Customer Reviews

Still [Explicit]

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

What can be said about an album like "Still"? I can say first and foremost that it is my favorite Nine Inch Nails album in existence. I can also say that this departure from the typical NIN sound of old reveals a new side of Trent Reznor's musical genius and gives a more three-dimensional appearance to his music. It shows us that Reznor can take his avid fans and listeners to different emotional extremes, wowing audiences with softer, more mellow music just as well as he could with his typical grinding, industrial sound.

"Still" is definitely for the diehard NIN fan who can accept music from all sides. If you're expecting a sound from this album resembling that of "Pretty Hate Machine" or "The Downward Spiral," then you probably won't enjoy this album as much as you could, and therefore, is not the purchase for you. The album is composed of nine tracks: five "deconstructed" versions of past tracks, and four tracks previously unreleased.

Here is the track list and a brief description of each:

1. Something I Can Never Have - From "Pretty Hate Machine." Reduced to a still beautiful piano/vocal arrangement with an amount of raw emotion almost matching that of the original.

2. Adrift and At Peace - Just as suggested by the title, this is a lighter piece. Almost entirely piano, the positive force of this piece brings me out of even the deepest emotional grind.

3. The Fragile - An excellent track, laid out exactly like the original version from the album of the same name. A Rhodes/vocal arrangement this time, but again, still contains the same power of the original.

4. The Becoming - From "The Downward Spiral." Reznor has replaced hard-hitting industrial electronic drums and multi-layered background screaming with an acoustic guitar, real drums, and a piano. Reznor's screams in the second chorus still remain.

5. Gone, Still - Very chilling piece. Lots of lower end sound under arranged piano.

6. The Day The World Went Away - From "The Fragile." My 3rd favorite song on the album. The first part of the song has been reduced to a piano-vocal arrangement, with the anthemic ending using the same piano in replacement of Reznor and the drunken chorus.

7. And All That Could Have Been - Absolutely epic. My 1st favorite song on the album. The watery beginning and high-passed vocals chill to the bone as a volume swell takes you into the gripping first chorus. The journey continues from there.

8. The Persistence of Loss - Definitely a pensive piece. A piano bass line underlies a plucky piano melody with the occasional chime from the live horn section.

9. Leaving Hope - My 2nd favorite song on the album. A very emotional piece that mixes the serenity and peace of piano with a light, emotional but still gritty sound calling back to NIN's "Spiral" days.

I certainly had a lot to say about this album, so it's my opinion among those of others. I just felt like giving my perspective on this album in order to persuade the right people to purchase it.

And if you're the right person, you should. It's definitely worth it.

This little EP will definitely not disappoint. Many hardcore NIN fans consider it Trent Reznor's best work, and after the first listen, it isn't hard to hear why they feel this way. Beautifully "deconstructed" songs, new instrumentals, and the masterpiece that is "And All That Could Have Been" make this one of the finest works ever to be released.

Still is an amazing cd, but GO TO THE OFFICIAL NIN STORE!
You can get it for $10!!!
[...]
This item is NOT rare and should NEVER cost $50!

I had the luck of being one of the few that purchased this Item as part of the deluxe edition of "all that could have been", included as a bonus disc in a special package. The Nine songs on this cd are what is referred to as "THE STILL EP", :
1. Something I Can Never Have
2. Adrift And At Peace
3. The Fragile
4. The Becoming
5. Gone, Still
6. The Day The World Went Away
7. And All That Could Have Been
8. The Persistence Of Loss
9. Leaving Hope
They are remixes/demos of many NIN songs, including music meant for the Movie "one hour photo". The essence of this album is that it seem to be a more raw/stripped version of song by NIN, with more power in vocals, with changes in the music that emphasize the power and feeling of the vocals, and it bring out a whole new rage of color to the whole song. This could have easily been released as a big release by NIN and could have made big money. Example: The version of "something I can never have" is just awesome, redone in it own perfection but in no way harming the original song. Truely, this is a collection that a NIN fan should have. This is harder to come by, and a few sight online, including amazon, have this available. I recommend the Deluxe Edition "and all that could have been", but realistcally getting a hold of a copy of that, and the cost, may be much more. But these are must get songs, in either form.

There's one problem with trying to describe the tracks on this album. You can't, not in words.

Indeed, I consider this to be one of Trent Reznor's best works to date. The mix of the minimalist acoustic sound, the pure raw energy and unrelenting emotion in every single track is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Do yourself a favor and buy this, you won't be disappointed.

"And All That Could Have Been" is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking songs that Trent has ever written and released. TDTWWA is amazing stripped down, and SICNH is also another amazing recording. The whole album is defintely worth some time, and is a great listen if you want to just chill. For NIN, this is more of an emotional and mellow recording. Nothing too loud and noisy, a lot of acoustic sounds. This is a non-electric sample of NIN.

I can't adequately stress how good this album is, and it's a real shame that it has become so hard to find. Rarely do you see a remix/compilation album with this level of production quality and strength with new unheard tracks to boot. The album is a mix of live performances as well as several high quality instrumental tracks performed on piano. If you're buying this to rock out to some angry music, you'll probably be disappointed, this album uses a lot of ambient electronic music mixed with acoustic piano that ends up creating a distinctly different feel from what we're all accustomed to hearing from Reznor.

"And All That Could Have Been Cd 2" (also called the second half of HALO 17 as well as the term I will use, _Still_) contains everything that a Nine Inch Nails album should have: powerful songs, originality, emotional lyrics, and a feeling that Trent Reznor placed a piece of his soul into each track. What _Still_ lacks is the driving industrial sound that made NIN famous - this is replaced by notes from a grand piano and the occasional 80's keyboard. If you are only a fan of albums like The Downward Spiral and Pretty Hate Machine (both excellent albums, IMO), then _Still_ will not be a purchase you'll want to make. If, however, you are a fan that is open to many different musical experiences, this is DEFINITELY the album for you. Many of the songs are truly beautiful, while others are rendered in a unique way that will give longtime fans a different take on old favorites.

Track List:
1 - Something I Can Never Have
2 - Adrift and at Peace
3 - The Fragile
4 - The Becoming
5 - Gone, Still
6 - The Day the World Went Away
7 - And All That Could Have Been
8 - The Persistence of Loss
9 - Leaving Hope

The versions of "The Day the World Went Away and "And All That Could Have Been" are my favorites of any released versions to date, and well worth purchasing the album for. This rendition of "Something I Can Never Have" is also very good, and the take of "The Becoming" is... unique (I have very mixed feelings about it; liking it at some times, hating it at others).

So, why only 4 stars? The sound levels are inconsistent - I've found myself having to turn up the volume on some songs considerably to hear them, while needing to turn it down on others. This, however, is a small complaint - the album is very much worth purchasing (and, as another reviewer pointed out, you can usually buy it on the NIN website if amazon.com is out (so you don't have to resort to the obscene prices some of the resellers were charging).

Originally released as a bonus disc to 2002's live album, And All That Could Have Been, "Still" has gained somewhat of a cult status amongst Nine Inch Nails fans as one of Trent Reznor's most poignant and powerful pieces of music. Nine tracks deep (how appropriate), the set strips down five previously released songs while bringing all new material to the table, with everything flowing seamlessly together.

While Reznor usually drowns his emotions in the grind of lush electronics and distorted guitars, here you can feel his gut-wrenching pain in all its uncompromised glory. Nowhere is this clearer than on the opening rendition of the Pretty Hate Machine track, "Something I Can Never Have." Not only is this a superior version than that which graced the 1990 album, it's a perfect example of Trent's powerful grip on the listener through his eternally haunting songs.

Cuts from 1999's The Fragile are surprisingly true to their originals, though. "The Day the World Went Away" and "The Fragile" are stripped of the massive production values that their respective album versions had, but still retain their identity and potency. Then there's "The Becoming," as culled from 1994's The Downward Spiral. As before, this is a track that truly stands out and surpasses its original version. The rest of the album is comprised of unused and reconfigured material resurrected solely for use on the EP. These are instrumental tracks that were reportedly rejected from the score for the film One Hour Photo, but which fit perfectly amongst the re-workings and help elevate the album above more than a mere experiment. Because of these pieces, the album feels fresh and complete.

While it's certainly an album that caters more to the hardcore Nine Inch Nails fan, "Still" is an amazing portrait of just how powerful a musician Trent Reznor is. Underneath it all is a man attempting to battle his demons in song, and this little package is a quiet reminder that Reznor can make an amazing song without studio trickery. It should come as no surprise that this is largely considered amongst the fanbase to be one of Trent's finest works. It truly is, and begs to be heard.

When Nine Inch Nails released the live album "And All that Could Have Been" (2002) the deluxe edition included a bonus CD known as "Still."

"Still" includes nine songs; four are stripped-down renditions of prior songs ("Something I Can Never Have," "The Fragile," "The Becoming" and "The Day the World Went Away") four are instrumentals and one is an original song "And All that Could Have Been."

While the stripped-down versions of pervious songs are pretty bare-boned, they are no less compelling or powerful than the originals. "Something I Can Never Have" in particular being especially moving.

If you are a fan of "Ghosts I-IV" or Reznor's instrumental work in general, you are sure to love the instrumentals found here. Captivating and sad, "Adrift and at Peace," "Gone Still," "The Persistence of Loss" and "Leaving Hope" are sure to move any fan of Reznor's work. The flow of "Still," for the most part, is one song followed by an instrumental, which works beautifully.

The album's one original song, the subdued "And all that Could Have Been" is well, pretty damn depressing--and beautifully poignant. If you've ever felt sorrow and regret over a missed opportunity to find happiness with someone you once loved, you are sure to be able to relate to this song.

An overlooked compilation, "Still" is an album most NIN fans will love. It is, however, still available at NIN.com, for ten dollars, so you are much better off buying it there, than getting ripped-off buying it used here. Or, if you don't care about owning a physical copy, just buy the download.