Controversial Nine Inch Nails opinions

[WorzelG]

^^^i agree with you about why Wish is played, the last two shows I saw were Sonisphere and Reading festivals, both of which had weird setlists that happened to include Wish as a contrast to mellow stuff (sonisphere) or as a run of heavier songs (reading).

[m15a]

...in all seriousness though, I know you're right, and I've never understood why he still plays tracks like Wish. I know some people think Hurt or HLAH or MOTP should retire because everyone has seen it -- I disagree. Every show is someone's first, and every band has staples. But Wish?

thing is that different fans have different ideas of what are the important staple songs and which are not important. you know there has to be some first time fans that would be like "no Wish? i could do without HLAH, though." as far as people in the pit, HLAH, MOTP and Wish seem about equal from my experience.

it's totally fine that you don't like Broken, but it does sound like you're assigning more negativity to it because you don't like it. I mean, you don't know that Wish is being played just to get people riled up and you don't know that bro-y people like Broken the best. Point is that there are fans that like the album and appreciate it playing live that aren't doing so for "dumb" reasons.

I considered Broken my favorite NIN release for a while (note that I didn't count the bonus tracks as really part of the release and I was scaling for length). Although I'm not sure what it means exactly, I feel pretty safe in saying that I'm not bro-y. I definitely wasn't drawn to it because of its "cred" or image since I hadn't heard it until after I was a fan of TDS and PHM, and didn't know what NIN was about outside of those albums and the Hurt video.

[BenAkenobi]

I really don't (want to) know what's so great about Trent and tambourine and why is everyone and their uncle wet their pants when they see it in action.

[WorzelG]

I really don't (want to) know what's so great about Trent and tambourine and why is everyone and their uncle wet their pants when they see it in action.

Exhibit A : perfect tambourine toss at about 3.49


Exhibit B : I find it difficult to listen to Cars without the tambourine as heard in this video


The sound always seems to be crystal clear

[Joy Prevention Hotline]

...in all seriousness though, I know you're right, and I've never understood why he still plays tracks like Wish. I know some people think Hurt or HLAH or MOTP should retire because everyone has seen it -- I disagree. Every show is someone's first, and every band has staples. But Wish? Sometimes I think he does it for the exact same reasons he describes for why he put out Broken.

Also have to consider the possibility that he still identifies with the song personally. Could be the anger, the sentiment, the fist fuck — who knows?

[Joy Prevention Hotline]

I really don't (want to) know what's so great about Trent and tambourine and why is everyone and their uncle wet their pants when they see it in action.

Do not diss The Holy.

[Volband]

Also have to consider the possibility that he still identifies with the song personally. Could be the anger, the sentiment, the fist fuck — who knows?

How could anyone with two children and a loving, beautiful wife identify himself with a song like Wish? He might get into a state, where he sings Wish as a tribute to those old, hard days, but by that logic he could play every song.

[howdidislipinto]

Also have to consider the possibility that he still identifies with the song personally. Could be the anger, the sentiment, the fist fuck — who knows?

It's definitely a possibility, but him deeming Broken as somewhat dishonest goes against that, as do his usual comments at the beginning of every tour about wanting to move away from certain things. Yet, clearly, he keeps going back to it. So you definitely could be right.

Aside from my opinion of the song itself, I definitely get a little awkward cringe every time I see NIN live and he's forced to say, "26 years, on my way to hell," twenty years later.

[WorzelG]

It's definitely a possibility, but him deeming Broken as somewhat dishonest goes against that, as do his usual comments at the beginning of every tour about wanting to move away from certain things. Yet, clearly, he keeps going back to it. So you definitely could be right.

Aside from my opinion of the song itself, I definitely get a little awkward cringe every time I see NIN live and he's forced to say, "26 years, on my way to hell," twenty years later.

Maybe he should update it to '47 years on my way to hell'

[Joy Prevention Hotline]

It's definitely a possibility, but him deeming Broken as somewhat dishonest goes against that, as do his usual comments at the beginning of every tour about wanting to move away from certain things.

He’s not the first artist to have contradictory feelings about his own work. Ask him the same question a week later and you might get something else altogether.

Aside from my opinion of the song itself, I definitely get a little awkward cringe every time I see NIN live and he's forced to say, "26 years, on my way to hell," twenty years later.

That could be an argument for him not identifying with it.

[simonn]

Besides the fact that Pino did an extraordinary work in "Sanctified", I still prefer the Festivals 2013 tour version. :-)

You win for having the wrongest opinion to date in this thread, according to me. The Pino version is pure sex and groove. Who knew someone that straight-looking could produce something that sexy!

[nimh]

rarely do i post but i have to say i cannot handle the two ladies hes got on his tour. ruins the sound.

[sheepdean]

rarely do i post but i have to say i cannot handle the two ladies hes got on his tour. ruins the sound.

I assume you mean last tour. Or you've been confused by Ally's hair

[AlanMorlock]

I know that clip and I don't want to call him a liar, but he certainly has a history of inventing narratives for the public.

Trent agrees haha

Int the context of your post, the end of this quote made me laugh.

at that point I was living in the Sharon Tate house recordingDownward Spiral. And as stupid as it sounds now, that genuinely wasn't a case of, "What's the most ridiculously extreme thing I can do to get attention?" Flood and I were looking for a place in New Orleans to record in, but we couldn't find anywhere that was right. The only houses we could find that were cool were in residential areas, and we didn't want to spend ages soundproofing a house, and we knew we were going to be making loud music in the middle of the night. Jimmy Iovine from Interscope said, "Why don't you come over to LA? I'll set up ten houses for you to look at and you choose one." We hadn't really spent any time in LA so we went for it. We looked at eight or nine houses that day and that house was the perfect place. It had a beautiful view, it was up on a hill, it was a small ranch house. It had a cool vibe, honestly. I wasn't thinking about Charles Manson - I mean why would I be?
Anyway, that night I told a friend where we were thinking of renting, and he said, "You know - that's where those Manson murders took place." Like anyone else my age those murders had freaked me out when I was younger but I hadn't thought of them in years. He had a copy of a book on them at his house, so we started leafing through it. I thought, "Well, it kind of looks familiar." But then I saw a picture of a ladder leading up into the loft - the ladder I had just climbed that day to see what was up there. I was like, "Oh my God, that is that house." And when he asked if I was still going to rent the place I said, "Fuck yeah, we gotta rent that house." Not realising that it would be the narrative for the next 20 years.

[ethan829]

I think Year Zero is slowly becoming my favorite NIN album. Was just rating songs in my iTunes library and I don't think it has a single "weak" song.

[martin_b]

You win for having the wrongest opinion to date in this thread, according to me. The Pino version is pure sex and groove. Who knew someone that straight-looking could produce something that sexy!

Well, I agree that Pino version is better than Josh. What's more: it's brilliant.

But still I prefer Josh version as IMHO it's more "raw" and "organic" (in a positive "TF-related-way"). But Josh version has one "defect": there is no Sunspots ending. :-(

[Ryan]

I think Year Zero is slowly becoming my favorite NIN album. Was just rating songs in my iTunes library and I don't think it has a single "weak" song.

God Given and Survivalism do nothing for me. The rest is gold though.

[martin_b]

God Given and Survivalism do nothing for me. The rest is gold though.

Well, God Given and Survivalism are not so bad (in my case), but I know what you feel about these songs because I have the same situation in case of 1,000,000 and Letting You.

[Ryan]

Well, God Given and Survivalism are not so bad (in my case), but I know what you feel about these songs because I have the same situation in case of 1,000,000 and Letting You.

I really dislike Letting You but love 1,000,000.

[simonn]

Well, I agree that Pino version is better than Josh. What's more: it's brilliant.

But still I prefer Josh version as IMHO it's more "raw" and "organic" (in a positive "TF-related-way"). But Josh version has one "defect": there is no Sunspots ending. :-(

Gotta love Sunspots...!!

[simonn]

God Given and Survivalism do nothing for me. The rest is gold though.

I always skip Another Version of The Truth, and often Survivalism. Rest of it is great though.

[BenAkenobi]

God Given and Survivalism do nothing for me.

[hani]

God Given is fucking awesome. Survivalism is really good but it becomes ridiculously epic live.

+ I recently learned to appreciate Letting You, I used to skip that track when listening to TS but now I really enjoy it.

[Charmingly Miserable]

I'm gonna be a buzzkill here and say that YZ is my least favorite NIN album.

[katara]

I'm gonna be a buzzkill here and say that YZ is my least favorite NIN album.

Some of it's really great. The Good Soldier, Vessel, Me, I'm Not, My Violent Heart, and the last five songs are all unbelievably awesome. I actually cried the first time the album ended because I was so blown away.
For me, some parts are hit-or-miss. I'm not a fan of TBOTE (too repetitive), Capital G (wtf vocals), God Given, and Meet Your Master. I won't say I've never enjoyed those songs, but I have to be in the right mood or they get skipped.

One of my big nit-picks about Year Zero is the way it's *just* an album. I was hoping for far more snippets of things from the ARG and the world it supposedly came from. Morse code in AVOTT and Red Horse Vector are fine, but very subliminal. I was kind of hoping the album would have more of a sound collage approach, perhaps with segues like the Star Chamber or ballgameOver. You know, like Bowie's Outside album.

[WorzelG]

^^^i love the Outside album, but all those baby grace / mr touch shriek interludes I find embarrassing to listen to

[Joy Prevention Hotline]

One of my big nit-picks about Year Zero is the way it's *just* an album. I was hoping for far more snippets of things from the ARG and the world it supposedly came from. Morse code in AVOTT and Red Horse Vector are fine, but very subliminal. I was kind of hoping the album would have more of a sound collage approach, perhaps with segues like the Star Chamber or ballgameOver. You know, like Bowie's Outside album.

Mmm, I dunno about that. A good concept album is one thing; being beat over the head with the concept (even if it’s not embarrassing to listen to) is another. I think the ARG was kept separate for a reason — people like me who were oblivious at the time aren’t going to get the same value from a few scattered references.

If the TV series ever happens, that’s the place to flesh it out.

[fillow]

ARG ruined Year Zero in a way.
Good luck finding any Year Zero review in the media which is focused on actual music and not on surroundings.

Then again, it was pretty much the same with With Teeth (sobriety), Ghosts/The Slip (distribution models), Hesitation Marks (soundtracks/Oscars/bringing NIN back from hiatus), so maybe I'm wrong.

[hani]

ARG ruined Year Zero in way.
Good luck finding any Year Zero review in the media which is focused on actual music and not on surroundings.

Then again, it was pretty much the same with With Teeth (sobriety), Ghosts/The Slip (distribution models), Hesitation Marks (soundtracks/Oscars/bringing NIN back from hiatus), so maybe I'm wrong.

any good album review would put the reviewed work in context, since context is virtually everything considering art

[katara]

ARG ruined Year Zero in way.
Good luck finding any Year Zero review in the media which is focused on actual music and not on surroundings.

Then again, it was pretty much the same with With Teeth (sobriety), Ghosts/The Slip (distribution models), Hesitation Marks (soundtracks/Oscars/bringing NIN back from hiatus), so maybe I'm wrong.

Do you really think the media cares about the music? All they're interested in is sensationalism.