A Day with Nine Inch Nails

A day with Nine Inch Nails

I’ve embarked on an experiment today- to listen back to back to all the studio recordings of an artist I’ve struggled with- in fact previously I haven’t even managed to make it through a whole album of theirs- Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails. The idea came from memories of immersion in Wagner’s Ring (c. 13 hours) or challenging contemporary classic music and finding it a transcendental experience.

I can’t emphasise enough that I have no prior knowledge nor experience of NIN, so if you’re looking for a detailed, informed critique, this isn’t the article for you. These thoughts were put together as I was listening over a 12 hour period today.

1)     Pretty Hate Machine

About ten minutes into a multi hour experience, I had an overwhelming craving for some Fleet Foxes, and frankly wondered if I had the mental stability to stay the course. This music is angry- the word alienation keeps coming to the fore, dissonant, and extremely unsettling.  The only thing keeping me going was the belief I must be missing the point, some  hidden meaning, as the person I trust most on matters musical rates NIN extremely highly.

An early sign of a possible breakthrough was ‘Something I may never have’: atmospheric and moving with fascinating textures. Despite this, it was clear NIN was going to be a tougher nut to crack than Radiohead, and I would be digging deep today into the past experience of sitting through hours of impenetrable atonal classical material.

By the end of this album it’s fair to say I feel traumatised and I’ve 6 more to go. This could end in an ugly way with this folk-music and bear loving tree hugger smashing up some property.

2)     Broken EP (see next blog post for reaction to Downward Spiral)

The sound is full of distortion, almost painful to the ears, and even more of an assault upon the senses than Pretty Hate Machine. More reflective moments such as Help me I am in Hell provide some relief and suggest a possible way into Trent’s world for me, but the relief was quickly shattered by the devastating impact of ‘Happiness in Slavery’.

It’s tough to concentrate on writing whilst listening to this music, but I’ve just been struck by the thought that if the purpose of music is to influence you emotionally (and I believe this is completely the point), NIN does succeed. There’s been little I’ve ever heard to which I’ve had such as strong reaction to as this- albeit one involving negative feelings. Maybe the point is to rid the body of negativity and frustrating by getting it out of the system. The test will be what state I’m in later. This album is raw and aggressive but by the penultimate track Physical I think I’m beginning to submit to it and let myself go: I’m questioning whether it’s constructive to try to analyse this music. In hindsight, this was the toughest party of today's journey into the unknown.

3)     The Fragile

My initial impression from opening track ‘Somewhat Damaged’ is that the sound is amazingly complex, and that rhythm is a key component of this music. I’m finding this easier to engage with than The Downward Spiral: it seems to have a slightly more human side, and more development and variety within the songs. The Frail is actually very touching and this is the first time so far in this experiment I’ve been moved in a more conventional sense. There is some repose at the end of We’re in this Together- and a real sense of atmosphere. The Fragile is also fascinating, if disconcerting. Even Deeper: here there’s some space to breath and to contemplate what’s gone before. Whereas Downward Spiral was a short concentrated bombardment, The Fragile seems more of a broad, film like panorama in the sense that it encompasses a wider range of emotions.

La Mer-: I doubt Trent Reznor is familiar with Debussy’s masterpiece, but it’s also very original and atmospheric and surprisingly emotional in portraying deep sadness. The Great Below is similarly beautifully orchestrated and even haunting.

This is album is a journey, not a collection of songs, and has structure which parallels classical works I love (it’s quite a lengthy album).  The instrumental tracks add variety.

But I’m still a long way from my comfort zone. I’ve had a recent exposure to Wolfmother and whilst it was a fairly hard-hitting sound, ultimately I think they were still having fun and didn’t take it so seriously. With this music, I detect real mental pain, and that’s harder to deal with. This isn’t intended as entertainment- it’s a dark form of art, surely an articulation of depression.

4)     With Teeth

This seems a comparatively more subdued and less abrasive than NIN’s earlier work, and the better for it, with even a hint of vulnerability. I love Right Where it Belongs- it has a dream-like quality. I feel in this album, Reznor has matured, and feels less of a need to prove his rebellious side. He gives himself more space to display his talents for setting out such a creative sound-world. This isn’t to deny that there is still much relentless, painful aggression, but this makes the moments of repose all the more powerful.

5)     Year Zero

I wonder if this album is inspired by the terror of war- certainly there’s extreme violence, and I certainly wouldn’t interpret this as a glorification of the military, more an exposition of its horror. It has real impact, although by the end there is some relief: Another version of the truth is quite delicate, and Zero sum lyrical (having all the more effect for being surrounded by such abrasion). It may be a question of acclimatisation, but now I’m a little more appreciative of Reznor’s self-expression, and feel less unsettled. If you overcome initial prejudices about the music’s style, there’s actually a liberal, tolerant message underneath.

6)     Ghosts I-IV

Since it’s instrumental, Ghosts reminds me of experimental or minimalist contemporary classical works, so I’m more in my comfort zone, and of course I’m used to lengthy works, so the commitment here holds no fears. In some ways this reminds me of film music, but there are some fascinating instrumental sounds and a refreshing experimental feeling. That’s not to say that it isn’t dark, in common with the other NIN work I’ve been listening to. It’s still unsettling, but not as barbaric as say The Downward Spiral.

7)     The Slip

This is the album I’d previously attempted to listen to on a couple of occasions, and given up on, so how has my perspective changed now? If I have persisted, I’d have discovered that the second half of this relatively short album is actually less hard-hitting, and more reflective. Now I’ve overcome some of my shock, I’m also able to appreciate some of the staggeringly innovative sound textures, surely a labour of love for Reznor. There’s no escaping the fact that this is demanding music though- the listener needs to put in real effort, and it would be unrealistic to expect to understand or love it on this first run through. Even now though, I’ll be bold enough to say that I can appreciate Lights in the Sky as a masterpiece.

What I've learnt from Today

I like music with a connection to the natural world- I feel it should be deeply linked to place. However, I’m wondering if I’d missed the point with NIN. Perhaps it’s actually critique of the industrial-military complex which I’m so uncomfortable with rather than part of it?

So have I emerged as a convert, a NIN fan? No, but a great deal has happened to me musically in the past two months, and as there’s over 11 months to go before I post my top ten musical discoveries of 2011, who knows? I do have a desire to return to explore this music further, and along with the challenges today, there have been moments of real insight for me. I’m left with an immense respect for Reznor’s musicality. I may not love much of this music, but I have a suspicion he’s achieved exactly what he set out to do, in terms of making tangible and sharing some very deep and difficult emotions.

This has been a fascinating journey into a previously alien world, and twelve hours later I can see the world from a very different perspective to my own.