Nine Inch Nails

I seem to have totally missed NIN over the past 25 years, only 2 appearances in my whole collection, one with Bowie the other on a U2 covers magazine CD.

I’ve just finished Gary Numan’s autobiography and Trent gets mentioned quite a bit which has piqued my interest.

So where to start, what is a must listen, anything to avoid?

I presume there a a few fans out there amongst you all?

.sjb

 

I’d recommend Downward Spiral as is a must for any serious NIN fan. Trent has mellowed a lot in the last few years but the legacy is there. Check out also their version of Joy Division’s Dead Souls.

 

I have a cousin who is in music p.r. and has worked with N.I.N.
She has taken my old Uncle to see them a few times, the thought of him at a N.I.N. gig still tickles me.

 

As above, pretty hate machine and downward spiral.
I used to really like nin but went off suddenly and never got back on.

What's the track with bowie, the lost highway soundtrack or something? That had a couple of smashing pumpkins tracks I really liked but someone must have borrowed my cd and forgotten to give it back.

 

From perusing, Roon and Wikipedia, it would appear that EPs , particularly remix. EPs were a big part of the story in the early years.

So far I’ve listened to Pretty Hate Machine which seems very good.
The Downward Spiral will need a few listens I feel with some track not showing their worth to me on first listen. This is probably where I heard them first and they didn’t appeal to the newly wed with child on the way.

The EP further down the Spiral is doing better to this aged ears though.

Any of you with them at the time and have followed them over the years?

.sjb

 

Been a fan of NIN since the start. The Fragile is essential imo and the production quality is really good on this one (as it is on most of NIN), Trent is a perfectionist. Broken is also a personal favourite, true raw aggression with a cover of Adam and the Ants - Physical, superb. Sometimes it takes a couple of listens to get your ear in, but once there I hope you find NIN have amazing depth and quality across all their albums.
I like everything they have done to be honest which I can't say about many bands etc, and the fact NIN have covered both Gary Numan and Adam and The Ants another 2 artists I grew up with and love is a great coincidence/serendipity.

 

Only really liked Pretty Hate Machine, and saw them live doing it in Manchester.
BTW, Down In It is a very good song for evaluating soundstage*. When I had the 3 way analogue active system, I could hear the effect of his voice being up above it, and then down in it. I wish I could have kept that system, but my wife couldn't cope with it.
* Fake, I know, but very well done.

 

These are good: https://store-uk.nin.com/collections/music/products/ghosts-digital-download

 

With Teeth is a fave here

 

When you’re ready a phenomenal live experience. It's a shame this never came to the uk

 

Seeing them live is somewhat mind expanding.
Oh, and their fans at a gig, you see real devotion to the music and those on stage.
Truly an amazing thing to witness a NIN gig.

 

Roon tells me it’s “I’m afraid of Americans”.

Wikipedia explains why he shows up on 2 compilations but not on the album Earthling which is where the song is from.

“Following its release on the album, Virgin Records issued the song as a maxi-single in North America only with six different remixes. The remixes were mostly created by Trent Reznor and his Nine Inch Nails band members, continuing his and Bowie's association following the Outside Tour; the V3 mix featured Ice Cube while the V5 mix was created by Photek.[1] Reznor subsequently appeared in the music video, which reflected the song's theme of a frightened European in an American city. A top 20 hit in Canada, the single peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 16 weeks on the chart. It was the final Bowie single to chart on the Hot 100 until 2015. Reznor's V1 mix has since appeared on several compilation albums.”

.sjb

 

I'm a huge NIN fan. Trent Reznor is very talented and has something very unique with Nine Inch Nails.

Once I delved into Nine Inch Nails I was hooked for years.

I don't listen as much anymore as I've been through every album. But like all great bands they will always be there when I need them to wake up my senses.

 

Don't think there's a duff NIN album. Some of the extended remix EPs are a tad hard to swallow but mainstream album releases have always been good. I think 'With Teeth' is a good intro to NIN and then work from there.

 

Hesitation Marks is in a similar vein to Pretty Hate Machine. It Trent’s happy album. As Tricky states there is no duff NIN album

 

Like Trents side project HTDA. His wife and him are in this video.

 

Hesitation Marks was my intro to NIN - love it.

 

The chorus is the best

 

I love NIN but I don't listen to much after Downward Spiral and Further Down The Spiral (US version), other than the Ghosts series.