The Downward Spiral [Extra tracks, Hybrid SACD - DSD, Deluxe Edition]

Nine Inch Nails | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 23, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 1994
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Extra tracks, Hybrid SACD - DSD, Deluxe Edition
• Label: Nothing
• ASIN: B00066N8JS
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,592 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #58 in Music > Alternative Rock > Goth & Industrial > Industrial > Alt Industrial

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Mr. Self Destruct

2. Piggy

3. Heresy

4. March Of The Pigs

5. Closer

6. Ruiner

7. The Becoming

8. I Do Not Want This

9. Big Man With A Gun

10. A Warm Place

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Burn

2. Closer (Precursor)

3. Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now)

4. A Violet Fluid

5. Dead Souls

6. Hurt (Quiet)

7. Closer To God

8. All The Pigs, All Lined Up

9. Memorabilia

10. The Downward Spiral (The Bottom)

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Originally released in 1994, Trent Reznor created THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL as both a concept album and modern day classic. This influential 90’s classic is Trent Reznor’s industrial cum-tragic opera view of the world and the soul’s sonically detailed fall from grace. The Downward Spiral delves into despair and anger with hard guitars and brutal beats.

This SACD/Hybrid DELUXE EDITION of THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL celebrates the 10 Anniversary of the modern masterpiece.

DELUXE EDITION includeds 2 hybrid SACD/CDs: Disc One - The original album in SACD Surround Sound (remixed by Trent Reznor), and newly remastered SACD Stereo and CD Stereo program. Disc Two - Bonus material (13 B-Sides, Remixes, and Rarities) in SACD Stereo and CD Stereo.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "And even when I'm right with you, I am so far away...", November 29, 2004

By 

Michael Crane (Orland Park, IL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Downward Spiral (Audio CD)

I still can't believe that it was ten years ago that this epic of an industrial masterpiece came out. To this day, it remains a very popular album that people can never get enough of. It's classic Nine Inch Nails that can never be duplicated, no matter how hard one tries. It's angry, depressing, violent, disturbing and beautiful. So, how do you celebrate the 10 year anniversary of this fine album? You re-release it... and use all of your powers to make it sound better than ever before.

That was accomplished with "The Downward Spiral: The Deluxe Edition." All of the songs are here, and they have each been remastered so you can listen to these classic songs in a whole new way. It was a little hard to notice at first, since I was listening to it through my headphones, but once I blasted this thing through my speakers, I could immediately hear--no,FEEL--the change and improvement. You hear little subtle things that you could never pick up on in the original, as there's always a lot going on with each and every one of these songs. It was like listening to the album for the very first time. I can't even begin to express how impressed I am with it in words.

To take full advantage of this album, it is true that you should have an SACD CD player and surround sound so you can hear it in 5.1, and it is AMAZING. You really feel like each song is a living and breathing thing waiting to suck you up without warning. However, if you don't have an SACD CD player, do not fret. This thing still sounds INCREDIBLE without it. If you have a great sound system and some high quality speakers, you will definitely hear the difference. Heck, you can even pop this thing into your discman, then put in the older version, and you will be able to note the difference as well.

Not only is this remastered to its highest quality, but you also get a bonus CD that offers 13 tracks of rare remixes, demos and songs that only appeared in soundtracks, such as "dead souls" (from "The Crow") and "burn" ("Natural Born Killers). The remixes are ones that you can find on various single releases, but it's nice to have them all on one CD. Not only that, but you get the demos of "ruiner," "liar (reptile demo)" and "heresy."

If you're a NIN fanatic like me, then you MUST pick this up immediately! You won't regret it. Still hang onto the original release (since you're a NIN fan!), but trust me, you will be listening to this Deluxe Version instead. Nine Inch Nails' "The Downward Spiral: The Deluxe Version" does NOT disappoint. Its new sound is simply unbelievable. What a way to celebrate ten great years. A re-release to remember. -Michael Crane

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece with an Unbelievable New Mix but So-so Extras, April 15, 2005

By 

D. R. Jeanclerc "Reader, Listener & Obsessive... (Brunswick, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Downward Spiral (Audio CD)

In celebration of the tenth anniversary of the release of "The Downward Spiral", it is being reissued in two new formats: a two-sided "DualDisc" containing bonus video materials and this two-disc set which comprises a SACD surround-sound mix of the album and of lots of extra audio tracks from that era. This review covers the two-disc set.

Reissues are a huge money-maker for (mainly) labels and (sometimes) artists. They're also a mixed bag for the fans who buy them - at their worst, they amount to a $15 donation for a "remastering" that's indistinguishable from the original and some new liner notes. This is not the case with the SACD surround-sound mix of TDS. This edition puts the focus where it belongs: squarely on the sounds pouring into your ears. Because I didn't know what to expect, I was a bit cynical about what kind of difference the surround-sound mix would make. It only took one listen to determine that the difference is immediately real and makes a familiar piece of music into an intriguing experience.

While you will need a surround sound setup to hear all that that mix offers, don't be discouraged about equipment requirements - I've listened to the album on a number of configurations (actual SACD playing through 5.1 channels, regular CD playing 5.1, regular CD playing 2 channels), and each of them sounds superb. Even in the car or with headphones, details that had been lost in the original mix are now clear and distinct. On heavily layered tracks such as "Mr. Self Destruct", this jaw-dropping mix gives the sound so much new texture it's difficult to believe that it's just a remix and not a re-recording.

The only disappointment with this set is the disc of extra audio materials. Aside from a trio of demos that only a fanatic completist would love, there aren't any previously unreleased tracks here; everything can be found on the singles and EPs release during the TDS era. Nonetheless, it's convenient to have them collected on one disc and the new mix of "Burn" from the "Natural Born Killers" soundtrack is as good as any on the main disc.

The mix on this two-disc reissue of "The Downward Spiral" is an landmark achievement - it manages to pay homage to the original work while reintroducing it in formats that almost define it as a completely new recording. It sounds cliche, but no matter how much you've listened to the original recording, you've never really heard it until you experience this mix. It is simply a necessary investment for any NIN fan. It is also an excellent place to start for anyone just discovering Trent Reznor's magnificent work, although more casual fans may prefer the single DualDisc edition that includes DVD video content such as the clips for "Closer" and "Hurt" at a lower price.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The masterpiece reborn, December 4, 2004

By 

Max (Toronto, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Downward Spiral (Audio CD)

This re-release of TDS is like listening to the album again for the first time. The excess of this type of thing might lead you to believe it's just a marketing gimmick, but that is simply not the case here. Of course, if anyone could perfect something that was already perfected, it's Trent Reznor.

First of all, the 13-track bonus disc is reason enough to buy this deluxe edition for any NIN fan since it has three previously unreleased demos. That might sound like peanuts to fans of any other band, but NIN fans know that on the rare occasion you get to hear something you've never heard before from Mr. Reznor, you cherish it. Also contained within are a handful of the best remixes from the singles and the "Further Down The Spiral" versions which are nice to have on one disc. Then you have the Joy Division cover "Dead Souls" and "Burn" from The Crow and the Natural Born Killers soundtracks, respectively. Last but not least is the Soft Cell cover, "Memorabilia" which is an excellent track and it sounds fantastic here.

Getting on to the good stuff, the album itself is a whole new listening experience. Everything feels more alive, more crisp, more precise than it did before. When you've listened to The Downward Spiral as much as the average NIN fan does, you start to pick up on things you never noticed the first 50 times you heard the song. Well that is what the deluxe edition feels like. Hearing new things all over again, letting your senses soak up the layers upon layers of... well, noise. There was a lot of it to begin with, and here it just becomes even more evident, and beautiful. You can never truly appreciate the artestry and brilliance put into the masterpieces which are Nine Inch Nails albums, until you hear them multiple times. That said, we are now able to let it happen all over again.

Reznor couldn't have marked the 10-year anniversary of The Downward Spiral any better, and it is definitely a must have for any Nine Inch Nails fan, or someone who just never owned the album in the first place. It sounds great even if you don't own an SACD player or have 5.1 surround sound. Highly recommended.