Like
Fixed and
Further Down the Spiral before it, the remix set
Things Falling Apart manipulates a mainline
Nine Inch Nails opus into a completely different beast, providing new insight into the original tracks and fresh takes on those pieces of a whole. Nourishing only for a dedicated segment of the
NIN fandom, these remixes aren't for everyone. As a companion to 1999's chart-topping double-album
The Fragile,
Things Falling Apart reimagines "Into the Void" ("Slipping Away"), "The Frail"/"The Wretched," "Where Is Everybody?," and, somewhat indulgently,
The Fragile's most incongruous track "Starfuckers, Inc." in three rave-ready iterations. Fans searching for the fresh stuff should go straight to "The Great Collapse," a new composition that borrows lyrics from "The Wretched"; the cover of
Gary Numan's "Metal"; and "10 Miles High," which eventually would land on various singles and the vinyl version of
The Fragile and
Fragile: Deviations. Panned at the time of release (did folks not realize it was just a remix album and not an official LP?), it benefits from hindsight and context within the
NIN discography, particularly as another relic of an era that would eventually be recognized as one of the band's strongest. ~ Neil Z. Yeung
