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You're never quite sure where to start with Marilyn Manson. The truth is, while a lot of people are forever associating him with the goth panto schlock he first burst on the scene with a good ten years ago, he's come on a long way since then.
To be honest, contrary to what people may tell you, what this best of proves is that Mazza actually chucked out a lot of his best stuff once he gave up on the whole "trying to shock people for the sake of it" line. While the stuff on his early albums was essentially dismal post-Nine Inch Nails sludge, once he started concentrating on the tunes, he was responsible for some top ultra-malevolent pieces of shameless party-down panto as evidenced here by the likes of "The Beautiful People", "Mobscene", "Fight Song" and his fantastically twisted takes on "Tainted Love" and "Personal Jesus".
It's not totally free of filler but ultimately time has been a lot kinder to Marilyn Manson than it has to, say, Korn (who've also got a greatest hits compilation out this month) and suggests that as long as he's got the tunes to pull out of the hat, he'll be around to bait the Bush-loving redneck scum for some time yet. Good on him.
Rating: 8/10
Reviewed by Andy James
