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Charles Manson: Music, Mayhem, Murder Paperback – August 1, 2002
- Print length260 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSanctuary Pub Ltd
- Publication dateAugust 1, 2002
- Dimensions5.25 x 0.75 x 8.75 inches
- ISBN-101860743889
- ISBN-13978-1860743887
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Product details
- Publisher : Sanctuary Pub Ltd (August 1, 2002)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 260 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1860743889
- ISBN-13 : 978-1860743887
- Item Weight : 10.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.25 x 0.75 x 8.75 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #7,293,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #28,584 in Author Biographies
- Customer Reviews:
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One of the reasons why this book is so good is because Udo did not just write about Manson, he actually asked people their point of view of Manson. Some girl said that she thought Manson was cool and Udo asked her some questions back and you could totally see that she knew almost next to nothing about Manson. Udo takes many points of view in to consideration when he wrote this book. Overall it is a good book and I think you should buy the book ONLY if you are interested in reading about the relationship of Manson and music.
Udo is a fine writer, and he knows his music, but he offers absolutely nothing new to the case. His main theme appears to be an attempt to document Manson's supposed growing influence in today's vast rock music scene, flamed by the likes of Guns N' Roses, Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson. He makes some mildly interesting points, and I enjoyed the terrific quotes by Marilyn Manson following the Columbine tragedy. The very cult Udo smugly warns is rising around the Manson mythos is, however, fueled by shady books such as this. He tries to connect a few distant dots with interesting bits of trivia involving the Metal, Goth and Industrial scenes, but there's not enough documentation or knowledgeable interviews to support his leaky proclamation.
A number of factual errors are so inexcusable as to be surreal, and substantially weaken the book as a whole. Roman Polanski's first film as a director after the crimes was not "Chinatown" (page 40). In fact, the first film, Polanski's uncomfortably violent version of "Macbeth" (made two years after the murders), has been noted by critics as having eerie similarities to the crime itself, with Polanski admitting as much. Robert F. Kennedy was not assassinated in Seattle (page 117), but at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Parallax View" were not inspired by the Manson crimes (page 178) - a stretch, to say the least, and an independent opinion on the author's part. Ironically, one could make an argument that the wave of "slasher" films rising to prominence in the 1970s were indeed inspired by these crimes, but the author never scratches that surface. On and on, the outrageous mistakes continue.
Udo has some interesting opinions on Manson's recorded music, and this is where his expertise shows. There's just not enough substance to quantify for anything more than a mildly interesting magazine article.
These days, the only way to write a book about this gory mess is to pen it in diary tone, personally documenting ones own observations and how they apply to U.S. society today. To Udo's credit, he attempts this vein, but the author does not possess enough emotional or intellectual maturity to support his book. The only time "Charles Manson: Music, Mayhem, Murder" comes alive is when he interviews a Los Angeles refugee of the 1960s (page 186). The man pulls out some snapshots from the period supposedly showing him, Dennis Wilson (of The Beach Boys) and Charles Manson at Wilson's Sunset Boulevard home. I've read enough books on this crime to know full well that very few photographs exist of Manson prior to his arrest in October of 1969 (and from 1967 to his arrest, practically none). In fact, there are no known photographs of Manson at Wilson's home with the exception of a blurry picture that could very well not be him. If Udo had printed this man's fascinating picture in his book, he would have had something new to offer (certainly it could have been marketed in such a way to boost the sales). The LA refugee offers to sell the pictures to him for $200. Udo, possessing the foresight of a rank amateur, refuses to buy. Thus, I must continue to trudge through his tedious exercise.
As the author documents, there's not much left in Los Angeles from the days of 1969. The house on Cielo Drive has been torn down and replaced by what appears to be a castle. Spahn Ranch is gone, though the hills remain. The Barker Ranch in Death Valley stands solemnly, but Udo's trip there takes up about a half page of shallow navel-gazing. If one chooses to wallow in the grubby spirit of this case, that locale is about the best place to do it. Udo flees before dark.
Save your money and either borrow a friends copy (if they're unlucky enough to have purchased it) or borrow it from the library where I am sure no one will steal it as they have all the good books on Manson...