Marilyn Manson & David Bowie
Most will have noted or read connections between David Bowie and Marilyn Manson over the years, it's definitely one of the cultural comparisons that sort of goes without saying, in either case if Manson wasn't so fond of stating that Bowie is his hero, they represent much the same thing as musical contemporaries, chameleons who represent an amalgamation of the entertainment and society that produces them. Here is a collection of image comparisons I have made in the past, having them all in one place makes sense, rather than spread across topics
Below is David Bowie on the cover for Aladdin Sane [1972], and Marilyn Manson on the cover for Mechanical Animals [1998]. The thematics of Bowie's 1970s output (in specific The Man Who Sold The World, Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane) were notable for its influence on Mechanical Animals, though not by any means restricted to that album. Ziggy Stardust is mentioned in Manson's Autobiography alongside Scary Monsters also, and there have been countless lyrical or referential nods to Bowie over the years:-
Also, another circa '73 image of Bowie, and Manson as shot by Joseph Cultice in early preliminary shots for Mechanical Animals, eyepatch noted in both:-
Marilyn Manson during Mechanical Animals and David Bowie circa '73:-
"Cat People":-
Mirror Men:-
Former Marilyn Manson guitarist/bassist Tim Skold and David Bowie (I believe during the Serious Moonlight tour, but I forget, I will remember to have a look):-
LEFT: David Bowie's logo from the Diamond Dogs era.
RIGHT: The Omega logo as used in Mechanical Animals:-
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Something relatively new, though familiar subject matter...D 6 V 1 D B 0 W 1 3 - 4 0 U R 5
David Bowie's Hours, released in 1999, the year after Mechanical Animals, features artwork that bears some resemblance to the former album, which in itself was cited as a knowing tribute to various parts of Bowie's earlier career. There are numerous visual similarities between the booklet of Hours and Mechanical Animals, right down to the use of numbers to replace letters in words, as we see the artist and title written thusly within:-
The panel squares, white walls, electronic imagery, multicoloured bar-coding designs and use of minimalist blank spaces and reclining chairs in the booklet bears stark resemblance to Mechanical Animals, so I implore all fans of the album to seek out Hours if you don't already have it, and look for these comparisons. Also, what is interesting is the use of blackletter font on the cover and spine of Hours. I can't find an image of the spine, but perhaps someone can, as it has Bowie's entire name written in blackletter, and on the cover 'David' is the same. Here is a text comparison:-
One could presume that perhaps if Bowie felt like a nod towards Manson in the creation of an album released the year following Mechanical Animals, then Manson perhaps noted this in the choice of typography for Holy Wood, despite it being related to other sources.
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LEFT: David Bowie, in character for the album artwork to Outside [1995]
RIGHT: Marilyn Manson is Omega/Osiris for a Mechanical Animals era photoshoot
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Originally Posted by S.D.
