Allo, allo!
It's another overcast day here in MPLS.
Know what would fit it? The Perfect Drug by Nine Inch Nails.
Made specifically for the David Lynch film Lost Highway and included on the soundtrack to said film, the song is actually one of NIN mastermind Trent Reznor's least favorite compositions. I can understand his reasons - from what I gather, he basically forced himself into the studio and banged it out, out of obligation and experimentation. Particularly telling is the fact that they've never included it in their live shows. Too bad - I can't speak for the rest of the NIN fandom but I've always had a soft spot for the track.
In some ways it feels like the quintessential NIN track - it incorporates most of the common musical and thematic elements I've seen in their work over the years (Side note - yes, I am aware NIN is for all intents and purposes solely Reznor but he's maintained a few key players over the years). The ascending guitar/mandolin intro is super slick, a great, ominous way to start the track. As soon as the percussion kicks in the track is a manic, rushing number that doesn't relent until the track spins out of control, only to slide back down into somber, introspective denouement. Of course the whole thing could symbolically represent the affect of any number of pharmaceuticals, but I like to think it was an intentional choice on Reznor's part. He's obviously quite intelligent and talented - his music is notorious for its grander and more complicated elements.
The accompanying video, directed by Mark Romanek, is definitely a fitting work. I know it's more a nod to the work of Edward Gorey, but when I saw it back in the late 90s I always thought of it more as a love letter to Edgar Allen Poe, what with all the American gothic elements and just how perfectly at home Reznor looks in the imagery, crows and vines and caskets and kids. The absinthe inspired madness is a perfect match to the frantic song.
When any band, especially one as prolific as NIN, begin to develop a significant back catalog, there are inevitably tracks that get left in the dust. This is one of those tracks. It's not the greatest song the world has ever heard but I still think it's pretty damn great. Give it a listen, why don't you?
It's another overcast day here in MPLS.
Know what would fit it? The Perfect Drug by Nine Inch Nails.
Made specifically for the David Lynch film Lost Highway and included on the soundtrack to said film, the song is actually one of NIN mastermind Trent Reznor's least favorite compositions. I can understand his reasons - from what I gather, he basically forced himself into the studio and banged it out, out of obligation and experimentation. Particularly telling is the fact that they've never included it in their live shows. Too bad - I can't speak for the rest of the NIN fandom but I've always had a soft spot for the track.
