Nine Inch Nails Apprecation Thread

[IWasBored]

i don't recall seeing a thread dedicated to nin in this forum, probably cos no one here likes them.

they're one of those bands i hated the first time i heard them ("march of the pigs" from the downward spiral when i was 12 or so) and ended up really liking a few years later (they were my favourite band for a few months in ninth grade and for some reason it seemed fitting to blast pretty hate machine while moving into the dorms last fall....too bad the tape player ate the tape...)

sooo...do you love or hate trent reznor?

 

[Nate Dogg]

Definitely not "happy" music, but I'd say Pretty Hate Machine is a classic album. Downward Spiral was good, too, but weak in spots. "Something I Can Never Have" may be the most depressing song I've ever heard.....

 

[Angela Harlem]

Closer was my first intro to them, back in the time when it was quite cool to like such angst filled music. Was that about 96 or something? I mysteriously ended up with one of their albums once, and as it happens, it mysteriously disappeared again. I think they're quite interesting. That black kind of sound is good every now and then. I'm not overly familiar though, got recommendations?

 

[clarityat3am]

YUMMY!

Trent Reznor

and he makes good music too!

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

I hurt myself today just to see if I could still feel pain.

 

[u2loopy]

I am a huge Nine Inch Nails fan. I also assumed no one here was too fond of Trent Reznor's music.

Trent Reznor has always been pigeonholed to be "Goth" or "creepy and scary". Never has someones's talent been so underappreciated because of a stereotype. Each album he has made goes from such drastic extremes, they sound like they are made from different musicians.

Pretty Hate Machine- the perfect example of late 80's dance/new wave angsty music. But with a hard edge added to it.

Broken-Welcome to the 90's and to thrash metal. One of his harshest and angriest albums, yet it includes a cover from good old Adam Ant.

The Downward Spiral- If listened to as a concept album you will see it to be a disturbing story of a man who has reached the end of his rope. Each song heard on it's own sounds excellent. But to listen to the album as if watching a movie or reading a story, it is beyond excellent. Also brought the "industrial" sound into the mainstream and who could forget the catchy chorus of that one song....

The Fragile-such an underrated beautiful album. Reznor took 5 loooong years to finally release this album, and unfortunately the "Closer" loving public probably forgot all about him. It didn't help that this album was a double disc. The ranges of music go from funky groove beats, to hard loud kick-ass songs, to beautiful piano compositions and instrumentals. That album has such a broad spectrum of sounds.

Plus, all the other remixes albums....there are not enough good things I can say about this very misunderstood musician, genious, composer, producer and all around gorgeous ball of talent.

*end of gushing*

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

U2loopy, great overview of the NIN albums. I couldn't agree more about "The Fragile." You know an album is amazing when you can go from crying your eyes out to wanting to punch a hole in the wall...all in one song!

 

[beegee]

i've seen NIN live three times.

 

[u2loopy]

U2loopy, great overview of the NIN albums. I couldn't agree more about "The Fragile." You know an album is amazing when you can go from crying your eyes out to wanting to punch a hole in the wall...all in one song!

You said it! I just wanted to present a clearer example of the scope of his music. In my experience, alot of people hear "Nine Inch Nails" and automatically picture a suicidal Goth vampire dude. Well....ok, maybe at one time he was that, but the range of music he has written, produced, re-mixed is astounding! Just recently he remixed a track for Peter Gabriel.

You want techno...you got it (the remix albums) You want kick-you-in-the-face loud music...you got it. You want something to chill out to on a rainy Sunday afternoon....you got it. The list can go on....

I have a tremendous amount of respect for this man and for the music he has made. Now if only he would release something already dammit!!

 

[u2popmofo]

I dont like too much. Respect, but dont like. Dont know why, just dont. You'd imagine they'd be right up my alley, wouldnt you? You'd imagine wrong then.

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

I dont like too much. Respect, but dont like. Dont know why, just dont. You'd imagine they'd be right up my alley, wouldnt you? You'd imagine wrong then.

Trent could kick Davey Havok's ass.

 

[Squishy Peanut]

oooh perhaps you guys can help me here ...I know hardly anythign about NIN, the only song I can really remember is The Perfect Drug which I LOVE so have they done any other tracks like that which I'd like?

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

It's kinda hard to dissect their music track by track. You can't go wrong with purchasing the "Downward Spiral" album. Even though it has one of the most overplayed songs in the history of overplayed songs ("Closer" you know, "I wanna f*!@ you like an animaaaaaal.) HOWEVER, the rest of the album is stunning. If you really feel like wading into a "difficult" record, purchase their last one entitled "The Fragile." 2 discs of pure angst and passion.

 

[Edgeman]

I fell in love with "The Fragile" the first time I listened to it. Very good album....both sides!

 

[IWasBored]

the fragile is great. probably my favourite album of theirs, although "hurt" is one of my all time favourite songs.

 

[Edgeman]

Has anyone picked up the live album or the live dvd? I want to know what they're like.

 

[IWasBored]

i've heard about half of the live album. i liked what i heard, but i don't own it..

 

[Edgeman]

There was a limited edition 2 cd live album....i wonder if that's better than the single disc one.

 

[IWasBored]

probably is better...twice as much music

 

[ouizy]

I have seen them twice.

Once was the first Lollapalooza in 1991. I had not idea who they were and all I remember is white strobe lights, smoke and the guitarist had black electrical tape on his nipples.

The second time was just as frightning - it must have been 1994 and they played MSG. I was on teh floor in the front and Marylin Manson (totally unknown then) opened. They were great. then the Jim Rose Travelling Side SHow. They were great.

Then NIN came out and kicked everyone's ass. I remember how good they sounded.

Loved that show...

 

[u2loopy]

There was a limited edition 2 cd live album....i wonder if that's better than the single disc one.

The limited edition (well...it's not so limited, you can get it anywhere) contains a second disc called "Still" which contains deconstructed versions of some older songs, some new songs, and some instrumentals. The CD is not what you would expect from NIN. It is almost an "unplugged" version of the music. It's quiet, somber, and beautiful, perfect music to chill out to on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The live CD kicks ass because the songs come across completely different; much harder and louder.

Squishy Peanut (Love your username by the way) I would suggest you start with the first album, "Pretty Hate Machine." Ease into "The Fragile" next, then "Broken", and THEN "The Downward Sprial" which is the heaviest album. And by heavy I do not mean "Heavy metal" sounding, I mean DEEP and intense!!! That album takes alot of paying attention to really enjoy and a couple of listenings to get the gist of it. Musically, it may be a little hard to digest, but lyrically, it's amazing.

If you enjoy those albums, pick up the re-mix albums. NIN usually releases a re-mix CD after each album which contains one or two songs off the album re-mixed by Trent and others. It puts a new spin on the songs you already love.

 

[Squishy Peanut]

Thanks u2loopy! I'll chack em out!

 

[Edgeman]

Yes, thanks for the info loopy.

 

[u2loopy]

Happy to oblige!

 

[CrashedCarDriver]

he along with the likes of kurt cobain and billy corgan made music nice and depressing so much so i cant go back to listen to the hiphop trash of radio anymore

 

[u2loopy]

Well....I'm hoping with age and *ahem* maturity, his next release will NOT be the theme songs to goth teens and their suicidal angst.

Anything he's ever released has been true to what he was feeling at that time in his life, so if he's still going on and on about how screwy his life is and how he wants to kill himself, I think it would be very old and tired.

I just want SOMETHING new from him in the near future....I don't care if it's a bunch of re-mixed nursery rhymes!!!!

 

[violet]

And here I was thinking I was an anomaly being a U2 fan and a Nine Inch Nails fan. Heh.

I have the live cd, it is fantastic. I actually picked it up at a bargain cd sale recently for A$10 (bargain!), but its well worth the regular price. Don't have the DVD but I have watched it a few times - my best friend is a RABID (and I mean that in the nicest sense of the word ) NIN fan.

I've seen them live once, at the Melbourne Big Day Out a few years back (2000, I think it was?) and they were fantastic.


If you're just getting into NIN, I'd suggest starting with Pretty Hate Machine, and then moving onto Broken and then The Fragile. I agree that The Downward Spiral should probably be left till last. Not that it's not a great album - it is, but it's also the most 'intense' of NIN's work.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

I really like NIN. I always thought it was bizarre to like U2 and NIN, but I'm happy to see other people do too.

 

[u2loopy]

I frequent a NIN message board and 90% of the members there are fans of U2, Radiohead, Bjork, Depeche Mode. It surprised the hell outta me when I first discovered that.

When I first heard Pretty Hate Machine I thought it sounded something along the lines of Depeche Mode.

As I've stated before, NIN has been stereotyped to be a certain genre of music because of the majority of his fans in the 90's. There's nothing wrong with that, but I think it makes people less willing to hear what he's put out.

 

[clarityat3am]

I was a NIN fan before I even knew who U2 were.