Manson: Music From An Unsound Mind is a well-structured documentary that takes a look at Charles Manson’s music career and ambitions before things took a turn for the worse.
This astonishing documentary is fluidly paced and shows the quite frankly impressive rise of Charles Manson through the music world. His instant access to people at the top of the business and his actual vocal talent as he made a potential rise to stardom almost look easy. It’s quite hard to praise such a man after all that we now know about him but no one can deny that the man known as ‘The Wizard’ had talent. His musical structure and songwriting were impressive and his Beatles influenced songs are catchy.
He certainly can’t play the guitar very well but is his vocals are a joy to listen to.
Whilst the documentary doesn’t exactly stroke the ego of Charles Manson, it takes a more balanced view. People around him knew he was talented but his treatment and ultimate rejection from the business is what some say led him to orchestrate the Manson murders.
“The Documentary dives into Manson’s dream of becoming a musician so we’re focusing on a little known area of his life that has never been fully understood,” said Lise Romanoff, CEO and Managing Director of Vision Films. “It’s a revelation just how close he came to stardom and how closely tied his failure in the music industry was to the murders that made him infamous.”
Interviewees include Manson Family member Dianne Lake, who joined Manson’s cult at just 14 years old and was arrested with him two years later; Dennis Wilson’s song-writing partner Gregg Jakobson. Who became Manson’s closest ally on the LA scene and was a key witness for the prosecution at his trial.
Manson’s fellow inmate from 1966, Phil Kaufman, who would release the cult leader’s only ever album. Beach Boys’ producer Stephen Desper, who recorded Manson at Brian Wilson’s home studio, and Ernie Knapp, the guitarist in Manson’s only ever band, The Milky Way, and many more.
The documentary is certainly worth a watch as it tells the story of a man driven mad by the music industry.
Whilst this may have resounding truth to it and makes logical sense. I still think we’ll never fully understand what drove Manson to do the things he did.
Summary
A chilling insight into the musical mind of a madman. With extensive interviews with some of Manson’s closest associates throughout his brief musical career this deep insight is well worth a watch for music and true crime fanatics alike
