Controversial Nine Inch Nails opinions

[theimage13]

I think Bad Witch really comes alive as a performance. I’ve recently been watching the 2018 Madrid and Mexico festival shows and the run of Shit Mirror -Ahead of Ourselves - God Break Down the Door were astounding in both (and I did see the debut of Shit Mirror at the Royal Albert Hall)

I caught some of the tracks live on CBI, and it still didn't click with me. Many other songs from many other artists have had that sudden transformation for me (album = yawn, live = holy shit this is great, revisit album = yeaaaaaah okay, now I get it). It just didn't happen to me with Bad Witch. And I'm totally okay with that.

[theimage13]

Thanks, but declined—I still haven’t watched or heard “The Perfect Drug” or “All the Love in the World.” And those are two all-time favorites.

How come?

If you do end up going for it, I'd start with the debut performance of The Perfect Dug. Someone else might know exactly which source I'm talking about even, but it was like the very first upload to Youtube of it. You could the person recording, or someone right next to them, knew the significance. I won't go any further than that to avoid spoilers, but needless to say, it actually did a pretty good job of capturing the gravity of the performance.

[Endlessly]

HM I found to be very much like Kveikur by Sigur Rós - as though you make a straight-up pop album to get that out of your system, and in short order before or after, make an ambient album to get that out of your system. Given that I usually consider (especially early) NIN as pop with a harder window dressing, it was neither surprising nor even remotely unwelcome.

For a different unpopular take: YZR is entirely superior to Year Zero. Yes, even with that interminable Olof Dreijer remix. Imagine having the chance to open your album with a Saul Williams spot, and using Hyperpower! on its own instead.

[Horican]

Running might be my favorite song on HM and I never got the hate for it!

[Horican]

Oh another one! The Olof Dreijer remix is easily my favorite one on Yearzeroremixed (but I come back to that record very rarely). One of my favorite NIN remixes ever even

i kinda see a similarity between it and Running so maybe those two hot takes are related?

[r_z]

Olof Dreijer is a great producer.

[HWB]

I understimated Hesitation Marks a few days ago, today it grabbed me again and I think it's absolutely fantastic.
I keep flip-flopping between opinions especially on Hesitation Marks, I guess you have to be in a certain mood for it.

It's certainly an important album. I feel like it returns to more of layered sounds of Fragile/Spiral including their rich windy soundscapes which are in full force on Hesitation Marks which I feel like wasn't present in NIN for a long time Post-Fragile, there is an amazing mix of organic and electronic elements which is handled just as well as it is in Spiral. There are very few songs which fit the "minimalism" Trent described before the album came out, Find My Way being the most obvious example, other than that this album feels very rich with its layers, very dancey which makes the comparisons to Pretty Hate Machine obvious, it isn't quite the same, its sound isn't nearly as "warm" it has plenty of dark sounds and somber feels underneath its undeniably catchy percussion which the album focuses a lot on.

I also think it is great lyrically, which people seem to oppose.

[r_z]

So I have this habit of editing the sequence of an album whenever I feel the original one is "flawed" or just to add in the b-sides or bonus-songs or something. Not every album calls for such a makeover, since not every artist releases b-sides and some albums are pretty much perfect as they are.
I realized the only NIN albums that I didn't apply that makeover to are PHM, Broken and TS. It goes as this:

PHM: MAYBE adding Get Down, Make Love add the end. Maybe.
Broken: No changes.
TDS: Replaced Big Man With A Gun with Burn. Otherwise it's perfect.
TF: This one is tough to crack. I edited it down to a single disc version with 16 songs.
WT: Here I added in NSPN and Non-Entity and removed THTF and Only from the tracklist. Only is a great song and its remix-variation (by EL-P!) was my gateway to NIN, but in its original version it feels too out of place on the album, sonically speaking, as it sounds too much like Trent trying to crack the James Murphy formula of producing a song. Plus the lack of live drumming makes it feel out of place with the rest of the songs.
YZ: Here I usually omit Hyperpower! and TBOTE as the rather conventional production makes them feel out of place on an otherwise "glitchy" album.
Ghosts I-IV: Compiled a single disc version with 18 songs. In this form it's probably my favorite NIN album.
TS: No changes except for replacing Discipline with its Multitrack version as that one doesn't fade out at the end. 2nd favorite album.
HM: Edited down to twelve songs including two of the unreleased instrumentals. Omitting Everything, The Eater.., CBH and Black Noise.
Trilogy: Edited down to a 13 song album called "Cold And Black And Infinite".

[eversonpoe]

@r_z totally agree with you on TDS, with teeth, & the slip. hilariously, the eater of dreams, CBH, & black noise are three of my favorite songs on HM haha. i actually really don't like while i'm still here and wish it had the darkness of black noise.

[WorzelG]

@r_z totally agree with you on TDS, with teeth, & the slip. hilariously, the eater of dreams, CBH, & black noise are three of my favorite songs on HM haha. i actually really don't like while i'm still here and wish it had the darkness of black noise.

I think the lighter song being consumed by the darkness of black noise is the point though isn’t it? Also I thought While I’m still here into black noise live with the back up singers was stunning, quite bitter I never got to see it

[allegate]

So I have this habit of editing the sequence of an album whenever I feel the original one is "flawed" or just to add in the b-sides or bonus-songs or something. Not every album calls for such a makeover, since not every artist releases b-sides and some albums are pretty much perfect as they are.
I realized the only NIN albums that I didn't apply that makeover to are PHM, Broken and TS. It goes as this:

PHM: MAYBE adding Get Down, Make Love add the end. Maybe.
Broken: No changes.
TDS: Replaced Big Man With A Gun with Burn. Otherwise it's perfect.
TF: This one is tough to crack. I edited it down to a single disc version with 16 songs.
WT: Here I added in NSPN and Non-Entity and removed THTF and Only from the tracklist. Only is a great song and its remix-variation (by EL-P!) was my gateway to NIN, but in its original version it feels too out of place on the album, sonically speaking, as it sounds too much like Trent trying to crack the James Murphy formula of producing a song. Plus the lack of live drumming makes it feel out of place with the rest of the songs.
YZ: Here I usually omit Hyperpower! and TBOTE as the rather conventional production makes them feel out of place on an otherwise "glitchy" album.
Ghosts I-IV: Compiled a single disc version with 18 songs. In this form it's probably my favorite NIN album.
TS: No changes except for replacing Discipline with its Multitrack version as that one doesn't fade out at the end. 2nd favorite album.
HM: Edited down to twelve songs including two of the unreleased instrumentals. Omitting Everything, The Eater.., CBH and Black Noise.
Trilogy: Edited down to a 13 song album called "Cold And Black And Infinite".

I wish I were home to confirm this but there's a version of Discipline in my iTunes library that says I bought it from Apple but it's called like v1.01 or something? figures it's not on my ipod either. argh.

[HWB]

So I have this habit of editing the sequence of an album whenever I feel the original one is "flawed" or just to add in the b-sides or bonus-songs or something. Not every album calls for such a makeover, since not every artist releases b-sides and some albums are pretty much perfect as they are.
I realized the only NIN albums that I didn't apply that makeover to are PHM, Broken and TS. It goes as this:

PHM: MAYBE adding Get Down, Make Love add the end. Maybe.
Broken: No changes.
TDS: Replaced Big Man With A Gun with Burn. Otherwise it's perfect.
TF: This one is tough to crack. I edited it down to a single disc version with 16 songs.
WT: Here I added in NSPN and Non-Entity and removed THTF and Only from the tracklist. Only is a great song and its remix-variation (by EL-P!) was my gateway to NIN, but in its original version it feels too out of place on the album, sonically speaking, as it sounds too much like Trent trying to crack the James Murphy formula of producing a song. Plus the lack of live drumming makes it feel out of place with the rest of the songs.
YZ: Here I usually omit Hyperpower! and TBOTE as the rather conventional production makes them feel out of place on an otherwise "glitchy" album.
Ghosts I-IV: Compiled a single disc version with 18 songs. In this form it's probably my favorite NIN album.
TS: No changes except for replacing Discipline with its Multitrack version as that one doesn't fade out at the end. 2nd favorite album.
HM: Edited down to twelve songs including two of the unreleased instrumentals. Omitting Everything, The Eater.., CBH and Black Noise.
Trilogy: Edited down to a 13 song album called "Cold And Black And Infinite".

When it comes to playlists! I have a playlist which combines With_Teeth and The Slip, combining them together to make a very straight-forward album with nothing but aggressive songs! Well, it's focused on the more up-beat energetic songs, to be more precise. It is build in such a way that album gets heavier, faster and more aggressive the further you go into it!


1) Non-Entity
2) The Collector
3) The Hand That Feeds
4) 1,000,000
5) Not So Pretty Now
6) Getting Smaller
7) Letting You
8) You Know What You Are?
9) Head Down
10) The Line Begins To Blur
11) Demon Seed

[Deacon Blackfire]

On the subject of While I'm Still Here, I like the song (although Black Noise / the outro is the best part) but I think the Breyer P-Orridge 'Howler' Mix is a case of a remix surpassing the original song. Just feels way more haunting, atmospheric, and impactful.

[BRoswell]

What unreleased instrumentals‽

The instrumental demos that Trent plays on "In Conversation With..." on the digital deluxe version of the album.

[allegate]

I wish I were home to confirm this but there's a version of Discipline in my iTunes library that says I bought it from Apple but it's called like v1.01 or something? figures it's not on my ipod either. argh.

this is odd. it's titled "Discipline V.1.101" and is 6:45 long. it's definitely a remix of some sort but I can't find any mention of it on the interwebs. I just did a search for Discipline / Nine Inch Nails on soulseek and all of the versions there are the 4:19 or a live version, nothing close to this. It says it was encoded by iTunes v7.6.2.9 and that's a long time ago. heck, I don't even know when I found the track because my iTunes library shows a 9/25/2011 import date for it and that was the date I got a new hard drive and moved everything over so 1/2 my collection has that date.

It doesn't say it's a purchased song so maybe not one purchased through iTunes.

[Jon]

this is odd. it's titled "Discipline V.1.101" and is 6:45 long. it's definitely a remix of some sort but I can't find any mention of it on the interwebs. I just did a search for Discipline / Nine Inch Nails on soulseek and all of the versions there are the 4:19 or a live version, nothing close to this. It says it was encoded by iTunes v7.6.2.9 and that's a long time ago. heck, I don't even know when I found the track because my iTunes library shows a 9/25/2011 import date for it and that was the date I got a new hard drive and moved everything over so 1/2 my collection has that date.

It doesn't say it's a purchased song so maybe not one purchased through iTunes.

Is it this one?

https://soundcloud.com/corestormy/ni...scipline-remix

[eversonpoe]

this is odd. it's titled "Discipline V.1.101" and is 6:45 long. it's definitely a remix of some sort but I can't find any mention of it on the interwebs. I just did a search for Discipline / Nine Inch Nails on soulseek and all of the versions there are the 4:19 or a live version, nothing close to this. It says it was encoded by iTunes v7.6.2.9 and that's a long time ago. heck, I don't even know when I found the track because my iTunes library shows a 9/25/2011 import date for it and that was the date I got a new hard drive and moved everything over so 1/2 my collection has that date.

It doesn't say it's a purchased song so maybe not one purchased through iTunes.

i know the original single download from nin.com had a longer fade-out, but it's definitely not 6:45 long. according to ninwiki it's 4:29. i have it in my itunes library but only as an MP3.

[allegate]

Is it this one?

https://soundcloud.com/corestormy/ni...scipline-remix

I'll have to check when I get home as that's a "streaming" site and it's verboten on the network.

i know the original single download from nin.com had a longer fade-out, but it's definitely not 6:45 long. according to ninwiki it's 4:29. i have it in my itunes library but only as an MP3.

I was thinking maybe that as well but it's definitely a remix with extended parts. also a hard stop so no fade out there either.

I should put it on my google drive or something so someone who knows way more about the obscure songs/remixes can chime in.

[fillow]

that's a "streaming" site and it's verboten on the network.

UGH. I feel you.
ninlive.com is blacklisted at my workplace as a... "file-sharing or p2p" service.

[r_z]

Maybe it's the multitrack version put together by an user here using itunes for encoding?

[zecho]

So I have this habit of editing the sequence of an album whenever I feel the original one is "flawed" or just to add in the b-sides or bonus-songs or something. Not every album calls for such a makeover, since not every artist releases b-sides and some albums are pretty much perfect as they are.
I realized the only NIN albums that I didn't apply that makeover to are PHM, Broken and TS. It goes as this:

PHM: MAYBE adding Get Down, Make Love add the end. Maybe.
Broken: No changes.
TDS: Replaced Big Man With A Gun with Burn. Otherwise it's perfect.
TF: This one is tough to crack. I edited it down to a single disc version with 16 songs.
WT: Here I added in NSPN and Non-Entity and removed THTF and Only from the tracklist. Only is a great song and its remix-variation (by EL-P!) was my gateway to NIN, but in its original version it feels too out of place on the album, sonically speaking, as it sounds too much like Trent trying to crack the James Murphy formula of producing a song. Plus the lack of live drumming makes it feel out of place with the rest of the songs.
YZ: Here I usually omit Hyperpower! and TBOTE as the rather conventional production makes them feel out of place on an otherwise "glitchy" album.
Ghosts I-IV: Compiled a single disc version with 18 songs. In this form it's probably my favorite NIN album.
TS: No changes except for replacing Discipline with its Multitrack version as that one doesn't fade out at the end. 2nd favorite album.
HM: Edited down to twelve songs including two of the unreleased instrumentals. Omitting Everything, The Eater.., CBH and Black Noise.
Trilogy: Edited down to a 13 song album called "Cold And Black And Infinite".

I've never seen so much blasphemy in a single comment.

[allegate]

Is it this one?

https://soundcloud.com/corestormy/ni...scipline-remix

ok so that was not it but it is wild that you found a remix that was 6:45.

I uploaded it to my OneDrive and the link is here. It's set to expire on Friday because I don't know if there's a traffic limit or something for other people accessing it.

[r_z]

Maybe it's the multitrack version put together by an user here using itunes for encoding?

update: Multitrack version is 5 minutes long.

[r_z]

I've never seen so much blasphemy in a single comment.

[allegate]

update: Multitrack version is 5 minutes long.

I was trying to find the multitracks the other day to make my own mix - because why else would you download them - and had zero luck.

[piggy]

I was trying to find the multitracks the other day to make my own mix - because why else would you download them - and had zero luck.

https://archive.org/details/NineInch...lti-trackStems

[katara]

Seems to be much dislike for Lights In The Sky. I don't get it. I love that song.

[Prettybrokenspiral]

Seems to be much dislike for Lights In The Sky. I don't get it. I love that song.

I like it a lot, too. But I definitely understand the general disdain for it..

For one, it sounds completely out of place on the Slip, right down to its placement in the track sequence. It also lends itself to the overall concept of that album, which is Trent being fully capable of banging out a Nails album in a few weeks, if necessary. The song is fine, but it sounds like he had some words, sat down at the piano and started playing, and 15 minutes later had the general blueprint for an NIN ballad..

The whole album is like that: PHM-style radio fare (Discipline), ambient dronescapes (TFOUAD), layered Fragile-era song structures (Echoplex), prototype industrial-metal bangers better than anything Ministry has done in over 15 years (1,000,000, Letting You), and the obligatory piano ballad..

This is what made Hes Marks -- his next album -- so refreshing. He made this boilerplate NIN album in two weeks that any of his 90s fad fans could get into, then did a complete 180 and made a difficult, minimalist-yet-layered concept album that irritated 75% of his fanbase and did things no other Nails album has attempted before or since..

If the Slip is his Clash album, Hes Marks is his Sandinista..

[Prettybrokenspiral]

You think there’s that much hate for Hesitation Marks?

It sure seems like it..

I remember when it leaked like a week before it came out, and I was reading people's reactions to it here, and it was a lot of "HOLY FUCK THIS IS HIS BEST STUFF SINCE THE FRAGILE!!"

Now, any time someone praises that album, there's like a dozen replies about how a lot of the songs are terrible, Everything sucks, it starts out strong and then nosedives, etc. All you have to do is back up in this very thread at random intervals and it'll routinely show up. Nobody is calling it "his best since the Fragile" these days, I know that much..

Which makes it all the more hilarious when people talk up Add Violence as this grand artistic statement that really ties the Trilogy's room together. No it doesn't; even Trent and Atticus don't like that EP. That's why it's bookended by two EPs that sound nothing like it, and are both notably stronger and more focused..

Add Violence sounds like the EP that should have come between The Slip and Hes Marks, not between two EPs that a lot of people here actively consider Trent's best work since The Fragile..

[allegate]

It sure seems like it..

I remember when it leaked like a week before it came out, and I was reading people's reactions to it here, and it was a lot of "HOLY FUCK THIS IS HIS BEST STUFF SINCE THE FRAGILE!!"

Now, any time someone praises that album, there's like a dozen replies about how a lot of the songs are terrible, Everything sucks, it starts out strong and then nosedives, etc. All you have to do is back up in this very thread at random intervals and it'll routinely show up. Nobody is calling it "his best since the Fragile" these days, I know that much..

Which makes it all the more hilarious when people talk up Add Violence as this grand artistic statement that really ties the Trilogy's room together. No it doesn't; even Trent and Atticus don't like that EP. That's why it's bookended by two EPs that sound nothing like it, and are both notably stronger and more focused..

Add Violence sounds like the EP that should have come between The Slip and Hes Marks, not between two EPs that a lot of people here actively consider Trent's best work since The Fragile..

bold fucking statement made out of thin air. why do you think they feel that way?