The Fragile

1999年発表の『ザ・フラジャイル』(The Fragile)は3枚目のスタジオ・アルバム。CDでは二枚組のアルバム。アメリカでは、発売初週にBillboard 200で1位を記録した。翌2000年1月までにアメリカ国内で200万枚以上が出荷され、ダブルプラチナディスクに認定された。本作からは "The Day the World Went Away"、"We're in This Together"、 "Into the Void"、そして "Starfuckers, Inc."の4曲がシングルとして発売された。

Rolling Stone (10/14/99, p.120) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...[Reznor's] version of Pink Floyd's THE WALL...[venting] his alienation and misery into paranoid studio hallucinations, each track crammed with overdubs until there's no breathing room....it's New Wave with its finger on the trigger..." Spin (11/99, pp.179-80) - 9 out of 10 - "...[Reznor's] epic portrayal of the endless, aimless inner din....THE FRAGILE is a good old-fashioned strap-on-your-headphones experience....a concept album....He tries to leap into an ocean of sound, but a breakbeat throws him back on shore..." Entertainment Weekly (9/24/99, pp.142-3) - "...THE FRAGILE feels freshest, and most like a progression from THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL when the music struggles upward toward some sort of transcendence....hard rock simply doesn't get any smarter, harder, or more ambitious than this." - Rating: A- Q (12/99, p.142) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Reznor expertly sculpts his sounds like an electro-grunge Henry Moore..." Alternative Press (11/99, pp.118-9) - 5 out of 5 - "...relevant as ever....nothing short of astounding....THE FRAGILE is Reznor's bid to be not only successful but also Important. And I think he's made it..." Kerrang (Magazine) (p.53) - "[I]t really is Reznor at his multi-layered, emotionally charged, experimental best." Mojo (Publisher) (12/99, p.110) - "...an impressively multi-textured, satisfyingly violent sonic workout..."

As the double-disc The Fragile unfurls, all of Nine Inch Nails trademarks -- gargantuan, processed guitars, ominous electro rhythms, near-ambient keyboards, Trent Reznors shredded vocals and tortured words -- are unveiled, all sounding pretty much how they did on The Downward Spiral. Upon closer inspection, there are new frills, yet these arent apparent without digging -- and whats on the surface isnt necessarily inviting, either. There is nothing as rhythmic or catchy as "Closer," nothing as jarring as the piano chorus of "March of the Pigs," no ballad as naked as "Hurt." When Reznor does try for something immediate and visceral, he sounds recycled. Fortunately, The Fragile lives up to its title once the first disc is over. There are some detours into noisy bluster (some, like the Marilyn Manson dis "Starfuckers, Inc.," work quite well) but theyre surrounded by long, evocative instrumental sections that highlight Reznors gifts for arrangement. Whenever Reznor crafts delicate, alternately haunting and pretty soundscapes or interesting sonic juxtapositions, The Fragile is compelling. Since they provide a change of pace, the bursts of industrial noise assist the flow of the album, which never feels indulgent, even though it runs over 100 minutes. Still, The Fragile is ultimately a letdown. Theres no denying that its often gripping, offering odd and interesting variations on NIN themes, but thats the problem -- theyre just variations, not progressions. Considering that it arrives five years after Spiral, that is a disappointment. Its easy to tell where the time went -- Reznors music is immaculately crafted and arranged, with every note and nuance gliding into the next -- but he spent more time constructing surfaces than songs. Those surfaces can be enticing but since its just surface, The Fragile winds up being vaguely unsatisfying. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Never mind that it took Trent Reznor a long, long time to deliver Nine Inch Nails second album; the anticipation that greeted The Downward Spiral was nothing compared to what awaited its sequel, The Fragile. Like Spiral, The Fragile appeared five years after its predecessor, but the wait seemed longer. After all, between 1989s Pretty Hate Machine and Spiral, Reznor released numerous stopgap EPs, remixes, and even toured, slowly building the ravenous following that devoured the second album. Spiral not only satiated those fans, but it made Reznor into a superstar and a critics darling, and neither camp could wait to see where he was going to go next. Once he retreated to his New Orleans studio in 1996, there was little clue to what direction that may be. Word of some collaborators drifted out of the ether -- Alan Moulder returned as co-producer, engineer, and mixer; Adrian Belew contributed some guitar; Dr. Dre did some mixing -- which only increased expectations that the sequel would top its predecessor. All of those names, plus concept album guru Bob Ezrin (who "provided final continuity and flow"), are credited on The Fragile, but everybodys contribution is filtered through Reznor, who has the only discernable signature on the album. Thats no great shock, since NIN has always been Reznors vehicle, but what is shocking is how The Fragile feels like no great leap forward, musically or lyrically. As the first five songs unwind, all of Nine Inch Nails trademarks -- gargantuan, processed distorted guitars, ominous electro rhythms, near-ambient keyboards, Reznors shredded vocals and tortured words -- are unveiled, all sounding pretty much how they did on Spiral. Upon closer inspection, there are some new frills, particularly in the quiet sections, yet these arent apparent without some digging. And whats on the surface isnt necessarily inviting, either. There is nothing as rhythmic or catchy as "Closer," nothing as jarring as the piano chorus of "March of the Pigs," no ballad as naked as "Hurt." Ultimately, there are no great singles, which is remarkable for a 23-track double-disc album. Thats not to say that Reznor doesnt try for something immediate and visceral: He pulls out all the stops on "Were in This Together" and winds up sounding like Filter. Indeed, every time he stretches for a hate anthem, he misses the mark; he either recycles old ideas or sounds restrained. Fortunately, The Fragile begins to live up to its title once the first side is over. Subsequently, there are detours into empty, noisy bluster (some of which, like the Marilyn Manson dis "Starfuckers, Inc.," work quite well) but theyre surrounded by long, evocative instrumental sections that highlight Reznors true gifts. He may not always write memorable songs, but he knows how to arrange and how to create interesting sonic juxtapositions. For instance, with its unsettling martial rhythms and Germanic synthesized brass, "Pilgrimage" is scarier than any of his pummeling testosterone fests. Throughout its long running time, The Fragile is compelling when its vulnerable, when Reznor steps away from his trademark rage in favor of crafting delicate, alternately haunting and pretty soundscapes. These are quite captivating on their own, yet they cast a dark shadow upon the industrial bluster, which sounds canned, even self-parodic, in comparison. Since they provide a change of pace, these flirtations with self-parody fit nicely into the flow of the album, which never feels indulgent, even though it runs over 100 minutes. Still, The Fragile feels like a letdown in many ways. Theres no denying that its often gripping, offering odd and interesting variations on NIN themes, but thats the problem -- theyre just variations, not progressions. Considering that it arrives five years after Spiral, that is a disappointment; half a decade is plenty of time to redefine an artists signature sound, as NIN proved with their first two albums. Thats not to say that its to be continued...

As the double-disc The Fragile unfurls, all of Nine Inch Nails' trademarks -- gargantuan, processed guitars, ominous electro rhythms, near-ambient keyboards, Trent Reznor's shredded vocals and tortured words -- are unveiled, all sounding pretty much how they did on The Downward Spiral. Upon closer inspection, there are new frills, yet these aren't apparent without digging. The Fragile lives up to its title once the first disc is over. There are some detours into noisy bluster (some, like the Marilyn Manson dis "Starfuckers, Inc.," work quite well) but they're surrounded by long, evocative instrumental sections that highlight Reznor's gifts for arrangement. Whenever Reznor crafts delicate, alternately haunting and pretty soundscapes or interesting sonic juxtapositions, The Fragile is compelling. Since they provide a change of pace, the bursts of industrial noise assist the flow of the album, which never feels indulgent, even though it runs over 100 minutes. There's no denying that it's often gripping, offering odd and interesting variations on NIN themes. Reznor's music is immaculately crafted and arranged, with every note and nuance gliding into the next. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine