Release Date: 21 September, 1999
Audio CD
Tracks
- Somewhat Damaged
- The Day The World Went Away
- The Frail
- The Wretched
- We're In This Together
- The Fragile
- Just Like You Imagined
- Even Deeper
- Pilgrimage
- No, You Don't
- La Mer
- The Great Below
- The Way Out Is Through
- Into The Void
- Where Is Everybody?
- The Mark Has Been Made
- Please
- Starfuckers, Inc.
- Complication
- I'm Looking Forward To Joining You, Finally
- The Big Come Down
- Underneath It All
- Ripe (With Decay)
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Rating 4.5
Trent Reznor's dual-disc magnum opusThe Fragile (1999.) Nine Inch Nails' third album, and fourth source of original material.
Despite having a fairly limited catalogue of original material, Trent Reznor's musical project Nine Inch Nails is nothing short of excellent. The man is a musical genius, and it just can't be denied. From the group's transformation from techno-flavored rock to heavy industrialized rock, Reznor and his band have never failed to please. While NIN releases of original studio material are few and far between (most of the band's releases are singles/EPs that consist mostly of remixes), whenever the band does release original studio material it is nothing short of excellent. In 1999, Trent and his band released The Fragile, their third album, and fourth source of original studio material. It was unlike earlier albums in that it was a double album - two CDs worth of material. Read on for my review, and see if it measures up to the band's achievements prior.
Every Nine Inch Nails package containing original studio material is a good release, and The Fragile certainly proved to be no exception. I had my doubts that Reznor could do something that would be up there in the ranks of Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral, but he pulled it off again. With The Fragile, he and his band manage to create a dual-disc masterpiece that is one of the band's finest works. While not my personal favorite Nine Inch Nails album (Pretty Hate Machine will always hold that position in my mind), it's still a masterpiece. Usually, double albums are a hit and miss affair, on which half of the songs blow and half of them are masterpieces, and the overal package would have been better off being a single all killer, no filler package. The Fragile is NOT like that. Every song on here is flat-out excellent. Unfortunately, for the group, this tends to be one of their more underrated and overlooked releases, due to the fact that it didn't produce as many hits as the previous albums. Still, the NIN fans that discover this one agree, it rocks. At the time, this was the group's most musically diverse effort, taking the stylings explored on The Downward Spiral and expanding them even further. One of the things I have always admired Trent Reznor for is his not being afraid to try new things musically. Perhaps The Fragile demonstrates this point better than any other NIN release. While there's still plenty of the Downward Spiral-style songs to be found on here, there's a good deal of experimentation, too - and all of the experiments pay off. In the end this certainly stands as a strong album - some of Trent's finest work. If you're a Nine Inch Nails fan, no matter how big or small, get The Fragile.
Many of the Nine Inch Nails albums seem to be fading off of store shelves, usually a sign that the albums in question have gone out of print. I haven't seen The Fragile in many stores, which implies that it is likely out of print now. That's a shame, since it's some damn good work. I'm personally hoping that the band's out of print stuff gets a long overdue reissue. The two-disc Delxe Edition treatment The Downward Spiral got would work wonders for other releases in the group's catalogue. What's the record company waiting for, anyway?
The Fragile is anything but fragile - it's solid through and through. Just when you thought Trent Reznor was licked, he comes out of nowhere and unleashes this musical masterpiece on the masses. It wasn't the band's most popular album or the most well-received, but it succeeded beautifully musically. If you're a fan of the group, buy this album - you will not regret the purchase.Can't be heard in partsI bought this album a couple of years ago and feel in love with it. The dark feeling to it, the beautiful composition, Reznor's emotions, all amazing. "Somewhat Damaged," "The Wretched," "La Mer" all stood out as the best songs of the CD.
Slowly, I started paying attention to the other tracks on the CD and noticed I couldn't stand them at times. I'd skip 2 or 3 tracks at a time to get to a favorite, only to be dissapointed.
A couple months later, I decided I would give this album another chance. As I started listening to it more and more, I realized that I couldn't fully enjoy it if I played a couple of songs. No, I had to start from the beggining and let it build up.That's how this album is setup. All the songs are integrated and part of a whole, rather than have three or four songs that are absolutely amazing.
Sadly, many people don't have the patience for this kind of album. It's an album that grows on you, listen after listen.
For those of you who have rejected this album, give it another chance. You might be surprised.the bestRelease a huge, multi-platinum alternative record in the mid-90s. Take a five-year hiatus, and follow it with a deep, double record full of well-crafted instrumentals and wrenching emotional songs. What do you get?
If your name is Nine Inch Nails, and the record is The Fragile, you get a flop. An undeserved one: The Fragile is easily the masterpiece of the NIN catalogue. Both discs, overall, are innovative, musical, complex and accessible.
With this record, mastermind Trent Reznor did what usually is the perfect thing for a career: he stayed within the realm of his previous work, but developed his sound enough for it to sound fresh. The core of the NIN sound remains; the screaming, growling and whispering against heavy guitars and inventive techno percussion are still there, as are the themes of depression and despair.
However, he uses fresh instrumentation, including cellos, violins and even trumpets (the instrumental "Pilgrimmage"). The piano, an instrument used in his works since his debut, takes an extended role in instrumentals and even "The Wretched," one of the heavier tracks.
Also, the thematic approach shifts ever-so-slightly, working in more optimistic topics including hope (the first single, "We're in this Together") and love (the title track). Whenever these topics occur, of course, they are accompanied by their polar opposites.
The record has very few negative points. The second disc goes on a bit too long for its own good, making it seem like Reznor had too much material for one disc but not enough for two.
Also, "Starf---ers Inc." is a thinly veiled attempt to revive the shock value of The Downward Spiral's hit single "Closer" without being nearly as catchy or disturbing. Putting the F-bomb in the title didn't do the trick. It is perhaps worthy of being an album track (the actual theme is totally different from "Closer," and it is listenably catchy), but choosing it as a single was a mistake that likely cost sales.
All in all, though, The Fragile is the best record of the thoroughly killer Nine Inch Nails catalogue. It is perhaps the ideal alternative record, with a variety of emotions represented. |
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