Trent Reznor vs George Bush.

[Benfea]

My apologies. I know this is a day late and a dollar short (by a year or so, eh?), but I was poking around Wikipedia and stumbled upon this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hand_that_Feeds

NIN were due to play this song at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards, but dropped out due to conflicts between Trent Reznor and MTV concerning the band's plan to incorporate an image of George W. Bush into the performance. An announcement made by Trent Reznor on the NIN website on May 26 stated: "Nine Inch Nails will not be performing at the MTV Movie Awards as previously announced. We were set to perform 'The Hand that Feeds' with an unmolested, straightforward image of George W. Bush as the backdrop. Apparently, the image of our president is as offensive to MTV as it is to me. See you on tour this fall when we return to play in America." The following day, MTV stated, "While we respect Nine Inch Nails' point of view, we were uncomfortable with their performance being built around a partisan political statement. When we discussed our discomfort with the band, their choice was to unfortunately pull out of the Movie Awards." Nine Inch Nails were eventually replaced by Foo Fighters at the ceremony on June 9.

Of course, we know damn well that MTV did not object to a picture of George Bush being used. They objected to the image of George Bush being used as a backdrop to the following song lyrics:

you're keeping in step
in the line
got your chin held high and you feel just fine
because you do
what you're told
but inside your heart it is black and it's hollow and it's cold

just how deep do you believe?
will you bite the hand that feeds?
will you chew until it bleeds?
can you get up off your knees?
are you brave enough to see?
do you want to change it?

what if this whole crusade's
a charade
and behind it all there's a price to be paid
for the blood
on which we dine
justified in the name of the holy and the divine

just how deep do you believe?
will you bite the hand that feeds?
will you chew until it bleeds?
can you get up off your knees?
are you brave enough to see?
do you want to change it?

so naïve
to keep holding on to what I want to believe
i can see
but i keep holding on and on and on and on

will you bite the hand that feeds you?
will you stay down on your knees?

I never thought of Reznor as being all that political. Have I misjudged him, or was he just going for the shock value?

[Katherine Brengle]

1. Most modern hard-rock has political and social undertones--

some are more overt than others, of course.

I was having a conversation the other day with one of my good friends as we were driving around. That song "If you're going, to San Franciso, be sure to wear, some flowers in your hair..." (sorry blanking on the title for some reason) came on the radio, and I said, "It's hard to imagine a period in time when someone could write a song like this and it would actually have an emotional effect on people."

Then we got into it, and it occurred to me that a lot of the music that comes out now has something to offer as well. But, rather than our generation making beautiful songs begging for peace and full of idealism, our music is full of anger and hopelessness and the sound of the music itself embodies this. It is no less poignant, but it speaks to how our society has changed in the past 40 or so years...

[jonnyblitz]

5. the name of the song you can't think of is

"San Francisco (be sure to wear flowers in your hair)" by Scott McKenzie and written by one of the "Pappa's" of The Mama's and the Papa's, John Philips. :hi:

http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/s/sanfranciscoscottmackenzie.shtml

[Katherine Brengle]

6. Thanks! I had total brain-freeze and was too lazy to look it up, lol. nt

[jonnyblitz]

9. i was too curious NOT to look it up..it was buggin me. nt

[Benfea]

7. Sorry. Syrupy, saccharine music makes me want to vomit.

Obviously, I'm not alone in that aesthetic. Sugarcoated music moves me, it just happens to move me in a very bad way.

[name not needed]

2. If he was going for shock value, he'd sing about flowers and kittens.

[Benfea]

4. You're right. That WOULD be shocking.

The piece de resistance would of course be a giant portrait of Hello Kitty behind the band. ;)

[thefool_wa]

12. LOL

Oh yeah, or maybe do a pseudo-love song duet with Tori Amos....wait a minute...

[PittPoliSci]

3. i like trent reznor.

[XemaSab]

8. Trent Reznor kicks ass

n/t

[Benfea]

10. That he does.

From what I hear, he's a prima donna and a half, but his music is worth it (especially as long as I'm not the one who has to work with him).

[XemaSab]

14. Speaking as a first soprano

Who cares if he's a prima donna as long as he get the job done?

[xmas74]

16. I had to make a reply.

You knew I'd find this thread.

//no good w/o pics!

[XemaSab]

18. It was inevitable

and yes, we need some pics!

[xmas74]

19. I suspect that the OP

would be mad if I turned this into another "Trent is sexy" thread.
Just go to echoing the sound-lots of concert pics there.

[XemaSab]

20. Since when is threadjacking a crime?

:D

[xmas74]

21. True dat.

But I threadjack every single time his name is mentioned!

[XemaSab]

23. I really don't think posting pix counts as threadjacking

It's on topic.

Said topic being "How much ass does Trent Reznor kick?"

[xmas74]

38. Well, a poster on echoingthesound explains it best.

He stated that someday someone will try to shoot Trent but TR is now so buff(from his newest addiction to the Bowflex) that the bullet will bounce off of his chest, he will have to kick the shooters ass and then will have to write a song about it.

And the song he writes about it will have the best title of all time. The name? "Fuck bullet, bullet fuck!"

[thefool_wa]

11. Trent Reznor is the MAN!

And the greatest song writer of our time. I wish MTV would get their girl parts in order and buck up. Not everything has to be a stripped, white bread, tasteless, watered down version of reality. I guess they would rather dull our senses with music videos about violence, sex, and drugs than give a venue to someone with a well thought out opinion about something real.

I cannot believe that the channel that purports to be THE left wing of the MSM has a problem with NIN making a political statement. Who do they really think is going to be offended, this is MTV for f*ck sake. If anything, their target audience agrees, so what's the problem.

Does anyone know who the parent company of MTV is (time warner maybe? I don't now). I'm sure that would shed some light on the real issue at hand.

oh, and in regards to NIN and politically motivated lyrics, go back and re-listen to some of the stuff from Broken on. Happiness in Slavery isn't about a girl (more likely record companies, but that's debatable also), Piggy is WAY politically motivated, Big Man w/a Big Gun leans heavily on social commentary, I could go on for hours.

[Benfea]

13. I didn't take Reznor seriously as a songwriter until I heard Johnny Cash

…cover "Hurt."

I just enjoyed the angry sounds and never bothered trying to pick out actual lyrics from Reznor's incoherent screaming. Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" caused me to gain respect for both Cash and Reznor.

As for MTV's cowardice, the Republicans have been threatening to bring cable TV under FCC rules for some time now, and I'm sure MTV is afraid of giving them more ammunition by daring to say that God's Own President is anything other than perfect.

[thefool_wa]

24. I hate that song

it is the only song by NIN that I can say that about. I really hate the Johnny Cash cover, but to each his/her own. However, I saw them with David Bowie in 1996 and I did enjoy it live with Bowie singing.

I was sold on Trent in 1990 when I heard:

"I still recall the taste of your tears. Echoing your voice just like the ringing in my ears."

"If I can't have everything then just give me a taste"

"Heaven's just a rumor she'll dispel as she walks me through the nicest parts of hell."

and don't forget

"I lay my hands on heaven and the sun and the moon and the stars while the devil wants to f*ck me in the back of his car."

Trent Reznor Rulez!

[Benfea]

31. Ever get the feeling he's been in some really BAD relationships?

:D

[thefool_wa]

37. Maybe one or two

Rumor has it that the Pretty Hate Machine album was written after a year long love affair with Tori Amos. I've heard that all my adult life but have never been able to confirm it.

Though, to back it up, the band name is taken from a Tori song (Precious Things), Tori refers to "my own pretty hate machine" in the song Caught a Light Sneeze, and Trent has done back up vocals for her on more than one occasion (and vice versa).

I'm just glad he has moved on and is singing about war and getting back "up above it". "Stupid b*tch did me wrong" music is cool, but if you write about nothing but messed up relationships for too long you end up like Fred Durst (looser with no band, record deal, or fans).

[Benfea]

46. I think you have your timing backwards.

Wikipedia says that Tori Amos' NIN references (and yeah, there's more than one) were homages to NIN.

I've heard the rumors about him dating her as well, but again, I'm not certain about the timing.

[xmas74]

51. After NIN was formed he supposedly dated Tori Amos.

Most of his early work is actually about another woman and he has admitted that. Supposedly it is about a woman that he dated in college(he even makes mention of her in one of his songs).

Supposedly he dated Courtney Love too. He does make mention of her in one of his songs(can't remember which one right off bat) and, of course, Tori also wrote about her.

[XemaSab]

54. I think the song he mentions Courtney in is "Starf***ers Inc."

:hide:

[xmas74]

55. Besides that one.

There is another one (you have to have on headphones to hear it-the lyric is not mentioned in any liners but many boards talk about it). CL referred to him as being "three inch nails". There is a song where, if you listen closely, you hear him say "three inch this, b*tch!"

[xmas74]

15. If this is interesting to you

check out his comments about the govt. after Katrina. He left NO about a year or so before and has some nasty things to say about the govt response.

He's also has done an ad recently for PETA in ref to the fur trade out of certain Asian countries. He also encourages his fans to get further involved and even has a link to Chomsky on his site, hoping that a few will read his material.

He's always pissed off (which is why I adore him) but our current regime has made him especially so.

[Benfea]

26. Got a link to any of his NO comments?

That's great. I didn't know that about him.

[xmas74]

36. I don't think they've archived them on nin.com

w/o a subscription so I would try ninhotline.com or echoingthesound. Both have archives of everything.

He used to have pics on his site from Voodoo fest, when he went back to NOLA and took pics of the damage. For info about him check any of the three sites listed above.

[Initech]

17. MTV = owned by Viacom. Viacom= run by repukes

Yup, that's the reason why they did not want Nine Inch Nails performing with that image as their backdrop. :puke:

[Orsino]

22. You don't have to be very political to see *'s evil...

..but everyone who does and refuses to shut up is branded as "political" or "partisan"--even if the planned MTV performance were just a one-off statement in a body of work that generally avoided politics.

[LeftyMom]

25. I hate to state the obvious but

[Benfea]

27. What pics?

Did you read? He never gave the performance and MTV got someone else instead. How can we get pictures of something that didn't happen? :P

[LeftyMom]

28. Yes, but we need pics of Trent

You know, for those who don't know who we're talking about or something. ;)

[XemaSab]

29. I'm trying to tell xmas74

that posting pictures is NOT threadjacking.

It's totally on topic.

[Benfea]

30. Trent Reznor is Nine Inch Nails.

Nine Inch Nails isn't a band. Reznor does all the studio work himself, although he has brought in a guest artist or two for the last couple of albums.

I always wondered why he goes through the charade of hiding behind a band name.

Anyway, if you want pictures, Google is your friend.

http://images.google.com/images?q=trent%20reznor

[XemaSab]

32. Chillin' at the solid waste transfer facility

http://network.news.com.au/image/0,10114,5055091,00.jpg

[Benfea]

33. I love that urban decay look.

I have a buddy who did a lot of black and white photography of abandoned and decaying buildings. Great stuff. Plus it fits nicely with the industrial theme (you purists back off, I'm well aware that Reznor's work isn't technically industrial).

[LeftyMom]

34. I know who he is

My point was, he's hot. There should be pics whenever hot people are discussed. :9

[Benfea]

35. Ah, my pardon!

[xmas74]

40. He started it as a way to get a recording contract.

The name stuck. He now has one sound that is NIN and can use his name for additional work w/ other artists.

[thefool_wa]

41. Sort of true

While the vast majority of NIN's studio work is produced and created by Trent, he has several guys who he has worked with since Broken and two or three of them he toured with almost exclusively all through the 90's(I'm not sure about the last couple tours).

among them:

Robin Finck (the mastermind behind the driving guitar of Broken)
Chris Vrenna (producer extrodinaire and one of the best drummers to pick up sticks)

I could go on and on...this is my absolute favorite band of all time hands down, no questions asked.

Anyone out there catch the With Teeth tour last year? I was poor and unable to attend.

[xmas74]

42. One of my favorite bands too.

Missed this one. No babysitter available(and those who were heard "concert" and wanted to charge through the nose). Had tickets last fall for St. Louis and just a few weeks ago for KC-friends paid me for them at the last minute and went in my place.

I did read that some idiots felt the need to boo him in KC.

[thefool_wa]

43. Bummer

It probably pains Trent to know that some of his most devout fans missed the show due to lack of babysitter. My wife and I would have had the same problem if we had been able to shell out th $90 it would have cost to go (not counting food, transportation, et al). The last time I saw them was '96 at the show with Bowie.

KC Booed him! WTF! Did he cut the show short or were there a bunch of idiots there who figured they were somehow "stickin it to him" by shelling out over $40 a ticket to go and disparage him?

[xmas74]

44. He had a backdrop going on

and a pic of * was shown in a very unflattering light. MO and KS are red areas so you know how that came out.

I did read, from a few fan reviews of the KC concert, that the real fans, not the radio listeners, were supportive of the point that he was making.

nin.com had pics of every night from the secondary tour up until they hit KC. Sounds like they weren't too thrilled w/ the reception. And a radio station here got some nasty calls about promoting the concert too from angry RW'ers.

[Benfea]

49. Just out of curiosity

Was he playing "The Hand That Feeds" when the picture of Darth Jar-Jar was displayed?

[xmas74]

50. Actually, he had it up for a few songs, from what I've read.

Not just THTF.

[jonnyblitz]

57. i saw NIN at madison square garden in NYC in November and

on the screen you mention they showed footage of bush and laura ballroom dancing at some event and the whole place erupted in boos and hisses. but this was nyc so that is to be expected. damn that was a good show. I never saw the band before, all through the 90's.

[XemaSab]

45. They came to Fresno

the day before I was scheduled to move.

I couldn't make it.

:(

[Benfea]

47. The "band mates" are just for touring.

Robin Finck lasted two tours (which is unusual).

Chris Verena did two tours (non-consecutive).

The "band" is just a bunch of guys he drags along to tour with, and it's pretty much different guys every tour. That's pretty much the same thing you'd expect to see with most solo acts.

[Benfea]

48. You want pictures of Trent?

Option 30 was his college band. That's him on the far right.

Just in case the picture doesn't load, use the below link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trent_Reznor

[xmas74]

52. Better yet-

have you seen the videotape of Option 30 playing.

When I get a chance I'll dig it up for you.

[xmas74]

39. Sweetie-

do I have to dig out my old thread again, just for you?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=3401422

Some of the links seem to no longer work but you can still see some of the pics!

(BTW-if that's not enough I can see if I can still find my pic of Trent in the red robe. I don't know if it's real or photoshopped but it leads us to believe that TR's real haircolor is probably a medium auburn)

[khashka]

53. Pretty freakin' obvious

Corporation vs Dissent.

An old old story. The role of an artist is to share their vision. It might not be poitically acceptable, but so what? The role of a corporation (in this case Viacom) is to make money - which you do by offending as view people as possible (although you can push the envelope a little bit to gain an audience....)


Reznor is VERY political. In a broader sense. Politics is the way people interact with each other, determine the course of theirs and others' lives. Create and implement agendas that further their goals. It doesn't have to be partisan politics.


Trent not political? Try "Head Like A Hole". Very political.


Khash.

[Benfea]

58. I always saw "Head Like a Hole" as social commentary, not political -NT

[XemaSab]

56. .

:patriot: