THE BEST-LAID PLANS… The long-running legal battle between Marilyn Manson and original bandmate Stephen Bier, aka Madonna Wayne Gacy, has been settled. According to Howard King, Manson’s attorney, the amount of the settlement was $175k, smaller by far than had been speculated in print and on the Internet. Bier’s original complaint sought $20m in damages and has resulted in three years of costly litigation. Bier now has to file papers seeking court approval for Manson to pay the settlement amount to Bier’s lawyer, Keith Fink. (12/21a)
yeah, that’s too bad considering he wrote many of the catchy tunes.
Late,
grmpysmrf
But he really didn’t. Just added weird sounds and a few notes here and there for the most part. The only song he was the main author of was “Cryptorchid” from ‘Antichrist Superstar’. Great song but hardly a “hit”.
That was the main problem. He probably got fucked with royalties because he wasn’t a big songwriter. Meanwhile he had this dodgey agreement from the the ‘Portrait of an American Family’ days where they split up all the band’s earnings with percentages and he was supposedly entitled to 5%.
So I guess that fell through and Manson just fucked him over. Who knows though. The guy seemed kind of off his rocker. Probably squandered a lot of $$$ on drugs and shit over the years…
He had a degree and could have worked for NASA supposedly. Good luck getting hired for that kind of thing now…
I just hope he releases some good solo music instead of joining the other rejects in that pathetic Spooky Kids reunion…
[reply]yeah, that’s too bad considering he wrote many of the catchy tunes.
Late,
grmpysmrf
But he really didn’t. Just added weird sounds and a few notes here and there for the most part. The only song he was the main author of was “Cryptorchid” from ‘Antichrist Superstar’. Great song but hardly a “hit”.[/reply]
Yeah, but Cryptorchid is a really cool track. In fact, I’d say all the spooky sounds and weirdness are what was really lacking from the last three Manson albums.
I think he’s currently working as a freelance producer, but I definitely hope he’s got a real album in him somewhere.
Can’t stand the newer covers though. Personal Jesus was pretty weak. Tainted Love was alright. Down in the Park was my favorite of his for a long time. His cover of Golden Years is pretty cool, too.
Yeah, but Cryptorchid is a really cool track. In fact, I’d say all the spooky sounds and weirdness are what was really lacking from the last three Manson albums.
Agreed. Great track. Just not a single is all I’m saying. I’m just talking in terms of royalties and songwriting credits, not what I personally like.
Personally I agree 100%. I think his weird sounds really made the band distinct among other things and I agree they are severely lacking on the last 3 albums.
I think he was a great member and it was cool he stuck around all those years. Too bad he’s gone now but honestly who didn’t see it coming?
If anything it was a shock like, “oh wait that random weird keyboard guy is still there?” Though technically he’s not an original Spooky Kid in the strictest sense…
I hope he at least has enough money to live comfortably now. I mean he certainly doesn’t deserve the $20 million he was asking for but he doesn’t deserve to be broke either.
He’s done work on plenty of singles, and successful ones at that. His work on Mechanical Animals was pretty prominent. Dope Show was a hit. Pogo and Twiggy owned that album from beginning to end. And that album sold millions too. From Holy Wood onward it’s less pogo, then Grotesque which is even more less and close to none.
His work on Mechanical Animals was pretty prominent. Dope Show was a hit. Pogo and Twiggy owned that album from beginning to end. And that album sold millions too. From Holy Wood onward it’s less pogo, then Grotesque which is even more less and close to none.
This is mainly what I was referring to when I said he wrote some catchy tunes. Mechanical Animals is the BEST Manson release to date. Gotta go with “I put a spell on you” for his best cover as well. excellent vibe put out with that tune.
Late,
grmpysmrf
I also think it was the weird atmospheres, like on ‘Cryptorchid’, which made Antichrist Superstar great and the lack of such on everything that I’ve hear since that makes MM crappy.
I remember when i met him once I commented how rev #9 was amazing and that they should do more stuff like that, and he commented on how he records shit like that all the time but they just never get released. I think as far as his lack of contribution to the last 2 cds, well skold kinda became manson’s boy-toy savior it seemed and i think manson edged him out. and/or he lacked interest in the direction. I mean not much ambient keyboard noises and whatnot to be added to some of the bluesier songs on eat me drink me.
also From “daisy’s” blog he commented on working with pogo again.
I remember when i met him once I commented how rev #9 was amazing and that they should do more stuff like that, and he commented on how he records shit like that all the time but they just never get released. I think as far as his lack of contribution to the last 2 cds, well skold kinda became manson’s boy-toy savior it seemed and i think manson edged him out. and/or he lacked interest in the direction. I mean not much ambient keyboard noises and whatnot to be added to some of the bluesier songs on eat me drink me.
also From “daisy’s” blog he commented on working with pogo again.
Well for ‘Golden Age of Grotesque’, it’s probably more like you said. Once Skold came in as the new favorite, Pogo’s contributions to the album were ignored. I mean the programming is good, but the keyboards are lacking and I don’t doubt that Manson actually did play the keyboard on the album as he has claimed in one interview after Pogo was fired.
With ‘Eat Me, Drink Me’, the story is that the band began recording in secret and didn’t tell Pogo because at that point Pogo had woken up to the fact that Manson was withholding money from him.
His last performance with the band was for “This is Halloween” on Jay Leno in '07, after which point he drove to the storage facility to get some gear and was informed that the gear was inaccessible to him.
That’s when he found out they were recording an album without him.
Shortly after that, Manson and co. ejected him from the band and that’s when he decided to sue for the money he’d been asking Manson about.