Controversial Nine Inch Nails opinions

[goingincirclez]

Truth is I personally don't consider TF to be bloated at all. All the songs have a purpose, and the order is generally sensible. It's not meant to be a seamlessly flowing album. Consider the name: the sometimes clunky arrangement and hither-yon aesthetics really do underscore just how, ahem, fragile the whole thing really is.

But the key word there, is sometimes (clunky). Going back to my "ebb and flow of traffic" metaphor: sometimes you zip right through a familiar stretch and sometimes it takes to long for Who the fuck knows why. Same too with The Fragile: sometimes my mood just doesn't feel like a Starfucker, or With Decay, or even (ironically) Fragile. It doesn't happen often... but sometimes it does.

The Fragile is truly an organic work. It is never the same, no matter how many times I hear it. All those songs evoke so many different moods and sweep to so many places real, felt, forgotten and imagined... all and never at once.

For me it is the most cherished piece of music I've had the pleasure to hear and "own" and when The Deluxe Edition is finally "soon" announced for sale I'll be knocking the rest o' you muthafukas out the way to be first in line...

...just kidding on that last bit. Well, maybe only a little.

[Copy of A]

I guess this is controversial...?

I think Beside You In Time might be my favorite NIN track of all time. Something about where I was in life when it came out, and that it was SO unexpected, and just so hypnotic and kinda ballsy... plus the lyrics, and that EXPLOSION of energy at the end, it just hits me every time. Greatest. Ever. And I'm a massive NIN fan since the early 90's, for what it's worth.

I agree man, I love that song

[eversonpoe]

i just listened to "maybe just once" for the first time ever (i know, right?) and i really liked it (i know, right?)

everyone grab your pitchforks!

[InvitingmeAway]

I miss North as well. Is it in the minority to like the end of The Great Destroyer? Cause I love that entire song!!!

[InvitingmeAway]

And The Slip is great, favorite track is Head Dow, second is Corona Radiata (turn the bass up on speakers full blast, whole different experience)

[steelnails95]

Ive always thought The Great Destroyer is very overrated and probably the worst song on Year Zero. I love Kinda I Want To

[steelnails95]

I also don't like Piggy very much

[InvitingmeAway]

I also don't like Piggy very much

You pig...nah jk. I love Piggy, I love it more on TDS Live.

[joplinpicasso]

The stretch of four songs from La Mer - The Great Below - The Way Out Is Through - Into The Void or the trilogy of The Line Begins To Blur - Beside You In Time - Right Where It Belongs might be Trent's greatest musical achievements as a songwriter and arranger. (So far)

[carpenoctem]

@joplin - Oh for sure, although I'd like to tack on Sunspots into that last movement. Really amazing stuff.

[ComradeCornhole]

Truth is I personally don't consider TF to be bloated at all. All the songs have a purpose, and the order is generally sensible. It's not meant to be a seamlessly flowing album. Consider the name: the sometimes clunky arrangement and hither-yon aesthetics really do underscore just how, ahem, fragile the whole thing really is.

But the key word there, is sometimes (clunky). Going back to my "ebb and flow of traffic" metaphor: sometimes you zip right through a familiar stretch and sometimes it takes to long for Who the fuck knows why. Same too with The Fragile: sometimes my mood just doesn't feel like a Starfucker, or With Decay, or even (ironically) Fragile. It doesn't happen often... but sometimes it does.

The Fragile is truly an organic work. It is never the same, no matter how many times I hear it. All those songs evoke so many different moods and sweep to so many places real, felt, forgotten and imagined... all and never at once.

For me it is the most cherished piece of music I've had the pleasure to hear and "own" and when The Deluxe Edition is finally "soon" announced for sale I'll be knocking the rest o' you muthafukas out the way to be first in line...

...just kidding on that last bit. Well, maybe only a little.

It shouldn't be controversial at all to call The Fragile a grand, ambitious, sweeping masterpiece the likes of which few musicians ever hear, much less produce. It probably won't be controversial at all in twenty or thirty years.

[ManBurning]

Year Zero was the first album I did not go out and buy on release day (I even went and purchased the Slip on release day after he gave it AWAY FOR FREE), as I hated it so much I told myself I was not paying for that piece of shit.

Maybe 4 years after it's release, I found it at a used CD store in the bargain bin section for $3. I picked it up only to complete my collection of all the halos.
I did the same with Year Zero Remixed, found it a few years after it was released in a bargain bin.

For some reason I really, really hated that era...

On a completely opposite side thought, I thought "The Slip" was FANTASTIC!

Sunspots

I wrote this elsewhere on this board the other day, but Sunspots is the BEST song he has written sober.

3. The first half of With Teeth was absolutely terrible - I can only listen to the last half these days.

I hate to admit this, but [With_Teeth] isn't very good as an album. It has some amazing tracks on it, but I personally tried to listen to it a few months ago, and I know EXACTLY what you mean. Started off with All The Love In The World (love that track) and then I kinda skipped to Getting Smaller / Sunspots / The Line Begins To Blur and then I turned it off, lol.

And Yes folks, you heard me correctly... I willingly skip to Getting Smaller and listen to it.

[dominik]

he also wrote TDS sober.

[Scarlet Siren]

I'd quite like to see a Closer omitted from the setlist for a little while. And The Hand That Feeds, I never was a fan of that song.

[Sutekh]

Cutting out 10 miles high and the new flesh but leaving in please and no you don't is a baffling decision, the former are superb and the latter pretty dull tbh

[Tiz]

YZ is solid
Everything is awesome
TDS sounds dated as hell

[Khrz]

TDS sounds dated as hell

Boy, that escalated quickly...

[ComradeCornhole]

It shouldn't be controversial at all to call The Fragile a grand, ambitious, sweeping masterpiece the likes of which few musicians ever hear, much less produce. It probably won't be controversial at all in twenty or thirty years.

Oops. I phrased that like shit. What I meant to say was, "the likes of which is heard very rarely, much less produced." It isn't as though only certain musicians have access to good music, is it?

[dlb]

YZ would be an awful television show and I'm glad it's not happening.

thank god, yes! Let it die already! No YZ2, no ARG anymore and no television show!

And I agree with pretty much everything else you said, only that I rocked the shit out of the SN soundtrack. Dragon tattoo on the other hand... the only cool tracks were solely used for trailers and immigrant song is too short.

[Ryan]

TDS sounds dated as hell

[/end best response to ETS post ever now]

[Mijji]

- absolutely addicted to all of the three new songs from Hesitation Marks EDIT: uh.. four... somehow I missed Find My Way (in before I notice there's a fifth one)
- I still can't see why Closer is such a big hit. Ruiner has always been the one for me on TDS

The stretch of four songs from La Mer - The Great Below - The Way Out Is Through - Into The Void or the trilogy of The Line Begins To Blur - Beside You In Time - Right Where It Belongs might be Trent's greatest musical achievements as a songwriter and arranger. (So far)

Not really controversial in my opinion but AGREED!!

[Butterscotch]

This might just be my OCD talking, but I would have liked Ghosts more if the songs had actual titles instead of just being numbered.

[redshoewearer]

I skip Pilgrimage whenever I play TF. I find it too upsetting for some unknown reason. I listen to everything else, every other noisy, angry, quiet, weird, sad (and now 1 happy) song, but I have to skip Pilgrimage. It feels too close to some awful reality that always seems just around the corner, and hits me too viscerally to tolerate.

[Transfixed]

I skip Pilgrimage whenever I play TF. I find it too upsetting for some unknown reason. I listen to everything else, every other noisy, angry, quiet, weird, sad (and now 1 happy) song, but I have to skip Pilgrimage. It feels too close to some awful reality that always seems just around the corner, and hits me too viscerally to tolerate.

So bizarre... and yet I know EXACTLY what you mean. I hated it passionately when TF first came out. Sometime about 6 months ago I heard it for the first time in a long time and was actually able to appreciate/enjoy it. But yeah... it's strangely disturbing... which is saying a lot when talking about NIN. The odd thing being that there's nothing overtly disturbing about it! It just grates on me the wrong way....hmm.

[Tiz]

[/end best response to ETS post ever now]

Bitch, pleeeeeeease.

I love The Downward Spiral from top to bottom. But that doesn't stop those guitar tones from sounding INCREDIBLY nineties.

[ZeroisGreg]

I agree man, I love that song

When I first heard a teaser of this track for With teetha, it pumped me up. I thought 'Man! that kicks all ass'. Then I heard the full track and really wanted it to be longer with a build-up, break, then build up again.

[Fist Fuck]

This might just be my OCD talking, but I would have liked Ghosts more if the songs had actual titles instead of just being numbered.

Speaking of Ghosts and OCD... Having them titled Ghosts I - IV only makes sense if there are going to be more Ghosts. While we're at it, I think Ghosts I - IV is the most underrated NIN album ever. Even though I'm not a huge fan of all the songs (Ghosts 15 or 23 in particular), it's perfect the way it is. The packaging, artwork, simplicity, I love it (so much more than let's say... The Slip).

The Slip on the other hand would have made a great EP. As a full length album I must say it's lacking substance to me. I know it was given away for free, but that doesn't matter.

1. 1,000,000
2. Discipline
3. Echoplex
4. Head Down
5. Lights In The Sky
6. Corona Radiata

Yep, I said it. No Letting You, no Demon Seed.

[tony.parente]

Speaking of Ghosts and OCD... Having them titled Ghosts I - IV only makes sense if there are going to be more Ghosts. While we're at it, I think Ghosts I - IV is the most underrated NIN album ever. Even though I'm not a huge fan of all the songs (Ghosts 15 or 23 in particular), it's perfect the way it is. The packaging, artwork, simplicity, I love it (so much more than let's say... The Slip).

The Slip on the other hand would have made a great EP. As a full length album I must say it's lacking substance to me. I know it was given away for free, but that doesn't matter.

1. 1,000,000
2. Discipline
3. Echoplex
4. Head Down
5. Lights In The Sky
6. Corona Radiata

Yep, I said it. No Letting You, no Demon Seed.

9,999,999
1,000,000
Echoplex
Letting You
Lights In The Sky

Fixed*

[chroipahtz]

Yep, I said it. No Letting You, no Demon Seed.

Demon Seed is the 2nd best song on that album, after Head Down.

Come at me.

[TheRealNs1]

Bitch, pleeeeeeease.

I love The Downward Spiral from top to bottom. But that doesn't stop those guitar tones from sounding INCREDIBLY nineties.

if by "incredibly nineties" you mean "incredibly awesome" then yes, I agree.

That said, the first time I heard TDS in it's entirely (2008 mind you) the first words out of my mouth were "WTF IS THIS SHIT".