The The Downward Spiral [Definitive Edition]

by Nine Inch Nails

Overview

The Downward Spiral positioned Trent Reznor as industrial's own Phil Spector, painting detailed, layered soundscapes from a wide tonal palette. Not only did he fully integrated the crashing metal guitars of Broken, but several newfound elements -- expanded song structures, odd time signatures, shifting arrangements filled with novel sounds, tremendous textural variety -- can be traced to the influence of progressive rock. So can the painstaking attention devoted to pacing and contrast -- The Downward Spiral is full of striking sonic juxtapositions and sudden about-faces in tone, which make for a fascinating listen. More important than craft in turning Reznor into a full-fledged rock star, however, was his brooding persona. Grunge had the mainstream salivating over melodramatic angst, which had always been Reznor's stock in trade. The left-field hit "Closer" made him a postmodern shaman for the '90s, obsessed with exposing the dark side he saw behind even the most innocuous facades. In fact, his theatrics on The Downward Spiral -- all the preening self-absorption and serpentine sexuality -- seemed directly descended from Jim Morrison. Yet Reznor's nihilism often seemed like a reaction against some repressively extreme standard of purity, so the depravity he wallowed in didn't necessarily seem that depraved. That's part of the reason why, in spite of its many virtues, The Downward Spiral falls just short of being the masterpiece it wants to be. For one thing, fascination with texture occasionally dissolves the hooky songwriting that fueled Pretty Hate Machine. But more than that, Reznor's unflinching bleakness was beginning to seem like a carefully calibrated posture; his increasing musical sophistication points up the lyrical holding pattern. Having said that, the album ends on an affecting emotional peak -- "Hurt" mingles drama and introspection in a way Reznor had never quite managed before. It's evidence of depth behind the charisma that deservedly made him a star. ~ Steve Huey

Product Details

Release Date:	11/17/2017
Label:	Island / Nothing
UPC:	0602557142785
Rank:	815

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Mr. Self Destruct
2. Piggy
3. Heresy
4. March of the Pigs
5. Closer
6. Ruiner
7. The Becoming

Disc 2

8. I Do Not Want This
9. Big Man with a Gun
10. A Warm Place
11. Eraser
12. Reptile
13. The Downward Spiral
14. Hurt

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Nine Inch Nails   Primary Artist
Adrian Belew   Guest Artist,Guitar
Trent Reznor   Guitar,Vocals,Electronics,Drums
Stephen Perkins   Guest Artist,Drums
Andy Kubiszewski   Drums
Chris Vrenna   Drums,Sampling
Flood   Drums,Hi Hat,Synthesizer
Danny Lohner   Guitar

Technical Credits

Trent Reznor   Audio Production,Arranger,Composer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Flood   Audio Production,Producer,Programming
Stephen Morris   Composer
Bill Kennedy   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Ian Curtis   Composer
Chris Vrenna   Artist,Programming
Peter Hook   Composer
Sean Beavan   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Marc Almond   Composer
KamranV   Producer
Bernard Sumner   Composer
Russell Mills   Paintings
Alan Moulder   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Dave Ball   Composer,Composer
Neal Ferrazzani   Mixing Engineer
David Buckland   Photography
Brian Pollack   Engineer
John Aguo   Engineer
Gary Talpas   Cover Design
James Brown   Mixing Engineer
Tom Baker   Mastering
Bernard Dickin   Composer