Nine Inch Nails - 'And all that could've been (Live)' - By N. Wray
Now I know NIN ain't exactly metal but bear with me on this one. What with NIN's next studio album on indefinite hold, this years offering comes in the form of a live album. Usually I would dismiss a live album as an indecent attempt to milk a bands past history for some extra cash. However, with the quality of this performance (recorded during the Fragility V2.0 tour) it may as well be a greatest hits album. The tracks have all been remixed and given a new lease of life for a new generation. To place this in any existing genre is a daunting task. The sound NIN have pioneered takes from a wide range of influences and styles. There is an overall electronic rock vibe intertwined with singalong choruses and strange samples.
Opener Terrible Lie is an amazing track which sounds perfect dispite being performed live. The audience's reaction just adds further depth to the music - in fact I prefer this and all of the other tracks played live than recorded. The song has intelligent lyrical meaning, its basically Trent praying to God asking him why things haven't turned out in his favour. Songs like this can be done in such a fashion that they are whiny pieces of crap (a la Linkin Park) however NIN have pulled it off perfectly. Most of the album's appeal comes from the accesibility of the whole affair, it's music that devles into the emotions. You'll find this easy to relate to along with all the other tracks.
The second track Sin does not live up to its proceedings but is an excellent track in its own right. Sin is mainly electronical with some drum work added for effect. This track is perhaps the weakest sounding live, however the studio version (not included on this album) of this song is much better. This track is less emotive than a lot of the album and focuses heavily on lyrics and the whole catchiness of the music.
The next two tracks are March of the Pigs and Piggy. March of the Pigs is another brilliant track which sets a dark, brooding mood and leads onto the excellent Piggy. The tracks deal with the same themes and compliment each other perfectly. March of the Pigs is a lot heavier than Piggy and has some excellent guitar and keyboard work. Its a unusually fast track for NIN which ends with a touching piano piece then climaxes with fast guitar playing and speedy drums. Then comes the dark, slower track Piggy which is a personal insight to the people in Trent's life. This track really makes the listener think about what is being said. It's mainly open to personal perception.
Next comes The Frail, its 01:40 of piano, this track is entirely instrumental and seems to be an introduction to the next track, The Wretched. An amazing track, it's one of my personal favorites. This track pushes the boundaries of what NIN is, it's about what leads people down the path to, well one of us, a metal fan. with lyrics like: Stuck in this hole with the shit and the piss, and its hard to believe it could come down to this. Back at the beggining, sinking, spinning. And in the end, we still pretend, the time we spent, not knowing when. Your finally free, and you could be. Didn't turn the way you wanted it to, It didn't turn out quite the way that you wanted it to. Now you know, this is what it feels like. With lyrics like these, NIN music could easily be the soundtrack to generation X. Tracks like these are simply beautiful and show us what music can really be like.
We are then treated to Gave Up, a surprising upbeat track for NIN which sounds as if Marilyn Manson has done all the music. The track is fast and heavy, however Trent is not in a good mood and provides the darker aspects of this song. Its another slice of innovative, original negativity which proves that you don't have to base all your music on electric guitar work to create good material.
The next track is The Great Below, a notably slower track than anything so far but it's emotionally involving and beautifully done. The track is one of NIN's strongest to date, we can only hope their next outing will offer more tracks like this. More art than music, tracks like this take the listener away to Trent's own depressing mindset.
Another slow, emotional track comes next in the form of The Mark Has Been Made. It's almost entirely instrumental apart form Trent singing allong at the end. This track is espicially good because all of the emotion is conveyed in the music. This is due to the wide array of sounds, the throbbing sample is accompanied by a high electric guitar and in places a violin. The drums are light and slow but have a great affect. It's music which is better heard than described, and I would advise you to hear this.
Wish is the heaviest track yet, it focuses on fast singing and heavy guitar riffs accompanying it. Tracks like this get you in the mood for head-banging, and are best appreciated with friends played very loudly. Another piece of intresting deep music which NIN do best. As always the track is layered with electronic beats, which, surprisingly, sound perfect live. Its very rare for a band to be able to execute their music with this precision in a live arena - but NIN manage to pull it off.
Next we are treated to a departure from the traditional NIN sound with Suck, this song has a catchy electro groove running through it and is accompanied by some strange beats. Guitar riffs come frequently and provide some much needed heaviness to the track. The general tone is more lively and upbeat for a NIN song but as always the lyrics remain melanchoy.
Closer is a more experimental track with an 80's sounding electro beat throughout. If you speed it up a bit it could be a dance song! There's nothing here that's worth going back to - it almost seems as if NIN aren't giving it their all. However it merits a few listens if it's your sort of thing, but I can't really say I understand this track's inclusion on the album.
A blatent return to form comes next with Head Like A Hole, this is definitely a lot more negative. It deals with the evils of money and the corruption it brings. This theme is extended on Starfuckers Inc. where the theme is selling out. Pretty ironic coming a band who's last three albums have contained virtually no new material. Head Like A Hole starts off and develops the angst which is fully unleashed in Starfuckers Inc. These two tracks are favorites of mine and both have excellent video's. The former is a slower, more intelligent song. While Starfuckers Inc. is a faster song, with all NIN's fury and angst running throughout. The audience's reactions during this song are moving and only add to the atmosphere purvayed. Especially their tremendous cheer as Trent chants. During absolute silence the crowd burst out into applause as they here the words "Fuck You" - then the whole song starts again with such energy anyone listening will surly soil themselves. This legion of fans don't appear too happy with the release of this album. While I conversed with the members on the bands official message boards most people there have lost faith in NIN deeming them sellouts. We can only hope the band reclaim their stance with their next studio album.
In between these tracks the instrumental song The Day The World Went Away is performed. I can't help but think this track is purely a rest between the two songs. However the audience still applaud the whole way through. It's a track that means many things to the fans and I can't help but think they have their own meaning to this. At the end of the song Trent and the band join together for a group chant of "Na Na Na", which is unusual for a rock song but effective nontheless.
The final track is perhaps the most moving of them all, Hurt is NIN at their best. Its a soft slow track which envokes phenominal reactions form the crowd. The track is one of the best I've ever heard and doesn't feature many instruments at all. It's incredibly performed and makes the transition to its live version perfectly. All I can do is recommend you listen to this and make your own judgements.
In conclusion this is a must-have for those new to NIN, however older fans will already have these tracks and there is no reason to buy them again. The audience participation is energetic to say the least, it sounds like Trent's every breath is being lapped up by a frenzy of fans. The pop sensiblities are present throughout, but they work well and don't decrease the lasting value of the songs. This is one of those CD's you can come back to time and time again and still find comfort in. It's an epic colletion of angst-ridden 21st century anthems that will no doubt find a place in album collections around the world. Just don't expect your parents to like it. 8.5
Now I know NIN ain't exactly metal but bear with me on this one. What with NIN's next studio album on indefinite hold, this years offering comes in the form of a live album. Usually I would dismiss a live album as an indecent attempt to milk a bands past history for some extra cash. However, with the quality of this performance (recorded during the Fragility V2.0 tour) it may as well be a greatest hits album. The tracks have all been remixed and given a new lease of life for a new generation. To place this in any existing genre is a daunting task. The sound NIN have pioneered takes from a wide range of influences and styles. There is an overall electronic rock vibe intertwined with singalong choruses and strange samples.
Opener Terrible Lie is an amazing track which sounds perfect dispite being performed live. The audience's reaction just adds further depth to the music - in fact I prefer this and all of the other tracks played live than recorded. The song has intelligent lyrical meaning, its basically Trent praying to God asking him why things haven't turned out in his favour. Songs like this can be done in such a fashion that they are whiny pieces of crap (a la Linkin Park) however NIN have pulled it off perfectly. Most of the album's appeal comes from the accesibility of the whole affair, it's music that devles into the emotions. You'll find this easy to relate to along with all the other tracks.
The second track Sin does not live up to its proceedings but is an excellent track in its own right. Sin is mainly electronical with some drum work added for effect. This track is perhaps the weakest sounding live, however the studio version (not included on this album) of this song is much better. This track is less emotive than a lot of the album and focuses heavily on lyrics and the whole catchiness of the music.
The next two tracks are March of the Pigs and Piggy. March of the Pigs is another brilliant track which sets a dark, brooding mood and leads onto the excellent Piggy. The tracks deal with the same themes and compliment each other perfectly. March of the Pigs is a lot heavier than Piggy and has some excellent guitar and keyboard work. Its a unusually fast track for NIN which ends with a touching piano piece then climaxes with fast guitar playing and speedy drums. Then comes the dark, slower track Piggy which is a personal insight to the people in Trent's life. This track really makes the listener think about what is being said. It's mainly open to personal perception.
Next comes The Frail, its 01:40 of piano, this track is entirely instrumental and seems to be an introduction to the next track, The Wretched. An amazing track, it's one of my personal favorites. This track pushes the boundaries of what NIN is, it's about what leads people down the path to, well one of us, a metal fan. with lyrics like: Stuck in this hole with the shit and the piss, and its hard to believe it could come down to this. Back at the beggining, sinking, spinning. And in the end, we still pretend, the time we spent, not knowing when. Your finally free, and you could be. Didn't turn the way you wanted it to, It didn't turn out quite the way that you wanted it to. Now you know, this is what it feels like. With lyrics like these, NIN music could easily be the soundtrack to generation X. Tracks like these are simply beautiful and show us what music can really be like.
We are then treated to Gave Up, a surprising upbeat track for NIN which sounds as if Marilyn Manson has done all the music. The track is fast and heavy, however Trent is not in a good mood and provides the darker aspects of this song. Its another slice of innovative, original negativity which proves that you don't have to base all your music on electric guitar work to create good material.
The next track is The Great Below, a notably slower track than anything so far but it's emotionally involving and beautifully done. The track is one of NIN's strongest to date, we can only hope their next outing will offer more tracks like this. More art than music, tracks like this take the listener away to Trent's own depressing mindset.
Another slow, emotional track comes next in the form of The Mark Has Been Made. It's almost entirely instrumental apart form Trent singing allong at the end. This track is espicially good because all of the emotion is conveyed in the music. This is due to the wide array of sounds, the throbbing sample is accompanied by a high electric guitar and in places a violin. The drums are light and slow but have a great affect. It's music which is better heard than described, and I would advise you to hear this.
Wish is the heaviest track yet, it focuses on fast singing and heavy guitar riffs accompanying it. Tracks like this get you in the mood for head-banging, and are best appreciated with friends played very loudly. Another piece of intresting deep music which NIN do best. As always the track is layered with electronic beats, which, surprisingly, sound perfect live. Its very rare for a band to be able to execute their music with this precision in a live arena - but NIN manage to pull it off.
Next we are treated to a departure from the traditional NIN sound with Suck, this song has a catchy electro groove running through it and is accompanied by some strange beats. Guitar riffs come frequently and provide some much needed heaviness to the track. The general tone is more lively and upbeat for a NIN song but as always the lyrics remain melanchoy.
Closer is a more experimental track with an 80's sounding electro beat throughout. If you speed it up a bit it could be a dance song! There's nothing here that's worth going back to - it almost seems as if NIN aren't giving it their all. However it merits a few listens if it's your sort of thing, but I can't really say I understand this track's inclusion on the album.
A blatent return to form comes next with Head Like A Hole, this is definitely a lot more negative. It deals with the evils of money and the corruption it brings. This theme is extended on Starfuckers Inc. where the theme is selling out. Pretty ironic coming a band who's last three albums have contained virtually no new material. Head Like A Hole starts off and develops the angst which is fully unleashed in Starfuckers Inc. These two tracks are favorites of mine and both have excellent video's. The former is a slower, more intelligent song. While Starfuckers Inc. is a faster song, with all NIN's fury and angst running throughout. The audience's reactions during this song are moving and only add to the atmosphere purvayed. Especially their tremendous cheer as Trent chants. During absolute silence the crowd burst out into applause as they here the words "Fuck You" - then the whole song starts again with such energy anyone listening will surly soil themselves. This legion of fans don't appear too happy with the release of this album. While I conversed with the members on the bands official message boards most people there have lost faith in NIN deeming them sellouts. We can only hope the band reclaim their stance with their next studio album.
In between these tracks the instrumental song The Day The World Went Away is performed. I can't help but think this track is purely a rest between the two songs. However the audience still applaud the whole way through. It's a track that means many things to the fans and I can't help but think they have their own meaning to this. At the end of the song Trent and the band join together for a group chant of "Na Na Na", which is unusual for a rock song but effective nontheless.
The final track is perhaps the most moving of them all, Hurt is NIN at their best. Its a soft slow track which envokes phenominal reactions form the crowd. The track is one of the best I've ever heard and doesn't feature many instruments at all. It's incredibly performed and makes the transition to its live version perfectly. All I can do is recommend you listen to this and make your own judgements.
In conclusion this is a must-have for those new to NIN, however older fans will already have these tracks and there is no reason to buy them again. The audience participation is energetic to say the least, it sounds like Trent's every breath is being lapped up by a frenzy of fans. The pop sensiblities are present throughout, but they work well and don't decrease the lasting value of the songs. This is one of those CD's you can come back to time and time again and still find comfort in. It's an epic colletion of angst-ridden 21st century anthems that will no doubt find a place in album collections around the world. Just don't expect your parents to like it. 8.5
God you make me laugh me sometimes..
