This is a very rare opportunity for me because we hardly ever have an occasion to write about Trent Reznor. His reputation just doesn’t gear itself towards coverage on gossip blogs because he’s not exactly papworthy. Or at least, Trent hasn’t met any gossip-type controversy since he broke the hearts of a million fangirls after marrying his Playboy bunny, Mariqueen Maandig, and quickly set about impregnating her twice. Did you know that his son’s name is actually Lazarus? Of course it is.
Regardless of Trent’s clichéd penchant for naming children, I still harbored so many “feels” for the Rez. Ever since 1990 when I first heard “Head Like a Hole” on my local college/alternative radio station, he’s been my precious. That sounds really creepy, right? Well, I swiftly got over it about a month ago when I heard the first single, “Came Back Haunted,” from the upcoming NIN album. The second single, “Everything,” came out just a few day ago. Ironically, “Everything” isn’t all that and is especially bizarre from a guy who used to publish under his “Nothing” label. The damn song sounds like a Huey Lewis tune — seriously, he totally ripped off Huey at 0:10 in this audio version. Can you hear it?
In the interest of promotion (because NIN is offically back with a music label, Columbia, even though he hates corporate music), Trent covers the September issue of the illustrious Spin magazine. The cover itself has not been released yet, but Trent has covered the magazine a zillion times already if you want to travel back in time. In this interview, he talks about lots of stuff, including his feelings on Kanye West. He describes ol’ Yeezus as being on the verge of implosion, which makes me think of Kanye’s recent incident where he assaulted a paparazzo, but I don’t think Trent’s talking about a negative form of implosion here:
Everyone copies him: “I got hints of being influential back in the dark ages of late ’90s,” Reznor said, humbly, while speaking to SPIN for our upcoming September cover story. “But the bands I would hear it in bummed me out so much that I can’t listen for that anymore. I did notice [my influence] post-Social Network. I started hearing a few things that made me think, ‘Okay, I bet you’ve heard our score.'”
He loves Yeezus: “I know [Kanye] a bit. He’s come out to shows and we’ve had some humorous — I’ve listened to him talk backstage a few times. I can’t say that we had a conversation. I find him an interesting character. Yeezus, I really love it. I think the sound of it is cool. I can’t endorse what he’s saying lyrically, but I will say that in terms of the role of the dangerous entertainer in 2013, nobody is beating him at that game. It feels like he might implode. Even if it is calculated to some degree, it feels rough on the edges in a way that I can appreciate. I’m glad he’s out there. Consistently he’s put out ahead-of-the-curve sh-t. He’s definitely a talented guy.”
[From Spin]
I can’t really tell why Trent is talking about Kanye here other than simply answering the questions that were posed to him. He probably admires Kanye in a sense for his anti-commercial Yeezus, but there’s no way in hell that he envies Kanye’s descent into Kardashian hell. There’s a sadness in Trent’s words too because it’s obvious that he no longer possesses the fury to write cutting edge music himself. Along with Atticus Ross, he can score movies like no one’s business, but NIN’s new singles are homogenized, pre-packaged, pop music. A kinder, gentler Reznor. Nothing special at all. Of course, I don’t begrudge him for going corporate and deciding to no longer give his music away for free (which is what he did after giving Interscope records the finger in 2007). Reznor is a family man now, and he has mouths to feed.
As mentioned above, Nine Inch Nails’ eighth album, Hesitation Marks, will arrive on September 3. Did you know that NIN is now 25 years old? That makes me feel positively ancient.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN
“Atticus Ross” reminds me of the name “Atticus Finch,” and that in and of itself was worth the read.
As far as the main topic goes…Who?
Every time I type the guy’s name, I almost enter “Finch.” He probably gets that a lot!
Trent Reznor’s recent comments on Kanye West is because of the Yeezus Album. His comments on the Yeezus album are similiar to rock legend Lou Reed, who called the Yeezus album “beautiful”. The Yeezus album was not a hip hop album, it is very alternative. This is the reason for his comments.
Hmm, now I think I might be tempted to actually check this album out.
It would be awesome if Celebitchy covered Kanye’s excessive use of LIFTS in his sneakers!! Why should Tom Cruise have all the well-heeled fun!
Oooh. I didn’t know to look….
You are so right! I guess the Napoleon complex does fit, doesn’t it?
Haha on the lifts, my hubby RDJ also wears them, no biggie. My issue is with the term Napolean complex. I have a question regarding this. Is it true that Napolean was truthfully about 5’7 but was dipicted as being short due to a height conversion error by the British?
If that’s true that’s just like saying Columbus discovered America. How do you discover something that was already there with people living on it. Columbus was lost, simple as that but that’s another argument. But knowing how things turned out I wish he had gotten lost at sea.
Lol, that would be incredibly funny!!!
Oh, what’s the dead giveaway on the lifts? I mean, is there something you’re seeing that makes you able to identify them? I just know Tom Cruise wears them because he’s simply taller standing next to certain people than he really should be. That dude is SHORT.
Atticus Ross is Liberty Ross’s brother.
OO! Fun fact.
… NIN lost me at With Teeth. Those songs were more teen angsty. There comes a time where the artist inevitably grows up as a person should so you can’t keep writing in that manner anyways. Green Day did the same and Billy Joel went nuts.
I will continue to listen to my old NIN albums on high with the windows up. I can’t bring myself to hear more than 15 seconds of the new stuff. It might tarnish my glorified memories of NIN in their golden years.
trent reznor of nine inch nails.
and, apparently, a shared boyfriend with bedhead. lol.
bedhead: came back haunted reminds me of a nin mash up, but i liked it well enough. disappointed, musically, is epic. the lyrics are harsh though. copy of a…i just love this track. and everything…omg…i laughed for an hour but i love it. what a shock. totally sarcastic song, though. i reckon this is his “shiny happy people”.
LOVE seeing nin on here…it is as random as “everything”. 🙂
NIN was music for angsty 19 year olds. It’s impossible for them to still be out there at their age and not be more than a novelty act or pathetic like Madonna. I loved them back in the day, but that was a looooong time ago.
It’s also hard to forget that he introduced Marylin Manson to the world and then acted like a slighted ex-girlfriend when MM became a bigger cultural success than he was.
No no. That feud was because of MM’s autobio disclosing personal info – not jealousy.
Um, MM a bigger cultural success than NIN? Even back in the 90s MM was more of a novelty outside of the core group of fans, that novelty based on what outrageous thing Brian (sorry, Marilyn) was doing.
Speaking of angst, Metillica is playing at The Appolo Theater in Harlem and I’m considering going.
I’d love to see Metallica around the Justice for all & Enter Sandman days… So many good albums. Nowadays, I’d be afraid to be disappointed. I’d love to see NIN & TOOL, omg, love Trent and Maynard.
Yeah, “anti commercial” kanye, who signs a deal with NIKE and has a kid with kim kardashian.
These people are all so full of shit.
Exactly. Reznor lost credibility for me when I read the part about him marrying a Playboy bunny. So cliche.
I was so happy to see a Trent article! He is so talented and sexy, I love him so much. I’ve been to 3 NIN shows and he never ceases to amaze me with his talent. I bow down to him and ill say it, LOVE his baby name. Lazarus is a cute name and I don’t think it falls into the usual celeb crazy names, but I am totally biased and he can do no wrong in my eyes.
Also about the angsty comment, he has made a huge name for himself outside of NiN and has done some AMAZING soundtracks! But this new one sucks. Very disappointed. .
This new song sucks. I was going to get tickets to see his show. Not if he’s playing music like that. WTF.
I am either too young or too old to know who the hell this is. Boy do I hope I’m too young. Tell me he is some old school whatever-he-is.
The 90’s, he wrote the downward spiral and MM wrote Antichrist Superstar together in the Sharon Taye house that the Manson clan invaded and murdered them in. That was back in 92-93. And that produced both of their mod influential main stream albums, making them household (some houses? Lol) names.
His song Starfuker was about his MM feud and Manson apologized and played a tranny in the video as a ‘we are cool again’ thing. But jealousy had nothing to do with the feud. (In response to another comment I can’t find now )
Over the last decade he had a lot of anger issues that were related to steroid use. Hopefully he has toned that down a bit!
for sure. What I’ve heard of the new stuff is not good….BUT…give “Closer” a quick listen and alllll is forgiven…
**phew** my pants shoot right off..The Downward Spiral will ALWAYS be one of my favs.
OMG Closer is my ultimate favorite!! That’s me and my husband’s favorite song! Wink wink!
Honestly. I wanted to name my son Lazarus but my husband quickly vetoed that… Then when I heard Trent named his son Lazarus I almost died!!! He is my forever and ever dong. I don’t care how shitty his music gets.
Ooooh Trent…sigh.
D-zamn Trent. Lookin’ good.
I still love the older music of NIN but yeah, this new one sounds like he channled the 80’s.
Kanye is one of the most overrated people in showbiz history ever. I don’t get it why he is treated like someone special. Someone who needs special handling. He is an asshole.
ITA. And as you listen to his lyrics he comes off as such a total phony, talking nonsense about the Hamptons when most of his good friend live there (Jay Z, Anna etc.). Imma gonna say that there is an upcoming youngster ready to push him out to pasture. Kanye West likes to sing like he’s tough and then he lives his life completely differently…Kimmode KrapTrashian for god’s sake. He’s ready to immplode alright.
First, he doesn’t sing (well there was that ONE album) he raps and he doesn’t do “thug” rap, if that’s what you are implying. No one who raps that much about fashion is trying to be ‘tough’.
@Mimi – Because Kanye West has sold millions of records, he has packed stadiums and has more Grammy’s than Michael Jackson. You could ask the same question about Jay Z or Beyonce, they are treated special just like Kanye West. You may not think he is talented, but someone does.
WORD.
Also his music is fantastic and lyrical and melodic. He affected the hip hop game and has made his mark. He’s a star period.
Thank you!!! Kanye may be a douche but untalented and overrated he’s not. He’s had a huge influence on hip hop music, pop culture, and high fashion for the past decade. You may not like him, but give props where props are due.
This! His first two albums were brilliant. I hate it when people throw the “untalented” at celebrities just because they don’t like them. I’ll give you that he’s a massively obnoxious, entitled tw-t, but the man is talented.
You obviously don’t listen to his music. It might not be your cup of tea but that doesn’t make him less talented. ALL of his albums are critically acclaimed and have won numerous awards.
No one cares about his personality besides people that come gossip blogs. He’s here to provide music, not be the most likable guy in the room.
Milli Vannilli won grammys and other awards too, still don’t see that as an indicator of talent or quality music. More like winning a popularity contest
+1000
This!!!
He is popular indeed, talented is yet to be defined. He obviously talented enough to make,yes commercial music, that $ELLS. You may or might not like his songs, but he makes money out of it, FFS Britney has made Millions, it is not exactly about being a music or hip hop GOD of some sort. So he should definitely acting like he is all that. He is a successfull 2000’s music artist, only for that I give him credit for. Whoever said he was a great influence in high fashion made me gag.
Is it me or does he get sexier as he gets older? Kinda like the Rod Stewart effect.
I don’t like the new stuff but he will always have my respect for his early music which I love to blast during workouts. Head Like a Hole is in heavy rotation this week.
Wow, everything it is not.
Maybe it’s hard to still write super angry and angsty music when one becomes as happy as Trent has seemed lately. I’m happy for him but selfishly sad his music has gone down the toilet.
T-Rez has lost his bite.
He’s playing in my city in November and tickets are sold out and going for over $100 for crappy seats. I’ve seen him twice, once in 2004 and in 2009, and both shows were amazing. I want to go but after listening to this I’m pretty disappointed…it does look like Trent’s turned into a family man. Nothing wrong with that, but I wonder if he still has the same angsty dark charisma on stage that he used to.
Trent Reznor purposefully makes bad albums when he thinks he’s getting too popular. I’m serious. My first boyfriend was the biggest NIN fan ever (early 90s too, before “Closer” when NIN exploded), and he followed everything he said and did (pre-internet, not so easy), and Reznor said that in at least one of his interviews.
Head Like A Hole is one of the greatest songs ever. Always applicable to the current times, sadly. I have mixed feelings about Reznor because of the aforementioned boyfriend thing — love lots of his music, but he reminds me of my first breakup and it was bad, so.
Oh, and Kanye’s a douche, but I thought we already knew that.
Thanks – “Closer” is the song I was thinking of but couldn’t get the name..just that bit of the song that everyone remembers. I was the right age for this phase of 90s music…shocked that it’s 23 or so years ago now 🙂
Gotta love someone who calls out Kanye.
I have never been able to get into Nine Inch Nails and, believe me, I really tried. Oh well.
I agree with his comments about Kanye’s talent, though.
It sounds like something from The Cure.
Great post BH
That new song seems to tip its hat to Elvis Costello, in the vocals, at the beginning.
Oh Trent how I did love thee.
I love NIN and I love Trent. His wife is gorgeous, so striking. He was a class act when Johnny Cash did a cover of Hurt He talked about it, and said at first he didn’t get the cover. And then they sent him the music video, and he said he had chills. He said the song was no longer his, that Johnny’s interpretation of it made Hurt Johnny Cash’s song.
I agree with him about Yeezus. Lyrically, ugh most of the time except a few songs, but sonically, soundscapewise, samplingwise like with Nina Simone,etc., wow, it’s powerful, and I tip my hat to Kanye doing something so out of the box. As a punk rock fan, an EDM fan, a Daft Punk fan, I am so impressed with the stark industrial electronica sound of it.
He was right about Johnny Cash and that song. Amazing.
*that makes me feel positively ancient*
ditto
I never got the obsession all my friends had with NIN. I listened to the music but it never sang to me. Same thing with Kanye. To me this article is about two guys that used to be relevant and one is jerking the other one off.
Dear Trent,
You’re too happy and sober to keep making music under the name Nine Inch Nails.
Please stop before going the way of Metallica.
Thanks.
Good god, I’m so old. Well, this was disappointing–the headline made it seem like Trent was all Kanye-bashing when in fact he seems to get that some of it is just publicity-generated.
I just have to say this… I don’t know if his wife ever posed for playboy but I don’t think that’s the best descriptor for her. She’s a singer and has fronted a couple of bands.
As a hardcore NIN fan from back in the day, I strangely like this new track & sound for Reznor. It’s completely different and so much time has passed with him doing the traditional NIN style. Now as a grown up, it’s really fun to hear this change, and it’s awesome.
Me too. I do realize it’s a bit manufactured sounding but it’s interesting to hear this side of NIN.
I still LOVE NIN and Trent too. As far as his capitalizing on his music instead of giving it away for free goes? Well, why shouldn’t he capitalize on his immense talent? I see no problem with that. ITA that the music is no longer the same as in the beginning but I’m older and wiser now too so I really don’t care. He is around the same age I am so it’s like we’ve grown in the same trajectory. As for his wife, it doesn’t break my heart despite my crush on him…because he’s a talented musician and composer and an interesting man, so OF COURSE he’s going to marry a gorgeous woman and have gorgeous babies. I still have never had the opportunity to see NIN live. I wanted to this time when they rolled through Vegas but the shows sold out so fast that I wasn’t able to get a ticket. BUT the radio station I listen to was giving away tickets for a while (tried in vain to win but didn’t) and I’m sure they will give away more towards the show dates in November…hoping to try once more to win some!
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you…caller #5;)
I remember seeing him at (I think?) the Ritz way back in 1990 or so. I just thought he was a complete genius and worshipped him and I believe I attempted to propose to him from the mosh pit (didn’t work). I can still sing along with Pretty Hate Machine, but I don’t know…. didn’t think he’d end up married to a Playboy Bunny and ripping off Huey Lewis.
I just don’t care about NIN without Robin Finck.
but robin is touring with them right now…?
http://spinningplatters.com/2013/08/14/sitting-down-with-robin-finck-of-nine-inch-nails/
and i just found this. lol.
It’s fine if he implodes, which hopefully will only affect Kanye. I’d be more worried if he exploded and hurt innocent bystanders. Kanye really annoys me. He’s just not as intelligent/talented/well-spoken as he THINKs he is and that attitude always drives me bonkers!
😀 Good, I thought I was the only person nitpicking on that. I wonder if he really wanted to use that word, but ye, if Kanye implodes, there’s no big loss I guess.
I haven’t written on here in forever. New job, marriage, etc is eating up a lot of my time. But Bedhead, you and I have similar feelings towards Trent. I’ve had a crush on him since The Fragile days when I was a sophmore in high school.
Trent is my hero and it wouldn’t matter if he was Trent Reznor the plumber or Trent the musician. Like myself, Trent has dug himself out of some serious holes in his life only to come back stronger and it has only taught him to work harder and figure out how to live a happy life. The fact he has used these life experience to share with others has made life and going through life a lot easier for me and a lot of other people. His music has literally saved my life and kept me from getting myself too strung out on drugs or from having done something really stupid. Because of that and the empathy I have for him. I have never begrudged him a damn thing because he is the one celebrity that I can actually see as a human being if that makes sense. He’s a working class guy that found success and worked pretty hard on several different levels to become successful.
Now I can’t stand Kanye. I think he’s a misogynistic and I don’t know if he is playing a character or actually believes the things he says but is way too full of himself. On that note, I actually find Trent’s opinion of Kanye to be rather interesting. It’s honest but kind. I do think that Kanye may see himself as a rap version of Trent Reznor but he has neither the talent or the personality to back that up. It should also be noted that Trent learned early on how to avoid making himself a paparazzi target but Kanye has made some poor choices. No matter what you think of some of the choices Trent has made, you realize he has never made a thoughtless uncalculated decision and that is something Yeezy needs to figure out.
“I started hearing a few things that made me think, ‘Okay, I bet you’ve heard our score.’”
Is Social Network score was that innovative / creative ? I don’t know, I like it, but this is a synth score, this is not really a new thing (even now with Clint Mansell and all), if he says people copy him then tell us who and how. It’s funny because, in that score he’s ripping off In the Hall of the Mountain King and ELO did it much much better and it was in the early 70s.
I’ve always gotten the sociopath vibe from this one.
Omg I used to have the biggest crush on him when I was 13. He still looks good but he ain’t the same Trent from 1994 in his downward spiral era. He was soooo hot then its making me nostalgic. I remember when I saw nin in 94. That was an amazing show. Trent will never be that Trent again and it makes me kinda sad cus he was a rock god in the 90s.
Bedhead, I mean this as a compliment, but I sometimes wonder why you write for a gossip site! Every once in a while you get to write about someone like Trent Reznor, Russell Brand, and (I think) Jack White, and you seem so excited by writing about people who are more edgy/interesting rather than the usual tabloid fixtures. On one hand it seems a bit sad that the only reason to write about someone like Trent is when he mentions Kanye West, but then I have to remind myself, I AM reading a gossip site so I can’t really complain!
Anyway, I was never a HUGE Trent fangirl, but I’m from the right era to remember his heyday well. You bring up an interesting point about how he no longer has the fury to write music that is powerful the way NIN once was. And that makes me wonder, why do so many musicians insist on clinging to the music of their youth (other than the obvious, money)? Trent could be an example of someone who has moved gracefully beyond it by going into film scores, if he didn’t insist on continuing NIN. He probably has enough money to be comfortable without ever resurrecting NIN again, and he’s respected as a serious composer. Why isn’t that enough? A band like NIN just does not fit with being 40+ and happily married with children. It was a great band for its time, when Trent was young and angry. But at this stage, it’s just doing the band’s legacy a disservice to continue churning out sub-standard material in the present day.
As for his Kanye comment, I like that he isn’t all “I hate rap, I hate modern music” the way some older rock stars are. He seems open minded enough to appreciate different artists regardless of genre.
Trent’s thoughts on Kanye, “eh”. I still am not into Yeezus.
I do have to say that I wouldn’t call Trent’s wife a Playboy bunny but she’s more a legitimate singer who happened to be featured in the magazine. Uh, yes – naked. I don’t think she hung out at the mansion and queued up to ride Hef or anything while waiting to bag a rich, famous husband. I think she’s pretty cool, love her look.
Nice to know you are a fellow NIN lover, and you are right about “Came Back Haunted”. But I will always LOVE Trent!
Umh, Trent. Love him. I just wish he would retire NIN already and just focus on film scores and producing.
NIN is over and done. And Trent is too clever to persist in his rockstar persona. Trent, please, you’ll never be Blixa Bargeld. Just quit.
I love that Trent loves Kanye.
It’s fun!