Early Trent Reznor deserves a little love too

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2021/12/21/early-trent-reznor-deserves-a-little-love-too.html

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“Look, Trent if you’re not going to wear the pastel satin brocade jacket we got you, we’re going to have to hide you in the back. And where’s your skinny tie?”

“But what about Ron? He’s just wearing a flannel shirt? And Greg’s just got on a button-up shirt and an Army haircut!?!”

“Did you even see Ron’s curly mullet!?! And Greg’s bass is the douchiest instrument ever created! You’re never gonna make it with that attitude, Trent!”

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i dunno, Option 30 is pretty painful to listen to now.

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That is one deeply uncomfortable looking man.

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You can see him writing Pretty Hate Machine in his head the whole time he’s back there on that keyboard.

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OOhhhh took me a minute to realize he wasn’t the singer. Kinda catchy new waveish sound. Neat.

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I started watching the video thinking, “That’s obviously not Trent Reznor. I don’t see him. Is it a joke? I don’t get it.” Then the camera cut over to him - saw him looking painfully out of place - and then immediately cut away, and I laughed.

Most of the band look like they’d rather be in another band (and genre) entirely - the drummer looks like he’d rather be in a hair-metal band, for instance. And Trent, even in that situation, stands out.

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Yeah, honestly if you saw him wearing that outfit and hairstyle today you wouldn’t think twice. A real visionary, that one.

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Here’s more of the video with band introductions. The host has kind words for Trent.

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--------->This is hilarious when you learn that Mark Mothersbaugh originally wrote the melody for a Hawaiian punch ad in the 80s and Trent Reznor used it for Head like a Hole. Shit literally came full circle and DEVO covered it.

Peeled from the webs.

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At first I thought Trent was the singer… and was truly impressed with the transformation. Alas no, Trent is obvious Trent.

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Along with Atticus Ross, he also did the scores to a bunch of recent films like Birdbox, Mank , Mid90s and Waves, they also wrote and produced the new Halsey album.

I can see the rehearsal now.
“My desire is to set your house on fire and fuck you like an animal”
That’s a good tune Trent, but let’s work on your lyrics a bit.

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Oh god, that’s terrible… how about this instead?

Also… Y Cant Tori read…

I’m happy they both started making more interesting music, as I think we’re all better off for it…

And here they are together…

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I mean, by the lead singer’s own admission you have to admit that he’s just filling in, sort of like Pat Smear helping out Nirvana on tour.

I"m sure most musicians have a cringey moment in their past.

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Oh man, not just musicians. I’m willing to bet that many people (myself especially) had a cringey 1980s moment or two.

On a side note, the lead singer of this band now runs a well-regarded Italian restaurant in Cleveland. He’s interviewed around the 10 second mark in the video below.

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The band’s sound is as bland and indistinct as most of the pop music from the 80s

I… don’t think so? It gets a bit McSynthpop in the back end, but there’s some interesting rhythm at first.
Trent looks like 80s Neil Gaiman’s body double.

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An old colleague of mine was in Pigface for a few years back in the 90s (and apparently on occasion more recently, green shirt dork guy in the video below). That’s the great thing about Pigface. Nearly everyone’s had a stint.

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Always one of the funnest shows around…

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The first time I saw that video I thought it was an SNL skit or something, with Trent Resnor playing his past dorky self.

I had no clue that was Trent Reznor on vocals. I had of course picked up on the lyric “Made my own pretty hate machine” in “Caught a lite sneeze”

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