i would rather die than give you control

[claudelemonde]

my brother ed is probably seven. he barrels down the hallway into the living room where my sister and i are watching television on the couch; he launches into the air and lands dramatically, sinking his plastic teenage mutant ninja turtles scimitar into a floor cushion. "TERRIBLE LIE!" he howls. it is my fault: i have given him a case of the nine

Comments

[bajatierra]

When I was 20 and running around Seattle goth clubs with black hair and got this album, I remember like "Down In It" best -- but yes, terrible lie-yrics, and how did he get that big.

My favorite NIN moment though is courtesy of Genevieve circa 1998 hosting slam at the Electric Lounge, slapping herself on the ass and screaming, "Trent Reznor? I want you to fuck me like an animal!" Massive hilarity ensued.

[claudelemonde]

i want to go back in time and make him not write that lyric. i mean my god.

you've heard where they mashed up 'closer' with the super mario bros theme, right? it's epic.

[shipbuilding]

LINK OR EMAIL IS REQUIRED, PLZ.

[claudelemonde]

god dude it's on a mix cd somewhere in the pit. let me see if i can find a live one online.

[frankieteardrop]

in general, just about every nuance of pretty hate machine sounds dated. the lyrics- nine inch nails have never ever been for complexity and seldom hit outside of snotty selfishness, and the music on that record in particular sounds like the bastard hybrid of devo and skinny puppy.

in short, now that i'm older, i've found several reasons to dislike this record as i've uncovered similar (and often better) music. but that hasn't stopped me. i still love (the majority of) it. 'sanctified' is probably the pick of the litter. and 'something i can never have' still takes me back to (good?) times. when the band played 'down in it' twice on last year's tour, i definitely was into it.

i will forever love the fragile, though...no pussyfooting around it. and i have enjoyed the majority of their other work as well. they're one of the few bands i loved way back when that i can still get behind.

[claudelemonde]

exactly, which is what i'm (in an entirely too wordy and roundabout way) sort of trying to get at. it functions as a time capsule for when i was that music-limited and immature and estupido, but then i still like it--god knows why--but in a kind of "awww ha ha" fashion, and it's all very complicated.

[trixiefirecat]

HAAA it's so funny, because i kinda had this funny thought when he had that recent comeback and was still writing the SAME lyrics.

[claudelemonde]

it's like, YOU'RE FORTY-TWO (or however old). i mean, at least morrissey is sort of GOING SOMEWHERE with his same old lyrical themes.

[radlett]

agreed. & i simply ~cannot accept~ beefcake trent. it's like a huge joke that never gets old. HAH RLY THO TAKE OFF THE BUFF SUIT NOW.

<i>You are</i> the perfect drug. <i>You</i> are the perfect drug. You <i>are</i> the perfect drug.

[eloe]

Ahhaaa! I love that story about your brother!

Man I so loved NIN back then. I completed my collection with everything Trent made but then he lost me with Fragile. I still have all of them but Pretty Hate Machine embarrasses me. I think if I listened to Downward Spiral, and especially Broken that I still would like it - even if only because little Ellie loved it so much.

I really like this: "NIN offered a cretinous sanctuary for the slim percentage of the population beginning to experience a foot-stompy ennui about how shit was unfair"

It was kind of liberating to listen to something that made me feel like a badass. A very sheltered, secret badass. That was new for me at the time.

Re: <i>You are</i> the perfect drug. <i>You</i> are the perfect drug. You <i>are</i> the perfect dru

[claudelemonde]

ME TOO. i remember sitting on the bus and being all I AM SECRETLY DARK with my yellow sports walkman.

i never really listened to the fragile; post-downward spiral i discovered british psych and never looked back. broken still sounds pretty good, excitingly.

[shipbuilding]

Mmmm about three years ago I got really into playing Downward Spiral on my car CD player and just driving around being mentally back in 7th/8th grade. It was a freaky little time travel thing, I felt really angry and sad and misunderstood and sexually awakened.

Also, TR was totally my hero for being in marching band and being at the NIN/David Bowie concert with my dad in 1997 or w/e is still one of the fundamental parts of my growing up.

[claudelemonde]

MOTHER FUCK I HAD TICKETS TO THAT DB/NIN CONCERT IN DETROIT AND MY MOTHER WOULD NOT LET ME GO COS THE LAST NIN SHOW I WENT TO I CRACKED A RIB. I AM STILL MAD ABOUT IT. I'M GOING TO GO LISTEN TO NIN AND FEEL ANGRY AT MOM!

[frankieteardrop]

I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM MUM CONFISCATED MY TICKET AND BROKE MY LITTLE BLACK HEART!

[claudelemonde]

LET'S YELL AT OUR MOMS ABOUT IT THIS CHRISTMAS!