Dissertation on Nine Inch Nails
Being of the generation I am, I grew up on Nine Inch Nails. They're the band that has stuck with me since middle school. I would not have called them my favorite, because my "favorite" changes per my moods, but they have been the most consistent in my listening rotation. They are ALWAYS on whatever playlist I'm listening to. I suppose that their consistency in my life as opposed to the waxing and waning of other groups shows that they probably are my most favored.
I started listening to NIN in 1994 when Downward Spiral came out. YOU ALL KNOW THAT ALBUM. Even if you don't listen to industrial, you know it. It was the absolute cutting edge of music at the time. And I have subsequently listened to prior albums and purchased all albums since. This is the one group that I’ll actually BUY their music.
I use the terms “their” and “band” loosely of course because NIN really only consists of Trent Reznor. That man is an amazing talent. Few artists actually do well AFTER they’ve given up drugs. For example, I personally think Beck as an artist strung out on heroin (I know, awful to say but it’s the truth). Since he’s gone clean his music has mellowed and lost some of it’s goofy as hell appeal. People still like it, because it appeals to them, but not me. Trent Reznor is one of the few artists that can consistently reinvent himself and change his feel without becoming crap. Sorry Jewel, your reinvention was a sell out. And Madonna, you “reinvent” yourself every five minutes, and it all kinda sucks. Every new album that comes out for NIN I find myself hating it the first listen through. It’s SOOOO different from the album before, which I loved, so I have to readjust. And after my first panties in a wad impression of the unasked for change, I actually LISTEN to it. And damn it’s good. He’s consistently changed his theme on every album. It’s still undeniably NIN but with a different feel and texture. He has a talent for making beautiful melodies smashed together with rough angry industrial tones. Piano and steel. Strings and electrical. Very much a hodgepodge of sound, that somehow, works.
The most recent album, Year Zero, I felt was an abrupt change. Trent Reznor had kicked drugs and was, ::gasp::, HAPPY?! Though his music isn’t so cutesy and cuddly he’s definitely changed, become more philosophical. Still angry as hell, but less whiney maybe?
It’s good good stuff. And like any of his albums, I’ve found my favorite song. All of the albums always have one song that never gets radio play that I think is the best of the album. He also does SPECTACULAR movie music. Here are the last few.
Year Zero - Zero-Sum
With Teeth - Right Where it Belongs
The Fragile - (this is a good album) Just Like you Imagined (300 trailer music)
The Downward Spiral - A Warm Place
Pretty Hate Machine - Terrible Lie
Soundtracks with GREAT NIN songs that don’t appear on any of their albums
Tomb Raider - Deep
The Crow - Dead Souls (A FANTASTIC SOUNDTRACK)
Lost Highway - Perfect Drug
I guess in closing you could say they’re my favorite, since I managed to write so bloody much of it. The inspiration? I just discovered Zero-Sum this morning and really loved it. Please forgive me for any spelling or grammatical errors, I wrote this very stream on conscious and didn’t proof read. Hope it makes sense.
Also Trent Reznor is hot.