Charles Manson

Live at San Quentin
by Lex Marburger

Is the concept of listening to Charles Manson better than actually listening to him? Well, no. Live at San Quentin is creepy: The lone guitar in a jail cell, poorly played, a feeling of resignation mixed with rebellion pervades it. The sound quality is bad, but the charisma of the dæmon Charles is still prevalent. A collectible bit of sound because of the name, but still eerie, and just as spooky are the liner notes by He Himself: “Mr. and Mrs. America – You are wrong. I am not the King of the Jews nor am I a hippie cult leader. I am what you have made of me and the mad dog killer fiend leper is a reflection of your society… Whatever the outcome of this madness that you call a fair trial, or Christian justice, you can know this: In my mind’s eye, my thoughts light fires in your cities.” Eek.