Things Falling Apart [EXPLICIT LYRICS] [EP]

Nine Inch Nails

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 21, 2000)
• Original Release Date: November 21, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics, EP
• Label: Nothing
• ASIN: B00004ZB9L
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,938 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After the two nihilistic epics The Downward Spiral (1995) and its belated follow-up The Fragile (1999), Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails are settling into a loud, predictable rut. The same thrashy, complex-yet-melodic industrial rock that sounded so groundbreaking on Downward Spiral is beginning to show its limitations. Though often mesmerizing in the way Reznor's inventive sonic structure and relentlessly bleak tone congeal so convincingly around the catchiest of pop melodies, the man seems to have run out of places to go. Things Falling Apart, a collection of severely remixed songs from The Fragile, adds precious little to Rezner's familiar, impossibly angry milieu. Almost all the songs fall short of their original versions, especially all three versions of "Starf***ers Inc" (though, to be fair, that may have been The Fragile's best track). There are a few previously unreleased tracks here that shine; the Fragile outtake "10 Miles High" throws a simple, pounding chorus into a swamp of washed-out ambient noise, while the Gary Numan cover "Metal" makes convincing use of Reznor's gift for pop melody. Still, it's apparent that, despite how great he is at what he does, Reznor just can't keep doing it forever. --Matthew Cooke

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For fans of "The Fragile", January 20, 2006

By	Daniel Maltzman (Arlington, MA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

2 Stars for the casual NIN fan.
4 Stars for the hardcore fan, especially fans of "The Fragile."

Halo 16 "Things Fall Apart" (2000) consists of remixes from Nine Inch Nails third studio album "The Fragile" (1999, Halo 14). It's a bit hard to rate this EP. Its merit really depends on where you're coming from. If you don't own "The Fragile" or aren't a fan of it, you most likely are not going to be into this EP. You'll probably find it to be masturbatory and tedious. However, if you do like "The Fragile," "Things Fall Apart" makes for an excellent companion piece. It offers atmospheric, intriguing takes on selections from "The Fragile." The opening "Slipping Away" is an especially cool and haunting warped remix of the excellent "Into the Void." A version of Gary Numan's "Metal" (unrelated to "The Fragile") outshines the original and stands as one of Reznor's greatest covers. Probably the one drawback to this otherwise very cool EP is that there are three remixes of "Starf.cker Inc." It would have been better if only one remix were included, to make space for remixes of other songs instead. Still, it doesn't hinder the EP too much. It would also have been great if this EP included the original versions of "The New Flesh" and "10 Miles High," as they are otherwise hard to come by (only available on part I of "We're in this Together," Halo 15).

If you are just a causal fan, this will probably be a big disappointment. However if you are a Halo collector and a big NIN fan, this EP is highly recommended as it makes an excellent supplement to "The Fragile."

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I like the remix, don't you?, March 4, 2003

By	Christian Zimmerman "Popular music afficianado" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Trent Reznor has been accompanying his major releases with remix CDs since 1992, and Things Falling Apart, the remix album of The Fragile, continues this tradition. Also continuing in that tradition, this disc seeks to reinterpret songs so they can be seen in a new light. It's clear that Trent has allowed his remixers to take risks with their source material, and, as expected, the results are mixed (no pun intended).

Several of the remixes are quite good, with a few of them being equal in quality to the tracks on The Fragile ("Slipping Away," "The Frail (version)"). However, the interpretations of "Star****ers, Inc." are not quite as successful, particularly Adrian Sherwood's mix (track 4). Sherwood has not done a bad job, it's just that it sounds like he tried to remix "Star****ers" so it would sound nice on a dance floor, which is not the point of NIN remixes. As a result, this track sticks out like a sore thumb.

Trent has also made the unusual choice of providing some original material: "The Great Collapse" is a "Fragile" outtake, "Metal" is a Gary Numan cover that is injected with Trent's mix of humanity and alienation, and "10 Miles High (version)," while not technically new (the original was on the vinyl edition of The Fragile), is not owned by many NIN fans. These songs are rather good, though whether they belong on a "remix" disc is up for debate.

But whatever its faults, TFA remains NIN's most accessable remix album to date. It is certainly worth checking out if you liked "The Fragile."

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Work of Genius, December 11, 2000

By	j. Snodgrass (Bronxville, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Recently had the comical misfortune of reading a review posted here while listening to this EP. Mathew Cooke - I'd like to hear your latest work of genius. Mr. Reznor is a hard-working man, and the fact that he still fills, feels out, explores and expands the spot in society he carved out for himself a decade ago, says a lot for him as an artist. Although I haven't got Reznor's authorization on this, it seems that there are great themes he wishes to explore at length, and thus each album is more of an update than a desperate dash at something altogether different. I, for one, enjoy his work, look forward to these updates whenever they may come along. If you (amazon shopper) also have a deep love and respect for the melancholly dane of 1990's music, as he pushes on for new insights in the year 2000, you'll find this album to be both worthy and enjoyable.