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View Full Version : Explain Why Nine Inch Nails has Talent.



Hidingintrees
12-03-2012, 07:24 AM
Personally I love them, but my friend can't stand them. I try to explain why there good, but I always fall short on convincing him. Now I know I can't convince him to like them, but I can give him logical proof they have talent. Here's what he says.

1. He always compares them to "Between the Buried and Me" who change time signatures like 20 times a song. He does not think Nine Inch Nails changes time signatures enough. Also they're seem forced.

2. Also compared to other bands they don't change scales in songs enough. I couldn't find evidence against this, so again, please help.

3. His guitar is apparently always off key, along with other instruments off key.

4. His guitar solo's are super simple and easy to do, along with his piano and almost everything else he does, like Ghost.

5. His voice is bad.

6. Compared to bands like MxPx, the amount of songs they have written and number of show's they've played is pathetic. (This is the dumbest one)

Please give additional reasons why they are superb to other bands. It would be appreciated greatly.

fillow
12-03-2012, 07:34 AM
I try to explain why there they're good
there, I'm done

ghostaustin
12-03-2012, 08:17 AM
It sounds like they're just not your friend's bag. I don't really like the style of music Between The Buried And Me performs, but I'm not going to make a checklist of reasons why I think they suck, I'm just not going to listen to them.

As for why I personally like NIN, it's because of the way Trent makes music. It seems like he's an engineer first and a musician second, which allows him to create unique sounds and atmospheres.

Pyract
12-03-2012, 09:17 AM
The beauty of music is that it doesn't have to be justified. All that matters is if the music speaks to you. And a more technical song doesn't necessarily make a better ​song.

profane
12-03-2012, 09:23 AM
I never thought it to be necessary to explain Trent's talents to someone who discredits it in any way whatsoever. NIN is more of a personal thing for me (outside this board) that I sometimes tend to share with people really close to me. Sure he's not the most talented artist out there, but so what, the whole package that is NIN fits just right for different reasons for different people. Don't waste your time on this, just cherish whatever he means to you. In the end you know better.

aggroculture
12-03-2012, 10:26 AM
I would tell him to listen to TDS and appreciate the incredibly inventive and creative use TR makes of harsh, industrial noise in the context of extremely catchy songs. The range and palette TR draws from on that album is breathtaking - nearly 20 years on. Also, the album is highly progressive: Adrian Belew (a hero of the prog scene) is on there for a reason. The song structure, the sonic layering, the arrangements: these are all meticulously planned out and expertly executed. Ask him to pay attention to the weaving together of organic and synthetic sounds, human and machine, vulnerable emotion and inhuman white noise. The shifts of mood, both subtle and abrupt, soft and loud...I could go on.

BenAkenobi
12-03-2012, 10:28 AM
In one of the songs, he goes: "you let me violate you". This is a key to nin appeal. You have to make a shift in your expectation, in your perception of music. You have to make an effort beyond headbanging to metal riffs with changing signatures.

dominik
12-03-2012, 11:12 AM
That's a reason why I like NIN - someone who says NIN is shit hasn't obviously put some effort into listening and I just think "what the fuck do YOU know.."

sheepdean
12-03-2012, 12:02 PM
NIN isn't good. There is no good music, all music is subjective. There is no band, artist, composer or performer who everyone in the world agrees is good, and thus trying to get someone who doesn't like something to like it is a pointless endeavour Instead of trying to convert your friend to music he doesn't like, why not show him other music by Trent that doesn't fall into the NIN sound (which I suppose would include the NIN track Theme for Tetsuo).

hellospaceboy
12-03-2012, 12:05 PM
Trent Reznor writes great songs. Everything else, the sound, the studio work, the image, is secondary. I love NIN for the songs.

seasonsinthesky
12-03-2012, 01:15 PM
am i the only one thinking Hidingintrees is best at making troll topics?

R-Dot-Yung
12-03-2012, 01:21 PM
am i the only one thinking Hidingintrees is best at making troll topics?

Oh he's a god damn master.

Hidingintrees
12-03-2012, 07:54 PM
am i the only one thinking Hidingintrees is best at making troll topics?

Opps, hahaha I'm sorry

blassster
12-03-2012, 09:29 PM
1. He always compares them to "Between the Buried and Me" who change time signatures like 20 times a song. He does not think Nine Inch Nails changes time signatures enough. Also they're seem forced.

3. His guitar is apparently always off key, along with other instruments off key.

5. His voice is bad.

6. Compared to bands like MxPx, the amount of songs they have written and number of show's they've played is pathetic. (This is the dumbest one)

1: This is ironic. Don't you think that changing time signatures 20 times is forced?

3: Breaking/bending the rules can lead to awesome shit in some cases. If something doesn't sound right, I'd say that it was done on purpose to make you uncomfortable or create a mood. Also, The Fragile was all about stringed instruments being a bit imperfect by nature.

5. Sure, he's not the best singer, but he's one of my favorite singers because his voice sounds cool. His voice has character (someone recently said this elsewhere on the boards recently, stealing it) and fits well with the type of music that NIN is. It's not for everyone.

6. Song count doesn't mean anything.


98. Your friend has strange ideas.

99. I don't know why I'm bothering to reply to this.

jessamineny
12-03-2012, 09:35 PM
100. The OP's profile says he's 15.

sick among the pure
12-03-2012, 10:38 PM
6. Song count doesn't mean anything.


98. Your friend has strange ideas.

99. I don't know why I'm bothering to reply to this.


I see what you did there.

Vertigo
12-04-2012, 04:25 AM
Personally I love them, but my friend can't stand them. I try to explain why there good, but I always fall short on convincing him. Now I know I can't convince him to like them, but I can give him logical proof they have talent. Here's what he says.

1. He always compares them to "Between the Buried and Me" who change time signatures like 20 times a song. He does not think Nine Inch Nails changes time signatures enough. Also they're seem forced.

2. Also compared to other bands they don't change scales in songs enough. I couldn't find evidence against this, so again, please help.

3. His guitar is apparently always off key, along with other instruments off key.

4. His guitar solo's are super simple and easy to do, along with his piano and almost everything else he does, like Ghost.

5. His voice is bad.

6. Compared to bands like MxPx, the amount of songs they have written and number of show's they've played is pathetic. (This is the dumbest one)

Please give additional reasons why they are superb to other bands. It would be appreciated greatly.

It sounds like he's determined not to like NIN; I've encountered a few people like this who have preconceived ideas about it being exploitative emo music packaged for goths without true musical merit. I would hope he changed his tune after playing through a full album, especially as he sounds like someone with a good musical ear (some listeners don't pay close attention and just hear walls of noise and screaming). Sheepdean's idea of playing him non-typical pieces like the Tetsuo theme could be a good one, and I'd challenge anyone to find fault with Leaving Hope.
My philosophy's that there's always something in the back catalogue which will appeal to someone, as Trent's had such a diverse range of output. Even my classical and classic rock obsessed 68-year-old dad enjoys A Warm Place, for example, despite his hatred of synthesisers.

Anyway, addressing those issues...

1. Changing time signatures too much is actually counterproductive to the way music affects us on a biometric level - we respond to repetitive and recognisable rhythms. I will admit that I think Trent has a tendency to compose like a programmer; once he's come up with an effective pattern he's content to loop it without many changes. The thing is that there's usually a staggering level of depth and sophistication within those patterns, as they generally consist of loads of layered performances, most of them gone over with a myriad of patches, effects and other tweaking methods until they sound totally unique and unforgettably catchy.
Might be worth pointing out though that March Of The Pigs is notorious for having one of the most complex time signatures of any popular song.

2. I'm surprised he can point out or take issue with lack of scale changes given how much there tends to be going on in the mix. Again, it's kind of missing the point, and seems that he wants it to be another type of music altogether. NIN may have toured with Jane's Addiction but their process and style are on opposite poles.

3. Trent likes his music to sound like there's something wrong and unnatural (the art used on his albums tends to reflect this too; there's a reason glitch-obsessed Rob Sheridan has become his mainstay). It's not just off-key instrumentation, he makes enormous use of out-of-tune and even broken instruments too. It ties into the lyrical and subtextual elements, and is one of the many examples of the virtually peerless depth of a lot of his music. It's not rocket science to tune a guitar, if it's out-of-tune then there's a reason behind it.

4. Trent's piano playing does indeed tend to be quite stark and minimalistic - but in my opinion he understands this can be a key to evocative piano work. A good example is one of the most singularly recognisable, frightening and iconic scores ever made, played about as simply as you can possibly get - Jaws. A lot of the most memorable soundtracks (or the most memorable parts of them, at least) are notationally very simple, and the lion's share of Trent's output has essentially been an autobiographical soundtrack long before Fincher tapped him for Social Network.
As for guitar solos, the only true example I can think of right now is the one on Ruiner, and that only got in there by accident (Trent was playing around with a new patch, one of the bandmates overheard and thought it would sound great in the song). My limited experience trying to play NIN songs has shown a tendency for using unusual chords in strange patterns; if your friend thinks the guitar's simple then either he's very good or he's attempting to replicate them by ear, probably wrongly. Or I've jumped in at the deep end of songs to try to play.

5. I think Trent's a strong singer, and particularly from Broken through Perfect Drug. His voice has cracked a bit since Fragile (in Trent's words, since he stopped lubricating his voicebox with alcohol) but he can still rail out some piercing cries, croon some affecting ballads and hammer out some memorable hooks. More than anything else, his voice is very flexible and he's able to do a lot of interesting things with it. To each his own, I guess, but try comparing Trent's singing with Marilyn Manson's. It's... enlightening.

6. Yeah, "dumb"'s probably the word I'd choose too. My NIN playlist comprises 190 songs at 12.7 hours, and that doesn't have any duplications for remixes, or the TR+AR soundtrack work, or HTDA (including the latter two, it's 265 songs at 18.1 hours....).

Anyway, reasons why NIN's superb. Some of the most densely layered songs in rock, with each performance tuned with a fine toothcomb to sound incredible. And despite that density, it's anchored by a basic pop sensitivity, packed full of memorable hooks. More importantly though, it's enormously deep work, with almost every album being a concept album, full of themes and a story throughout the record, and a lot of meaning in the individual songs, much of which takes a while to figure out. Basically, it's thoughtful and technical.


Sigh, I'm such a geek.

danebraddy
12-04-2012, 04:27 AM
100. The OP's profile says he's 15.

Yeah that profile made me feel a little uncomfortable.

That may sound a little harsh, but it IS important information when looking at the points raised by his "friend", who I'd assume is the same age:
"He does not think Nine Inch Nails changes time signatures enough."
"His guitar solo's are super simple and easy to do"
"the amount of songs they have written and number of show's they've played is pathetic."

These all sound like things that only younger people would say.
I got into NIN when I was 15 or so (oh man, I'm old) and can remember wanting to defend my tastes and prove NIN was superiour to say KoRn or Manson (remember when that was a 'thing'?)

My advice would be to let it go, enjoy the music and if you get a cathartic release from listening to it, awesome - but music isn't about who can tick the most boxes when it comes to time signatures or technical guitar solos, it's about the mood, the feeling etc etc...

But as an aside NIN totally kicks the shit out of "Between the Buried and Me" everyday of the week. While they may be changing time signatures and harnessing the 'mathcore' stuff, it sounds like generic death metal garbage mixed with weak ballads. Neener Neener.

joeyjojo
12-04-2012, 05:50 AM
As already mentioned 1-3 are musical choices, there's no absolute scale of "good" when it comes to music.

For 4 I'd say that sure, TR is no virtuoso pianist/guitarist/drummer, but it's still pretty impressive that he can play all of them as well as he does. I like that he's a bit of a one-man-band.


6. Compared to bands like MxPx, the amount of songs they have written and number of show's they've played is pathetic. (This is the dumbest one)

This is stupid. In general, prolific acts are just throwing the same old catchy crap out. Seems to me that very often a band's first album is its best (same for comedians, writers, etc.). I think this might be because a first offering is kind of a culmination of many years creative effort, which is then hard to reproduce in later work.

gorast
12-04-2012, 08:42 AM
Using argument #6, Green Day would be an infinitely better band than Tool. I'd like to meet anyone over 18 that actually believes that.

ALso it seems pretty obvious that we're not dealing with adults here, so fuck it. They'll learn when they grow up.

slave2thewage
12-04-2012, 09:13 AM
The fact that 15 year olds are still getting into NIN did warm my heart a little bit. And then crushed it by the realisation that not much has changed in the last fifteen years or so.

sheepdean
12-04-2012, 11:26 AM
Using argument #6, Green Day would be an infinitely better band than Tool. I'd like to meet anyone over 18 that actually believes that.

ALso it seems pretty obvious that we're not dealing with adults here, so fuck it. They'll learn when they grow up.
The kid argument is kind of offensive, and ridiculous as I bet half the music you loved at 16 you still love today. Clearly the subject's tastes are rather more rigid than some people's, but that immaturity can come with being decades old.

gorast
12-04-2012, 11:57 AM
I was speaking more to why there were such rigid criteria for what classifies as a "good" band in this person's eyes, but yeah, I can see where I went completely off-track with that. Sorry.

Blackbookpress1984
12-04-2012, 12:11 PM
I think this whole thread is ground for banishment from the forum. You come on a NIN based online music form, and then ask people to justify their interests and passions? Seems immature. Almost like going to a museum, looking a the art, and then saying the artists should have used red paint instead of black. just my opinion. but this seems pretty childish.

Broadbent
12-04-2012, 05:04 PM
I lot of valid points already so I'll keep mine short

1- 90% of nin songs are in 4/4 and the ones that aren't groove hard and feel natural(like the becoming)

2- he changes scales constantly in songs. he keeps the key the same

3- no its not. with all the gear trent owns I'm sure there are a few tuners in there.

4- he's right.

5- objective. Hs voice definitely got better from with teeth on though.

6- plenty of albums and countless shows over 20 years.

Leviathant
12-04-2012, 05:17 PM
I think this whole thread is ground for banishment from the forum. You come on a NIN based online music form, and then ask people to justify their interests and passions? Seems immature. Almost like going to a museum, looking a the art, and then saying the artists should have used red paint instead of black. just my opinion. but this seems pretty childish.

Just so we're clear, the much faster route to banishment from the board is to act like you're the one who makes the rules, and state that if you made the rules, here's who you'll ban. You're welcome to do that in the reports & suggestions forum, but don't shit in a thread with garbage like this.

If you want to join an organization that banishes everyone who asks for self-criticism or reflection, join the Republican Party. If you don't want to 'explain why nine inch nails has talent' then don't. If you can't explain why nine inch nails has talent, don't come in here and say "Ban dissenters from the forum."

Let's keep it on topic, folks.

Warped_Savant
12-04-2012, 07:54 PM
Liking music isn't a logical decision. Trying to explain to someone why a musician is good won't make them like it. Your friend doesn't like NIN... You won't be able to change his mind.

BRoswell
12-04-2012, 08:38 PM
Personally I love them, but my friend can't stand them. I try to explain why there good, but I always fall short on convincing him. Now I know I can't convince him to like them, but I can give him logical proof they have talent. Here's what he says.

1. He always compares them to "Between the Buried and Me" who change time signatures like 20 times a song. He does not think Nine Inch Nails changes time signatures enough. Also they're seem forced.

2. Also compared to other bands they don't change scales in songs enough. I couldn't find evidence against this, so again, please help.

3. His guitar is apparently always off key, along with other instruments off key.

4. His guitar solo's are super simple and easy to do, along with his piano and almost everything else he does, like Ghost.

5. His voice is bad.

6. Compared to bands like MxPx, the amount of songs they have written and number of show's they've played is pathetic. (This is the dumbest one)

Please give additional reasons why they are superb to other bands. It would be appreciated greatly.

You're fifteen according to your profile, so I'm going to assume that your friend is around the same age. I didn't like Nine Inch Nails when I was that age either. I hate to play the age card, but I think it's true for a lot of kids. It just doesn't speak to them. It doesn't fit in with their problems at the time. When you get a bit older though, you find that what Trent is saying in his songs and the mood that he creates with them begin to match with your own feelings. It starts to click. For some people, it clicks early. For others, it takes a while. And yet for others, it never clicks at all. Your friend might never appreciate them, or maybe it might take some time. Who knows. My best friend listened to With Teeth every time I was in the car with him and I hated it. Then a couple years passed and Year Zero came out and it suddenly made sense to me. Like I said, maybe that will happen with your friend, or maybe not. I'd give it some time before I gave up on them. You never know what might happen.

sick among the pure
12-05-2012, 12:57 AM
I think this whole thread is ground for banishment from the forum. You come on a NIN based online music form, and then ask people to justify their interests and passions? Seems immature. Almost like going to a museum, looking a the art, and then saying the artists should have used red paint instead of black. just my opinion. but this seems pretty childish.

Just so you know, OP isn't bashing NIN or saying we need to convince him NIN is awesome. He agrees, and is a fan. He's saying a friend of his needs convincing (listing the friend's reasons NIN may not be as good as we think) and is asking for help as to what he should say to his friend.

Blackbookpress1984
12-05-2012, 07:04 AM
^^my apologies guys. In all seriousness I was being sarcastic, but maybe I took it too far. Won't happen again. My apologies to the OP

JamesCmuse
12-05-2012, 08:31 AM
I agree with many others on here. Why try force someone to enjoy it? I have played NIN countless times around my friends and some like it, some don't. The ones that do, ask me for links to new/alternative material to what they've heard, the others don't and I don't bother them. There is absolutely no point in trying to make someone like a band, especially when they dish out some pretty bullshit reasons. Just enjoy it, man. I understand that if music is personal to you that you may want close friends to 'get' that music, like you do. But sadly some people aren't in a position in their lives to embrace bands like NIN. At least not yet. You just listen and let it do what it does for you, and if your friend objects just let him/her know how you feel about it.

Hidingintrees
12-06-2012, 02:18 PM
I have a question.
1. I'm new on this site so I'm just getting used to it, and apparently I make only troll topics. Please define what a troll topic is considered on this forum, and I'll make sure I don't make another one. I'm sorry if that offended anybody.

Thanks to people who actually answered the question, it really helped. I'm making threads about things I'm curious about I can't figure out myself, and figured the people on this forum could give me better answer's than YAHOO. If that's not what I should be doing on here I'll find a different one. Or maybe I'm overextending myself. I just love Nine Inch Nails and wanted to figure some things out. Also if there's a way I should be going about things please tell me. Thanks

GibbonBlack
12-06-2012, 06:54 PM
Trent has talent because for over ten years his music has made me happy, and mostly it has made me feel comfortable when I was upset. I can't tell you how to tell your friend why he has talent. But for me, he has a huge amount of it

GentlemanLoser
12-07-2012, 04:47 PM
First off, if you want my opinion this topic ain't trolling shit. I think someone was just getting a little sarcastic or something, or might have jumped the gun. What it does look like, though, is that you have a lot of "blank vs blank" posts, often pitting two things against each other who have, to put it lightly, rather vocal supporters and detractors. Topics like that will tempt heated arguments, and thus someone could rightly or wrongly construe that you are intentionally instigating said arguments.

Of course, also you could just be posing questions that come natural to you. Who knows. I've seen far more blatant asshatery abound on this board though, so I wouldn't really worry about it.

theimage13
12-10-2012, 09:29 AM
there There, I'm done.

If we're going to play that game, let's at least play to win. To be honest though, I'm still not positive that the fixed version is grammatically sound.

n30fr05t
06-10-2013, 05:57 PM
Personally I love them, but my friend can't stand them. I try to explain why there good, but I always fall short on convincing him. Now I know I can't convince him to like them, but I can give him logical proof they have talent. Here's what he says.

1. He always compares them to "Between the Buried and Me" who change time signatures like 20 times a song. He does not think Nine Inch Nails changes time signatures enough. Also they're seem forced.

2. Also compared to other bands they don't change scales in songs enough. I couldn't find evidence against this, so again, please help.

3. His guitar is apparently always off key, along with other instruments off key.

4. His guitar solo's are super simple and easy to do, along with his piano and almost everything else he does, like Ghost.

5. His voice is bad.

6. Compared to bands like MxPx, the amount of songs they have written and number of show's they've played is pathetic. (This is the dumbest one)

Please give additional reasons why they are superb to other bands. It would be appreciated greatly.

Point 1: changing time signatures is nothing special.(period) , if it makes the music better then switch time signatures, if not then don't
Point 2: changing scales in songs is totally simple too, who really cares if a song changes scales, the only time changing scales really applies is if it makes the song better, otherwise, don't do it
Point 3: His guitar is not off-key, nor are other instruments off-key. However, your friend seems to be unable to hear more pitches than what the typical Western/European music scale provides, so these instruments might sound "off-key" to your friend, my opinion regarding this is that your friend should try to expand his musical taste (as just sticking to the Western/European musical scales is very limited)
Point 4: his guitar solos are super simple and easy to do, plus they sound great; simplicity is one of the most difficult aspects of composition for experienced composers to accomplish, so the fact that they are simple(and still interesting) makes them much better than something complex
Point 5: This point is totally subjective (and not really a point at all), but I totally disagree with your/your friend's opinion
Point 6: Trent Reznor actually takes time to compose his songs, and he also goes through multiple iterations of each song that is released to the public. Groups like MxPx do one song together and then release it, rarely going through multiple iterations in order to find the best sound for the particular song.

In summary, it sounds like your friend thinks he knows music well and doesn't like NIN because he thinks music needs to be complex in all aspects.
If this is the case, I'd advise him not listening to NIN (or any other popular music, for that matter) but instead listening to 12-tone music.

Krazy
06-10-2013, 06:24 PM
Thread from the dead?

Steal his parents money and take him to a NIN show!

And damn I love Trent's voice. He may not be Freddie Mercury regarding range but it's one of the most unique ones ever, IMHO.

MikeDigs
06-10-2013, 06:38 PM
This thread... no please.

Wretchedest
06-10-2013, 06:40 PM
Speaking as someone who appreciates odd times in music, 20 times every song seems like a bit much... But there are some interesting times in NIN songs. They aren't common, but off the top of my head: March of the Pigs, The Becoming, Somewhat Damaged, Just like you Imagined, the Collector... Many of the tracks on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I also appreciate an eclectic approach to rhythm but I don't think it is everything

No NIN is not a band for soloing. I don't think every band has to solo though? Nine Inch Nails is not death metal. Also they don't have many bass guitar solos, does your friend give a fuck about that? Many of NIN's songs have no guitar.

Is he comparing Trent's voice to Between the Buried and me? Neither are Opera singers here... I think it works for the music. A lot of music quality is about context. In the context of this music, Trent's voice works.

MxPX fucking blows.



I think the strength of NIN's talent lies in production and innovation. Early Nine Inch Nails especially is takes a pretty unique approach to music. Between the Buried and Me simply does not. Their approach is wholly unoriginal and I could not pick them out in a sea of math metal/death metal bands. They may have technical talent, which I do respect, but NIN is original and I respect that a little bit more. Nine Inch Nails has showed technical prowess in songs like The Becoming, Just Like You Imagined, Mr. Self Destruct. They have talent in both realms, so if it were a competition, they would win In my opinion

You're friend appears to be using the wrong measuring stick here. It's an apples and oranges comparison, really.

MxPx is really terrible though, i don't even...

The Master
06-10-2013, 06:56 PM
Your friend is a fool!

jmtd
06-11-2013, 02:52 AM
"MxPx" is the tell. You've been trolled hard.

mfte
06-11-2013, 07:35 AM
I tried to convince my friend that Indian food is good but he says that it's too rich and spicy.

How can I convince her other wise?

snaapz
06-11-2013, 08:09 AM
Visually & Auditorily, NIN is one of those bands where there is no other like it. They have a talent for expressing beauty, demise, anger & depression through their lyrics and visuals. NIN uses a wide array of instruments and sounds making for a unpredictable & exciting user experience & story... TR has a large spice rack & his pies are more than just apple pie.

The thing I love most about a NIN album is the different sounds.

Now, I do love (mainstream) Inflames, Metallica, Nirvana, Ghost Face, Foo, Pearl Jam, Filter, Deftones etc... but I find the albums (for the most part) to be pretty repetitive in sound...


One pedal setting
One kit set up
Common time & tempo

My unprofessional ear can't pick out all the minute differences in settings...

NIN? You want repetitive? Move along.

MikeDigs
06-11-2013, 11:23 AM
"MxPx" is the tell. You've been trolled hard. I was surprised at how effective the troll post actually was. Come on people, we all know that NIN is the tits. Never a need to explain why.

Demon.seed.22
06-11-2013, 03:55 PM
Trent is a musical and lyrical god to me.

Regardless if you "like" NIN, you have to admit Trent is talented right!
Shit, Mozart was talented but I don't listen to him.

Ive tried to turn friends on to NIN or other bands I like, I've given up. People like what they like and may not hear what you hear.
Fk em, better chance I get a concert ticket.

jmtd
06-11-2013, 04:12 PM
Shit, Mozart was talented but I don't listen to him.

You don't know what you're missing. Start with Rondo Alla Turca

hobochic
06-11-2013, 04:25 PM
Most people involved in all genres of music (like 'em or hate 'em) are "talented", from composers, lyricists to singers and musicians. It's not that he's a "talented" musician that should automatically attract people to listen to him. Personally, I'm not that into talented singers or guitarists and often prefer artists with less technical skills, but with the ability to tell a story and place the listener in the music's central universe - be it through a novel, a movie or a soundscape. What attracts me to Trent's art, although I might seem less impressed with the latest material, is his ability to create that vacuum of self in his music and let the listener experience his emotions through the music.

It's a bit of a paradox because although Trent opens himself quite vulnerably in the music, he's always let NIN be a faceless entity, with little Trent all over the artwork. I've always loved that.

It might sound sketchy and it's hard to describe, but there are very few bands that do this to the level of NIN. Sometimes Trent lets his public image bleed a little too much into his music, to my taste, and that's when I feel the music loses its timeless value of something beyond Trent's celebrity.

When Trent wants to, he's as Bowie once said: a "colossal" musician. No question about that.

BrokenSpiral
06-11-2013, 04:55 PM
When I was young I argued to exhaustion to defend/convince that NIN/Trent was good or whatever. I learned a long time ago it's better to just not care that others aren't into it. I still have people who try to bait me into that shit on another forum. When people say stupid shit like the OP's friend, I simply explain what it is that I like about it and what it is to me and leave it there. No sense in trying to "convert" people. It doesn't work.

The Master
06-11-2013, 08:27 PM
Belive it or not I've actually converted many people into liking NIN. Trent Reznor is one of the most dynamic musical artists of the modern age, hell of all time. He is the Michael Jordan of rock. Lol.

allegro
06-11-2013, 10:14 PM
When I was young I argued to exhaustion to defend/convince that NIN/Trent was good or whatever. I learned a long time ago it's better to just not care that others aren't into it. I still have people who try to bait me into that shit on another forum. When people say stupid shit like the OP's friend, I simply explain what it is that I like about it and what it is to me and leave it there. No sense in trying to "convert" people. It doesn't work.
Exactly. People used to give me the same shit for a lot of my other musical interests, and it was even harder trying to explain Iggy Pop or Gang of Four, so, really, if I have to explain it, we shouldn't be conversing, bye bye.

UninTY
06-12-2013, 08:15 AM
NIN has no talent. I've spent 2 decades and all my disposable income on a talentless hack. It has just occurred to me that my life is meaningless. Thanks OP.

spahn
06-12-2013, 10:13 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY9b4PCmOhA

manicsplendor
02-28-2014, 07:59 AM
I came across this thread while looking for something else and I decided to bite the hand that feeds and see where it leads me.
Really are you kidding? The Buried and Me are some poor man's excuse for a lame prog rock band. Really there is no comparison. Tell your friend to listen to some Mastadon if he/she is so adamant about their musical superiority, that will fuck em up...mind, your question was posted so long ago now...I am from the future n' all.

heavenly_bearded
02-28-2014, 08:50 AM
The Buried and Me are some poor man's excuse for a lame prog rock band.

Apparently you have poor taste in music or don't know what you'retalking about. Between the Buried and Me are the best thing metal has to offer in 2014. I love both bands and they are so different from each other that comparing them is pointless. Both have amazing talent. Both are my favorite bands from 2 different genres. I would suggest listening to Colors. So much talent..

ComradeCornhole
02-28-2014, 11:37 AM
Okay, so I've given this topic some thought here and there over the years, and I've come to a conclusion. It's really just a hypothesis, but I think it's well supported by both TR's music and by the way other artists talk about his process and his talent. Basically, TR is perfectly capable of showy soloing and compositional flourishes like time signature shifts, and many other so-called elements of "technicality". However, he consciously turns away from these aspects of composition because he feels like they've either already been mastered by other artists, or have become overused and played out in popular music. He instead turns to what he finds to be more unmined and potentially more evocative musical territory, while also attempting to create a sound that is almost wholly unique in the popular music landscape. In this spirit, he focuses more on mood and texture, while keeping melodies simpler. I suppose he would also make the case (and Robin recently said something to this effect) that too many notes can muddle the mood or emotion he's trying to instill in the listener. In terms of guitar, sure it isn't Joe Satriani, but how many countless, barely distinguishable imitators does he have anyway? TR's guitar playing is instantly recognizable and often repurposed in terms of composition in ways that make him more of an innovator than any Kirk Hammet. Robin says he learned a great deal about how he approaches guitar from Trent! To condense the point, a painter may be quite able to paint photorealism, but he simply doesn't find that to be the most fertile ground for the feelings he wishes to evoke.

And so on...

m15a
02-28-2014, 11:57 AM
i hadn't seen this old thread before. fun.

7. His tambourine playing is mediocre.
8. So are his cooking skills.
9. He never responds to my tweets.
10. Drop-crotch pants.


. . . oh wait, is that not the point of this thread? ;)

Michael_Vens
02-28-2014, 01:28 PM
...to the OP! Just sit your little friend down, calmly pat him on the shoulder and look at him with a sincere tone, and tell him "Hey there buddy! It's OK! It's OK!! God [apparently] loves morons too! Now please go away before your idiocracy leaves a permanent stain on my mind!!"

Volband
02-28-2014, 04:41 PM
I read through this thread just to realize it's a year old. Fuck you guys.

It wasn't even that interesting, and we never got a closure.

ghostaustin
03-01-2014, 09:59 AM
we never got a closure.

yeah we did. Didn't Trent leak it a few years back?

=D

NintendoRev
03-02-2014, 12:03 AM
I was honestly halfway through a nice long post about why this thread is useless because you shouldn't have to justify music you like to anyone, then i looked at the original post date ,_, Damn it.

yeah we did. Didn't Trent leak it a few years back?

=D
Well played sir, well played.

somethingelse
03-05-2014, 05:25 PM
Who in the fuck started this thread and why is it still active?

Pulsewidthmod
04-02-2014, 07:54 AM
You don't know what you're missing. Start with Rondo Alla Turca nah ... i started with playing that one but much preferred playing the Fantasy in d

OSLIN
04-02-2014, 08:04 AM
Trent's tambourine skills are unparalleled.

elevenism
04-03-2014, 08:36 AM
What sheepdean said.