Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile

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Label:	Nothing Records – B0025682-01, Interscope Records – B0025682-01
Series:	NIN – Halo Fourteen
Format:	3 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Definitive Edition, 180g
Country:	US
Released:	2017
Genre:	Electronic, Rock
Style:	Industrial

Tracklist

A1	Somewhat Damaged Written-By, Guitar [Additional Guitars] – Danny Lohner	4:31
A2	The Day The World Went Away Backing Vocals [Backing Chants - Credited To The Buddha Debutante Choir] – Christine Parrish, Fae Young, M. Gabriela Rivas*, Heather Bennett, Judy Miller, Martha Wood, Melissa Daigle Choir – The Buddha Debutante Choir	5:04
A3	The Frail	1:54
A4	The Wretched	5:36
B1	We're In This Together Drums [Chorus] – Jerome Dillon	7:19
B2	The Fragile	4:32
B3	Just Like You Imagined Guitar [Additional Guitars] – Adrian Belew, Danny Lohner Piano – Mike Garson	3:52
B4	Even Deeper Backing Vocals – Barbara Wilson, Di Coleman, Elquine L. Rice, Gary L. Neal, Leslie Wilson, Rodney Sulton, Stefani Taylor, Terry L. Rice, Traci Nelson, Tracy Hardin Mixed By [Mixing Assistance] – Dr. Dre Written-By, Drum Programming, Synthesizer [Additional Synthesizers] – Danny Lohner	6:16
C1	Pilgrimage Choir [Chanting] – The Buddha Boys Choir Percussion [Additional Marching] – Steve Duda Trumpet – Cherry Holly	3:41
C2	No, You Don't	3:36
C3	La Mer Cello – Willie Drums – Bill Rieflin* Vocals – Denise Milfort	5:10
C4	The Great Below Effects [Atmospheres] – Charlie Clouser Guitar [Ambiences] – Danny Lohner Guitar [End Melodic] – Adrian Belew	5:17
D1	The Way Out Is Through Piano – Mike Garson Written-By – Charlie Clouser, Keith Hillebrandt	4:17
D2	Into The Void Backing Vocals – Kim Prevost Drum Programming – Charlie Clouser	4:49
D3	Where Is Everybody? Guitar [End Melodic] – Adrian Belew	5:40
D4	The Mark Has Been Made	4:46
E1	10 Miles High Mixed By [Reconstructed Mixed By] – Keith Hillebrandt	5:09
E2	Please	3:31
E3	Starfuckers, Inc. Choir – The Buddha Boys Choir Vocals [Chanting - Credited To The Buddha Boys Choir] – Adam Persaud, Clint Mansell, Doug Idleman, Eric Edmonson, Keith Hillebrandt, Marcus London, Nick Scott (3), Nigel Wiesehan, Steve Duda Written-By – Charlie Clouser	5:00
E4	Complication Guitar [Additional Guitars] – Danny Lohner	2:27
E5	The New Flesh	3:42
F1	I'm Looking Forward To Joining You, Finally	4:20
F2	The Big Come Down	4:12
F3	Underneath It All	2:47
F4	Ripe Piano – Mike Garson Violin – Steve Duda	5:18

Companies, etc.

Distributed By – Universal Music Distribution
Manufactured By – Pallas USA
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Interscope Records
Copyright © – Interscope Records
Recorded At – Electrical Audio
Recorded At – Nothing Studios
Mixed At – Nothing Studios
Remastered At – Baker Mastering
Lacquer Cut At – Golden Mastering
Pressed By – Schallplattenfabrik Pallas GmbH – 43731
Pressed By – Schallplattenfabrik Pallas GmbH – 43733
Pressed By – Schallplattenfabrik Pallas GmbH – 43734
Published By – Hillebrandt
Published By – Hypercube Music
Published By – Leaving Hope Music
Published By – Leaving Hope Music, Inc.
Published By – PolyGram International Music Publishing, Inc.
Published By – Quackenbush Music Limited
Published By – TVT Music, Inc.
Published By – Warner-Tamerlane Music
Published By – Wish It Away

Credits

Art Direction, Design, Photography By – David Carson
Art Direction, Supervised By [Reissue Art Supervision] – John Crawford (6)
Booking – Marc Geiger
Booking [Marc Geiger For] – WME
Edited By [Provided Final Continuity And Flow] – Bob Ezrin
Engineer [Additional] – Dave 'Rave' Ogilvie*, Leo Herrera
Engineer [Second] – Brian Pollack
Lacquer Cut By – JG*
Legal [Legal Necessities, Ross Rosen For] – Ross B. Rosen & Associates, LLC
Legal [Legal Necessities, Zia Modabber For] – Katten Munchin Rosenman LLP*
Legal [Legal Necessities] – Ross Rosen, Zia Modabber
Liner Notes – Bob Ezrin
Management – Silva Artist Management
Management [Business Management, William Harper And Michael Walsh For] – Gelfand, Rennet & Feldman*
Management [Business Management] – Michael Walsh (6), William Harper (2)
Mastered By – April Golden
Photography By – Alexei Hay, Rob Sheridan (2), Robert Hale (3)
Producer, Engineer, Mixed By – Alan Moulder
Programmed By [With] – Clinton Bradley, Paul DeCarli
Programmed By [With], Sound Designer [Additional Sound Design] – Steve Duda
Programmed By, Sound Designer [Additional Sound Design] – Charlie Clouser, Keith Hillebrandt
Recorded By [Supplemental Drum] – Steve Albini
Remastered By – Tom Baker (3)
Written-By, Performer, Producer, Programmed By – Trent Reznor

Notes

2017 Definitive Edition. Includes bundled download card.

From the NIN store description:
“High resolution download available immediately
The definitive version of the Fragile, meticulously prepared by Trent Reznor and NIN Art Director John Crawford.
Remastered from the original sources in 2016 on 180-gram Vinyl, with lots of details that you may never notice, but we care about.”

Recorded and mixed at Nothing Studios, New Orleans.
Supplemental drums recorded at Electrical Audio.
Remastered at Baker Mastering.
Vinyl mastering at Golden Mastering.

A spurious credit appears on the release for "additional vocals" on the Quiet version of 'The Day The World Went Away', a track found not on this release, but rather on The Day The World Went Away.
Some photographs in bundled essay credited to Nothing Studios.

℗©2017 Interscope Records.

Written by T Reznor ©1999 Leaving Hope/TVT Music Inc (ASCAP) administered by Leaving Hope Music Inc, except -
A1, B4: Written by T Reznor, D Lohner ©1999 Leaving Hope/TVT Music Inc (ASCAP) administered by Leaving Hope Music Inc/Wish It Away (ASCAP).
D1: Written by T Reznor, K Hillebrandt, C Clouser ©1999 Leaving Hope/TVT Music Inc (ASCAP) administered by Leaving Hope Music Inc/Hillebrandt/Hypercube Music/Warner Tamerlane Music (BMI).
E3: Written by T Reznor, C Clouser ©1999 Leaving Hope/TVT Music Inc (ASCAP) administered by Leaving Hope Music Inc/Hypercube Music/Warner Tamerlane Music (BMI)/Quackenbush Music Limited (ASCAP) administered by Polygram International Music Publishing Inc. Contains elements from 'Shout It Out Loud' performed by Kiss used courtesy of Mercury Records under license from Universal Music Special Markets Inc.

Hype sticker on front:
The definitive vinyl edition of the Fragile, meticulously prepared by Trent Reznor and NIN art director John Crawford. Remastered 2017 audio on 180-Gram Vinyl, remastered artwork and more.
halo fourteen
Original release date: September 21, 1999

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Barcode (Text, sticker, back of shrink wrap): 6 02557 14277 8
Barcode (String, sticker, back of shrink wrap): 602557142778
Matrix / Runout (Side A Runout, etched, stamped): B0025682-01-A HALO 14-A GOLDEN JG P. USA -43731-
Matrix / Runout (Side B Runout, etched, stamped): B0025682-01-B HALO 14-B GOLDEN JG P. USA -43731-
Matrix / Runout (Side C Runout, etched, stamped): B0025682-01-C HALO 14-C GOLDEN JG P. USA -43733-
Matrix / Runout (Side D Runout, etched, stamped): B0025682-01-D HALO 14-D GOLDEN JG P. USA -43733-
Matrix / Runout (Side E Runout, etched, stamped): B0025682-01-E HALO 14-E GOLDEN JG P. USA -43734-
Matrix / Runout (Side F Runout, etched, stamped): B0025682-01-F HALO 14-F GOLDEN JG P. USA -43734-
Matrix / Runout (Side A label): B0025682-01-LP01-A
Matrix / Runout (Side B label): B0025682-01-LP01-B
Matrix / Runout (Side C label): B0025682-01-LP02-C
Matrix / Runout (Side D label): B0025682-01-LP02-D
Matrix / Runout (Side E label): B0025682-01-LP03-E
Matrix / Runout (Side F label): B0025682-01-LP03-F
Rights Society: ASCAP
Rights Society: BMI
Other (Number, sticker, back of shrink wrap): B0025682-01ST02

Other Versions (5 of 72)

View All

	Title (Format)	Label	Cat#	Country	Year
Recently Edited	The Fragile (2×CD, Album, Tri-Fold Digipak)	Nothing Records, Interscope Records	0694904732	US	1999
Recently Edited	The Fragile (3×LP, Album)	Nothing Records	0694904731	US	1999
	The Fragile (2×Cassette, Album)	Nothing Records, Nothing Records	490 474-4, 490 475-4	Poland	1999
Recently Edited	The Fragile (2×CD, Album, Repress, SMEA)	Nothing Records, Interscope Records	490 473-2	Australia	1999
	The Fragile (2×CD, Album, Digipak)	Nothing Records	490 473-2	Europe	1999

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Reviews

ggkazii Oct 5, 2023
very sad that my copy of this has so much surface noise. it is most likely my fault, i've had it for about 5 years and i have not had very good cleaning habits at all until recently so i'm very sure it's just dust ingrained in the grooves because of that. live and you learn, i guess. i still spin this weekly regardless, can't hear the surface noise through speakers but through my headphones it's very irritating and takes away from the experience.
codysmith2814 May 5, 2023
For all the comments about the mastering, that's just how this album sounds. I love this album but I have always felt that the mixing/mastering wasn't very expansive in a lot of parts. Yes, the vocals take up the same sonic space as the guitars a lot of the time. But that's not just because of the vinyl, imo. I have always felt that way after listening to the digital version. I haven't critically listened to the digital remastered files, so maybe those are better.

I will agree that this pressing doesn't have as much of an improvement over digital compared to the definitive With Teeth pressing, which sounds fucking amazing. Still, this is a fine sounding vinyl I think
MxSelfDestruct Jan 20, 2023
Edited 10 months ago
Great record, and this is an excellent pressing of it... However, this album really isn't suited for vinyl. IMHO, spreading it across six sides *really* messes with the flow. These songs were written to be spread across two CDs. On that note, though, the digital version of this album is absolutely incredible. This is my favourite album in the entire world, and the remastered digital version takes it to a whole new level. I don't regret paying MSRP for this, but unless you really love this album like I do, you might consider just pirating it.
evandavis47 Oct 31, 2022
Listening to my copy last night revealed a sad reality. This isn't an album that's suited for vinyl at all. I'm no audio engineer but these mixes are just so massive and polished to an absolute digital sheen with no mind paid for vinyl that the effect is comparable to watching an old DVD on a giant 4K TV. It doesn't sound terrible or anything, but I personally don't believe there is any real fidelity to be gained from it. Songs like 'We're In This Together' sound super muddy when that behemoth of a chorus kicks it. Quieter parts with more space sound nice, but that's mostly just because the vinyl came super clean and quiet. The '99 CD sounds great and there are also super high res digital audio files of the vinyl version available with the extra songs (which btw seems like they were left off for good reason). That said, the packaging looks fucking awesome and the booklets included are great.
Bpietrok Oct 20, 2022
Can anyone tell me what outter sleeve to protect this with? The spine is very big. Thanks.
Aynddufraine Oct 14, 2022
Scored this for $37 on AcousticSounds! 😎

Screw off scalpers!
SalViscuso Sep 28, 2022
Edited one year ago
I really hate to say this because I love this album so much, but the praise for this release and resultant prices are waaaaaaaay overblown. On the positive side, the quality of the pressing itself as well as the jacket and artwork are all great. Vinyl is quiet, well-centered, flat, and free of almost all surface noise. That said, the quality of the mastering is pretty poor. The entire album sounds flat, compressed, and closed in. Trent's voice and the instruments all occupy the same exact location in the sonic plane. The fine detail in the music is there, but it just sounds so dull and lifeless. The versions of this album currently available on Tidal and Qobuz sound so much more alive and dynamic.

I notice there is quite a lot of deadwax and a fat lead-in on several sides while other sides (particularly side B) are crammed with over 20 minutes of music. I feel like they had to EQ the entire album down to the level of the packed sides to make them fit properly, and the overall quality suffers. For $40-$50, this is a good buy. Spending over $100 for it is insane even if The New Flesh is your favorite song of all time. Personally, I would be happy to pay a bit more for a 4xLP version with proper dynamics.

For context, my turntable generally outperforms my digital front end technically and in terms of my personal enjoyment. MoFi Ultradeck with an ATOC9XML cart + Pro-Ject DS3 B vs. Schiit Bifrost 2 being fed by Roon. I'm comparing using my ZMF Verite headphones which are very resolving.
Funnystuff Jun 27, 2022
The music itself sounds awesome. Or it could, to be more exact; Sadly, the pressing quality is a real dissapointment and at times severly impairs the listening experience (audio/vinyl):

A: some light ticks/plain
B: returning whooshy „scratch“ all over/light bump
C: constant crackling & returning scratchy sound (la mer!)/off center
D: little noise on the outer tracks getting less towards the middle/off center
E: quiet/warped
F: quiet/small bumpy „hick up“

Looking forward to the next re-press, I guess …
rhombus47 Mar 18, 2022
I can't begin to say how high of a standard this sets for vinyl albums. This is easily one of the best sounding, if not THE best sounding, albums in my collection. Volume is good, bass is punchy, mids and highs are crystal clear. This album is packaged flawlessly too - definitely a must-have if you can find it at a good price.
km_cdn Mar 8, 2022
Just received this today - and 5 of 6 sides sound fantastic. Unfortunately, the B side of the first disc has a persistent surface noise, or more accurately, static about once a revolution. It's present after multiple cleans on the record cleaning machine. There is no visible surface flaws, but the LP is fairly warped (probably from the shrink packaging). The surface noise is persistent in the quiet passages on all the songs, with an added couple ticks at the end of Even Deeper. It does seem to correlate with the warp in the record, so I'm hoping that as it flattens out on my shelf that the noise goes down. Unfortunately, this LP is so hard to get ahold of, and return shipping isn't cheap so I'll probably keep, but a bit of a letdown on the one side.

Probably a victim of tight shrink wrap and bulky packaging. Would have been better if it was spread out over three separate sleeves.