Charles Manson on DeBaser: reviews, quotes, works

Charles Manson

Musician

Forcurious listeners of outsider folk, 1960s culture watchers, and debaser readers who enjoy polarized takes.
2 Reviews 3 Definitions 2 Charts

The Profile

Charles Manson (1934–2017) was an American criminal and cult leader whose followers committed the 1969 Tate–LaBianca murders. Alongside his notoriety, he recorded sparse acoustic folk/psych material; the posthumously notorious album LIE: The Love and Terror Cult was released in 1970, and various prison recordings surfaced in later decades.

Led the so-called Manson Family; convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder related to the 1969 Tate–LaBianca killings; imprisoned from 1971 until his death in 2017. His song “Look At Your Game, Girl” was later recorded by Guns N' Roses.

Two DeBaser reviews tackle Charles Manson’s LIE: The Love and Terror Cult. One highlights its stark demo nature, brief tracks, and moments like Look At Your Game, Girl and Sick City. The other criticizes poor recording, talk-singing, and sameness across 14 songs. Style callouts include country and psych-folk shades with Beatles/Doors/Dylan echoes. The controversy around Manson is acknowledged but the focus stays on the music.

Notable Quotes

❝ First of all, it was a DEMO of ideas and sketches thrown down by Manson with the acoustic guitar and little else, in a home studio with a single take, only one microphone pointed, and tapes that in the desert (where they were brought since Manson lived there) got quite damaged. The quality, therefore, is that of a DEMO. Do not expect anything more.