NIN's 'The Fragile'...

harmless_little_f***
harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
edited March 2007 in Other Music
has just taken its rightful place as one of my favourite albums of all time.
'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

- the great Sir Leo Harrison
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Comments

  • JaneNY
    JaneNY Posts: 4,438
    Well its about time! :) Seriously awesome album. You can listen to it over and over and still find new things. There's only one song I'm not too crazy about, and that's Pilgrimmage. It just spooks me out every time, but it actually kind of fits in with his current stuff in a way.
    R.i.p. Rigoberto Alpizar.
    R.i.p. My Dad - May 28, 2007
    R.i.p. Black Tail (cat) - Sept. 20, 2008
  • lukin321
    lukin321 Charlotte, NC Posts: 865
    I've had this album for a long time and i've never given it a proper listen...thanks for reminding me!
    9/1/98, 8/9/00, 8/12/00, 4/11/03, 4/12/03, 4/13/03, 4/19/03, 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04, 10/3/04, 10/8/04, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 6/11/08, 6/12/08, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09, 10/30/2013, 4/8/2016, 4/9/2016, 4/11/2016, 4/13/2016
  • civ_eng_girl
    civ_eng_girl Posts: 2,001
    I love LEFT... Somewhat Damaged, The Frail/The Wretched, We're In This Together, Great Below.... some of my NIN faves....

    the RIGHT, however... not so much....

    what do you guys think?
    ~~*~~ ...i surfaced and all of my being was enlightend... ~~*~~
  • harmless_little_f***
    harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    civ_eng_girl wrote:
    I love LEFT... Somewhat Damaged, The Frail/The Wretched, We're In This Together, Great Below.... some of my NIN faves....

    the RIGHT, however... not so much....

    what do you guys think?

    I was always a fan of good quality dance/synth computer-produced music, so I like most of the right cd. It isn't as immediate though, and is more 'subdued', relaxing, patient listening. No 'fists in the air' anthems (except maybe Starfuckers!), but not necessarily worse.

    But yeah, many of my favourite NIN songs are on the left. I think Somewhat Damaged is insanely brilliant.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • civ_eng_girl
    civ_eng_girl Posts: 2,001
    I agree! I think this is my favorite part of the whole album.....
    These words are so sad... :(

    In the back
    off the side
    far away
    is a place
    where I hide
    where i stay
    tried to say
    tried to ask
    I needed to
    all alone
    by myself
    where were you?

    How could I
    ever think
    its funny how
    everything that swore it wouldnt change
    is differnet now
    just like you
    Would always say
    we'll make it through
    then my head
    fell apart
    And where were you?

    How could I
    ever think
    its funny how
    everything you swore would never change
    is different now
    like you said
    you and me
    we'd make it through
    Didn't quite
    fell apart
    Where the fuck where you?
    ~~*~~ ...i surfaced and all of my being was enlightend... ~~*~~
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    An incredible album - takes a long time to fully digest it all, but has some of his best stuff on there.
  • blacknapkins
    blacknapkins Posts: 2,177
    GORGEOUS album and on our frequently-played list in this abode.
    "Information is not knowledge.
    Knowledge is not wisdom.
    Wisdom is not truth.
    Truth is not beauty.
    Beauty is not love.
    Love is not music.
    Music is the best."
    ~ FZ ~
  • rrivers
    rrivers Posts: 3,698
    Fantastic album! I love listening to this album, it really needs to be listened to as a whole. I love putting it on in my car and knowing I will be immersed in it for the next couple of days.

    Somewhat Damaged is one of my favorite songs by any artist. I love the line:

    Poisoned to my rotten core, too fucked up to care anymore.

    I also love how it is called "somewhat damaged" when the narrator is obviously much more than "somewhat" damaged. LOL

    I think the only song that doesn't fit is "starfuckers". It doesn't fit the mood of the album for me, nor the maturity of the album's songwriting. I really dislike the song and a lot of it comes from it being on the album. I think if it was on another album, i would like it more becaise it is a fun song, but it does not flow with The Fragile.
    "We're fixed good, lamp-wise."
  • JaneNY
    JaneNY Posts: 4,438
    rrivers wrote:
    I think the only song that doesn't fit is "starfuckers". It doesn't fit the mood of the album for me, nor the maturity of the album's songwriting. I really dislike the song and a lot of it comes from it being on the album. I think if it was on another album, i would like it more becaise it is a fun song, but it does not flow with The Fragile.

    I can see what you mean - I do like it, but yeah its kind of more of a fun song. You could look at it as an intermission from the seriousness - I kind of do. I just picture the silly video of it.
    R.i.p. Rigoberto Alpizar.
    R.i.p. My Dad - May 28, 2007
    R.i.p. Black Tail (cat) - Sept. 20, 2008
  • audiodave
    audiodave Posts: 1,623
    I seriously love this album. It took me longer to get into the right CD than the left, but anyone who hasn't listened to the right CD much...listen again!

    It really is as good as the left! Just takes longer to absorb. I have to listen to the album as a whole, so that's both CD's one after another.
    ~AKA Dave-of-the-dead~

    I don't wanna think, I wanna feel

    Dublin 23/08/06 Lisbon I 04/09/06 Lisbon II 05/09/06 Paris 11/09/06 Verona 16/09/06

    London 18/06/07 Dusseldorf 21/06/07 Copenhagen 26/06/07 Nijmegen 28/06/07
  • Parasol
    Parasol Posts: 319
    This is an awesome album, probably my favourite from NIN. I can listen to it again and again without skipping a track... serious stuff ;)
    --- Barcelona 01/09/2006 ---
    ---- Lisbon 04/09/2006
    ---- Lisbon 05/09/2006
    "One of the best...The Best! Thank You!" Eddie Vedder. 05/09/2006 Lisbon, Portugal
    2007:
    ---- Lisbon 08/06/2007 ----
    ---- London 18/06/2007 ----
    --- Nijmegen 28/06/2007 ---
    --- Werchter 29/06/2007 ---
  • Arctangent
    Arctangent Posts: 614
    glad to see the fragile getting some praise. it always seems to get slagged off purely because it wasn't the downward spiral part 2. this is one album i never get tired of listening to - an absolute classic.
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    Arctangent wrote:
    glad to see the fragile getting some praise. it always seems to get slagged off purely because it wasn't the downward spiral part 2. this is one album i never get tired of listening to - an absolute classic.

    I personally think it's far superior to The Downward Spiral - which is not to say that TDS isn't a great record, I just think The Fragile is more sophisticated. I have to agree with the person who said Starfuckers seems out of place, definitely my least favourite song on the album.
  • harmless_little_f***
    harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    facepollution wrote:
    I personally think it's far superior to The Downward Spiral - which is not to say that TDS isn't a great record, I just think The Fragile is more sophisticated. I have to agree with the person who said Starfuckers seems out of place, definitely my least favourite song on the album.

    I need to listen to TDS more closely, but yeah, I think I'm going to agree with you.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • Arctangent
    Arctangent Posts: 614
    facepollution wrote:
    I personally think it's far superior to The Downward Spiral - which is not to say that TDS isn't a great record, I just think The Fragile is more sophisticated.

    very true but it just seemed that at the time it was what everyone wanted. and when they got the fragile instead, they didn't like it. it took me a long time to get into it but i knew it would be worth it. i did it by only paying left first until it had sunk in, then only playing right, rather than trying to take it all in at once. now i can't play it unless i can listen to both disks together! i don't think some people have the attention span or patience to get the best from the fragile
  • harmless_little_f***
    harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    Arctangent wrote:
    very true but it just seemed that at the time it was what everyone wanted. and when they got the fragile instead, they didn't like it. it took me a long time to get into it but i knew it would be worth it. i did it by only paying left first until it had sunk in, then only playing right, rather than trying to take it all in at once. now i can't play it unless i can listen to both disks together! i don't think some people have the attention span or patience to get the best from the fragile

    This really is the way I felt when Binaural came out. I thought Pearl Jam were the most frustrating band in the world for always throwing curve balls like that. But time told, and now I put Binaural up there with their best albums.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • Arctangent
    Arctangent Posts: 614
    i always find its the ones that are released and you go 'oh, i don't get it... you bastards!' that end up being the ones that stick with you longest.
  • rrivers
    rrivers Posts: 3,698
    Yeah it is definitely a departure from Downward Spiral. That's what is cool about a NIN or Pearl Jam, the albums are different every time out, and some you are like what the fuck? at first but they grow on you.
    "We're fixed good, lamp-wise."
  • JaneNY
    JaneNY Posts: 4,438
    ^^ Pearl Jam(No Code) = NIN(The Fragile)
    R.i.p. Rigoberto Alpizar.
    R.i.p. My Dad - May 28, 2007
    R.i.p. Black Tail (cat) - Sept. 20, 2008
  • rrivers
    rrivers Posts: 3,698
    JaneNY wrote:
    ^^ Pearl Jam(No Code) = NIN(The Fragile)

    Well said.
    "We're fixed good, lamp-wise."

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