History Music / PrettyHateMachine

[[caption-width-right:300:''Don't take it away from me, I need you to hold on to.''[[labelnote]] Original album cover (CD version).[[/labelnote]]\\

[[caption-width-right:300:Original album cover (CD version).\\

To promote the album, Reznor put together a live band with guitarist Richard Patrick (who would later start Music/{{Filter}}), drummer Chris Vrenna, and a [[RevolvingDoorBand revolving door of keyboardists]]. Following a brief promotional tour in 1989, NIN served as an opening act for Music/TheJesusAndMaryChain and Music/PeterMurphy in early 1990 before embarking on a headlining tour later that year. The intensity of the live performances and worsening tensions with executives at TVT Records inspired Reznor to go in a heavier, angrier direction with his next release, 1992's ''Music/{{Broken}}'' EP.

To promote the album, Reznor put together a live band with guitarist Richard Patrick (who would later start Music/{{Filter}}), drummer Chris Vrenna, and a [[RevolvingDoorBand revolving door of keyboardists]]. Following a brief promotional tour in 1989, NIN served as an opening act for Music/TheJesusAndMaryChain and Music/PeterMurphy in early 1990 before embarking on a headlining tour later that year. The intensity of the live performances and worsening tensions with executives at TVT Records inspired Reznor to go in a heavier, angrier direction with his next release, 1992's ''Broken'' EP.

* AlternateAlbumCover: The album cover features a photograph of fan blades by Gary Talpas, stretched out and processed to look like a ribcage. On the original release, the image featured neon blue and pink color grading, which was done to match design trends that were commonplace in the late '80s. For the 2010 reissue, Rob Sheridan manually repainted it with digital software due to the master artwork being lost, featuring a more subdued blur effect and a grayish-teal palette, additionally modifying the angle of the photo.

[[caption-width-right:300:Original album cover.\\

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Though NIN is considered a TropeCodifier for IndustrialMetal, this album is more of an industrialized SynthPop album closely influenced by Music/DepecheMode's ''Music/BlackCelebration''. The restults are closer to some of Reznor's pre-NIN bands, with minimal guitar and no real metal elements.

Unlike Reznor's later material, ''Pretty Hate Machine'' has prominent SynthPop and AlternativeDance influences with more traditional song structures than other industrial artists at the time; according to Reznor, the sound was closely influenced by the Music/DepecheMode album ''Music/BlackCelebration'', released three years prior. The album spawned three singles: "Down In It", "Sin", and BreakthroughHit "Head Like A Hole".

* BreakingPointSwearing: The climax of "Something I Can Never Have" has NIN's first released swear. As a song that deals with depression and suicide, the breaking point is apparent at the end of the last verse.
--> "Just a fading fucking reminder of who I used to be."

* PrecisionFStrike: Technically the second swear on the album, but Trent makes damn sure he is heard on "The Only Time".
--> "Lay my hands on heaven and the sun and the moon and the stars, while the devil wants to fuck me in the back of his car."

To promote the album, Reznor put together a live band with guitarist Richard Patrick (who would later start Music/{{Filter}}), drummer Chris Vrenna, and a [[RevolvingDoorBand revolving door of keyboardists]]. Following a brief promotional tour in 1989, NIN functioned as an opening act for Music/TheJesusAndMaryChain and Music/PeterMurphy in early 1990 before embarking on a headlining tour later that year. The intensity of the live performances and worsening tensions with executives at TVT Records inspired Reznor to take a heavier direction with his next release, 1992's ''Broken'' EP.

The original cover art for ''Pretty Hate Machine'' was designed by Gary Talpas, who was briefly the live band’s keyboardist. Upon the album's remastering in late 2010, it was given new artwork by NIN's then-current art director Rob Sheridan that "reinterpreted" the original art.

* {{Sampling}}: "Ringfinger" has samples of "Alphabet St." by Music/{{Prince}} and "Had a Dad" by Music/JanesAddiction. "Sanctified" samples a Gregorian chant over a low-volume monologue from Film/MidnightExpress, though the latter sample was omitted from the 2010 remaster.

* CoverVersion: "Get Down, Make Love" was originally recorded by Music/{{Queen|Band}} on their 1977 album ''Music/{{News of the World|Queen}}''. NIN's version first appeared as a B-side to "Sin" and later appeared as a bonus track on the 2010 reissue.

[[caption-width-right:300:Original album cover.]]

''Pretty Hate Machine'' is the debut album by Music/NineInchNails, a one-man industrial project by SynthPop alum Trent Reznor. It was released on October 20, 1989, by TVT records. Unlike Reznor's later material, the album has prominent AlternativeDance influences with more traditional song structures than other industrial artists at the time; according to Reznor, the sound was closely influenced by the Music/DepecheMode album ''Music/BlackCelebration'', released three years prior. The original cover art was designed by Gary Talpas, who was briefly the live band’s keyboardist, but the 2010 remastered reissue replaces it with new artwork by NIN's then-current art director Rob Sheridan. The album spawned three singles: "Down In It", "Sin", and BreakthroughHit "Head Like A Hole".

--> "I know it's not the right thing, and I know it's not the good thing, but kinda I want to."

''Pretty Hate Machine'' is the debut album by the industrial project Music/NineInchNails. It was released on October 20, 1989, by TVT records. The album has prominent synthpop and new-wave influences with more traditional song structures than other industrial artists at the time. The original cover art was designed by Gary Talpas, who was briefly the live band’s keyboardist, but the 2010 remastered reissue replaces it with new artwork by NIN’s then-current art director Rob Sheridan. The album spawned three singles: “Down In It”, “Sin”, and BreakthroughHit “Head Like A Hole”.

To promote the album, Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor put together a live band with guitarist Richard Patrick (who would later start {{Music/Filter}}), drummer Chris Vrenna, and a [[RevolvingDoorBand revolving door of keyboardists]]. Following a brief promotional tour in 1989, NIN functioned as an opening act for Music/TheJesusAndMaryChain and Music/PeterMurphy in early 1990 before embarking on a headlining tour later that year. The intensity of the live performances inspired Reznor to take a heavier direction with his next release, 1992’s ''Broken'' EP.

1. “Head Like A Hole” (4:59)

2. “Terrible Lie” (4:39)

3. “Down In It” (3:45)

4. “Sanctified” (5:48)

5. “Something I Can Never Have” (5:56)

6. “Kinda I Want To” (4:36)

7. “Sin” (4:04)

8. “That’s What I Get” (4:32)

9. “The Only Time” (4:50)

10. “Ringfinger” (5:41)

2010 reissue bonus track:

11. “Get Down, Make Love” ([[Music/QueenBand Queen]] cover) (4:19)

Trent Reznor: Vocals, almost all instruments, programming

[[Music/{{Filter}} Richard Patrick]]: Drone guitar at the end of “Sanctified”

Mark “Flood” Ellis: Additional synth programming on “Terrible Lie” and “Kinda I Want To”

* BreakUpSong: “That’s What I Get” is about being on the receiving end of a breakup in which the girlfriend is more interested in another boy.
* CoverVersion: “Get Down, Make Love” was originally recorded by [[Music/QueenBand Queen]] on their album ''Music/NewsOfTheWorld''. NIN’s version first appeared as a b-side to “Sin” and later appeared as a bonus track on the 2010 reissue.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Though NIN is considered a TropeCodifier for IndustrialMetal, this album is more of an industrialized synthpop album, closer to some of Reznor’s pre-NIN bands, with minimal guitar and no real metal elements.

** There is a synth sound that crossfades “Head Like A Hole” and “Terrible Lie”
** The droning guitar at the end of “Sanctified” bleeds into the beginning of “Something I Can Never Have”. The segue is broken up on the 2010 reissue’s vinyl to make room for “Get Down. Make Love”.
** The end of “Kinda I Want To” echoes into the first second of “Sin”.

* {{Greed}}: “Head Like A Hole” makes the worship of money out to be a religion by referring to money as “God Money”, or in some lyrics in live performances: “the god of money”.
* IAmTheBand: Invoked in the liner notes: “Nine Inch Nails is Trent Reznor.”
* IntercourseWithYou: “The Only Time”. Lampshaded in the tour-documentary part of Closure when Trent introduced the song as “a song about fucking”.
* NayTheist: Trent Reznor is particularly upset at God in “Terrible Lie”
* PrecisionFStrike: Technically the second swear on the album, but Trent makes damn sure he is heard on “The Only Time”.
--> “Lay my hands on heaven and the sun and the moon and the stars, while the devil wants to fuck me in the back of his car.”
* RecordProducer: The album went through a revolving door of producers, with Trent being credited as a co-producer for all but two of them (including “Get Down, Make Love”, which was produced by Al “Hypo Luxa” Jourgensen of {{Music/Ministry}}).
* {{Sampling}}: “Ringfinger” has samples of “Alphabet St.” by {{Music/Prince}} and “Had a Dad” by Music/JanesAddiction. “Sanctified” samples a Gregorian chant over a low-volume monologue from Film/MidnightExpress, though the latter sample was omitted from the 2010 remaster.
* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: The devil sleeps in Trent’s bed (“Kinda I Want To”) and has a car that he wants to fuck Trent in the back of (“The Only Time”).
* TitleOnlyChorus: “Terrible Lie” and “That’s What I Get”. “Kind I Want To” has a two-line pre-chorus that leads up to this.
--> “I know it’s not the right thing, and I know it’s not the good thing, but kinda I want to.”
* VocalEvolution: Trent’s voice is higher and more nasal at times. It’s even more apparent in the demo versions.

* CoverVersion: “Get Down, Make Love” was originally recorded by [[Music/QueenBand]] on their album [[Music/NewsOfTheWorld]]. NIN’s version first appeared as a b-side to “Sin” and later appeared as a bonus track on the 2010 reissue.