Author Topic: Is it okay to like Nine Inch Nails if you are over 17 years old? (Read 5040 times)

border · « **on:** March 04, 2009, 09:05:54 AM »

Isn't this just music for when you are angry that Mom is making you do your homework? Or when the jocks make fun of your black leather trenchcoat? Or a sympathetic voice for the fledgling atheist/objectivist/romantic teen that hasn't yet found like-minded peers?

But still I see drinking-age people go nuts when they announce tour dates (maybe they are just huge Jane's Addiction fans or something).

I tend to have a pretty extreme bias against things I liked when I was 15 but grew out of by the time I hit 18......so maybe I'm way off. Is there anything here for grown-ups to enjoy? I bought and loved and probably still own all their albums and singles made until Further Down the Spiral, but now it all feels like pretty generic and tiresome angst.

ToxicAdam · « **Reply #1 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:09:30 AM »

I imagine there are people in their late 20's who were too young to go see them when they were relevant.

demi · « **Reply #2 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:13:12 AM »

I bet you hate the fuckin ninja turtles too

Well let me put you in on a little secret, the ninja turtles are the best thing ever

Human Snorenado · « **Reply #3 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:14:57 AM »

He stopped making good material when he no longer had anything to really, truly be pissed about. Which was after Broken, if you're keeping score.

ToxicAdam · « **Reply #4 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:17:07 AM »

Fragile was good from a technical standpoint (especially the instrumentals). But it was pretty soulless.

Eric P · « **Reply #5 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:44:24 AM »

i liked with teeth, but seem to have been the only person who did.

didn't follow year zero, ghosts or whatever else he's done since then.

broken/fixed really was the beginning of the end though. i like some stuff off of downward spiral but not much.

i do, however, need to get that album now that it's been re-released

The Fake Shemp · « **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:47:01 AM »

I also liked With Teeth. We are Internet best friends, Eric!

I do agree that Reznor peaked with Broken, however. I think his shift to pop worked with With Teeth, but it's as if he caught wind that he lost his angst street cred and tried to cobble together some stupid crap together to recapture his glory - but it didn't work.

I felt With Teeth worked when he realized he didn't have much to be angry about anymore and focused his energy on making decent pop songs.

Tauntaun · « **Reply #7 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:51:40 AM »

With Teeth is the first and only NiN album I've ever bought. Was just never a huge NiN fan. I really like Everyday is the Same though.

Eric P · « **Reply #8 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:54:23 AM »

check out Broken at least, if you haven't already

or at least just the Happiness in Slavery video.

Tauntaun · « **Reply #9 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:56:13 AM »

Quote from: Eric P on March 04, 2009, 09:54:23 AM

check out Broken at least, if you haven't already

or at least just the Happiness in Slavery video.

I see Trent and I have more in common then I thought.

Akala · « **Reply #10 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:56:27 AM »

Broken was/is a fantastic EP, though I've only really liked maybe 30% (generous) of the stuff he's done since. Ghosts isn't bad, but nothing I can really listen to for very long. I find Trent can still put out a few good singles every now and then...every album he's put out has at least something good on it.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Year Zero was definitely his weakest.

[close]

Eric P · « **Reply #11 on:** March 04, 2009, 10:02:51 AM »

Quote from: Tauntaun on March 04, 2009, 09:56:13 AM

Quote from: Eric P on March 04, 2009, 09:54:23 AM
check out Broken at least, if you haven't already

or at least just the Happiness in Slavery video.

I see Trent and I have more in common then I thought.

giggle giggle

OptimoPeach · « **Reply #12 on:** March 04, 2009, 10:26:04 AM »

When I saw them on their last tour there were quite a few people in the audience that looked to be well into their 30s.

I haven't liked much of what has been released after The Downward Spiral, although I did enjoy Ghosts, and I thought Year Zero had a few decent songs. They're still good for a listen every now and then, even if a lot of the older stuff does sound pretty dated now.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

With Teeth

[close]

Hitler Stole My Potato · « **Reply #13 on:** March 04, 2009, 10:31:51 AM »

I was a huge fan in the 90's but I really haven't liked them ever since Fragile came out .....so disappointing.

I saw them in concert twice, once during the first Lalapalooza and again on the Downward Spiral tour. The Lalapalooza performance wasn't anything to write home about but the Downward Spiral show (with Marilyn Manson and The Jim Rose Freak Show) was probably the second best concert I've ever been to (the first being Pink Floyd). For a good portion of the NIN show they had a partially opaque curtain between the band and the audience and the special effects they were bouncing off that thing still blows my mind to this day. I've really never seen anything quite like it before or since.

[youtube=560,345]hrD3H7ZBdsE[/youtube]

You can see what I'm talking about toward the 4:00 mark.

Say what you want about the guy, but he knows how to entertain at a concert.

Human Snorenado · « **Reply #14 on:** March 04, 2009, 10:46:48 AM »

I found The Downward Spiral to be just a fair album in general, and in specific for Reznor not very good considering that PHM and Broken/Fixed were both pretty awesome and immediately preceded it. Then there was that long layoff in between Downward Spiral and The Fragile and The Fragile was just... yeah. Not so much.

What sucks is that I really dug the work he did on The Lost Highway soundtrack. Really good, moody instrumental stuff. And "The Perfect Drug" is really awesome- I dug the dnb influences. But it all just went turribly, turribly wrong from there on out.

DJ_Tet · « **Reply #15 on:** March 04, 2009, 10:48:39 AM »

When I saw them last year, the crowd was the most diverse of any concert I've been to. More than Radiohead, more than Digweed, more than Stevie Wonder etc. I was pretty shocked at the visual diversity at the NiN show, but damn, they put on an INCREDIBLE show.

For the record I only have three NiN albums (Pretty Hate Machine, Downward Spiral, and Further Down the Spiral) and the latter is my favorite. I'm not a huge fan of their records but their live show was fucking amazing.

cubicle47b · « **Reply #16 on:** March 04, 2009, 10:58:33 AM »

I haven't listened to the Fragile in years but it was practically the only album I listened to for a year when it came out. I broke up with my girlfriend of 2.5 years a few months after it came out which fucked me up for at least 6 months. I still listen to The Downward Spiral but that's it. Ghosts had some interesting songs but starting with With Teeth the albums were pretty bad.

edit: The concerts are amazing if you can stand the people there.

border · « **Reply #17 on:** March 04, 2009, 10:59:11 AM »

My point was less that the band started to suck after 1997, and more that most people should have grown out of what they have to offer. Going back to even their "best" work now, I don't get anything out of it. Unless you're still in some sort of mental adolescence, I don't see what appeal this music really has.

Human Snorenado · « **Reply #18 on:** March 04, 2009, 11:03:42 AM »

Quote from: border on March 04, 2009, 10:59:11 AM

My point was less that the band started to suck after 1997, and more that most people should have grown out of what they have to offer. Going back to even their "best" work now, I don't get anything out of it. Unless you're still in some sort of mental adolescence, I don't see what appeal this music really has.

Nah, I disagree. If I'm pissed off about something or angry at something huge and unwieldy that I have no control over (usually the govt.) then there's almost nothing better to listen to than PHM and Broken, with the possible exception of Rage's first album. The people who stuck with Reznor after he had nothing to be truly pissed about (he's a mutlimillionaire with control over his art now, what's he got to be legitimately pissed about) are the ones who inspire head scratching. That doesn't detract from the quality of that early work, tho- it's still quite good if you're in the mood for it.

cubicle47b · « **Reply #19 on:** March 04, 2009, 11:07:41 AM »

Quote from: border on March 04, 2009, 10:59:11 AM

My point was less that the band started to suck after 1997, and more that most people should have grown out of what they have to offer. Going back to even their "best" work now, I don't get anything out of it. Unless you're still in some sort of mental adolescence, I don't see what appeal this music really has.

Fuck off with that mental adolescence bullshit. The music can still be appealing when the lyrics have lost all meaning.

ToxicAdam · « **Reply #20 on:** March 04, 2009, 11:15:23 AM »

I saw the same concert Hitler stole my potato saw. It was definitely one of the top 3 of all-time. But after I saw that concert, I never really had the desire to see them again. It's very rarely I go see a performer more than once.

border · « **Reply #21 on:** March 04, 2009, 11:19:05 AM »

Quote from: The Card Cheat on March 04, 2009, 11:03:42 AM

Nah, I disagree. If I'm pissed off about something or angry at something huge and unwieldy that I have no control over (usually the govt.) then there's almost nothing better to listen to than PHM and Broken

So the problem I guess is that I'm just totally hopeless and defeated. I don't have anything to rage against (machines or otherwise).

Human Snorenado · « **Reply #22 on:** March 04, 2009, 11:24:19 AM »

Quote from: border on March 04, 2009, 11:19:05 AM

Quote from: The Card Cheat on March 04, 2009, 11:03:42 AM
Nah, I disagree. If I'm pissed off about something or angry at something huge and unwieldy that I have no control over (usually the govt.) then there's almost nothing better to listen to than PHM and Broken

So the problem I guess it that I'm just totally hopeless and defeated. I don't have anything to rage against (machines or otherwise).

Going to Dragon*Con annually will do that to you.

Eric P · « **Reply #23 on:** March 04, 2009, 11:39:37 AM »

really?

man, the thought of hanging out and playing nerd games for a few days sounds awesome

but the realization i'd be playing them with nerds kills the whole thing

Human Snorenado · « **Reply #24 on:** March 04, 2009, 11:40:24 AM »

Quote from: Eric P on March 04, 2009, 11:39:37 AM

really?

man, the thought of hanging out and playing nerd games for a few days sounds awesome

but the realization i'd be playing them with nerds kills the whole thing

*lightning bolt! lightning bolt!*

Eric P · « **Reply #25 on:** March 04, 2009, 11:44:14 AM »

you know what i don't get

ministry fans

i totally bailed after Filth Pig, but it amazed me that people stuck with them right up to the end

cubicle47b · « **Reply #26 on:** March 04, 2009, 11:52:01 AM »

I'm listening to Left right now and it's still awesome. I can understand why people don't like it. It's not really aggressive, he's not really angry (depressed, sure). The songs are all about playing with various layers, adding or changing existing ones until the song peaks. It's pretty, interesting, perhaps mildly depressing, and makes for excellent background music when coding.

border · « **Reply #27 on:** March 04, 2009, 11:53:17 AM »

Quote from: The Card Cheat on March 04, 2009, 11:24:19 AM

Going to Dragon*Con annually will do that to you.

It beats having to listen to angst-muzik everytime someone says Obama is insulting America by drinking a beer.

DJ_Tet · « **Reply #28 on:** March 04, 2009, 01:32:47 PM »

Apparently the first dates for NiN/Jane's Addiction went up, I'll be going to the Charlotte show.

Can't wait, I've never seen Jane's, do they have the original lineup back?

Yeti · « **Reply #29 on:** March 04, 2009, 01:38:55 PM »

[youtube=560,345]G0E2ssjv8PA[/youtube]

BobFromPikeCreek · « **Reply #30 on:** March 04, 2009, 01:45:47 PM »

Year Zero was actually pretty decent.

Hitler Stole My Potato · « **Reply #31 on:** March 04, 2009, 01:48:26 PM »

Quote from: Yeti on March 04, 2009, 01:38:55 PM

[youtube=560,345]G0E2ssjv8PA[/youtube]

Genius.

Trent Dole · « **Reply #32 on:** March 04, 2009, 01:49:29 PM »

Quote from: DJ_Tet on March 04, 2009, 01:32:47 PM

Apparently the first dates for NiN/Jane's Addiction went up, I'll be going to the Charlotte show.

Can't wait, I've never seen Jane's, do they have the original lineup back?

Yes, Eric Avery is back in the fold for the first time since their split in the early '90s.

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #33 on:** March 04, 2009, 01:49:35 PM »

I liked Ghosts, thought it was cool do drive around to. But that's pretty much it, I've never really understood the love he gets.

FatalT · « **Reply #34 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:40:37 PM »

Quote from: DJ_Tet on March 04, 2009, 01:32:47 PM

Apparently the first dates for NiN/Jane's Addiction went up, I'll be going to the Charlotte show.

Can't wait, I've never seen Jane's, do they have the original lineup back?

Going to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on June 12th? I bet it'd be pretty cool but I dunno, I probably won't go. I'm going to the Music as a Weapon 4 tour at Bojangle's Coliseum (Cricket Arena) on April 13th, though.

Akala · « **Reply #35 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:54:05 PM »

This thread got me checking, and I'm going to miss them in Vegas by a week. :'(

etiolate · « **Reply #36 on:** March 05, 2009, 01:12:13 AM »

Quote from: Eric P on March 04, 2009, 11:44:14 AM

you know what i don't get

ministry fans

i totally bailed after Filth Pig, but it amazed me that people stuck with them right up to the end

With Sympathy is one CD I always bring out to entertain folks.

[youtube=560,345]sET1lhBMNiU[/youtube]

[youtube=560,345]PdB6e91stm0[/youtube]

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #37 on:** March 05, 2009, 01:28:49 AM »

Loved Pretty Hate Machine (which uh...i owned on cassette tape, my children...or is it grandchildren), meh on absolutely everything else. PHM sounded fresh to me when it was released but everything since just sounds like self-parody with MOAR of EVERYTHING.

Trent Dole · « **Reply #38 on:** March 05, 2009, 02:10:20 AM »

Quote from: etiolate on March 05, 2009, 01:12:13 AM

Quote from: Eric P on March 04, 2009, 11:44:14 AM
you know what i don't get

ministry fans

i totally bailed after Filth Pig, but it amazed me that people stuck with them right up to the end

With Sympathy is one CD I always bring out to entertain folks.

I have a framed vinyl copy of WS on my wall.

DJ_Tet · « **Reply #39 on:** March 05, 2009, 08:14:27 AM »

Quote from: FatalT on March 04, 2009, 09:40:37 PM

Quote from: DJ_Tet on March 04, 2009, 01:32:47 PM
Apparently the first dates for NiN/Jane's Addiction went up, I'll be going to the Charlotte show.

Can't wait, I've never seen Jane's, do they have the original lineup back?

Going to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on June 12th? I bet it'd be pretty cool but I dunno, I probably won't go. I'm going to the Music as a Weapon 4 tour at Bojangle's Coliseum (Cricket Arena) on April 13th, though.

Yeah, I saw NiN there a couple of years ago. A huge thunderstorm started and interrupted the concert, but once the lightening cleared NiN finished the show in monsoon conditions. Definitely one of the best concert experiences of my life, even if I'm not a huge NiN fan. Their stage show was impressive enough to go see again though. That Jane's Addiction is coming is just a HUGE bonus to me (I love Jane's a lot more than NiN but never had the opportunity to see them.)

I'm too old for Music as a Weapon show, I've only heard of those bands by proxy.

tiesto · « **Reply #40 on:** March 05, 2009, 09:54:26 AM »

Is Perry Farrell still with Jane's Addiction? I know he's gonna be DJing in Miami during WMC this year.

clothedmacuser · « **Reply #41 on:** March 05, 2009, 07:17:06 PM »

When I listen to Nine Inch Nails these days I'm amazed that I once thought of them as edgy or disturbing. In the mid 90's Trent Reznor was about as weird and freaky as I thought music could get. But now I think most pop is far stranger. I wish I could tell my younger self that because I like NIN and would've started listening to them earlier.

ToxicAdam · « **Reply #42 on:** March 06, 2009, 09:46:50 PM »

[youtube=560,345]O8fq1_gJnX0&[/youtube]

DJ_Tet · « **Reply #43 on:** March 06, 2009, 11:01:11 PM »

:kerry

That's amazing. That's probably the apex intersection of 80's pop culture and 90's pop culture. It's like a visual and aural version of the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, what a find.

"Hey, you got your 90's gutter punk in my 80's Flock of Seagulls!"

"Hey, you got your 80's Acid Wash all over my 90's leather and chains!"

News:

Author Topic: Is it okay to like Nine Inch Nails if you are over 17 years old? (Read 5040 times)