The Nine Inch Nails 2013 festival tour has ended (depending on whether I post this Sunday the 1st or Monday the 2nd) and the new album is out (for everyone who has a computer, fingers and the cold, black heart of a thief).
At the time of writing, it is only the 6th of August and I have seen and heard all three Nine Inch Nails shows to date (well, saw the live streams of Fuji and Lollapalooza, heard the pretty solid boot of Ansan, South Korea). If my assumptions are wrong, you will never read this sentence, because it will be erased in a flood of grateful tears....but, if I am right...then, aside from the switching out of a song or two...we've seen everything there is is see on this tour.
Have there been surprises? Yes, namely the reconstruction of "Sanctified" and the debut of three new songs from Hesitation Marks.
But, getting down to brass tacks, there has not been much else to take my breath away.*
The following still remain true about Nine Inch Nails live:
- The first third of the show features "March of the Pigs"
- "The Frail / The Wretched" OR "Reptile"
- "Gave Up" segueing into the "quiet part"
- The "quiet part" ending with one of Nine Inch Nails' handful of "Songs That Start Quiet But Then End Loud"...
- ...being followed by "Wish"**
- Last three songs are some combination of "The Hand That Feeds", "Head Like A Hole" and "Hurt".
That. Is. Fine.
For the silly ass obsessed fans like myself, there have been enough changes to satisfy (barely) my fanboy fervor; new songs, a reinvention and reintroduction of a song they haven't played since 1996, and a few tweaks to old standards, but.
When that tour starts in September...I want to freak...out.
I want my fucking jaw to drop right off my god damn face.
Eight times.
If you're going to play "Terrible Lie", "March of the Pigs", "Closer", "The Hand That Feeds", "Head Like A Hole" and "Wish", you go for it, but you do something different.
Whether it's something completely insane, like in the case of "Sanctified", or something subtle, like the addition made to "Hurt", it does not matter.
Reznor says they've rehearsed about forty songs, so far (again, it's August 6th right now) we've heard twenty seven. If these last thirteen are meant for the festival tour, awesome, I will shut the shitting fuck up, but, if these last thirteen are included in the "real" NIN tour starting in September and ending in 2014?
Well, that's an issue.
Of those thirteen, I'd guess...what...six are new tracks? Not all of them working live?
That leaves seven.
Who wants to bet...I don't know..."Somewhat Damaged" or "Home" or "Echoplex"? Maybe "The Day The World Went Away" or "The Fragile"?
Let's say they only pick two.
That leaves five (or so) spaces for Nine Inch Nails to blow my mind.
I don't doubt that they can do it ("The Perfect Drug", "Mantra", "Zoo Station", "And All That Could Have Been", "Demon Seed"), I doubt that they will do it.
Or.
Maybe you'll never read this.
Maybe they'll whip out all thirteen for the remainder of this festival tour.
Or...maybe...maybe just once...I'll...get...what's coming to me.
Oh God!!!!
What's coming to meee!
Sorry.
Here is where I'd originally constructed two "ideal set lists", but, as I consider these the equivalent of sweaty, teenage fan fiction or wearing a Nine Inch Nails shirt to a Nine Inch Nails cover band show or Nine Inch Nails DVD screening party, I will not post them.
Now...onto Hesitation Marks...
Some early thoughts and impressions.
"Eater of Dreams" is an amazing track and should be four minutes longer. While there is nothing else on the album even vaguely related to the nightmares of H.P. Lovecraft, I still think the noises contained within this track would be at home coming from the inside of a Great Old One.
"Copy Of A" while it's grown on me, I still don't feel that there is a lot here. Also, I'm still bummed it isn't "Copy Of A (ay and not uh)" as I think that would have been more interesting subject matter (clones, the future etc.).
"Came Back Haunted" remains a strong single, but, if not handled correctly it could become a "Hand That Feeds". Moving on.
I dug "Find My Way" a lot the first time I heard it played on the Fuji live stream (and thought that it sounded a bit like something by Depeche Mode), and the studio version has so much more to offer. The background chants and drifting voices are chilling and add that touch of spiritual yearning addressed in the lyrics. I wish there were more stuff like this on the album.
"All Time Low" is the first song on the album that I don't like (as of right now, August 26th, it might grow on me). I don't hate it, and there are a lot of cool sounds in it, but there's just some stuff about it I don't dig. One thing that comes to mind are the lyrics that seem a bit remedial ("Hey! / Everything is not okay!" Really, Trent?). Something about it reminds me of "God Given" (another track I've never really liked). The second half, however, I love. I love the changes and the vocals and everything about it. Very divisive. I hope it grows on me.
"Disappointed" is really solid, but Reznor just sounds...I don't know...tired? I like all the instrumentation; the dancy beat, the plucked strings and the erhu melody but those last two minutes where nothing really happens are kind of confusing. Reznor mentioned during some interview about how he was worried that some of these songs might sound unfinished, like demos. While nothing else really feels this way, those barren beats at the end definitely seem to be missing something.
I like "Everything". I like it a lot. It's positive but rough, which is believable coming from Reznor at this point in his life. It isn't about how great "everything" is, it's about how, after "everything" he is, somehow still standing, shaking and shaken, but whole. I also like the nod to his earlier works and tour with the bright multi-part harmony of "wave goodbye". The song soars and makes me soar with it.
"Satellite" sounds like a track from Strobe Light and I kind of love that. It's a dark dance track that might feel at home as the "edgy" track on the new Justin Timberlake album. The subject matter is pretty on the nose as far as current events and the lyrics are, indeed, a bit silly, but your ass is shaking too hard to notice. The build at the end is nice too.
At the moment, "Various Methods of Escape" is one of my favorite tracks on Hesitation Marks. The quality and content of Reznor's vocals in the verses are something I've never heard before. The sonic textures stand out as well. I'm hoping this makes its way into their live set. I want to be swallowed by this song.
"Running" is another one I'm not crazy about. It feels...too sparse? And Reznor's voice doesn't go where I want it to...which is a ridiculous comment to make, I know, but, you asked, right? The little stabbing guitar line is abrasive, but not in an interesting way. It just sounds abrasive. Again, I'm not 100% sure I hate this; there are good moments. More time is required. The whole thing is just annoying me now.
THAT ^^^ was what I had originally thought, but, now, only a few days later, I'm digging it. It's all working.
"I Would For You" starts off with a beat sounding like something from Niggy Tardust, then rises from the cloggy synth mud to a cresting chorus, to one of the only times on the album where Reznor actually raises his voice to scream. Something about the chorus reminds me of "A Stranger In Moscow" by Michael Jackson...which is a weird god damn thing to say while reviewing a Nine Inch Nails album. This is another favorite for me.
My jury is still out on "In Two". There's so much happening here and I don't know if I like it or not. The sound is so hard it becomes unfocused at times, that along with the the robot (?!) vocals and then the high, chanting falsetto, then, just as I'm catching my breath and getting into it, everything drops out and things begin to build again from scratch...
Gah.
I need some more time with this.
I have a problem with judging books by their covers. Also with judging the quality and tone of Nine Inch Nails songs by their placement on an album. Case in point: "While I'm Still Here". I thought this was going to be the "In This Twilight", "Beside You In Time" or "The Downward Spiral" of Hesitation Marks.*** It is not. I do not like it. Reznor's vocals, both the flat, toneless, almost-shouting and the repetition of "ticking time is running out"**** just kill me. I'm trying to think of another Nine Inch Nails song I've disliked this much on early listens, but I'm coming up dry. Again, hoping this grows on me. What it is is beautiful, but not its execution.
And then, "Black Noise" swarms up and swallows everything. I'll admit, I wanted this to be cooler, longer, more apocalyptic and not just dark guitar noise...maybe an evolution of "Eater of Dreams"? Oh well. Maybe next time.
So.
Hesitation Marks doesn't sound anything like any Nine Inch Nails album I've ever heard (although some elements remind me of Depeche Mode, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake and Talking Heads, respectively).
It's difficult and I'm going to need a lot more time with it.
After hearing the first few singles from the album plus "Disappointed" and "Find My Way" from the live shows, I was a bit worried about just how sparse the album would be. I dig sparse, but, come on, if Reznor is back on his "one new album every five years" cycle, then I'm going to need something more... I was also ready to be let down about the incongruous nature of the visuals (the amazing, amazing visuals by Russell Mills) and the sounds I was hearing; everything I'd heard was too clean to be paired with these gritty, blood-smeared images. Did you see the art for "Everything"? I was worried that the art would just be something cool that reminded us of The Downward Spiral so Reznor could further impart that Hesitation Marks was related to it. After hearing the whole thing, however, my fears have been assuaged.
I think I really like this album, even though it lacks a certain softness I've come to enjoy and look forward to on Nine Inch Nails albums, but, then again, it's all about being surprised, isn't it?
They Might Be Giants
August 10th's Celebrate Brooklyn show might have been the best TMBG concert I have attended in quite a while. Yes, they do tend to blur together sometimes, but this one stands out.
The negatives first: usually, there are a handful of songs that I...I won't say suffer through, but, you know, I've heard them a lot and would rather have a different song or some banter twixt the John or, I don't know, completely silence in their place. One of those songs is "Damn Good Times". Even though it's not a bad song and they always rock it out and it's only, what, three minutes, even with the blistering solo from Dan? I feel as if I have been hearing it for a decade now and I am ready for it to go away.
Far away.
And never return until the 2030's when the band starts doing "Spine Shows".
Then we have "Mr. Me".
If you are seeing They Might Be Giants and they have the Tricerachops Horns with them, chances are you're going to hear "Mr. Me".
I would rather not.
Then there's "The Mesopotamians" and "Doctor Worm" BUT the former is always fun and, at least with the horns, the latter is rife with pogoing opportunities, so I'm not bitching too hard.
At least they didn't play "Drink!".
Other than those slightly less bright spots...the set was amazing. I hadn't heard "New York City" in a while and it sounded just as perfect as ever, and segueing from the last note of NYC into "Ana Ng"?
Well played, gentlemen.
All the new Nanobots tracks sounded great, especially the "fast" version of "Black Ops"***** and "Icky", plus, it was awesome to have just John and John for "Istanbul" as I sometimes feel too much time is dedicated to it when you have the Dan Miller intro and the two false endings, especially when the horns are on the prowl.
Other highlights included "The Guitar" (haven't heard this in a while either), "When Will You Die?" (even more biting with horns), "I'll Sink Manhattan" (ditto), "Call You Mom" and "Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal" (HORNSHORNSHORNSHORNS)******.
The only other negative I could think of was that the show felt a bit short, but that's probably only because it was so awesome and I didn't want it to end.
All in all, a fantastic, fantastic show. They've STILL still got it after three decades of doing this.
And, yes, I have already purchased my tickets for their November 2nd Terminal 5 show, where they will be performing their first album in its entirety.
At the moment, I have an extra...anyone down?
Beck
Less than a week before TMBG, I saw Beck (wit his full band) for the first time since they toured with Guero back in...Jesus...2005?!
Whatever the case, Beck is still the second funkiest white man alive and while it was a great show, the lack of anything from Midnite Vultures kind of bummed me out a bit.
The two songs they performed from Song Reader just made me want them to fucking record Song Reader even more.
No mention of a new album, just Beck and Co. rocking the shit out of Brooklyn.
The highlights included "Where It's At" (with its ridiculously long and sexy break down which involved Beck, crawling on his hands and knees, asking that New York City let him in because he was "lonely tonight"), "E-Pro" and the quiet stuff from Sea Change.
On the whole, the show really just sort of salted my wounds regarding his lack of productivity lately...
And whose fault is that?
Nobody's Fault But Beck's Own.
Yeah.
Repurposing.
And, thanks to a recommend from fiery starlet, Graham Skipper, I checked out Apes & Androids one and only album, Blood Moon.
Here is the sentence I have constructed to describe it:
Prince, Beck (impersonating Gary Wilson), Har Mar Superstar, Oingo Boingo, Queen and Mindless Self Indulgence singing into a computer in a church that has been converted into a hot funked up club.
Also, there is sex.
Thank you , Mr. Skipper.
Finally, on September 27th, I'm going to see Atoms For Peace at Barclay's...if I can stop listening to Hesitation Marks long enough to brush up on The Eraser and AMOK.
Which will probably not happen.
* Sonically; visually, this tour was, if a little scattered at times, amazing.
** They broke this tradition recently, starting with Live With Teeth, but have, sadly, hence returned to it.
*** As in the powerful, penultimate climax followed by the slow and beautiful denouement of "Zero Sum" or "Right Where It Belongs" or "Hurt".
**** Okay. I will happily admit that a lot of Reznor's lyrics sound like bad, teenage angst poetry, but both his delivery (his passion, aggression, longing, whatever etc.) and the sonic framework in which they are set ameliorate their brooding, overdramatic nature. Usually.
***** Which will hopefully be included on the upcoming rarities and b-sides collection for Nanobots.
****** That's "horns", not "shorn".
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