Nine Inch Nails Further Down the Spiral CD

Description

Nine Inch Nails’ 1995 release, Further Down The Spiral, is an album of remixes of songs from the 1994 studio album, The Downward Spiral (and one original song by Aphex Twin contains brief samples taken throughout the album), and it goes without saying that you shouldn’t consider this album unless you enjoyed TDS (not just “Closer”–the remixes for that song are on a separate single). That being said, this is one of the best remix albums of all time. Most modern remix albums are nothing more than attempts to squeeze as much money as possible from the fan’s pockets (i.e., Limp Bizkit’s album “New Old Songs”), and thus, even the better ones, like Linkin Park’s Reanimation, tend to sound rather commercial. FDTS, on the other hand, was released before remix albums were that common. Of the tracks provided, only two sound like they could be successful on commercial radio: Rick Rubin’s remix of “Piggy” and Trent Reznor’s remix of “Hurt” (which sounds exactly the same as the album version unless you listen very carefully). This doesn’t mean that the rest of the remixes are unlistenable, it’s just that the pop element that was present in TDS has been essentially removed by the remixers. What this means is that FDTS has more appeal to fans of industrial music than to fans of alternative rock in general. The tracks are very atmospheric, and often explore various aspects of TDS’s songs in greater detail. The original creation by Aphex Twin should please folks who like his brand of electronica. In short, if you liked The Downward Spiral, and are interested in exploring the industrial aspect a little more, go for it. If not, spend your money on something you’ll enjoy more.