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Nine
Inch Elvis
(Invisible) |
Words
by Jen Kriesel
Bonanzaradio.com
February/March, 2001
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Nine Inch Elvis
Nine
Inch Elvis
Well,
bless my soul what's wrong with this? Not much at all from a novelty
perspective. Nine Inch Elvis is a pretty brilliant concept album
of Elvis Presley songs (or, more appropriately, songs The King
made popular, since he actually co-wrote only three of the songs
featured on this album) done, theoretically, in the industrial
style of Nine Inch Nails. This is an album both Elvis and NIN
fans will either have to have or have to hate.
The idea is killer, arrangements are genius, the production remarkably
solid. Everyone involved has clearly approached it with a tongue-in-cheek,
hip/schlock, flashy trash attitude; the cover art highlights the
glitzy cheese of Las Vegas and the liner notes tout the availability
of NIE makers for "weddings, bar mitzvahs and remixes...as
long as suitable cash incentives are forthcoming."
Some tracks clearly sound more like KMFDM ("All Shook Up")
or Depeche Mode ("Jailhouse Rock") than Nine Inch Nails,
but the rendition of "Hound Dog" seems directly derived
from the stylings of NIN's "Closer" (I want to f**k
you like a...hound dog?) and "Suspicious Minds" has
heavy duty flavorings from "Hurt". Drum 'n' bass-eque
accents pepper "Heartbreak Hotel" a la "Perfect
Drug" though in a far more lightweight style.
Overall, this is a kick ass tribute record that every industrial-friendly
dance club DJ and hip strip club worth the price of admission
should absolutely include in its musical lineup. It's got serious
sass and hip-shake panache, and it'll make you want to get your
vinyl on: clothing and old-school industrial records like My Life
With The Thrill Kill Kult, Revolting Cocks or early-era Ministry.
The jesus-f**k-art-cowboy quality is a highly entertaining edge
to this album, but it could easily tarnish a bit if overplayed.
Had this come from anyone other than Invisible Records, it likely
would've fallen apart and not worked nearly as well as it does.
Martin Atkins' history with various godfathers of this genre clearly
gives this project highly qualified guidance and a stainless steel
spine. It's not likely that Nine Inch Elvis will have a long,
prosperous, multi-platinum-selling career, but as a one-off idea,
this is a gem.
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