Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5473 in Digital Music Album
• Published on: 2004-11-23
• Released on: 2004-11-23
• Running time: 0 seconds

Customer Reviews

"And even when I'm right with you, I am so far away..."
I still can't believe that it was ten years ago that this epic of an industrial masterpiece came out. To this day, it remains a very popular album that people can never get enough of. It's classic Nine Inch Nails that can never be duplicated, no matter how hard one tries. It's angry, depressing, violent, disturbing and beautiful. So, how do you celebrate the 10 year anniversary of this fine album? You re-release it... and use all of your powers to make it sound better than ever before.

That was accomplished with "The Downward Spiral: The Deluxe Edition." All of the songs are here, and they have each been remastered so you can listen to these classic songs in a whole new way. It was a little hard to notice at first, since I was listening to it through my headphones, but once I blasted this thing through my speakers, I could immediately hear--no,FEEL--the change and improvement. You hear little subtle things that you could never pick up on in the original, as there's always a lot going on with each and every one of these songs. It was like listening to the album for the very first time. I can't even begin to express how impressed I am with it in words.

To take full advantage of this album, it is true that you should have an SACD CD player and surround sound so you can hear it in 5.1, and it is AMAZING. You really feel like each song is a living and breathing thing waiting to suck you up without warning. However, if you don't have an SACD CD player, do not fret. This thing still sounds INCREDIBLE without it. If you have a great sound system and some high quality speakers, you will definitely hear the difference. Heck, you can even pop this thing into your discman, then put in the older version, and you will be able to note the difference as well.

Not only is this remastered to its highest quality, but you also get a bonus CD that offers 13 tracks of rare remixes, demos and songs that only appeared in soundtracks, such as "dead souls" (from "The Crow") and "burn" ("Natural Born Killers). The remixes are ones that you can find on various single releases, but it's nice to have them all on one CD. Not only that, but you get the demos of "ruiner," "liar (reptile demo)" and "heresy."

If you're a NIN fanatic like me, then you MUST pick this up immediately! You won't regret it. Still hang onto the original release (since you're a NIN fan!), but trust me, you will be listening to this Deluxe Version instead. Nine Inch Nails' "The Downward Spiral: The Deluxe Version" does NOT disappoint. Its new sound is simply unbelievable. What a way to celebrate ten great years. A re-release to remember. -Michael Crane

A Masterpiece with an Unbelievable New Mix but So-so Extras
In celebration of the tenth anniversary of the release of "The Downward Spiral", it is being reissued in two new formats: a two-sided "DualDisc" containing bonus video materials and this two-disc set which comprises a SACD surround-sound mix of the album and of lots of extra audio tracks from that era. This review covers the two-disc set.

Reissues are a huge money-maker for (mainly) labels and (sometimes) artists. They're also a mixed bag for the fans who buy them - at their worst, they amount to a $15 donation for a "remastering" that's indistinguishable from the original and some new liner notes. This is not the case with the SACD surround-sound mix of TDS. This edition puts the focus where it belongs: squarely on the sounds pouring into your ears. Because I didn't know what to expect, I was a bit cynical about what kind of difference the surround-sound mix would make. It only took one listen to determine that the difference is immediately real and makes a familiar piece of music into an intriguing experience.

While you will need a surround sound setup to hear all that that mix offers, don't be discouraged about equipment requirements - I've listened to the album on a number of configurations (actual SACD playing through 5.1 channels, regular CD playing 5.1, regular CD playing 2 channels), and each of them sounds superb. Even in the car or with headphones, details that had been lost in the original mix are now clear and distinct. On heavily layered tracks such as "Mr. Self Destruct", this jaw-dropping mix gives the sound so much new texture it's difficult to believe that it's just a remix and not a re-recording.

The only disappointment with this set is the disc of extra audio materials. Aside from a trio of demos that only a fanatic completist would love, there aren't any previously unreleased tracks here; everything can be found on the singles and EPs release during the TDS era. Nonetheless, it's convenient to have them collected on one disc and the new mix of "Burn" from the "Natural Born Killers" soundtrack is as good as any on the main disc.

The mix on this two-disc reissue of "The Downward Spiral" is an landmark achievement - it manages to pay homage to the original work while reintroducing it in formats that almost define it as a completely new recording. It sounds cliche, but no matter how much you've listened to the original recording, you've never really heard it until you experience this mix. It is simply a necessary investment for any NIN fan. It is also an excellent place to start for anyone just discovering Trent Reznor's magnificent work, although more casual fans may prefer the single DualDisc edition that includes DVD video content such as the clips for "Closer" and "Hurt" at a lower price.

Review of the Hybrid SACD edition
First off, this is a review for people who are curious about the Deluxe edition, not The Downward Spiral as a general album. For those of you who want a look at the general album, I suggest going to regular edition reviews.
I bought the first release of this album in 1995, still have it and still love it. Since then, I have listened to it less, but this rerelease has changed that; I am listening to it constantly once again. The increase in sound quality from remastering is great. If you have an SACD player, like me, the difference is unmistakable. At first I was skeptical about remastering this album, but those worries were unfound; nothing is lost from its gritty, hard and furious feel. The dynamics sound that much better and the clarity brings new details out. I played this on a regular CD player (because it is a Hybrid SACD) and while not as good as the SACD mix , it is still much better than the original album by comparison (which I had handy as well). If you are really really lucky and have a 5.1 surround set-up, I have nothing to say. It is beyond words. This isn't really surprising considering Reznor was responsible for the mix; he went beyond my expectations.
The second disc, with its b-sides and what not is a nice addition, but I already owned a lot of this material in one form or another. Of course there is more Reznor could've put on, but hey, I think we're lucky to have any kind of bonus! You can find a lot of this material off of soundtracks (such as the Joy Division cover, "Dead Souls") or previous singles (such as Memoribilia, a Depeche Mode (?) Cover), but either way, it is good stuff.
If you didn't like this album before, this rerelease probably won't win you over, but if you are a fan get this. The increase in sonic quality really makes it that much better and if you don't have all the bonus material, it is a great way for you to get your hands on it and have a taste of Reznor's non-album material. Worth buying even if you already own the original.