NIN "Hurt" vs. Johnny Cash "Hurt"

[Ava]

Poll question: NIN "Hurt" vs. Johnny Cash "Hurt"

So which do you like better, NIN's original version, or Johnny Cash's version?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

1. Cash's version was better.

NIN's version was great, but Cash had the voice that gave the song a whole new meaning.

[Ava]

2. Both are so different that it's hard to pick

I love NIN and love that version, but i also really love the Cash version. :shrug:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

5. Cash's version was more haunting, IMO.

[Ava]

7. i don't know. the NIN version can be pretty damn haunting

it depends on which live version you listen to.

[Ava]

3. kick

:kick:

[WindRavenX]

4. Cash

That version just kills me ;(

[Ava]

6. For those of you who haven't seen the NIN Video

"Hurt" was promoted with a concert video recorded during Nine Inch Nails' 1995 Self-Destruction tour. During the live performance of the song, a screen covers the stage and carries black-and-white video scenes of pain and suffering: decaying animals, war zones, malnourished children, and Holocaust victims. The band plays behind the backdrop, and a spotlight illuminates Reznor through the images.

YouTube has the video, but it's really low quality: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S37hxwveC2Q&search=nin%20hurt

[Atmashine]

11. That was an awesome concert.

On their new With Teeth tour he added a picture of Bush, and it got the crowd quite worked up in Missouri. I seriously don't know how our state went to him.

Edit spelling.

[pitohui]

12. WOW thank you that's terrific

that is one of the best short videos i've ever seen, i suspect the low rez gives it strength, higher res it would just be stomach churning rather than touching the heart

thank you for a great link

p.s. i won't vote on one video or the other being "better" -- cash (his video i've seen before) vs. nin, it is two different videos, doing 2 different things, both powerful, life is not a contest at this level of artistic talent

[enigmatic]

8. I've heard both

Johnny Cash owns that song now, IMO.

[Ava]

9. I agree, Cash's version is better, but both are so damn good!

it's a hard one to judge :shrug:

[Aristus]

10. I agree. Both are good. But Cash's is astonishing.

The anger, bitterness and self-loathing he conveys in the song are amazingly powerful.

[Nicole]

13. Cash

He actually sounds hurt.

[Nicole]

14. Check out Cash's video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go&search=cash%20hurt

I love the clips of him as a younger man. And the ones with June.

[Bassic]

15. Cash's version was great

But NIN was better IMO. It was the perfect ending to the album.

[bbernardini]

16. Two other versions that are quite good: Anathema and The Tea Party

Anathema is one of the standouts in the current prog rock scene. While I don't know if it's been officially recorded, they do a spectacular live version of "Hurt." The Tea Party also used to do the song live quite frequently, usually in the middle of another song (the name of which escapes me now).

But Johnny's version is the best of all. There's also a great acoustic version by NIN that was performed live on the radio in Chicago. The whole set is floating around in music trading circles.

[Frank Cannon]

17. Even Reznor was blown away by the Cash version

"We were in the studio, getting ready to work -- and I popped it in," Reznor says. "By the end I was really on the verge of tears. I'm working with Zach de la Rocha, and I told him to take a look. At the end of it, there was just dead silence. There was, like, this moist clearing of our throats and then, 'Uh, OK, let's get some coffee.''

[DanCa]

18. Watch the Cash video of Hurt

Than get back too me. :)

[realisticphish]

19. I love them both

in audio form, but Johnny Cash's video kicks NIN's video's ass.

[Giant Robot]

20. A measure of any song is:

If you strip it down to just the basics, one man, one guitar, one piano, is it still good. Cash showed what an amazing song this really was, but he still owned it.