Portrait of an American family was a CD that was lodged in my Discman for a good portion of high school. I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that I have not listened to this record since the 90s but it’s always stuck in the back of my mind as important so here we go….
I’m just going to come right out and say it: it is embarrassing to listen to the lyrics. Three songs in and I’m rolling my eyes so hard that I’m inspecting the inside of my skull for signs of trauma that may have made me think these lyrics were cool. I realize now something that I didn’t pick up as an impressionable 14-year-old with homemade piercings and a ridiculous clown hairdo: this album is a mockery of the scene that it came from and even a parody of the bands future self.
I haven’t read Manson’s book but I’ve heard that it’s very well thought out. I’ve always read that the singer is an intelligent and deliberate person. So I come to this conclusion: the embarrassment that I feel for the absurd lyrics has to be intentional. If that is the case: bravo, sir. If not, then this is a pretty severe case of what I like to call “311 Syndrome”…
Sidebar: 311 Syndrome
There is a song by the band 311 on their album Grassroots that contains a line so awkwardly bad, it’s embarrassing to listen to. The lyrics “now let me tell you something—you fuckin’ pice of shit” are so inane that I want to slap the singer for making me listen to them.
Okay, If we ignore the lyrics, what we’re left with is a decent mash of metal punk and 90s pop. It’s nice to see heavy poppy music from the 90s untouched by grunge.
The music is sardonic and self-aware as opposed to ironic. I like that.
Cake and Sodomy still has one of my favorite guitar hooks, but the constant stream of absurd buzz-phrases is way too distracting.
I’m not sure who told them that the chorus to Lunchbox sounded cool, but they were probably playing a joke.
It’s not all bad:
The weird bounce between the drums and guitars on Organ Grinder is a highlight of the album.
Cyclops has great production. Particularly the bass guitar sound.
The chorus drop on Snake Eyes & Sissies Is solid pop, even if the lyrics are crap.
On my third run through the record, I’m already done with the concept. I get that they were selling teen angst, their gimmick was music that made parents uncomfortable, but that’s about as deep as it goes. There are too many samples to be part of the songs but not enough to be part of the sound (a la White Zombie’s first record).
Portrait of an American family has a few great hooks and a fun sound, but it’s been many years since I was a teenager, so once the nostalgia fades, there’s a mediocre record under there.
It’s too bad, really.
Verdict: Meh… It sounded better in my memory.
Cassette & Pencil 