It's been a while since I posted a review. A long while. I guess new releases just haven't been impressing me a whole lot lately. There are some things that have grabbed my interest and given me some ideas for new directions to go with a blog. Until those are fully-formed, though, I really must wax ecstatic about what I got in the mail today.
Brief history: Steve Gottlieb (of TVT) is a dick, and basically wouldn't let the album go anywhere except out of print. I think legal battles between him and Trent just had him holding onto it out of spite after a while. After 2000 or so, his label gave up on real music and started signing rap artists, and eventually the rights to Pretty Hate Machine went to Rykodisc (I don't know if there's really a relationship there, but it's a fact). They offerred their own reissue of the album in 2005, which has been said by some to be less than worthwhile, and is also now out of print. Around this time, Trent had completed the 5.1 surround releases of With Teeth and The Downward Spiral. He liked the idea of doing something like this with PHM as well, and so did Rykodisc. However, Trent didn't like the idea of doing it for free, and Rykodisc didn't like the idea of paying him for it (keep in mind that Trent didn't see a dime for all the changing hands the thing was doing; I don't think he was being unreasonable). The Bicycle Music Company later acquired the rights (earlier this year), and evidently was more willing to negotiate.
I would give this album 5 stars anyway, of course, so I'll just focus on the new version for now. Back in 1989, the recording techniques for getting a tape master to a CD weren't quite what they are now, especially for a new artist without a big budget. The reissue corrects some of that, and is worthwhile for anyone interested in a higher quality recording. You don't need $15,000 speakers to notice a difference here, either. Trust me, this man never does anything halfway (well, except maybe for The Slip...but hey, that was a freebie after all).
Most immediately noticeable is the fact that the damned thing is recorded at a decent volume now, but more importantly, the individual levels are. The vocals are much clearer amongst all the synth. It's also possible to actually hear certain sounds that only had a vague presence in the original release. Frequencies have been adjusted as well, offering deeper lows and crisper highs. Perhaps best of all, the recording has been totally cleaned up, removing the [unintentional] distortion and tape hiss that was sometimes audible before. I compared tracks side-by-side to make sure I wasn't imagining it, but it's true: this is a quality remaster with far superior sound. And I'd have expected nothing less. Standout tracks in the area of "most improved" include "Sin" and "Ringfinger."
Since this was not a "deluxe" or "special edition" type release with extra discs and such, I'm actually glad there weren't a bunch of remixes and cleaned-up demos showing up here. They just wouldn't belong on the classic album itself, being better suited for a companion disc (as with the TDS deluxe edition). Trent did, however, include the Queen cover "Get Down, Make Love," originally found on the "Sin" single. It actually appears officially in the track listing as well, essentially becoming part of the album rather than a "bonus" track. I think it rounds out the disc pretty well, giving us an extra treat without being excessive.
But the most drastic changes? The packaging. Pretty Hate Machine finally got the NIN treatment it deserves. The plastic sleeve layering the titles over Rob Sheridan's brilliantly updated artwork encloses the Digipak, whose front cover flap delightfully has an "extra" panel that opens downward and displays the familiar NIN logo (sans cropping or distortion for the first time in years). Beneath that are some album credits, including thank yous (to people involved with the original, as well as the new) and fuck yous (take a guess). The booklet image is reminiscent of the original vinyl's cover, and contains lyrics and song credits. PHM's original release was a fairly standard disc-in-jewel-case; this time, like all the albums that followed, special attention was paid to creating an attractive package to complement the album.
Overall, as much as I would like to say it was like listening to the album for the first time again, it's not quite that awesome. However, it is definitely worthwhile even if your original copy hasn't been worn out (like mine). This release sports a huge increase in sound quality over the original, and the packaging brings a lot of that first-time experience with it. I almost envy the fans who are buying this album for the first time. The fact that this is only $8 at Amazon should make it a no-brainer for anyone who's even a little interested.
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