cdm72's Full Review: Things Falling Apart [EP] by Nine Inch Nails
First there was “Down In It” which begat “Pretty Hate Machine” which begat “Head Like a Hole” which begat “Sin” which begat “Broken” which begat “Fixed” which begat “March of the Pigs” which begat “The Downward Spiral” which begat “Closer to God” which begat “Further Down the Spiral” which begat “The Perfect Drug” which begat “Closure” which begat “The Day the World Went Away” which begat “The Fragile” which begat “We’re In This Together”. But something was missing.
On November 21, 2000, the Lord looked at us and saw that we needed not just a decent Nine Inch Nail remix CD, but one with such might it would cause wailing and gnashing of teeth in all other Nine Inch Nails remix cds. And so with the word He gave us Halo 16: Things Falling Apart. And there was much rejoicing in the land.
Now this is what I’m talkin’ bout!
Halo 16 is actually one of my more recent NIN purchases. I think the reason I’d avoided it so long is the 3 (that’s 2 more than 1) remixes of the Halo 14 track “Starfckers, Inc.” which is a decent enough song on its own, but I’m tired of remix cds that keep remixing the same song over and over. However, if I’d known beforehand what heavenly light would shine on me with the other 7 tracks, I’d have snagged Halo 16 years ago.
The first track, “Slipping Away” is, so I’ve read, an excised section of Halo 14’s “Into the Void”, mostly instrumental with that kickin’ beat and jangly guitar and groovy synth line which is what always made “Into the Void” such a great song anyway. I believe there are certain beats out there that have the ability to affect every single person on the planet in the same manner no matter their background: it makes you tap your foot and nod your head. And that’s exactly what “Slipping Away” does.
Track 2, “The Great Collapse” is also nothing short of awesome. This is another mostly-instrumental track (a few lines from Halo 14’s “The Wretched” appear toward the end) that has had me addicted from the first listen. It takes a second to get going, but once it does . . . “The Great Collapse” is a killer action movie opening theme song in search of a movie. When the drums and guitar kick in, you can just see the hero about to put the beatdown on some scraggly punk.
“The Wretched” on Halo 16 is one of those instances where the remix is twice as awesome as the original, faithful enough you can discern its origins, but expanded in just the right places the original begins to pale in comparison.
Unfortunately the magic must end eventually, and it does so on tracks 4 & 5. The first remix of “Starfckers, Inc” is about the weakest attempt at a remix I’ve ever heard. Full of laser blasts and sirens, the first Halo 16 version is a very sparse and uninspired mix which relies on its futuristic sound effects and Reznor’s shrieking of the title throughout the song. And the remixed version of “The Frail” doesn’t improve things.
The original Halo 14 version was a decent enough instrumental, pretty, morose . . . the remix sounds like Transformers at a dinner banquet where no one is talking to each other and some poor sap has been forced to play the cello in the background. There’s a time to show off your fancy tricks and effects, but there’s also a time to take that machine up to the roof and smash it against the street.
Thank God for track 6, the second remix of “Starfkcers, Inc”, which, in my opinion, is another example of Halo 16 containing remixes even better than the originals. This is a club version, better-mixed than the original, stronger, more pounding and intense in places. Probably my favorite version of this song.
And the more I listen, the more in love I fall with the “Where is Everybody?” remix. Yet again, a better remix than the original track. I think the stops and starts, the tempo changes and the slight echo in Reznor’s vocal here all add to that sense of “where is everybody” confusion. A great remix.
Tracks 8 and 9 are something I wasn’t expecting: new. “Metal” is a Gary Numan cover, which surprised me greatly because lyrically it sounds so much like a NIN song, and 㥶 Miles High” is from the Fragile-era, but wasn’t included on the album. This is a very plodding track—they both are, in fact—driving, purposeful almost. It’s easy with both songs to imagine videos where marching plays a big part of the action.
Finally comes the last “Starfckers, Inc.” remix. I like it better than the first, spacey mix, but it’s just a bit of overkill and Halo 16 would have been better served with something different. Hell, at this point we don’t even need a 10th track.
Halo 16 is proof that despite all the chainsaws and chaos which define his usual sound, Trent Reznor’s musical training and overall brilliance show he knows exactly what elements to combine for that perfectly infectious groove. More often than not, I’d say, he just chooses not to use them. But when he does, the planets align and a whole new perspective is available on this artist.
Halo 16 may repeat itself more than necessary, but it also offers a ton of variety, more than previous remix cds, making this one not strictly for fans. Even the casual listener can put on Halo 16 and find something worth playing. Actually, much of this cd reminds me of pre-Fragile work, more industrial than Halo 14 that’s for sure. And at this length, it seems more a true album than a remix cd (that is, if you don’t count 1 song being repeated 3 times).
I’ve got lots of Nine Inch Nails remix cds, and I dig em okay mostly, but I don’t find myself listening to them very much to be honest. This one, however, I really like a lot and very often choose to listen to it over any of the official albums. It’s good stuff, and very much recommended.
This remix album features versions of The Wretched , Star******, Inc , The Frail , and Where is Everbody , form the critically-acclaimed CD The Fragil...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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