The Last Tour On Earth

The Last Tour on Earth, the live souvenir from the ill-fated Mechanical Animals tour, is an aural document of a primarily visual experience. Marilyn Manson's records are extremely well crafted, filled with revealing sonic details, but in concert he concentrates on spectacle, preferring dazzling visuals to new arrangements. That's not a bad thing -- Manson is an agent provocateur and his shows should be an overwhelming visual experience. There's no need for reinvented versions of "The Beautiful People" or "Irresponsible Hate Anthem," since they serve as the soundtrack for the sights. It's a good selection of Manson favorites performed by a tight band, although apart from rougher vocals and slightly more immediate sound, there are no true differences between the stage and studio versions of these songs. Based on the music, it's hard to tell that this is a live album, except for stray crowd noises and Manson's on-stage ramblings. It's fascinating to hear him act like a sober Jim Morrison, trying to get his audience to yell "motherf*cker" and winding up with an incoherent "maoohahfuer," or relating his spellbinding vision of a dreamworld, where the land is made of drugs, cops give Manson head, and God is spelled "D-R-U-G-S," especially since these rants are delivered, by name, to the Midwestern off-markets of Grand Rapids, MI, and Cedar Rapids, IA. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine