I way prefer the Still version of TDTWWA to the album version, by the way.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7fsHtkNU7w
― A brownish area with points (chap), Tuesday, 19 October 2010 15:32 (thirteen years ago) link
i got off the bus before this album - don't know why, i loved TDS. maybe it felt like too much of a commitment - two whole discs! anyway i wonder if it's too late to go back - i gave year zero and the next one a try, didn't love, didn't hate.
― ledge, Tuesday, 19 October 2010 15:52 (thirteen years ago) link
"Somewhat Damaged" is a pretty great opening track.
― gay nerd fuel (Eric H.), Tuesday, 19 October 2010 15:56 (thirteen years ago) link
Ledge - Disc 1 is significantly more accessible, I'd start with that one and see how you feel about tackling disc 2. It's closer to TDS than later stuff, though warmer and less harsh.
― A brownish area with points (chap), Tuesday, 19 October 2010 16:01 (thirteen years ago) link
"just like you imagined" without a doubt
― bows don't kill people, arrows do (Jordan), Tuesday, 19 October 2010 16:02 (thirteen years ago) link
ledge: I think you will dig the album if you dig the singles ("The Day The World Went Away", "We're In This Together", "Into The Void", and lol "Starfuckers Inc" although if you hate that one, that just means you are like me)
Did you hear the Year Zero remix album? It's astonishing top to bottom and made me appreciate YZ a lot more.
― MC Tramp Stamp (HI DERE), Tuesday, 19 October 2010 16:03 (thirteen years ago) link
you know the instrumentals on this are fucking great
― MC Tramp Stamp (HI DERE), Tuesday, 19 October 2010 16:04 (thirteen years ago) link
Kind of like the very first and very last tracks best on this one tbh.
― gay nerd fuel (Eric H.), Tuesday, 19 October 2010 16:04 (thirteen years ago) link
The eerie distant string samples and skittery beats might get me to vote Even Deeper.
― A brownish area with points (chap), Tuesday, 19 October 2010 16:06 (thirteen years ago) link
Mixing assistance by Dr. Dre!
― MC Tramp Stamp (HI DERE), Tuesday, 19 October 2010 16:10 (thirteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Sunday, 24 October 2010 23:01 (thirteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Monday, 25 October 2010 23:01 (thirteen years ago) link
Interesting.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 25 October 2010 23:15 (thirteen years ago) link
The Fragile 0The Wretched 0The Day the World Went Away 0
boo
― O'Donnell and the Brain (HI DERE), Monday, 25 October 2010 23:44 (thirteen years ago) link
HI DERE speaks many truths.
at least three.
― Ivan, Tuesday, 26 October 2010 00:51 (thirteen years ago) link
such an underrated album.
― Jamie_ATP, Friday, 6 January 2012 15:31 (twelve years ago) link
^^^
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Friday, 6 January 2012 15:34 (twelve years ago) link
yes its long but its really consistent and well crafted. the few albums after it felt like they were going through the motions slightly, but fragile has enough of the good textural/production fun of the Downward Spiral era with some more mature compositions and is just overall a great listening experience.
― Jamie_ATP, Friday, 6 January 2012 15:56 (twelve years ago) link
this album's arrival in the marketplace is the definition of "too much too late." i'd probably enjoy it a lot if i revisited it now but all but the biggest NIN diehards found it hard to give a damn at the time.
― we bought a zoo in a hopeless place (some dude), Friday, 6 January 2012 15:58 (twelve years ago) link
i definitely voted for "We're In This Together," such a massive-sounding song that wasn't destined to be a massive single
I still rep for Year Zero. As a concept album it's ultimately a failure, since listening to the whole thing in one go can be really overbearing and tiring, but most of the songs in isolation are really, really great (especially "The Great Destroyer", "God Given" and "Zeros and Ones")
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Friday, 6 January 2012 15:59 (twelve years ago) link
It's on the trailer to the Avengers movie.
xpost
― Inevitable stupid samba mix (chap), Friday, 6 January 2012 16:00 (twelve years ago) link
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Friday, January 6, 2012 3:59 PM (36 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
I would add "The Good Soldier" and a creepy instrumental on the second half the name of which I can't remember.
― Inevitable stupid samba mix (chap), Friday, 6 January 2012 16:02 (twelve years ago) link
"Another Version of the Truth"?
also lol @ me for calling "Zero Sum" "Zeros and Ones", hi dere long dormant Jesus Jones fandom
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Friday, 6 January 2012 16:04 (twelve years ago) link
Year Zero is the worst NIN album imo, all the later ones sound way better, especially The Slip
― we bought a zoo in a hopeless place (some dude), Friday, 6 January 2012 16:13 (twelve years ago) link
yeah i'd probably agree, but some of the year zero stuff was still decent live
― Jamie_ATP, Friday, 6 January 2012 16:20 (twelve years ago) link
Year Zero is my favourite post-Fragile album! With Teeth sounds to me like a not massively successful attempt to become more of a straight-up rock act, Ghosts I find a bit impenetrable, and the Slip is a re-hash of old ideas, and easily the most boringly produced of his albums. There is decent music to be found on all three, mind.
― Inevitable stupid samba mix (chap), Friday, 6 January 2012 17:42 (twelve years ago) link
this is exactly how I felt...grew up listening to PHM and Downward Spiral but the idea of a massive new NIN double-CD felt anachronistic by fall 99. Then again if the album kicked ass, which it doesn't, things may have turned out differently.
― skip, Friday, 6 January 2012 17:51 (twelve years ago) link
tbf Melon Collie pretty much turned out to be the last gasp of the whole 'ambitious double album as ultimate artistic statement and commercial peak of a megaselling rock band' phenomenon, if NIN had been more timely with a follow-up they might have the momentum to be part of that club
― we bought a zoo in a hopeless place (some dude), Friday, 6 January 2012 17:57 (twelve years ago) link
plus Mellon Collie has way more good songs than The Fragile.
― skip, Friday, 6 January 2012 18:01 (twelve years ago) link
just realized the other day that "la mer" and "into the void" sort of feature the same melodic motif.
i listened to this record all the time when it came out and this fact did not occur to me at all
― mutant slow drum (BradNelson), Friday, 6 January 2012 18:24 (twelve years ago) link
I like Mellon Collie a lot and I don't think this is at all true
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Friday, 6 January 2012 18:25 (twelve years ago) link
As do "The Frail" and the chorus of "The Fragile".
― Inevitable stupid samba mix (chap), Friday, 6 January 2012 18:53 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.avclub.com/articles/trent-reznor-made-altrocks-last-stand-with-the-fra,82235/
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Tuesday, 10 July 2012 16:14 (eleven years ago) link
Alright I'm finally gonna listen to it. On less than top-notch headphones.
― ledge, Tuesday, 10 July 2012 16:18 (eleven years ago) link
xpost -- It's like they wrote the thoughts in your head (including hating "Starfuckers")
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 10 July 2012 16:19 (eleven years ago) link
This album is mostly awesome, so much so that it barely needs anyone to come to its defense.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 10 July 2012 16:20 (eleven years ago) link
Huh, that piece missed noted Reznor's descent into drugs. When next we saw our hero, he was clean, sober and Hulk-huge.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 10 July 2012 16:24 (eleven years ago) link
It's like they wrote the thoughts in your head (including hating "Starfuckers")
haha basically
"this works best as a contiguous piece" - check"by the time this was released, it was out of fashion" - check"'Starfuckers Inc' is super dumb" - check
xp: he was also back to distilling his angst into digestible 4 minute nuggets as opposed to thematically-linked double albums, which I think plays a lot into NIN's modern rock resurgence
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Tuesday, 10 July 2012 16:28 (eleven years ago) link
My 39-minute edit, contiguous with SPIN magazine thread:
Just Like You ImaginedThe Day The World Went AwayThe WretchedWe're In This TogetherEven DeeperPleaseThe Big Come DownLa Mer
― HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Thursday, 17 October 2013 19:03 (ten years ago) link
I made a 10 track edit I'm quite pleased with a while ago (cheating slightly with track 2):
La MerThe Day the World Went Away (Still)We're in this TogetherThe FragileJust Like You ImaginedEven DeeperInto the VoidI'm Looking Forward to Joining YouThe Big Come DownThe Great Below
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 22:47 (ten years ago) link
you can't have La Mer AND Into The Void
― HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Thursday, 17 October 2013 22:48 (ten years ago) link
pfft, maybe you can
― HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Thursday, 17 October 2013 22:49 (ten years ago) link
There's a lot of room between them!
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 22:50 (ten years ago) link
I remember Stylus doing a single-disc edit but really 10 tracks or fewer if you're taking it seriously
― HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Thursday, 17 October 2013 22:54 (ten years ago) link
Obviously I like your one because you've chosen most of the tracks I've chosen
― HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Thursday, 17 October 2013 22:55 (ten years ago) link
Thanks, yours is cool too - though I'm not that big on Please.
The main trouble with listening to an edit is some of the opening segues sound really jarring in isolation.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 22:57 (ten years ago) link
Please is in only because I needed to flesh out the relative perfection of the other 7 tracks and because of the chord-change into the chorus
― HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Thursday, 17 October 2013 23:01 (ten years ago) link
Definitely some of his prettiest moments on this album; the Frail and the coda of We're in This Together are just lush.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 23:02 (ten years ago) link
he did "the big come down" at the show i saw the other night, was not expecting my favorite fragile deep cut in a nin setlist in 2013
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Thursday, 17 October 2013 23:50 (ten years ago) link
Sure there is! Into the Void.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 13:38 (two weeks ago) link
I never got into The Fragile, should try again. With Teeth was my "we're so back" moment, even saw them on that tour and they were great (Josh Freese on drums).
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 13:42 (two weeks ago) link
It was too long, too all over the place, too willing to be a little goofy - after the relative concision of TDS this seemed ridiculous
I listened to it a lot at the time but never became obsessed with it. It’s been decades since I heard it in full, should change that and see how it strikes me.
This is pretty much where I fall, too. I haven't listened to it in so long I can't even remember half the songs. It definitely feels like a candidate for "chop it down to a single disc" pruning. Might give that some thought today.
― Tahuti Watches L&O:SVU Reruns Without His Ape (unperson), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 13:53 (two weeks ago) link
what if it’s actually good at the length it already is
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 14:47 (two weeks ago) link
It does require a little pruning (ie, delete Starfuckers)
― Cemetry Gaetz (DJP), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 14:59 (two weeks ago) link
imo the album is improved when it's longer ("10 miles high" and "new flesh" added back in)
― ivy., Tuesday, 12 March 2024 15:00 (two weeks ago) link
it was my first nin album though and i'll love it forever, nothing i'd change about it, not even "starfuckers" (great karaoke song)
― ivy., Tuesday, 12 March 2024 15:03 (two weeks ago) link
like i just think of hearing "la mer" for the first time in sequence and how much that expanded my notion of what music could be??? in how it fits the despairing mood of the record even though it is closer to jazz fusion than any previous nin song
i think one of the ways i got my mom into them was being like "hey mom check out this funky/jazzy piano song on this otherwise dark hopeless glitchy double album about hitting and spending a significant amount of time at rock bottom"
― ivy., Tuesday, 12 March 2024 15:08 (two weeks ago) link
yeah it was the first time i saw him use the full sized projection screens in front of the band, blew my mind
also remember a half-sold arenappl really did not like this album at the time
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 04:42 (twelve hours ago) link
The show I saw was def sold-out and it was maybe a shade less fantastic than the time I'd seen them in 95, which was maybe the most unhinged "big" show I've ever seen (Trent fully kicked Robin Finck off the front of the stage into the crowd, much instrument destruction, etc)
The full sized projection screens were awesome
I don't know how I feel about this album, as much as I like the idea of it has never really stuck with me, it does sound pretty cool listening to it now
― chr1sb3singer, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 17:13 (two weeks ago) link
i also like his concept of The Fragile as a reverse of downward spiral, so starfuckers appearing towards the tail end makes sense (and tonally correlates to say, mr self destruct or march of pigs on DS)
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 17:20 (two weeks ago) link
The Fragile came out the same day as To Venus And Back. I was just turned 20 and I deeply associated NIN and Tori with my teenage years. I probably was mid-metamorphosis, psychologically. I bought both albums the day they came out, two double albums from two of my favourite teen artists. I remember 'really liking' certain parts, "La Mer" was nice, the production on "We're In This Together" was amazing. Same with Tori. But I felt deeply embarrassed by "Starfuckers" and Trent's lyrics in general. I felt embarrassed hearing Tori sing "bleese, yeah, bleese, yeah" and "blossom. Riot poof". I felt embarrassed for myself and embarrassed for them. I returned both albums and spent the year listening to cooler music. I need to listen to both albums again, now, I don't think I've heard either since I was 20
― braaam.flac (flamboyant goon tie included), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 17:28 (two weeks ago) link
― chr1sb3singer, Tuesday, March 12, 2024 12:13 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink
Listening to it today I kept wanting to the mix of the record to be a little messier, I kept wishing he's amplify the weird little bits here & there and leaning harder into the prog-funk of songs like "Into the Void" and "Where is Everybody", for a big, over-stuffed double record for me it sometimes feels a bit samey
― chr1sb3singer, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 18:43 (two weeks ago) link
All right, here it is, entirely predictable but much more enjoyable, to me anyway:
Nine Inch Nails - Less Fragile
1. Somewhat Damaged2. The Day the World Went Away3. The Wretched4. We're In This Together5. No, You Don't6. La Mer7. The Great Below8. The Way Out Is Through9. Into the Void10. Where Is Everybody?11. Please12. Complication13. I'm Looking Forward To Joining You, Finally14. The Big Come Down
Total running time: 64:33
― Tahuti Watches L&O:SVU Reruns Without His Ape (unperson), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 19:08 (two weeks ago) link
I bought this and Stereolab’s “Cobra and Phases” on the same day on CD, driving 90 minutes each way after getting off work. At that age/time - I was 22, fresh out of college - it was an event.
― Marten Broadcloak, mild-mannered GOP congressman (Raymond Cummings), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 19:16 (two weeks ago) link
I’m gonna listen to that track list unperson thx
― braaam.flac (flamboyant goon tie included), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 19:36 (two weeks ago) link
idk how anyone can leave off "just like you imagined" from a single-disc edit
― ufo, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 23:31 (two weeks ago) link
i don’t know what in the ADD is wrong with you all that you can’t enjoy a 2 disc epic as god intended
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 23:36 (two weeks ago) link
Hell, it's half an hour shorter than "Speakerboxx/The Love Below," and nowhere near as uneven.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 23:39 (two weeks ago) link
thank youuuu
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 23:42 (two weeks ago) link
re: accessibility i think the downward spiral is just a much catchier album and still draws more on his synthpop roots - even the heavier tracks like "mr self destruct" and "march of the pigs" are rather pop. on the fragile, even "into the void" is nowhere near as catchy as "closer". the fragile is just denser, weirder, and heavier
― ufo, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 23:44 (two weeks ago) link
@chap are you still interested in running a nine inch nails poll? if you're not i might do that sometime soon
In retrospect, I spent way too much time convincing myself that most of The Love Below was good, actually
The good songs are AMAZING but also there is a bunch of unnecessary nonsense, Speakerboxxx is about a billion times more consistent
― Cemetry Gaetz (DJP), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 23:45 (two weeks ago) link
omg i am so down for a NIN poll
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 23:45 (two weeks ago) link
also djp otm, i had the same come to jesus moment lol
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 12 March 2024 23:46 (two weeks ago) link
random tangent but DJP otm
― ɥɯ ︵ (°□°) (mh), Wednesday, 13 March 2024 03:51 (two weeks ago) link
I put on the "La Mer" earlier, really good, then got to "The Great Below" also good and I remembered this song being one of the highlights of his live show. Then I got to the second disc and shut it off. I still have a hard time with his vocals. Now listening to Quake soundtrack, which I had forgotten existed, but is bringing back some memories.
― silverfish, Wednesday, 13 March 2024 14:20 (two weeks ago) link
― ufo, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 23:31 (four days ago)
And Even Deeper! Madness. Such incredible beat programming (with assist from Dr. Dre)
― chap, Saturday, 16 March 2024 13:24 (one week ago) link
― ufo, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 23:44 (four days ago)
Sadly way too busy with work at the moment, but would vote!
― chap, Saturday, 16 March 2024 13:25 (one week ago) link
i also wouldn't cut "the mark has been made"... or any of the instrumentals period
― ivy., Saturday, 16 March 2024 16:18 (one week ago) link
otm
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 16 March 2024 17:32 (one week ago) link
So your edit would be...everything but "Starfuckers"? Or would you keep that in too, just for the sake of flow?
― Tahuti Watches L&O:SVU Reruns Without His Ape (unperson), Saturday, 16 March 2024 17:39 (one week ago) link
i wouldn't edit this record!!!! as i've already stated
― ivy., Saturday, 16 March 2024 17:45 (one week ago) link
ivy is correct & you are all craven
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 16 March 2024 18:31 (one week ago) link
No, Starfuckers needs to go
― Cemetry Gaetz (DJP), Saturday, 16 March 2024 19:07 (one week ago) link
eat yr spinach
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 16 March 2024 19:34 (one week ago) link
I will happily eat spinach but I will not eat diarrhea
― Cemetry Gaetz (DJP), Saturday, 16 March 2024 21:59 (one week ago) link
lol
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 16 March 2024 22:00 (one week ago) link
new board description
in case anyone is new here, yes, this is the guy you know from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles soundtrack.("putting the NIN in Ninja Turtles")https://www.stereogum.com/2225186/trent-reznor-and-atticus-ross-composing-terrifying-score-for-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-movie/news/
― StanM, Sunday, 17 March 2024 01:54 (one week ago) link
suggest ban
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 17 March 2024 01:59 (one week ago) link
the score for that movie slaps, though
― ɥɯ ︵ (°□°) (mh), Sunday, 17 March 2024 19:25 (one week ago) link
I enjoy the moody bits too, and never bother with making my own edits of albums anyway, but the thing that always strikes me about The Fragile when I listen to it is how you could construct a tight album from its pop moments that sounds more like Pretty Hate Machine 2 than anything else Trent ever actually did.
― Tim F, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 03:50 (one week ago) link
Think I noted on a different thread that Leopold Ross, who used to collaborate more with his brother, did the score to that Godzilla TV show (among other things), and it sounded so much like Atticus and Trent that 1) it verged on parody and 2) it kind of made me wonder what Trent brought to his scores with Atticus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KI6S_Eq7pU
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 12:44 (one week ago) link
huh, I somehow had no idea that was Atticus's brother. I guess my deep NIN fandom dropped off at some point in the last, uh, 25 years
― ɥɯ ︵ (°□°) (mh), Wednesday, 20 March 2024 14:47 (one week ago) link
i'll probably try to get a poll up and running in the next week or two
― ufo, Thursday, 21 March 2024 03:39 (one week ago) link
:D
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 21 March 2024 05:19 (one week ago) link