FOR a man held culpable for a nation's moral collapse, 80s synths and electro-pop seems a strange obsession for right-wing America's ultimate bogeyman.

But so it is with Marilyn Manson, as emphasised with the release of a greatest hits album. Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams, Soft Cell's Tainted Love and Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus are all given the Manson makeover on this 19-track monster. So many covers suggest a paucity in the back catalogue of the iconic frontman described as every parent's worst nightmare.

Sure enough, this Best Of merely highlights the weakness of the Manson manifesto.

There's plenty of anger and venom, and some interesting social commentary, but after a while the cocktail of glam-rock and goth workouts sound the same.

Updated: 09:08 Thursday, October 21, 2004