Happy Birthday to Broken - 20 years old today

[hippygeek]

Yep, the epicness that is Broken is 20 today. Imagine being at college and "quite liking that funky Pretty Hate Machine" album and looking forward to the next album of sexy industrial danciness. You rush out and buy it the day of release, return home and lie on your bed in the dark, with it on your headphones, really loud.

20 minutes later the end of Happiness in Slavery fades out you're just lying there, blown away, wondering what the hell you just listened to. You're mulling over what you just heard and are about to get up to replay it when a grinding guitar chord jars you. There's more? Two more!

In these days of instant media, the tracks are just there in your music player. Back when it was released, there were 93 tracks of one second (three seconds in in the UK) after Gave Up and before Physical. If you can, pull out the CD, drop it in a drive and have a relisten as originally intended (or listen to it here (http://vimeo.com/49957232)). You won't regret it :D

[ManBurning]

That's interesting how this, and The Fragile almost have identical release dates. I was just celebrating The Fragile's "birthday" by listening to the album in full yesterday. (September 21).

I wonder if there is a special connection with the end of September for Trent, or if it was just a coincidence that these 2 albums were released basically at the same time of the year.

I mean also, he came out of "hiding" mode on Sept 21, 2012 as well to release "news" about HTDA and other stuff. There is no way that's a coincidence, there must be some sort of signifigance with this date and time of the year for him.

[ImTheWiseJanitor]

I'll never forget that Broken cock-tease at the Wave Goodbye Chicago show. Trent, y u no play full short album?? :P

Happy birthday, lil (angry) guy. I'll give it a full listen to celebrate.

[dlb]

Back then I could not get into broken, basically because I was thrown off right after wish. But then it clicked and all made sense, except for last, which I learned to love when I finally saw it live in 2007. One of my favorite EPs in my shelf. happiness in slavery live at Woodstock is also amongst my favorite live NIN-moments. Too good to be true!

Happy anniversary you angry fuck! http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/angry/smiley.gif

[carpenoctem]

There is no other rock record I own that pumps me up as much as Broken. And to think it used to be at the bottom of my NIN list, when now it's probably on top, if not just under. I was so young and foolish... I didn't understand...

[allegro]

As I'd mentioned on the old board, Broken had just been released and some of my BBS friends said, "You MUST go get this album. Now. GO!" and I did and I listened to it via really good headphones, while fairly drunk on White Russians ...

AND I SAW GOD!!!!!!

[GibbonBlack]

AND I SAW GOD!!!!!!

"There is no God...."

[slave2thewage]

Sigh, if only I heard "Happiness in Slavery" live...

[joplinpicasso]

This thread reminded me.....holy shit, I have Broken and can listen to it!!

[icklekitty]

93 tracks of silence between Gave Up and Physical, wasn't it?

I wish I wasn't so anal about my collection and could listen to Broken on vinyl. I bet that sounds fantastic.

[allegro]

G has the version with the extra tracks on the mini CD.

[Andrew]

I remember buying Broken in a longbox on release day. It wasn't intentional, just right place right time. It's funny but that feels like it was much longer than 20 years.
Slightly off topic but that 20 number - and 23 for PHM - means we are closing in on the magic 25 needed to start the campaign to induct our hero into that cool building in Cleveland... http://rockhall.com/inductees/induction-process/

[slave2thewage]

I don't like how the vimeo and original post claim the break between the "regular" tracks and the two hidden ones start after Happiness in Slavery. It's like you're all forgetting about the flawlessness that is Gave Up.

FOR SHAME.

[joplinpicasso]

"Gave Up" is Broken's best. Come at me, bro.

[Hazekiah]

So I was digging through a box of my old crap and found something that made me happy-sad-happy the other day.



http://imageshack.us/a/img820/9645/icanhazbrokenlulz.jpg



At first I was happy 'cause I thought the whole poster had been stolen or destroyed or just generally disappeared over a decade ago.

Then I was ECSTATIC when I realized my mini-CD was still in the sleeve!

And then I pulled it out and realized it had gotten chipped in the box and become unplayable even though it was in perfect condition the last time I'd seen it. Bah!

And then I thought it was kinda cool that it matched its sleeve better missing that same little fingertip-notch, plus, I mean...it's BROKEN. So there's THAT, at least.

Ha.

Anyway, I put it on the fragility poster with my two Chicago tickets back in the day because that was the first time I'd ever had the chance to see NIN in the same YEAR, let alone the same WEEK, and since both shows were practically next door to my apartment I figured I'd never have an easier time of waiting as long as necessary to try for an autograph. To that end, I took one of my most portable and cherished NIN collectibles, the Broken mini-CD. Survived the pit and everything! Apparently the tender mercies of my constant moving and poor storage were just too much for it though, lol.

Finding it made me remember how lucky I was to have already been a fan long before its release and how many dozens of times I must've scoured the racks at MusicLand and Camelot and wherever before ZOMFG NIN ACTUALLY PUT SOMETHING OUT AGAIN and I happily scored Broken the day it came out.

Living in the middle of nowhere I literally knew NO ONE ELSE who liked NIN or owned Broken so it was YEARS before I finally found out there was also a single-CD version and how lucky I was to get the mini-CD instead.

So finding it broken was a bit heart-wrenching, naturally.

Made me wonder, though...is there any hard data about how many were ever made?

Likewise, I've never ONCE seen one for sale since then. Anyone have any idea what they go for these days?

Not selling MINE, obviously, just curious. And in the market if anyone's holding!

Thanks.

[Demogorgon]

i got my min-disc several years ago on eBay, i think i paid like, 6 bucks for it? was a really good catch i think. i played it once, then packed it up with the rest of my collection. still in great condition of i remember right.

[slave2thewage]

If you frame your tickets/posted/mini-CD like in the above pic, it would look amazing. Just a tip!

[BenAkenobi]

Hazekiah, there's a good chance that your CD remains playable, because recording begins on inner radius

[Andrew]

Made me wonder, though...is there any hard data about how many were ever made?
TR quote of 250k here, the 12/3/92 post: http://www.theninhotline.net/archives/articles/manager/display_article.php?id=327

[jhulud]

I still have my copy with the mini-disc I bought on release day. I was a Senior in high school and eagerly awaited its release after being so hooked by PHM. At first, it was jarring to hear the sudden "shift" in sound but it all resonated with me in its anger and frustration. I guess all the teenage angst I had pent up in me was a conduit to love Broken even more.

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff36/jhulud/Random/Broken.jpg

(And yea, I'm pretty OCD about my CDs and records as well about keeping them in as-close-to pristine shape)

[fortheloveofgod]

Totally remember buying this when it came out. I thought the CD was busted when I saw the 99 tracks and Pinion sounded all low and was skipping. When track 2 happened!

[frankie teardrop]

i was lucky enough to stumble on a vinyl, black generic sleeve copy of broken for $25 or so at a local record store. granted, it's the edition that lacks both 'pinion' and 'help me i'm in hell' but includes the two extra tracks. the two instrumentals would still fit on the vinyl even with general vinyl spacing rules, so it's always been a mystery to me, but i'll take what i can get.

[Jadezuki]

During the height of my NIN fangirlness Broken was always my favorite (later eclipsed by The Fragile). For the longest time it was my goal to find a white Broken t-shirt in a size small. Never did manage it. I'm amused that the EP itself is almost old enough to match the "26 years" line.

[allegro]

My FAVORITE song on this record (and ANY Nine Inch Nails record) is and always will be "Last."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeoyOIRIeHs

[botley]

I want you to THROW ME AWAYYYYYIIEEEUGH