On typical days I’m a downright moody guy. Over the past few years, however, at least in terms of music preferences, I’ve dived right passed moody and directly into pissed and heavy. Usually when I’m in such an emotional free-fall, there is one band that I know has the visceral oomph to not only handle my fall, but to energize me enough to want to make the climb back to where I started. That band goes by the name of Nine Inch Nails (NIN).
I’m not about to start babbling about how NIN saved my life or anything like that, but when I’m feeling like shit and need affirmation that it’s okay to feel like shit, they are my sonic weapon of choice in the war to maintain my sanity on especially shitty days.
Having said that, I think it is only fair to say that NIN’s new DVD, Beside You In Time, has been actively deployed in my house for a couple of weeks now, and it is kicking much ass and taking names. Chronicling the band’s American With Teeth tour, Beside You In Time is all that I ever wished for in a live NIN recording.
Sure, 1997’s Closure was something I trumpeted loudly when it came out. Instead of merely producing a video record of one particular concert, Reznor’s choice to release a tour documentary that features tons of live performances (as well as a companion piece that held all the band’s video releases) was what I wanted at the time.
I wanted to learn more about the band, you see.
When 2002’s And All That Could Have Been was released, it floored me. Not only was it an amazing document of NIN’s “Fragility” tour from 2002, but it was just about the most amazing concert DVD I’d ever seen. Instead of simply putting a couple of cameras in place to capture the concert recordings, Reznor seemed to go over the deep end and place cameras in any and every place that would hold a camera. The results, when edited into the released DVD, were stunning.
While Closure had held my hand and taught me about what went on behind the wizard’s curtain and And All That Could Have Been showed me every possible angle of the wizard performing his magic (so that I could be sure it was magic, I think, and not an illusion) , Beside You In Time simply shows me the naked power the magic show is capable of.
NIN, and Reznor in particular, look and sound amazing. Hell, Reznor looks like he’s in the best physical and mental shape of his life, and he uses that power and clarity to just blaze his way through each and every song.
Article comments
1 - Davie
Actually, the other concert footage in the extras is from the 2006 summer leg of the U.S. tour, not an earlier part.
2 - Michael Jones
Yeah, I see I worded that poorly. I meant "earlier" in respect to it being from the first leg (Summer) of their tour as opposed to the later (Winter) leg.
My apologies.
3 - Sam the Man
That DVD sucked!
4 - jonny
what the fuck i typed plus 44