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May 6, 2009

Trent Reznor Previews Tour, Disses Prince In Fan Q&A

thumbnail icon: Trent Reznor Previews Tour, Disses Prince In Fan Q&A

A few weeks ago, Trent sat for a crowdsourced interview with Digg's Kevin Rose. It looked like a success, but (surprise) NIN fanboys weren't satisfied with the questions. Never one to shy away from interacting with his followers, Trent agreed to answer ten more questions direct from his fan forum (via TwentyFourBit.). The interview was conducted via webcam from the musician's hotel room in Florida. The first question (Will NIN ever play "Lights In The Sky" live?) leads to the spoiler that there will be no "Closer" on the NIN|JA tour. The followup has to do with unreleased material, and that gives Trent an opportunity to dis Prince and Rivers Cuomo.

"I'm not Prince or Rivers Cuomo who brags about having hundreds of great songs. And to that I would say, Prince, if you have a hundred great songs or a thousand, how about picking a few and putting them on your record that you've put out because your last several have sucked. Same for you, Rivers. I say that constructively, you know."

Jokes Trent afterward, "I may be happy and engaged, but I can still be a prick." (Good thing he wasn't asked about Chris Cornell.) More insightful Q&A follows ("I'm trying not to become a parody of myself... I've watched my peers spin off into doing stupid shit to try desperately stay relevant or try to catch in...") so watch the whole thing below:

The NIN|JA tour kicks off Friday in West Palm Beach (dates here). Trent just gave away some tickets via Twitter, and he'll do it again tomorrow.

Posted at 5:23 PM by Scott in
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41 Comments

O TRENT!

Posted by: pablo at 05/06/09 6:01 PM  | Reply
Score = 8 Vote up Vote down

Wait, the Red Album only had ten songs. Most of them were terrible, but still, unless he's counting Alone and the other B-Side releases, it shouldn't count.

Posted by: TalbainJ profile link at 05/06/09 6:43 PM  | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

Um, how's that again? 10 songs isn't an album?

Posted by: zipzapzopzoup  in reply to TalbainJ's comment at 05/07/09 10:47 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I haven't heard Rivers brag about hundreds of great songs in his catalog.

Prince is understandable because of fucking LotusFlower or whatever the shit, with 50 songs or something, but 10 =! a lot.

Posted by: TalbainJ profile link  in reply to zipzapzopzoup's comment at 05/07/09 4:01 PM  | Reply
Score = -3 Vote up Vote down

This guy is everywhere, stop it already. It is irritating enough reading digg and seeing news about this guy every day just cos he think he is some kind of a "revolutionary" in music. lol

Posted by: alvinrow profile link at 05/06/09 6:46 PM  | Reply
Score = -29 Vote up Vote down

finally! a posting about NIN. I was starting to think we weren't going to get one this hour. thanks NINgum!

Posted by: mr at 05/06/09 6:50 PM  | Reply
Score = 16 Vote up Vote down

As a huge fan of NIN, it's ridiculous to say but I miss the years after "The Fragile" when no one knew what the fuck Trent was doing.

Posted by: zik at 05/06/09 7:03 PM  | Reply
Score = 21 Vote up Vote down

trent is a machine. i guess being sober really does wonders.

Posted by: chris at 05/06/09 7:22 PM  | Reply
Score = 10 Vote up Vote down

I agree wholeheartedly about Rivers Cuomo tendency to pick awful track listings for albums. Just listen to Miss Sweeney, Pig, Everybody Wants I Chance To Feel All Alone, Listen Up, Lover In The Snow, Longtime Sunshine, or any other number of awesome songs that he left off of albums. He still writes great music, but he just doesn't release it usually.

That being said, he never said that he has 100's of great songs, so I don't know where that came from. Also, maybe I just don't get it, but I never really liked NIN, so I don't really think that he can talk.

Posted by: OOS at 05/06/09 7:29 PM  | Reply
Score = -3 Vote up Vote down

I definitely remember reading an interview with Rivers right around the time of 'Make Believe', Rivers claimed to have written at least four or five songs a day for months on end during in between the 'Green Album' and 'Maladroit'.

This page is a list of all the songs Rivers has mentioned recording over the years:

http://www.weezed.com/rc/old/indexx.html

Posted by: Paper Werewolf profile link  in reply to OOS's comment at 05/06/09 11:06 PM  | Reply
Score = 8 Vote up Vote down

Yeah man. When was doing that whole Havard thing he said he had at least 375 songs on his laptop. Everything since Pinkerton has blown anyways.

Posted by: Kozy  in reply to OOS's comment at 05/07/09 12:03 PM  | Reply
Score = 3 Vote up Vote down

i was in every butthole

Posted by: abigdick at 05/06/09 8:01 PM  | Reply
Score = -11 Vote up Vote down

If only you knew what you were talking about......Pork And Beans,Everybody Get Dangerous and Greatest Man are only 3 of the awesome tunes on the red album.
Perhaps if you knew what was involved with making a great record,i would allow you to get away with that comment,but you soooooo don't!
Months of songwriting and playing/perfecting the arrangements of the songs,weeks of rehearsing/recording them with amazing engineers and producers... i suppose you think these people just sit around all day doing bongs and occasionally knock out a tune when they can be bothered...?
Go play your Mika and Calvin Harris cd's dude,and leave the deep ironic and intelligent music to people like me XXX

Posted by: Ian Hoare at 05/06/09 8:09 PM  | Reply
Score = -35 Vote up Vote down

Wow, you think Everybody Get Dangerous is better than The Angel & The One? You've got pretty good taste, man.

Posted by: Ben  in reply to Ian Hoare's comment at 05/06/09 9:20 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

How is that Trent has become, like, the coolest fucking guy in rock? Seriously, out of any rock star of that magnitude, he's one of the few that actually seems like a real guy that I'd like to hang with.

Posted by: Charlie at 05/06/09 8:22 PM  | Reply
Score = 16 Vote up Vote down

zik-
You mean the years he spent being an unproductive, shut-in alcoholic? Well, I guess he did put out the song "Deep" on the Tomb Raider soundtrack.

Um, yeah those years were great....

Posted by: Charlie at 05/06/09 8:27 PM  | Reply
Score = 6 Vote up Vote down

46:50 = record executives round the world, "damnit! Now, what are we gonna do. First, Radiohead. Now...this too?"

Posted by: lordofendsville profile link at 05/06/09 9:08 PM  | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

trent reznor still makes music?

Posted by: splippy at 05/06/09 9:39 PM  | Reply
Score = -16 Vote up Vote down

Just think, Rivers Cuomo could have made this the third Weezer album..........

1. Blast Off
2. Troublemaker
3. Lover in the Snow
4. Pork & Beans
5. Longtime Sunshine
6. Crazy One
7. Angel & the One
8. I want to take you home tonight
9. I can't stop partying
10. Superfriend
11. I was made for you
12. The Greatest man that ever lived


That would have been an absolute classic album and would have fit nicely with both the blue album and pinkerton.

Posted by: Black Jesus at 05/06/09 9:50 PM  | Reply
Score = 3 Vote up Vote down

sorry Trent but Pinkerton > The Downward Spiral

Posted by: Eric W at 05/06/09 9:57 PM  | Reply
Score = -32 Vote up Vote down

MY mom's hotter than YOUR mom

Posted by: egotron  in reply to Eric W's comment at 05/06/09 11:10 PM  | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

Actually, that's a pretty close call... I'm not sure where I stand on that.

Posted by: ethan  in reply to Eric W's comment at 05/07/09 9:02 PM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

Actually, that's a pretty close call... I'm not sure where I stand on that.

I can tell you that Weezer's self-titled is better than "Pinkerton", though.

Posted by: ethan  in reply to Eric W's comment at 05/07/09 9:02 PM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

trent reznor isn't one to talk, his last few albums have been pretty bland.
and i'm not saying the ones before those didn't suck.

Posted by: kuklor at 05/07/09 5:34 AM  | Reply
Score = -12 Vote up Vote down

its like watching your best friend grow up a bit, i love it.
i am going to miss seeing nin, but it is time. now if people next to me at the show can get the lyrics right ill be right as rain.

Posted by: tonaldefiance at 05/07/09 8:33 AM  | Reply
Score = 3 Vote up Vote down

Why isn't anyone defending Prince? I mean... I'm not going to, but someone really should. I'm only reading the latest "Wacky Trent" update because the headline said he dissed Prince. Rivers wasn't even mentioned, but that's what seems to have struck a nerve.

I think that all the NIN fanboys and all the Weezer/Rivers fanboys should just duke it out Anchorman-style.

Posted by: Jeremy at 05/07/09 9:07 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I'd love to defend Prince , but a statement was released that he would personally delete and enfoce a copywite infringment lawsuit upon any bloggers who defend him.

Posted by: Jack  in reply to Jeremy's comment at 05/07/09 11:01 PM  | Reply
Score = 6 Vote up Vote down

"I'm trying not to become a parody of myself.."

and yet here you are.

Posted by: St. Nico at 05/07/09 9:56 AM  | Reply
Score = -9 Vote up Vote down

but what does Billy Corgan have to say about all this??

Posted by: ev at 05/07/09 10:03 AM  | Reply
Score = 10 Vote up Vote down

i'm still unclear as to why Trent would pick out Prince or Rivers Cuomo to pick on

billy corgan is now updating his manifesto...expected to exceed 32 pages ... with an index

Posted by: NEENER profile link  in reply to ev's comment at 05/07/09 12:14 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I'm all about Weezer, but yeah, his Rivers comment is dead on. The stuff on the Alone albums is great, but remember all the demos Weezer would host on their site after the Green album and after Maladroit? Those were mostly solid tracks that destroyed the stuff that ended up on Make Believe and the Red album. :(

Posted by: Purky at 05/07/09 10:51 AM  | Reply
Score = -1 Vote up Vote down

Dude, are you joking? You think the best lyrics are coming from fucking WEEZER? I think you should aptly remove your head from your asshole. Fucking prick douchebag....

Posted by: Kim W at 05/07/09 2:10 PM  | Reply
Score = -6 Vote up Vote down

Trent loves The Horrors and he should- their new album is incredible.

Posted by: fupa at 05/07/09 3:46 PM  | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

No one disses Mr. Cuomo and gets away with it!

Posted by: Shoop at 05/07/09 8:42 PM  | Reply
Score = -3 Vote up Vote down

first apple, now weezer guy AND prince? trent reznor must have an anger quota to fill this week

Posted by: anger police at 05/07/09 9:53 PM  | Reply
Score = 3 Vote up Vote down

Trent should have replaced the words "Rivers Cuomo" and "Prince" with "Billy Corgan" and "Billy Corgan's Space Godzilla Ego."
This post would've made more sense that way.

Posted by: dangerously cheesy at 05/07/09 10:03 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Sorry to waffle from the snarky narrative, but toward the end of the interview Reznor states that he used to want to work with Prince and he thinks he’s a genius. I don’t think his criticism of Prince was calculated – just a “thinking out loud” sort-of-thing. I’m sure everyone here grips, in passing, about artists/bands they dig.

Posted by: EAB at 05/08/09 3:05 AM  | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

No, I never do that. I'm always fully aware of how my fans will interpret my rants.

Posted by: Trent  in reply to EAB's comment at 05/08/09 7:39 AM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

O, dear Trent, always causing controversy and taking everyone off the bubble.... :)

Posted by: Oreo profile link at 05/08/09 4:29 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I prefer Rolling Stone. At least even Trent's die-hard fans over there acknowledge he's being an a-hole for no reason. Over here, no one's allowed to diss precious Trentie.

Posted by: orange at 05/25/09 11:54 PM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

Trent Reznor keeps writing variations on the same depressing theme and he’s been a bore for some time. “Pretty Hate Machine” has a song Reznor stole from Skinny Puppy and “The Downward Spiral” doesn’t have the any staying power. Most of his cds only sell to his hard-core fans. Reznor shouldn’t be complaining about the quality of other peoples’ music. I’m not wild about any of NIN’s work and I wrote Reznor off long ago. Maybe instead of griping about other musician’s efforts, Reznor should be more concerned about his own one-dimensional music.

Posted by: sw at 07/02/09 4:57 AM  | Reply
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