The Fragile is the third studio album by the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released as a double album by Nothing Records and Interscope Records on September 21, 1999. It was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and the English producer Alan Moulder, a longtime Reznor collaborator. It was recorded throughout 1997 to 1999 in New Orleans.
Looking to depart from the distorted production of their previous album, The Downward Spiral (1994), the album features elements of ambient and electronic music within a wide variety of genres.
The album continues some of the lyrical themes from The Downward Spiral, including depression and drug abuse. The album notably contains more instrumental sections than their previous work, with some entire tracks being instrumentals. The Fragile is also one of the band’s longest studio releases, clocking in at nearly 1 hour and 45 minutes long.
The record was promoted with three singles: “The Day the World Went Away”, “We’re in This Together”, and “Into the Void”, as well as the promotional single “Starfuckers, Inc.” and an accompanying tour, the Fragility Tour, which spanned two legs.
Several accompanying recordings were also released, including a remix album, Things Falling Apart (2000), a live album, And All That Could Have Been (2002), as well as an alternate version of the record, The Fragile: Deviations 1 (2016).
Upon release, critics applauded the album’s ambition and composition, although some criticized its length and perceived lack of lyrical substance. However, in the years following its release, it has come to be regarded by many critics and listeners to be among the band’s best work. The album debuted at number one in the U.S. to become the band’s first chart-topper, and was eventually certified double platinum by the RIAA.
Tracklist:
Left Disc
- Somewhat Damaged (Reznor, Danny Lohner)
- The Day the World Went Away
- The Frail
- The Wretched
- We’re in This Together
- The Fragile
- Just Like You Imagined
- Even Deeper (Reznor, Lohner)
- Pilgrimage
- No, You Don’t
- La Mer
- The Great Below
Right Disc
- The Way Out Is Through (Reznor, Keith Hillebrandt Charlie Clouser)
- Into the Void
- Where Is Everybody?
- The Mark Has Been Made” (includes a hidden intro to “10 Miles High”)
- Please
- Starfuckers, Inc. (ReznorClouser)
- Complication
- I’m Looking Forward to Joining You, Finally
- The Big Come Down
- Underneath It All
- Ripe (With Decay)
Musicians
Trent Reznor: vocals, all musical performance except as noted, programming and production
Adrian Belew: guitars on “Just Like You Imagined”, “The Great Below” and “Where Is Everybody?”
Charlie Clouser: programming, additional sound design; atmospheres on “The Great Below” and drum programming on “Into the Void”, sound design on “Starfuckers Inc.”
Jerome Dillon: chorus drums on “We’re in This Together”
Steve Duda: marching percussion, programming and production on “Pilgrimage”; chorus on “Starfuckers, Inc.”; violin on “Ripe (With Decay)”; additional sound design
Mike Garson: piano on “Just Like You Imagined”, “The Way Out Is Through” and “Ripe (With Decay)”
Toni Halliday: additional vocals
Keith Hillebrandt: programming and additional production on “The Way Out Is Through”; chorus on “Starfuckers, Inc.”; additional sound design
Cherry Holly: trumpet on “Pilgrimage”
Danny Lohner: guitars on “Somewhat Damaged”, “Just Like You Imagined”, “Even Deeper”, “The Great Below”, “Where Is Everybody?” and “Complication”; drum programming and synthesizers on “Even Deeper”
Denise Milfort: vocals on “La Mer”
Kim Prevost: backing vocals on “Into the Void”
Porter Ricks: keyboards, programming and synthesizer
Bill Rieflin: drums on “La Mer”
Willie: cello on “La Mer”
Production and technical personnel
Steve Albini: engineering and supplemental drum recording
Tom Baker: mastering
Clinton Bradley: programming; technical assistant to Bob Ezrin
Paul Bradley: programming
David Carson: art direction, design and photography
Paul DeCarli: programming
Dr. Dre: additional production and mixing assistance on “Even Deeper”
Bob Ezrin: additional production (album sequencing)
Ken Friedman: additional sound design
Leo Herrera: additional engineering
Alan Moulder: production, engineering and mixing
Dave Ogilvie: additional engineering
Brian Pollack: engineering
