Difference between revisions of "Broken"
| Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
<li>"[[Suck]]" – 5:07</li> | <li>"[[Suck]]" – 5:07</li> | ||
</ol> | </ol> | ||
| + | *On digital versions and certain CD versions of ''Broken'', "Physical" is track 7 and "Suck" is track 8. | ||
====12" Vinyl==== | ====12" Vinyl==== | ||
Revision as of 05:17, 31 May 2013
Broken (also known as Halo 5) is an EP released on September 22nd 1992. Although not technically so, Broken is usually considered Nine Inch Nails' second major release after Pretty Hate Machine since it consists entirely of new material; it was followed later that year by Fixed, a companion EP of remixes of the songs on Broken.
Contents
Track listing
Broken is available for download on iTunes and Amazon MP3.
CD
- "Pinion" – 1:02
- "Wish" – 3:46
- "Last" – 4:44
- "Help Me I Am In Hell" – 1:56
- "Happiness In Slavery" – 5:21
- "Gave Up" – 4:08
- - 97. Silence
- On digital versions and certain CD versions of Broken, "Physical" is track 7 and "Suck" is track 8.
12" Vinyl
A1 "Pinion" - 1:02
A2 "Wish" - 3:46
A3 "Last" - 4:44
A4 "Help Me I Am In Hell" - 1:56
A5 "Happiness In Slavery" - 5:21
A6 "Gave Up" - 4:08
Bonus 7"
A "Physical" - 5:29
B "Suck" - 5:07
- This was later reissued by Interscope with A1-A5 on the first side and A6 with "Physical" and "Suck" on the B-side. Copies of this version are the only ones still available, and are pressed in and shipped from Brazil.
Bonus Tracks
"The last two tracks were leftovers from a 12" that should have been released when we did lollapalooza, but due to record labels.... ...so, i thought they were good enough to be released, but did not fit with 'broken', so, i wanted to give them away but keep them separate from the EP, so, i came up with the 3" CD idea, but, my record label informed me that it cost so much to manufacture that they could not break even EVER regardless of sales, so, i compromised and allowed the first 250,000 to have the 3" CD, and the rest to have them on tracks 98-99 (so nobody would be ripped off)."
—Reznor [1]
"It was a way to distance them from the other music because it wasn't part of the same mind set. Unfortunately, the risk involved is, with radio being as conservative as it is, I knew they would jump on "Physical" or "Suck" because they're a bit more digestible than the other stuff, so I've tried to make them as obscure as possible."
—Reznor [2]
Broken Movie
For more information, see Broken Movie
Music videos were shot for each song with the exception of "Last," "Physical" and "Suck." These videos were included on the second part of the Closure VHS set. Peter Christopherson also compiled these videos along with an alternate version of "Gave Up" into a very violent and extreme long-form video known as the Broken Movie.
Inspiration
The release of Broken followed on from a major disagreement between Reznor and his record label at the time, TVT Records, and the influence of the conflict is evident in multiple aspects of the record. After the credits in the packaging, a line reads "no thanks: you know who you fucking are" followed by "the slave thinks he is released from bondage only to find a stronger set of chains." This is most likely directed towards TVT Records' Steve Gottlieb, who refused to allow Reznor out of his contract, resulting in a legal battle between the two parties. Trent Reznor has also stated that during the Pretty Hate Machine Tour the songs grew more aggressive when played by a live band compared to their studio counterparts. Violence on-stage also became a common feature at their shows as a result of the band venting pent-up frustration and anger on their instruments. Consequently, Broken sounds much more abrasive and harsher with the increased prominence of distorted guitars, amongst other things.
Audio Texture
On this EP, there are louder mixes and more distortion on every instrument, including a classic Mellotron MKIV (originally owned by John Lennon), which can be heard most noticeably on the track "Gave Up". Reznor said he wanted the album to be "an abrasive, hard-to-listen-to thing...I wanted to make a record that the first time you hear it you don't like it, but you might want to hear it again, but by the third time it's pretty cool. By the fifth time, you really like it and possibly by the tenth time you're not sick of it and now it all makes sense"
Album Credits
- Writing, performance and production: Trent Reznor
- (2,3 and 6) Production: Flood, Trent Reznor
Caution: Not for use with mono devices
- Management: John A. Malm, Jr. for Conservative
- Assistants: Brian Liesegang, Sean Beavan, Chris Vrenna
- Additional engineers, etc. along the way: Paul Kendall, the Bill Kennedy, Leo Herrera, John (Genghis) Aguto, Mike Baumgartner, Martin Brumbach, Trevor Bum-Cleaver Sadler
- Extra real drums on 2 and 6: Martin Atkins, Chris Vrenna
- Barks and roars: Maise
The sound on this recording was influenced by my live band in 1991 featuring: Richard Patrick, Jeff Ward, James Woolley
- Studios: Hell (New Orleans), Royal Recorders (Lake Geneva), South Beach Studios (Miami Beach), Village Recorder (Los Angeles), A&M (Los Angeles), Pig (Beverly Hills)
- Mastering: Tom Baker at Futuredisc
- Merchendise: Paul Steels, Jerry Long
- Legal: Michael S. Toorock
- Booking: Gerry Gerrard for Intertalent
- Publicity: Sioux Zimmerman
- Thank you: Jimmy Iovine, Ross Earls, Island UK, Eric Greenspan, Rick Rubin, Joe McEwen, Seymour Stein, Susie Tallman, Mark O'Shea, Ian Copeland, A&M Studios and Kevin Westenberg, Sheira Rees-Davies
- No thanks: You know who you fucking are
The slave thinks he is released from bondage only to find a stronger set of chains.
- Sleeve design and photography: Gary Talpas for Black Sun
- ©1992 Leaving Hope and ©1992 TT Music, Inc.
- 7 written by A. Ant ©1980 CBS Records, Inc.
- 8 written by T. Reznor/Pigface ©1991 Thumbless music, Leaving Hope and TVT Music, Inc.
"Caution: Not for use with mono devices"
A warning about mono devices appears in the liner notes. Trent Reznor gave the following explanation for this warning:
"Regarding the warning for 'mono' devices... Without getting too far in detail, a scientific property of sound is its 'phase'. When recording music in stereo, you're supposed to be aware of its phase. If not, certain parts of the sound will disappear when it's played in mono. So, we discovered that by messing around with the phase, we could make elements of the music stand out rather oddly. (remember Q-sound? -it's based on the same type of principle) So...certain songs on 'broken' we mixed out of phase (because we felt like it) BUT... The songs don't sound right on mono devices (like some radios or TVs). Has anyone heard 'happiness in slavery' on the radio? I heard it on KROQ in LA and the snare drum was gone through most of the song. (and yes, it kind of destroys the groove!) So, basically, that's what that means."[3]
Press Sheet
An A4-sized press sheet included with the 12" vinyl promo includes the following passage from Reznor:
Broken was secretly recorded from march to august 1992 in a variety of locations
without the permission of
the record label
to ensure it could fester without Divine intervention
now They just leave me alone and let me do what I want
"Broken was a hard recording to make
Broken is an ugly record made during an ugly time in my life
Broken marks phase three of nine inch nails: the becoming
I am starting to realize what this is all about
and I don't like it
Flood starting out producing but I ended up
I'm not sure why
maybe I am what everbody seems to think I am
nine inch nails is still not a real band with real people playing real instruments
there will be no touring for Broken
I am starting work on my new full-length recording - The Downward Spiral - which I
hope will be finished the beginning of 1993
some will come along for the ride, some won't
Trent Reznor, 1992