Nine Inch Nails

To my fellow NIN fans...

With Trent Reznor getting alot of love for The Social Network soundtrack (which is amazing), I was curious to see what my fellow BBSers thought about his work. Which of the following albums is your favorite?

Pretty Hate Machine- is the debut album by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released October 20, 1989, on TVT Records. The album was out of print from around 1997 to 2005 due to the much publicized falling out between Nine Inch Nails' sole member, Trent Reznor, and the original publishing label of the album, TVT Records. Rykodisc re-released the album around the world in 2005, effectively putting the album back into print. Pretty Hate Machine is compiled of tracks from the Purest Feeling demo, as well as tracks recorded after the Purest Feeling recording. The album spawned three singles, the most successful being "Head Like a Hole", which has become a staple in Nine Inch Nails live performances. A remastered version was re-issued on November 22, 2010.

The Downward Spiral- is the second studio album by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on March 8, 1994, by Interscope Records. It is a concept album detailing the destruction of a man, from the beginning of his "downward spiral" to his climactic attempt at suicide. The Downward Spiral features elements of industrial rock, techno, ambient and heavy metal music, in contrast to the dance-influenced Pretty Hate Machine (1989).

The album was a major commercial success that established Nine Inch Nails as a reputable force in the 1990s music scene, particularly following the release of the single "Closer" and its controversial video. It has been widely regarded by music critics as Nine Inch Nails' best work. A companion remix album, Further Down the Spiral, was released in 1995.

The Fragile - is the fourth studio album by American recording act Nine Inch Nails, released September 21, 1999, on Interscope Records. The album was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and long-time collaborator Alan Moulder. In contrast to the heavily distorted instruments and gritty industrial sounds of Nine Inch Nails' previous album, The Downward Spiral, the double concept album[citation needed] relies more on soundscapes, electronic beats, ambient noise, and rock-laden guitar. Lyrically, the album is more introspective and personal than the act's previous releases.

Upon release, The Fragile peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, before quickly dropping to number 16. The album was commercially successful, selling one million copies within its first month of release. Despite some criticism for its length and lyrical substance, the album received positive reviews from music critics with large amounts of praise being bestowed upon the album by several publications.


With Teeth- (stylized [WITH_TEETH]) is the fifth studio release by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on May 3, 2005, by Interscope Records. The album was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and long-time collaborator Alan Moulder. It was Reznor's first original studio album since The Fragile, released in 1999. Reznor has indicated that the album is influenced by his battle with, and recovery from, alcoholism and substance abuse between albums.

With Teeth became an immediate commercial success, debuting at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and selling more than 272,000 copies in its first week. The album generated three singles: "The Hand That Feeds", "Only", and "Every Day Is Exactly the Same", which all became number-one singles on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.


Year Zero- is the sixth studio release by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on April 17, 2007, by Interscope Records. Frontman Trent Reznor wrote the album's music and lyrics while touring in support of the group's previous release, With Teeth (2005). In contrast to the introverted style of songwriting Reznor used on previous records, Year Zero is a concept album that criticizes contemporary policies of the United States government by presenting a dystopian vision of the year 2022. The album is part of a larger Year Zero project which includes a remix album, an alternate reality game, and a potential television or film project. The Year Zero alternate reality game expanded upon the album's fictional storyline by using media such as websites, pre-recorded phone messages, and murals.

Upon its release in April 2007, Year Zero sold over 187,000 units in its first week, and it reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart. The album also received generally positive reviews, many of which were favorable toward the accompanying alternate reality game. Year Zero produced two singles, "Survivalism" and "Capital G", the latter released as a promotional single. Disputes arose between Reznor and Universal Music Group, parent company of Interscope Records, over the overseas pricing of the album. Year Zero was the last Nine Inch Nails studio album released on Interscope. In October 2007, Reznor announced that Nine Inch Nails had fulfilled its contractual commitments to Interscope, effectively ending the band's relationship with the label.

Ghosts I–IV- is the seventh studio release by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on March 2, 2008. The team behind the project included Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor, studio-collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder, and instrumental contributions from Alessandro Cortini, Adrian Belew, and Brian Viglione. Reznor described the music of Ghosts as "a soundtrack for daydreams", a sentiment echoed by many critics who compared it with the work of Brian Eno and Robert Fripp. The songs are unnamed, and are identified only by their track listing and group number.

The album is the first independent release from Nine Inch Nails following its announcement that it had severed its ties with Interscope Records. Initially intended to be a five-track EP, the final release consists of four nine-track instrumental EPs, totaling 36 tracks. The album was released under a Creative Commons license (BY-NC-SA), and in a variety of differing packages at various price points, including a US$300 "Ultra-Deluxe Limited Edition". Ghosts was initially released digitally on the official Nine Inch Nails website without any prior advertisement or promotion. Via the official Nine Inch Nails YouTube profile, a user-generated "film festival" was announced, where fans were invited to visually interpret the album's music and post their results.

Critical reception of the album has been generally favorable, with its unorthodox release attracting positive comments from many critics. Much coverage of Ghosts I–IV has compared it to the digital-download releases of Radiohead's In Rainbows as well as Saul Williams' The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!, the latter Reznor himself produced. The album was nominated for two Grammy Awards, in the categories "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" and "Best Box Set or Limited Edition Package". These nominations represented the first time music released under a Creative Commons license had been nominated for a Grammy Award.

The Slip -is the eighth studio release by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on July 22, 2008. It was the fourth consecutive Nine Inch Nails release to be produced by frontman Trent Reznor with collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder. The album was released for free under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-SA) license, with the message from Reznor, "this one's on me."[1] The Slip was initially released digitally via the Nine Inch Nails official website without any prior advertisement or promotion. A limited-edition, physical version followed two months later, though this iteration of the album was not free.

The Slip was originally intended to be an EP, but eventually grew to be a full-length album. It was recorded, performed, and released in three weeks; Reznor released the album's only single, "Discipline", to radio stations himself, less than 24 hours after it was mastered by Moulder. Critical reception of the album has been generally favorable, and its unorthodox method of release attracted significant media attention. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200.

Other - NIN has many other compilation/remix albums such as Broken, Fixed, Further Down The Spiral, Things Falling Apart, Year Zero Remixed, and numerous live albums. He also had a collaborative effort with Atticus Ross and his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, called How To Destroy Angels. Good canonical material for every NIN fan, but nothing spectacular.

What is your take? My personal favorite is Pretty Hate Machine. That album still holds up today and has some of the most legendary NIN material on it.

 

This song is off of With Teeth, which I personally think is the best song off the album. This video is pretty sweet as well....

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