Last post in this lightning round of stuff I've had piling up on scraps of paper I've had laying around for weeks.
Trent Reznor is one of the most distinctive artists of our time, and arguably one of the most important. (Ten years ago, I'd have put him darn near the top of the list. Not so sure today.) I came across this story in one of my Yahoo mail headlines of all places. It's how Trent was not-altogether pleased when he heard that Johnny Cash was going to cover Hurt, the song Trent calls his most personal -- really saying something for a guy who rewrote every rule for confessional songwriting.
He wasn't happy when he heard the results either....but he had to concede that "It instantly became his song after that."
(That was Yahoo's headline, as it should be...which is why it's mine too.)
The video is truly staggering. John's dying. He knows it. You'll know it when you see it. And so does June, as she watches over his shoulder, weeping, smiling. I can't think of anything I've ever seen even remotely like this. Staggering.
Trent continues: I saw the video and it took my breath away. Immediately my throat had a lump in it, and at that point, it really struck home. It was heartbreaking. I had goosebumps, which I have right now even thinking about it.
..It became really inspiring to me. It reminded me of the power of music... It works. And it probably works better than my version.
Last question in the interview: How has all this affected your own relationship to "Hurt"?
I haven't listened to my version since then. I've been so proud of what they've done with it that I haven't thought that much about it.
I told you all the best parts, but it's still worth reading the rest.
And whatever you do, don't skip the video.
Digg it
I'm a "Lumpy" like Trent
First off, I'm a huge fan of cover tunes, unless they are horribly, horribly bad. They have to be really bad for me to dislike them. One amazing artist who combines the cheesiness of the cover tune and the cheesiness of Hollywood-glamorized, Rat Pack era lounge music is Richard Cheese. Enough plugs for now.
Back to the matter at hand: Gaining a lump in the back of one's throat when hearing Johnny Cash's version of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt."
How often does a legend of any genre remake a work from somebody that has been inspired by said legend? To me, Trent Reznor in the mid 90s was equivalent in attitude and style to the renegade Cash of the early 60s. And, in my humble opinion, Cash was acknowledging Trent's work as being great and not getting the attention it deserves. Depending on the historian and point of view, Reznor and Cash's early careers could be seen as mirroring each other in some respect.
When I first heard Johnny's version, I was shocked, delighted, and saddened at the same time. You can really hear him putting his best into the song and give the song the respect it deserves. Unlike Reznor's version, and it could be because Johnny's doing it his way, there seems to be remorse in his voice from years of abuse to himself and others.
I have only seen the video twice (once just now). It's a very moving retrospective on the non-glorious parts of Cash's life. Most videos of "remember this person when they were great" will only show the extremely happy moments of their career. This one, on the other hand, reinforces the fact that Johnny was a human being. The way he sings "Hurt" lays the foundation for it. Every time I hear the end of the song where the music gets louder and he says if he could do it again, he would do it right, I imagine how hard that must have been for him to actually sing and I get the lump in the back of my throat, fighting back the desire to cry in a beer. (If I ever did get that bad off, I would cry in a cheap beer and quietly sip the good one next to it.)
When I get the chance, I'll actually read the article, but after watching the video a few more times. Thanks for hooking us up, Tim.