screeching sound. It’s metal, but it sounds really lush. The production on Antichrist Superstar was comparable in that sense. Even if this album growled where Deafheaven tend to scream, there was a richness to the music that was really impressive. I don’t think I’ll ever get really into it, and I probably won’t ever listen to it again (when I crave metal, which is rarely, I usually just rotate between the aforementioned Deafheaven and early Metallica, and I’m content with not branching out much from there). But it’s certainly worth a listen, even for the less thrashy among us.

Favorite Tracks: The Beautiful People; Antichrist Superstar; Tourniquet

Emily: I always associate Marilyn Manson with his cover of Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode. For the longest time, I thought that was his song, not a cover. Even when I hear the original I always assume it's the Marilyn Manson version. Before today, I'm not sure if I had even heard any of Manson's own songs. Personal Jesus is certainly more approachable to an unaccustomed listener (like me) than most of Antichrist Superstar, but I liked this album more than I thought it would. Yes, it has its moments of disorienting anger and distortion, and it's about 20 minutes too long, but there's grandiose performance and melody surrounding it all. And it just works, better than I thought it could.

Favorite Tracks: The Beautiful People; Angel with the Scabbed Wings; Tourniquet 

#401: The Ramones - Ramones (1976)

Zack: Oh man. I used to listen to this album all the time. Then I just kind of stopped listening to it one day, probably because I discovered that London Calling could scratch any itches I had for 70s punk music. Honestly, I think I’ve missed it. It can be kind of rough, but in an unabashed way. There is a surprisingly clear vision for what the album is supposed to be, which is pretty remarkable considering this was the debut by a band that was, in many ways, inventing a new aesthetic. It knows exactly what it wants to be and really hits the mark. You can imagine how bands often considered the contemporaries of the Ramones, namely The Clash and the Sex Pistols, heard this and just said yeah let’s do this now. And while the Sex Pistols made the sound more aggressive and the Clash brought in a more diverse group of influences and merged them into punk, it’s clear that the Ramones left a great foundation for them to work off of. I still prefer London Calling, but my appreciation for this album was definitely rekindled.

Favorite Tracks: Blitzkrieg Bop; Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World; Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue

Emily: I was introduced to the Ramones many years ago in a perhaps unusual way. Rather than a cool friend or cousin playing a few tracks for me, I first came to love Blitzkrieg Bop when it was featured on the Jimmy Neutron movie soundtrack. I have no idea why my brother and I decided we needed to have that CD for endless future car rides, but it's a surprisingly good, albeit random, collection of pop music. Alongside Aaron Carter, Britney Spears, and a Lil Romeo/Nick Cannon cover of Parents Just Don't Understand, the soundtrack also features some classic punk and pop jams - most notably We Got the Beat by the Go-Gos and Blitzkreig Bop by the Ramones. While the Ramones probably would not want to see their music in the company of these other artists, let alone on a soundtrack for a Nickelodeon kids movie, it kinda makes sense to have it there. Blitzkreig Bop, much like the rest of the Ramones' eponymous debut, is a simple yet hard-driving wallop of power-punk. It's the rough-edged predecessor of the punky '80s pop of the Go-Gos and their peers, as well as the scores of pop-punk bands that emerged in the '90s and '00s. But the Ramones did it first, and they still did it best. While the coolness factor may not be quite the same after years of marketing and soundtrack features, this album stands the test of time with punks and non-punks alike.

Favorite Tracks: Blitzkrieg Bop; I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend; Let's Dance