It would take five long years and a struggle with writer's block before Trent Reznor's long-awaited double-CD The Fragile would, in September '99, debut at No. 1.
In the interim, NIN covered a Joy Division song ("Dead Souls") for The Crow soundtrack; Reznor produced or re-mixed tracks for Megadeth, Machines of Loving Grace and Wolfgang Press; and the band embarked on the seven-month, 83-date "Self Destruct Tour" that included two sold-out dates at New York City's Madison Square Garden and a star-making performance at Woodstock '94, ending up February 18, 1995 in Trent's new adopted home of New Orleans after grossing more than $10 million. Reznor found time to executive-produce the soundtrack to Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers, which includes a pair of NIN tracks, "Something I Can Never Have" and "Burn." He compiled an EP of remixed material from The Downward Spiral, produced by Rick Rubin, Foetus' Jim Thirwell, Aphex Twin and Coil.
Late in 1995, Nine Inch Nails begin a six-week trek as part of "The Outside Tour" supporting one of Trent's idols, David Bowie, a series of shows marked by the mass exodus of NIN fans after the band's opening set. In 1997, Reznor teamed up with director David Lynch, to produce the soundtrack for The Lost Highway; collaborated on his then-buddy Marilyn Manson's breakthrough album Antichrist Superstar; created the music for the Quake CD-ROM; and finally hunkered down to create The Fragile.
He also put out a two-video set, Closure, which included a tour documentary, live footage and all of his video clips. By this time, his flourishing nothing label boasted Autechre, The Bowling Green, Einsturzende Neubauten, Plaid, Plug, Squarepusher, 12 Rounda and The The, in addition to original signings Manson, Pop Will Eat Itself and Prick. Produced by Reznor with Alan Moulder (Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine), The Fragile is NIN's most ambitious work to date. There's rage (the blasts at his ex-pal Manson, "No You Don't" and "Starfuckers, Inc.", with a mock-Carly Simon "I bet you think this song is about you" refrain), retrospection (the Debussy-like instrumental "La Mer" and "The Great Below") and retribution (the first single, "We're In This Together," which he performed at the 1999 MTV Video Award; and the anthemic "The Day The World Went Away."). After stripping himself bare on The Downward Spiral, Reznor admits to trying to build himself back up with the help of therapy, by the way on The Fragile, which may well stand for the state of his own ego.
Offering a glimmer of hope, Reznor's art-rock tendencies find their fullest outlet on the new album. Given his love of Pink Floyd's The Wall, it's no surprise Bob Ezrin was brought in to give the sprawling project coherence, along with such collaborators as Bowie keyboardist Mike Garson, guitarist Adrian Belew, guitarist Danny Lohner, musical eclecticist Charlie Clouser, programmer Keith Hillebrandt, multi-instrumentalist Bill Rieflin, Helmet guitarist Page Hamilton and engineer/provocateur Steve Albini. All in all, The Fragile is just another brick in the wall that NIN's creator has built into his psyche. Call this double-CD masterwork Being Trent Reznor. It's just like looking at the world through his eyes.
