Controversial Nine Inch Nails opinions

[implanted_microchip]

wh...what?

Tony continues to think that the coolest live show I have ever seen was a colossal failure

[Jamesthejimbob]

- The Fragile, like pretty much every double album, would be better as a single album.
- Hesitation Marks is excellent and is unfairly maligned. I suspect it's one of those albums that's due for reassessment in the future.
- Everything ain't bad, it just feels out of place on HM. It would have been better as a single or B-side
- The Slip is a great little album. Not NIN's best, but for a free "Thanks" it's goddamn awesome.
- NIN is... not a great live band. Maybe that's too, strong. They're just a little disappointing. Don't get me wrong they perform well, the visual elements are great, and the songs sound amazing and intense, but there's just no real connection with the audience and very little deviation from the studio versions of the songs. When I see a band live I want to hear something I would never hear at home. Like alternative versions or variations of an existing tracks. (I might be alone in this though, please don't throw things at me!)
- I like the remix albums, particularly Things Fall Apart and Year Zero Remixed.
- Came Back Haunted is the best NIN music video by far.

[thefragile_jake]

Deep is amazing. It's like the anti-tension.

Loloololol. I feel like the end result wasn't that bad ... but STL totally got jipped in regards to the song selection.

Though the Tension version of Even Deeper I hope I never hear again.

[eversonpoe]

Though the Tension version of Even Deeper I hope I never hear again.

whoa, what? why? that vocal solo is AMAZING

[botley]

Don't get me wrong they perform well, the visual elements are great, and the songs sound amazing and intense, but there's just no real connection with the audience and very little deviation from the studio versions of the songs. When I see a band live I want to hear something I would never hear at home. Like alternative versions or variations of an existing tracks. (I might be alone in this though, please don't throw things at me!)

I won't throw anything at you, but I have to wonder what you mean by alt/variations since the live arrangements change with practically every tour...

[thefragile_jake]

whoa, what? why? that vocal solo is AMAZING

It ain't for me honestly. It takes away from the ambience of that portion and I get easily distracted by it and borderline laugh at it. I get why some people dig it ... but boy, it's rough for me.

[Jamesthejimbob]

I'm probably not explaining myself very well but that wasn't my experience when I saw them in Boston. Maybe I didn't notice the variations but they just sounded like really slick live versions of the album tracks. There also weren't any unreleased songs played. Once again I had a great time and I was glad to finally see them live after waiting for so many years, but it felt more like a very well rehearsed theatrical production than a raw live show.

Edit: The more I think about it, the more I think that maybe my expectations were too high? I was expecting a wild transcendent experience.

[Halo Infinity]

I fully understand that, as most people on ETS do. However if someone gives the whole NIN discography to the average person without knowing the background to it they really don't care what the intent was- only the final product.

Personal opinion- if TS was the first NIN album an average music aficionado had with the band they would be left scratching their head wondering what all the fuss was about.

This is also why I for quite some time have always felt and thought that Pretty Hate Machine to With Teeth are usually the best options whenever it comes to recommending Nine Inch Nails albums to new or casual listeners. (Since those are technically the greatest hits as far as peaks and being in NIN's prime go.)

However, I still could definitely understand and accept how you sometimes just never know and that it's still possible for new fans and casual listeners to end up enjoying anything after With Teeth.

I like to also think of it as an imaginary box set whenever I've gotten those albums as birthday and Christmas presents, as if it were Pretty Hate Machine to The Fragile and With Teeth as a bonus album.

[tony.parente]

This year has been the worst year to be a NIN fan since the beginning of the band. Minus the music.

[Harry Seaward]

No need to be a controversial opinion ... Deep is one of my favorite Nine Inch Nails song. It's a shame it doesn't seem to get as much live love as it deserves.

So, do people actually dislike "Deep"? Or do people just act like it's bad, or act like other people dislike it, just because Trent has expressed dissatisfaction for it? Because it's a great song and I think if people weren't aware of Trent's opinion or the fact that it's on a movie soundtrack, they would think it fits right in NIN's discography. It could slide right into The Fragile and feel totally natural and fitting. Plus it sounds like a sequel/sibling/spin-off to "The Perfect Drug" lyrically and thematically. I could understand the opinion if it obviously stuck out or was noticeably different, but I honestly just think people feel the need to play off of what Trent's said about it.

[sonic_discord]

- The Fragile, like pretty much every double album, would be better as a single album.

No. That may be the case for some double albums, but The Fragile and Mellon Collie are two of my favorite albums of all time and both earn their extended length and put it to good use. Too many amazing songs would be left on the cutting room floor.

- Hesitation Marks is excellent and is unfairly maligned. I suspect it's one of those albums that's due for reassessment in the future.

Yes, I'm with you on this one.

- Everything ain't bad, it just feels out of place on HM. It would have been better as a single or B-side

Agreed, although it's flow in context of the album has grown on me over time. It was a jarring/unexpected first listen, though.

- The Slip is a great little album. Not NIN's best, but for a free "Thanks" it's goddamn awesome.

Trent said in an interview at one point that it was originally intended to be an EP, but they wound up with an album's worth of material. Sometimes I wonder if an EP length would have worked better for it, but at the same time, I'll take as much NIN as I can get as often as I can rather than complain about a song or two that I'm not as fond of.

- NIN is... not a great live band. Maybe that's too, strong. They're just a little disappointing. Don't get me wrong they perform well, the visual elements are great, and the songs sound amazing and intense, but there's just no real connection with the audience and very little deviation from the studio versions of the songs. When I see a band live I want to hear something I would never hear at home. Like alternative versions or variations of an existing tracks. (I might be alone in this though, please don't throw things at me!)

WHAT. Have you been to many of their shows? Were you ever on the floor? Gotta say I very strongly disagree on this one.

- I like the remix albums, particularly Things Fall Apart and Year Zero Remixed.

Yeah, they're great. Not as great as Further Down the Spiral (particularly v2). I can't get into Fixed though.

- Came Back Haunted is the best NIN music video by far.

FALSE. The Perfect Drug is the best NIN video by far. Followed closely by Closer. I wish Trent would hire Mark Romanek again...

[sonic_discord]

So, do people actually dislike "Deep"? Or do people just act like it's bad, or act like other people dislike it, just because Trent has expressed dissatisfaction for it? Because it's a great song and I think if people weren't aware of Trent's opinion or the fact that it's on a movie soundtrack, they would think it fits right in NIN's discography. It could slide right into The Fragile and feel totally natural and fitting. Plus it sounds like a sequel/sibling/spin-off to "The Perfect Drug" lyrically and thematically. I could understand the opinion if it obviously stuck out or was noticeably different, but I honestly just think people feel the need to play off of what Trent's said about it.

I think it mostly has to do with the fact that it had the misfortune of coming out after a mostly flawless string of the band's best material and by comparison seemed a little on the mediocre side at the time. To be fair, a LOT of songs would be a tad disappointing after PHM, Broken, TDS, Dead Souls, Burn, The Perfect Drug, and The Fragile. The video was polarizing as well (not terrible, but not great either). It also appeared on the soundtrack for the Tomb Raider movie, which was not very good at all.

[sonic_discord]

This year has been the worst year to be a NIN fan since the beginning of the band. Minus the music.

What makes you say that? We have a new EP and another due by the end of the year (hopefully), TR is popping up left and right in interviews, and there are a handful of live shows (along with the knowledge that a full tour is coming next year). It's a hell of a lot better than 2003, 2004, 2010, and 2015 when NOTHING happened.

[tony.parente]

What makes you say that? We have a new EP and another due by the end of the year (hopefully), TR is popping up left and right in interviews, and there are a handful of live shows (along with the knowledge that a full tour is coming next year). It's a hell of a lot better than 2003, 2004, 2010, and 2015 when NOTHING happened.

Product roll outs, distribution nightmares, the actual products, the setlists of the shoes, the visuals of the shows, the zero trust in the nin.com store anymore, etc.

[captainbeyond]

So, do people actually dislike "Deep"? Or do people just act like it's bad, or act like other people dislike it, just because Trent has expressed dissatisfaction for it? Because it's a great song and I think if people weren't aware of Trent's opinion or the fact that it's on a movie soundtrack, they would think it fits right in NIN's discography. It could slide right into The Fragile and feel totally natural and fitting. Plus it sounds like a sequel/sibling/spin-off to "The Perfect Drug" lyrically and thematically.

You could replace "Where Is Everybody?" with "Deep" and it would fit extremely well. Similar groove and he practically used the exact same guitar/bass sound on both songs. It's like he recorded the instrumental parts on the same day without changing some of his gear up.

No one can seriously tell me that "Where Is Everybody?" is really that much better than "Deep."

[sonic_discord]

Product roll outs, distribution nightmares, the actual products, the setlists of the shoes, the visuals of the shows, the zero trust in the nin.com store anymore, etc.

I get the feeling most of that has to do with your disappointment in Deviations 1 (much of that is understandable), but you haven't gotten any enjoyment out of the new EP? As for the setlists, they're playing festivals, so you can't expect them to play deep cuts that most of the audience won't know or care about. They ARE playing 4 new songs plus their David Bowie cover/remix that we've never seen before, which I for one am excited to see.

[Volband]

I was surprised to see how much everyone seem to hate Not So Pretty Now.

A fucking B-side track that screams With Teeth and has the lyrical depths of No You Don't. It's a fun little track and I wouldn't even be mad if he still pulled it out live as it has a groove to it, though there are much better live tracks for that now (Discipline, Less Than).


And Deep is fucking great and I can't understand the hate. Yes-yes, I read it many times that the video (which of course, I've seen) sucks, but that is like the lamest reason to dislike a song. Especially in hindsight, when we got such classic videos as the one for Came Back Haunted.

[Lerxto]

This year has been the worst year to be a NIN fan since the beginning of the band. Minus the music.

It was 2002 or 2003 for me, no doubt.

[Fred]

Even if I get the point, it feels sorta stupid to make that statement and take the music out of the equation. Sure, cause first and foremost, I was always a NIN fan because of the t-shirts.

[Jamesthejimbob]

Agreed, although it's flow in context of the album has grown on me over time. It was a jarring/unexpected first listen, though.

Interesting point. I tend to skip it as I find it's placement really jarring, but maybe I should just embrace it.

Trent said in an interview at one point that it was originally intended to be an EP, but they wound up with an album's worth of material. Sometimes I wonder if an EP length would have worked better for it, but at the same time, I'll take as much NIN as I can get as often as I can rather than complain about a song or two that I'm not as fond of.

I'm glad he didn't shorten it. It's perfect the way it is.

WHAT. Have you been to many of their shows? Were you ever on the floor? Gotta say I very strongly disagree on this one.

Yes and yes. I saw them in Boston during the TENSION tour. I knew this point would be contentious! I'm not really explaining myself well with this one and I tried to clarify in a later post. It's not a question of ability or skill or anything like that. Thing is, I grew up in Africa so the possibility of seeing NIN live was always pretty much unattainable for me, but It was a little dream of mine that eventually I would be able to see them live. I think as a result I built it up in my mind into something that it could never possibly be.

Beyond that though, I still stand by my belief that a live show should be or have something special that you wouldn't hear anywhere else. That wasn't my experience. They came on, played their set and left. I don't think Trent said a damn thing the whole time apart from "hello". There were no unique tracks or versions. It just felt perfunctory. That being said, I wouldn't trade the experience of seeing them live for anything and I will see them again if the opportunity presents itself.

Yeah, they're great. Not as great as Further Down the Spiral (particularly v2). I can't get into Fixed though.

Yeah, same. Fixed is a brick wall for me.

FALSE. The Perfect Drug is the best NIN video by far. Followed closely by Closer. I wish Trent would hire Mark Romanek again...

Hah, I do like the Perfect Drug video, but I'm a Lynch fanboy.

[Jamesthejimbob]

This year has been the worst year to be a NIN fan since the beginning of the band. Minus the music.

I'd argue that 1994-1999 were the worst years. It was a goddamn wasteland.

[Tyson]

No one can seriously tell me that "Where Is Everybody?" is really that much better than "Deep."

Hi. I'm here to prove you wrong.

[nooneimportant]

I have an extremely controversial opinion and it's that I don't really dislike any NIN songs. Infact, most of my favorite bands I find hard to dislike. I don't find myself to be a very hateful individual as it is so I guess that's the reason? Who knows.

[Detunez]

Why should anybody truly hate 'deep". It just is that type of more straight to the point "clean" rock which NIN also used for a lot of other songs like: Burn, Into the void, Gave up, The hand that feeds.

It fits straight into their discography.

[mewsick]

Deep is fine, I think if it had been on a nin album or released on its own it would have been embraced different. As i recall, the late 90s early 2000s was the hate the "mainstream" and anything that smells like it era. The tomb raider soundtrack i think grazed "Mainstream" a lil too close, and the love mtv gave the video didn't help either. Wrong place wrong time. Thats how i remember it, but im old and senile now in my mid 30s, so .

[BRoswell]

Put me in the camp that doesn't get the hate for Deep. That main synth line gets me every single time.

[Kyle]

Put me in the camp that doesn't get the hate for Deep. That main synth line gets me every single time.

I think the hate for Deep is mostly the video. And a few corny lyrics. But from most of what I've seen, the musical elements of the song are definitely not hated.

[Kyle]

I have an extremely controversial opinion and it's that I don't really dislike any NIN songs. Infact, most of my favorite bands I find hard to dislike. I don't find myself to be a very hateful individual as it is so I guess that's the reason? Who knows.

Skeletor is love

[Kyle]

I don't think Heresy and We're in this Together sound very good live (and they're both excellent studio tracks) so Trent might just know what he's doing by not playing certain songs live.

Three disclaimers - 1. I've never seen either of those songs personally live so that might change my perception 2. Last is great live so it's possible they will work, but I think that song has more to do with killing his voice (also Last I have seen live so maybe there is bias, but I thought the same thing before that from hearing recordings so probably not) 3. I'm not including songs that he used to play live like HiS. Based on interviews, retiring songs has more to do with him not feeling connected to the song anymore rather than how it sounds. This is strictly referring to songs like the perfect drug or demon seed or so many fragile tracks that he's never played live in front of an audience even once.

[katara]

I don't think Heresy and We're in this Together sound very good live (and they're both excellent studio tracks) so Trent might just know what he's doing by not playing certain songs live.

I've seen Heresy a couple of times and it was fan-fucking-tastic.