Cover and packaging

The four-member family depicted on the album cover were created by Manson using papier-mâché and human hair. Also set to appear as part of the album's interior artwork was an image of himself as a child sitting naked on a living room couch.

During this period, the band's management attempted to have it issued through other labels and distributors.|group=N although they found this was not the case. Afterward, Maverick offered the band an alternate deal. Before this deal could be finalized, Interscope agreed to release the album, Portrait of an American Family was preceded by the release of "Get Your Gunn" as the lead single on June 9. Its music video was directed by Rod Chong.

thumb|right|225px|[[Twiggy Ramirez and Marilyn Manson performing at the Slammie Awards show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on July 3, 1994.]]

Marilyn Manson performed as one of the opening acts on Nine Inch Nails' "Self Destruct Tour" throughout 1994. with Monster Voodoo Machine and Arab on Radar supporting. The tour would be problematic, however. The band's vocalist was arrested after the tour's first date, in Jacksonville, for allegedly violating Florida's Adult Entertainment Code by simulating sex on stage while wearing a strap-on dildo.|group=N

This would also be drummer Sara Lee Lucas' final tour with the band. Tensions developed between him and Manson as the tour progressed and, during the second-to-last show, Manson doused Lucas' drum kit in lighter fluid and set it ablaze. He was immediately replaced by Kenneth Wilson, who joined the group as Ginger Fish. The "Lunchbox" EP was released on February 6, 1995, containing several remixes of the song created by Charlie Clouser as well as a cover of Gary Numan's "Down in the Park". Richard Kern directed the music video for "Lunchbox."

"Dope Hat" was issued as a promotional single in the summer of 1995. Its music video was directed by Tom Stern, and was based on the tunnel boat ride scene from Willy Wonka. The band entered Reznor's Nothing Studios in New Orleans to record b-sides for the song's release as a commercial single. However, the release was cancelled, as the material recorded during these sessions was compiled into a standalone EP of cover versions, remixes and interludes titled Smells Like Children.

Critical reception and legacy

The album received mostly positive reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said that "Beneath all the camp shock, there are signs of [Manson's] unerring eye for genuine outrage and musical talent, particularly on the trio of 'Cake and Sodomy', 'Lunchbox', and 'Dope Hat'." Rolling Stone was negative, saying that the album was not the "sharply rendered cultural critique of America [Manson would] like you to think it is. Most of the record comes off like some low-budget horror movie." Guitar World ranked the album at number thirteen in their list of the 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994, although they also featured "Cyclops" at number 47 on their list of the 100 Worst Guitar Solos. Manson himself has been dismissive of the album, ranking it in last place of the band's entire discography in a 2018 list compiled for Kerrang!. Conversely, Kristy Loye of the Houston Press dubbed it the best album of the band's career, writing: "This album's impact on music at the time of release cannot really be underestimated, nor can it be accurately described in a short blurb. Like it or not, Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids gave rock the dark shot in the arm that was needed at the time when music had given itself completely over to the bland and self-indulgent emotional ballads of alt-rock kings like Pearl Jam. Music needed a balance of dark and light and Manson brought the darkness like few were doing at the time when suddenly metal was barely breathing."

In a feature written for the twentieth anniversary of the record, Tom Breihan of Stereogum praised the album's production and quality of the band's songwriting, but said that Portrait of an American Family had aged badly, and was critical of Manson's vocals and the amount of samples used throughout. However, he went on to argue: "What still resonates about Manson isn't really his music, though 1998's Mechanical Animals still stands as a pretty incredible album. Manson was a culture-war agitator for our side: someone willing to jar and frighten the fuck out of the power structures that seemed there to keep teenagers in their place. His whole thing was a violent, overblown rejection of vast forces of oppression and control, and his tactics made him a target, both of mass-culture disdain and of superior alt-culture snark. All that was by design. He put himself out there to take those attacks. And, on some level, he's a saint for that. Simply by existing, and by moving the baseline, he made lives easier for hundreds of thousands of teenagers. That, rather than 'Cake and Sodomy', is his legacy." It eventually peaked at number 35 on Billboards Top Heatseekers chart, on the issue dated March 25, 1995. The record was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in May 2003 for shipments in excess of 500,000 units. in 2013 the record was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry, indicating sales in excess of 60,000 copies in that country.

| title14 = Down in the Park

| writer14 = Gary Numan

| length14 = 5:00

| title15 = Brown Bag

| writer15 =

| length15 = 6:19

| note15 = Remix of "Lunchbox" by Charlie Clouser

| total_length = 72:11

Sample credits and the liner notes of Portrait of an American Family.

Marilyn Manson

  • Marilyn Manson – vocals, brass, loops, production, lyrical adaption, musical composition, artwork, logo
  • Daisy Berkowitz – lead, rhythm, acoustic and wah-wah guitars, musical composition
  • Gidget Gein – bass and musical composition
  • Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, calliope, Hammond organ, theremin, saxophone, sound effects, loops, musical composition
  • Sara Lee Lucas – drums and sound effects

Production, technical and additional personnel

  • Tom Baker – mastering
  • Sean Beavan – brass , digital audio editing, programming, engineering, assistant producer, mixing
  • Frank Callari – tour manager
  • Charlie Clouser – drums , African drums, drum programming, digital audio editing
  • Donovan – "tattoos"
  • Mark Freegard – mixing
  • Barry Goldberg – assistant engineer
  • Marc Gruber – assistant engineer
  • Roli Mosimann – engineering and original production
  • Alan Moulder – engineering, assistant producer, mixing
  • Chris Meyer – live sound
  • Hope Nicholls – saxophone , background vocals
  • Robin Perine – photography
  • Robert Pierce (aged 6) – vocals
  • Brian Pollack – assistant engineer
  • Twiggy Ramirez – live bass for the "Portrait of an American Family Tour"
  • Trent Reznor – "bionic" guitar , brass , digital audio editing, programming, production, executive producer, mixing
  • Melissa Romero (aged 19) – 'violation' on "Wrapped in Plastic"
  • Brian Scheuble – assistant engineer
  • Albert Sgambati – "tattoos"
  • Gary Talpas – packaging
  • John Tovar – management
  • Chris Vrenna – percussion , programming, assistant engineer
  • Jeff Weiss – album cover image and additional photography
  • Wade Wright – "mood lighting"
  • Sioux Z. – publicity

Charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|-

! scope="col"| Chart (1995)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

|-

|}

Certifications

References

Notes

References

Bibliography