NIN - We're In This Together

NIN - We're In This Together [Halo 15 - Disc 1] (CD, Maxi-Slim, Single) [1999] Holland.

1. We're In This Together [7:19] *
2. 10 Miles High [5:13] **
3. The New Flesh [3:41] **

* Album Version.
** These two tracks were exclusive to the Vinyl release of The Fragile, and this Single.

I've got a bit of a love/hate relationship with Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor's steady decline into elevator muzak has always left a bitter taste in the mouth. Now, I was never the biggest fan of NIN to begin with (to this day I only own somewhere around 18 of their CDs), and I'm not particularly fond of techno remixes, but something about even their lesser albums seem to draw me back after long periods of time. As if I feel the need to go back and revisit them, hoping maybe I just didn't give it the chance or *doubtfully* I was wrong. The Fragile album was my breaking point. Reznor's most accomplished, brilliant and damn near perfect album The Downward Spiral looks down upon The Fragile in disgust. And would spit upon it, if it weren't so damn helpless. The Fragile is like someone you really want to break up with, but you know the guilt would slowly just eat little holes in your soul... especially if that person killed themselves afterwards, and depending on if you feel things ...so you just go on ignoring it, and every once in a while pop it in for old time's sake. I guess that's what mood altering substances are for. Hmm.

We're In This Together (Watch the MUSIC VIDEO) was my favorite track on The Fragile album. This "Single" was actually three different Singles released at once, about a week after The Fragile came out. Reviewers have claimed that Disc 1 (above) is the best of the three and the most sought after since the track list doesn't suffer the flaws of the other two releases. I've seen this single release going for well over a hundred dollars online, and recently, as low as about fifty. As for the songs, 10 Miles High (LISTEN to the track) is definitely a creepy little number with shades echoing the HENRY: Portrait of a Serial Killer soundtrack. This song was later remixed by Keith Hillebrandt for the Things Falling Apart album (LISTEN to v2). This is a pretty solid and psycho-ish song, with minimal lyrics and both versions of it hold up extremely well. As for The New Flesh (LISTEN), I'd like to say long live it, but it is the weakest track here compared to the other two. However, that's not to say that it's bad. Sounding like an extremely lazy and hazy, mind-wandering portion from The Beatles album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the track is actually quite enjoyable on its own. If you can find this USED at any shop, which is probably doubtful, buy it on sight. I don't recommend buying any CD for more than fifty bucks unless it's a Limited Boxset that's brand spakin' new. Maybe after all this talk I'll go back and listen to The Fragile again... it's been a few years now. Maybe.

Danzig - Sacrifice

Danzig - Sacrifice (CD, Jewel Case, Single) [1996] US.

Hollywood Record's art guy (name not listed) had a one-hour deadline with a half-hour lunch.

1. Sacrifice (Rust Mix) [3:47] *

2. Sacrifice (Trust Mix) [3:47] *

3. Sacrifice (Must Mix) [6:26] *

4. Sacrifice (Crust Mix) [6:29] *
5. Sacrifice (Martyr Mix) [6:20] **
6. Sacrifice (Album Version) [4:29] ***

* Remixed by J. G. Thirlwell
** Remixed by Joseph Bishara
*** Taken from the Danzig 5 sessions.

As bad as Danzig 5: BlackAciDevil is, especially when compared to Glenn's previous works, at least the music that he himself produced on that album isn't as horrid as these stupid-named Remixes are. The "Rust Mix" does its best job of covering Glenn's voice in distorted layers of shit until you can't even hear him. Some people have complained about this on albums 6 and onward, but on 5 he's loud and clear! Was this Remix a foreshadowing of things (or complaints) to come? The "Trust Mix" is essentially the "Rust Mix" but without the vocals at all! I guess covering 'em up wasn't enough. Heh. J.G.Thirlwell may have a somewhat impressive resume, and I own a few other CD's that he's done Remix work on, but this shit is uninspired and tired.

Despite the lack of vocals on the "Must Mix" (aside from one yell of "Sacrifice"), this seems to be the only track that the guy gave a fuck about. It feels like it could be in a Metroid game, sounds really nothing like the title track, and is weird enough to be considered OK. Joseph Bishara's one entry here sounds like the mutated child of the only good Thirlwell track and Danzig's far superior Original Version [Watch the MUSIC VIDEO]. This is the other OK track on this Single. If in fact this single consisted of the Original Version, the "Must Mix" and the "Martyr Mix" it would probably be a pretty decent release. Seeing as how Bishara did some work on one of the Mortal Kombat sequels and Heavy Metal: FAKK 2, I would have liked if he had another track on this to show off what else he could do.

This is no EP. It's a Single. This is the original release and not the Reissue with three bonus remix tracks. I have no desire to pick up the Reissue as even owning this dics displeases the hell out of me. The Reissue's cover art is actually well done, using the full picture that in this case has been blown up from eyebrows to chin and looks like total shit of a cover art job. The back of this atrocity looks like someone just straight ripped off an old NIN remix cd. I expect that kind of lazy shit from Trent and his art guys, but at least they sometimes have interesting backgrounds. This just looks like blurry, scratchy purple-ish trash. For shame. And the coverart isn't even a folded piece of paper either, it's just a straight double-sided insert job where the inner art is what's on the back cover, without the tracklist or other wording. Avoid!