Charles Manson

Charlie is a convicted murderer and society's poster boy for the evils of hippiedom. But he was also a folk singer. On these 1968 demos, Manson recalls the enigmatic Dino Valente in the way he straddles folk-pop and the more eccentric tendencies of psychedelia. Although nothing here can be considered a product of a psychopath, both "Don't Do Anything Illegal" and "Cease to Exist" rattle with a moody intensity. The former would sound right at home on The Velvet Underground & Nico.