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New York Dolls
One of the most influential rock bands of the last 20 years, the New York Dolls predated the punk and sleaze metal movements that followed and offered a crash course in rebellion with style. Formed in 1972, the line-up stabilized with David Johansen (b. 9 January 1950, Staten Island, New York, USA; vocals), Johnny Thunders (b. John Anthony Genzale Jnr., 15 July 1952, New York City, New York, USA, d. 23 April 1991, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; guitar), Arthur Harold Kane (bass), Sylvain Sylvain (guitar, piano) and Jerry Nolan (d. 14 January 1992; drums), the last two having replaced Rick Rivets and Billy Murcia (d. 6 November 1972). The band revelled in an outrageous glam-rock image: lipstick, high heels and tacky leather outfits providing their visual currency. Underneath they were a first-rate rock 'n' roll band, dragged up on the music of the Stooges, Rolling Stones and MC5. Their self-titled debut, released in 1973, was a major landmark in rock history, oozing attitude, vitality and controversy from every note. It met with widespread critical acclaim, but this never transferred to commercial success. The follow-up, Too Much Too Soon, was an appropriate title - and indicated that alcohol and drugs were beginning to take their toll. The album remains a charismatic collection of punk/glam-rock anthems, typically delivered with 'wasted' cool. Given a unanimous thumbs-down from the music press, the band began to implode shortly afterwards. Johansen embarked on a solo career and Thunders formed the Heartbreakers. The Dolls continued for a short time before eventually grinding to a halt in 1975, despite the auspices of new manager Malcolm McLaren. The link to the Sex Pistols and the UK punk movement is stronger than that fact alone, with the Dolls remaining a constant reference point for teen rebels the world over. Sadly for the band, their rewards were fleeting. Jerry Nolan died as a result of a stroke on 14 January 1992 while undergoing treatment for pneumonia and meningitis. Thunders had departed from an overdose, in mysterious circumstances, less than a year earlier. Red Patent Leather is a poor-quality and posthumously released live recording from May 1975 - Rock 'N' Roll offers a much more representative collection.
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Hanoi Rocks This Finnish heavy rock band were distinguished by their leaning towards 70s glam rock, which they carried off with more style and conviction than any of their peers. Initially the brainchild of Andy McCoy (b. Antti Hulkko) and Michael Monroe (b. Matti Fagerholm) back in 1976, they were not formed until 1980 when singer Monroe gathered up Nasty Suicide (b. Jan Stenfors; guitar), Stefan Piesmack (guitar), Pasi Sti (bass) and Peki Senola (drums). By September, when they cut their debut album, Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks (initially only released in Scandinavia), the line-up was Monroe, Suicide, McCoy (guitar), Sam Yaffa (b. Sami Takamaki; bass) and Gyp Casino (b. Jesper Sporre; drums). McCoy had previously played with two Finnish punk bands, Briard and Pelle Miljoona Oy. In addition Suicide had played in Briard, while Yaffa had also been a member of Pelle Miljoona Oy at various times. Hanoi Rocks' debut single - 'I Want You', was released on the Finnish Johanna label in 1980 and preceded the album. The band then travelled to London where they began recording Oriental Beat. Soon after it was finished Casino was sacked (and joined the Road Rats) and replaced by Razzle (b. Nicholas Dingley, 2 December 1963, Isle Of Wight, England), who had previously played with Demon Preacher and the Dark. In 1983 they were signed to CBS Records and started to attract attention in the British music press. They hit the UK charts for the first and only time in 1984 with a cover version of Creedence Clearwater Revival 's 'Up Around The Bend', but the year ended in tragedy. The band were in the US when Razzle was killed in a car crash on 7 December. The car driver - Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe - was later found guilty of Vehicular Manslaughter. Former Clash drummer Terry Chimes was brought in as a replacement and when Yaffa left (to form Chain Gang then join Jetboy), Rene Berg (ex-Idle Flowers) also joined the group. However, Monroe never really accepted the loss of Razzle and in early 1985 he told the band he intended to quit. Hanoi Rocks played their final gig in May 1985. Monroe has since embarked on a solo career. Piesmack joined Pelle Miljoona Oy, then quit music, Sti and Senola also left the music scene, and McCoy (who had already formed a side project in 1983 - the Urban Dogs with Charlie Harper, Alvin Gibbs ( UK Subs) and Knox ( Vibrators), went on to form the Cherry Bombz with Suicide, Chimes and ex-Toto Coelo vocalist Anita Chellemah. The Cherry Bombz barely lasted a year and the members went on to play in various short-lived outfits, most notably Suicide (with Gibbs once more) in Cheap 'N' Nasty. A near reunion of Hanoi Rocks, featuring Monroe with Suicide and Sam Yaffa, emerged as Demolition 23 in 1994.
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Dogs D'Amour As out of control as glam rock got in the late 80's, early 90's few could top the levels of debauchery and excess achieved by England's Dogs D'Amour. Led by singer, guitarist, songwriter and warped poet Tyla, the group's albums never caught on in the new world, but for a short time they were quite successful as cult favorites in their homeland.
The band was formed in early-80's London by Tyla, guitarist Jo Dog, bassist Steve James and drummer Bam, and though their first independent release, The State We're In would surface in 1984, their career would only seriously get got underway in 1988, with the mostly acoustic (Un)authorized Bootleg. Signed to Polygram, the band released a number of albums (In the Dynamite Jet Saloon, A Graveyard of Empty Bottles) in quick succession, culminating with perhaps their most successful in 1989's Errol Flynn, which cemented their standing as sleaziest glam rockers in England.
The ironically titled Straight??!! followed in late 1990 and met with mixed reviews, even from the usually enthusiastic British press. The subsequent tour was troubled by renewed rumors of substance abuse, and increasing frustration over the lack of record company support in America, where Straight??!! had yet to be released. Tensions came to a head during a Los Angeles show where Tyla, unhappy with the apathetic audience, took an attempt at self-immolation a tad too far, unwittingly cutting a six inch gash across his chest with a broken beer bottle, and having to be immediately rushed to a hospital.
A collection entitled Dogs Hits and Bootleg Album, featuring their singles as well as their 1988 debut was released in late 1991, but the band members would go their separate ways for the next two years. Tyla and Jo Dog lived in L.A., Steve James worked on a side project called the Last Bandits, and Bam temporarily joined the Wildhearts. When they finally re-convened, it was without Jo Dog, who was replaced by ex-Crybabys guitarist Darrel Bath. The resulting More Uncharted Heights of Disgrace did nothing to resurrect their ailing fortunes, however, and the froup decided to call it a day in October 1994, with Tyla embarking on a solo career. ~ Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide
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Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Led by former Generation X member Tony James, the new wave group Sigue Sigue Sputnik raised selling out to an art form. The concept behind Sigue Sigue Sputnik was simple -- the band adopted a post-modern, ironic style and sound and marketed it to the hilt, saturating the media with slogans and interviews. James didn't even intend the band to be musical; he recruited Martin Degville, Neal X, Chris Cavanagh, and Ray Mayhew partially because they lacked extensive musical experience. After a publicity campaign designed to solicit a record contract, the band signed with EMI; they released their first single, "Love Missile F1-11" in early 1986 and it hit number three on the U.K. charts. Sigue Sigue Sputnik sold the space between tracks to advertisers on their debut album, Flaunt It. Despite the massive marketing campaign, the album fell on deaf ears, as did the more serious follow-up, Dress for Excess (1988), which featured the slogan "This time it's music" on the album cover. The group split soon after the release of Dress for Excess. James was a member of Sisters of Mercy for a short time in 1991. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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Specimen
Specimen was a band who was part of the genre of Goth Music which was bourne of a small (now legendary) London club called The Batcave sometime around 1981. Along with Alien Sex Fiend and Sex Gang Children, Specimen also played their first gig at The Batcave. The lead vocalist of Specimen was Ollie Wisdom, who ran the Batcave around 1982-1983. I first became aware of Specimen in about 1984 after their release of the extended EP Batastrophe came out. Specimen's music had all the great aspects of Goth; dark, moody, but it was also hard edged, and as stated on one of their promo albums, "while Kiss and Motley Crue make complete idiots for themselves for beer and broads, at least Specimen does it with fashion and flair." YES!
Specimen are:
Ollie Wisdom (vocals)
Johnny Slut (sometimes known as Johnny Melton on keyboards)
Kev (bass)
Jon Klein (guitar)
Jonathan (drums)
John Punter (producer)
Nick Tauber (producer)
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Backyard Babies
Swedish punks the Backyard Babies formed in the city of Nässjö in 1987, originally comprising singer Tobbe, guitarist Dregen, bassist Johan Blomqvist and drummer Peder Carlsson. After recording a rough demo and playing a few local live dates, in 1989 the group dismissed Tobbe and replaced him with singer Nicke Borg; two more demos followed, as did a national tour, and in 1991 the Backyard Babies launched their first offical release, the EP Something to Swallow. Signing with the Megarock label in 1993, the following year the quartet issued their first full-length effort, Diesel & Power, before going on hiatus to allow Dregen the chance to work with his other band, the Hellacopters. The Backyard Babies reunited in 1997 for the single "Look at You" and the album Total 13; "Bombed (Out of My Mind)" appeared the next year. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
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Sex Pistols
This incandescent UK punk group came together under the aegis of entrepreneur Malcolm McLaren during the summer of 1975. Periodically known as the Swankers, with lead vocalist Wally Nightingale, they soon metamorphosed into the Sex Pistols with a line-up comprising: Steve Jones (b. 3 May 1955, London, England; guitar), Paul Cook (b. 20 July 1956, London, England; drums), Glen Matlock (b. 27 August 1956, Paddington, London, England; bass) and Johnny Rotten (b. John Lydon, 31 January 1956, Finsbury Park, London, England; vocals). By 1976 the group was playing irregularly around London and boasted a small following of teenagers, whose spiked hair, torn clothes and safety pins echoed the new fashion that McLaren was transforming into commodity. The group's gigs became synonymous with violence, which reached a peak during the 100 Club's Punk Rock Festival when a girl was blinded in a glass-smashing incident involving the group's most fearful follower, Sid Vicious . The adverse publicity did not prevent the group from signing to EMI Records later that year when they also released their first single, 'Anarchy In The UK'. From Rotten's sneering laugh at the opening of the song to the final seconds of feedback, it was a riveting debut. The Pistols promoted the work on London Weekend Television's Today programme, which ended in a stream of four-letter abuse that brought the group banner headlines in the following morning's tabloid press. More controversy ensued when the group's 'Anarchy' tour was decimated and the single suffered distribution problems and bans from shops. Eventually, it peaked at number 38 in the UK charts. Soon afterwards, the group was dropped from EMI in a blaze of publicity. By February 1977, Matlock was replaced by punk caricature Sid Vicious (b. John Simon Ritchie, 10 May 1957, London, England, d. 2 February 1979). The following month, the group was signed to A&M Records outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. One week later, A&M cancelled the contract, with McLaren picking up another parting cheque of 㿔,000. After reluctantly signing to the small label Virgin Records, the group issued 'God Save The Queen'. The single tore into the heart of British nationalism at a time when the populace was celebrating the Queen's Jubilee. Despite a daytime radio ban the single rose to number 1 in the New Musical Express chart (number 2 in the 'official' charts, though some commentators detected skulduggery at play to prevent it from reaching the top spot). The Pistols suffered for their art as outraged royalists attacked them whenever they appeared on the streets. A third single, the melodic 'Pretty Vacant' (largely the work of the departed Matlock) proved their most accessible single to date and restored them to the Top 10. By the winter the group hit again with 'Holidays In The Sun' and issued their controversially titled album Never Mind The Bollocks - Here's The Sex Pistols. The work rocketed to number 1 in the UK album charts amid partisan claims that it was a milestone in rock. In truth, it was a more patchy affair, containing a preponderance of previously released material which merely underlined that the group was running short of ideas. An ill-fated attempt to capture the group's story on film wasted much time and revenue, while a poorly received tour of America fractured the Pistols' already strained relationship. In early 1978, Rotten announced that he was leaving the group after a gig in San Francisco. According to manager Malcolm McLaren, he was fired. McLaren, meanwhile, was intent on taking the group to Brazil in order that they could be filmed playing with the train robber Ronnie Biggs. Vicious, incapacitated by heroin addiction, could not make the trip, but Jones and Cook were happy to indulge in the publicity stunt. McLaren mischievously promoted Biggs as the group's new lead singer and another controversial single emerged: 'Cosh The Driver'. It was later retitled 'No One Is Innocent (A Punk Prayer)' and issued as a double a-side with Vicious's somehow charming rendition of the Frank Sinatra standard, 'My Way'. McLaren's movie was finally completed by director Julien Temple under the title The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. A self-conscious rewriting of history, it callously wrote Matlock out of the script and saw the unavailable Rotten relegated to old footage. While the film was being completed, the Pistols' disintegration was completed. Vicious, now the centre of the group, recorded a lame version of Eddie Cochran 's 'C'mon Everybody' before returning to New York. On 12 October 1978, his girlfriend Nancy Spungen was found stabbed in his hotel room and Vicious was charged with murder. While released on bail, he suffered a fatal overdose of heroin and died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of 2 February 1979. Virgin Records continued to issue the desultory fragments of Pistols work that they had on catalogue, including the appropriately titled compilation Flogging A Dead Horse. The group's impact as the grand symbol of UK punk rock has ensured their longevity. The unholy saga appropriately ended in the High Court a decade later in 1986 when Rotten and his fellow ex-Pistols won substantial damages against their former manager. After years of rumour and sigh it was confirmed that the original band would re-form for one lucrative tour in 1996. The press conference to launch their rebirth was at the 100 Club in London. The usual abuse was dished out, giving rise to the fact that nothing has changed except the lines on their faces and rising hairlines - they added that they thought Green Day and Oasis were too 'poppy'. The tour was awaited with eagerness as this really was a case of putting their mouths where the money is. Their debut at Finsbury Park was nostalgic rather than groundbreaking. Rotten was still obnoxious and they still hated Matlock. What they did prove, however, was that they still can play and sweat, just like the hundreds of pretenders that have followed in their wake over the past two decades.
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BLack Flag
Formed in 1977 in Los Angeles, California, Black Flag rose to become one of America's leading hardcore groups. The initial line-up - Keith Morris (vocals), Greg Ginn (guitar), Chuck Dukowski (bass) and Brian Migdol (drums) - completed the Nervous Breakdown EP in 1978, but the following year Morris left to form the Circle Jerks . Several members joined and left before Henry Rollins (b. 13 February 1961; vocals), Dez Cadenza (guitar) and Robo (drums) joined Ginn and Dukowski for Damaged , the group's first full-length album. Originally scheduled for release by MCA Records, the company withdrew support, citing outrageous content, and the set appeared on the quintet's own label, SST Records. This prolific outlet has not only issued every subsequent Black Flag recording, but also has a catalogue including Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth , the Minutemen , the Meat Puppets and Dinosaur Jr. Administered by Ginn and Dukowski, the latter of whom left the group to concentrate his efforts more fully, the company has become one of America's leading, and most influential, independents. Ginn continued to lead Black Flag in tandem with Rollins, and although its rhythm section was still subject to change, the music's power remained undiminished. Pivotal albums included My War and In My Head while their diversity was showcased on Family Man , which contrasted a side of Rollins' spoken word performances with four excellent instrumentals. However, the group split up in 1986 following the release of a compulsive live set, Who's Got The 10 1/2?, following which Ginn switched his attentions to labelmates Gone. Rollins went on to a successful solo career. The glory days of Black Flag are warmly recalled in one of Rollins' numerous books for his 2.13.61. publishing empire, Get In The Van.
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Bauhaus Originally known as Bauhaus 1919, this Northamptonshire quartet comprised Peter Murphy (vocals), Daniel Ash (vocals, guitar), David Jay aka David J. (vocals, bass) and Kevin Haskins (drums). Within months of their formation they made their recording debut in 1979 with the classic, brooding, nine-minute gothic anthem, 'Bela Lugosi's Dead'. Their career saw them move to various independent labels (Small Wonder, Axix, 4AD and Beggars Banquet) and along the way they recorded some interesting singles, including 'Dark Entries', 'Terror Couple Kill Colonel' and a reworking of T. Rex 's 'Telegram Sam'. Often insistent on spontaneity in the studio, they recorded four albums in as many years, of which Mask (1981) proved the most accessible. A cameo appearance in the movie The Hunger, starring David Bowie, showed them playing their memorable Bela Lugosi tribute. They later took advantage of the Bowie connection to record a carbon copy of 'Ziggy Stardust', which gave them their only UK Top 20 hit. Although there was further belated success with 'Lagartija Nick' and 'She's In Parties', the group disbanded in 1983. Vocalist Peter Murphy briefly joined Japan 's Mick Karn in Dali's Car and the remaining three members soldiered on under the name Love And Rockets.
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L.A.Guns This US group was formed by ex- Guns N'Roses guitarist Tracii Guns and Paul Black in Los Angeles in 1987, though the latter was soon replaced by ex- Girl /Bernie Torme vocalist Phil Lewis. Working on material that was a hybrid of metal, glam and blues-based rock 'n' roll, they signed with Polygram Records in the US the following year. With the addition of Mick Cripps (guitar), Kelly Nickels (bass) and Steve Riley (drums, ex- W.A.S.P.) the line-up was complete. However, with Riley arriving too late to appear on their self-titled debut, the group used the services of Nickey Alexander (formerly 'Nicky Beat' of punk legends the Weirdos). Cocked And Loaded was a marked improvement over its predecessor; the band had matured as songwriters and Lewis' vocals were stronger and more convincing. Hollywood Vampires saw them diversifying musically, but retaining the essential energy and rough edges for which they had become renowned. Touring as support to Skid Row in Europe, it at last looked as though Guns' would no longer have to look longingly at the phenomenal success his former band had achieved in his absence. However, it was not to be. As the group disintegrated Guns went on to put together a new outfit, Killing Machine, while Lewis formed Filthy Lucre. However, L.A. Guns were soon reformed when both these bands failed. Vicious Circle continued the vampiric metaphors of the group's previous album with the track 'Crystal Eyes', a song also included on Hollywood Vampires. Received as a strong return from a group still held in high regard, it was arguably the best recorded work yet by either Guns or Lewis.
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Motley Crue This heavy rock band was formed in 1980 by Nikki Sixx (b. Frank Faranno, 11 December 1958, California, USA; bass) and consisted of former members of several other Los Angeles-based groups. Tommy Lee (b. 3 October 1962, Athens, Greece; drums) was recruited from Suite 19; Vince Neil (b. Vince Neil Wharton, 8 February 1961, Hollywood, California, USA; vocals) from Rocky Candy; while Nikki himself had recently left London. Mick Mars (b. Bob Deal, 3 April 1956, USA; guitar) was added to the line-up after Sixx and Lee answered an advertisement announcing 'Loud, rude, aggressive guitarist available'. Their first single, 'Stick To Your Guns'/'Toast Of The Town', was issued in 1981 on their own Leathür label, followed by their self-produced debut, Too Fast For Love. The band signed to Elektra Records in 1982, and the album was remixed and reissued that August. The following year they recorded a new set, Shout At The Devil, with producer Tom Werman. He stayed at the helm for the two albums which broke them to a much wider audience in the USA, Theatre Of Pain (which sold more than two million copies) and Girls, Girls, Girls, which achieved the highest entry for a heavy metal album on Billboard 's album chart since The Song Remains The Same by Led Zeppelin in 1976. These albums refined the raw sound of earlier releases, without hiding the influence which Kiss and Aerosmith have exerted on their work. This change in style, which saw Mötley Crüe experimenting with organs, pianos and harmonicas in addition to their traditional instruments, has been described as a move from 'club-level metal glam' to 'stadium-size rock 'n' roll'. The band have not been without their setbacks: in 1984, Vince Neil was involved in a major car crash in which Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle was killed. The subsequent Theatre Of Pain was dedicated to his memory, and this grim incident helped inform the mood of the recording. Three years later, Nikki Sixx came close to death after a heroin overdose following touring with Guns N'Roses. Feuding with that same band, particularly that between Neil and Axl Rose, later provided the group with many of their column inches in an increasingly disinterested press. The band survived to appear at the Moscow Peace Festival in 1989 before more than 200,000 people, and then in 1991 to issue Dr. Feelgood, which gave them their first US number 1 chart placing. Vince Neil was ejected from the band's line-up, unexpectedly, in 1992, starting the Vince Neil Band shortly thereafter. His replacement for 1994's self-titled album was John Corabi (ex- Scream), although the band's problems continued with a record label/management split and disastrous North American tour. Neil was working with band again in Autumn 1996. Corabi was sacked in 1996 and the following year he instigated litigation against the band members for damages arising from non-payment of monies owed to him. This action was taken as Generation Swine was released.
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Korn Hardcore rock band Korn formed in the early 90s in Bakersfield, California, USA, and toured widely, playing over 200 shows before releasing their self-titled debut album for EastWest Records in 1994. Subsequently based in Huntington Beach in California, the quintet, whose members comprise; Jonathan Davis (vocals), Reggie Fieldy Arvizu (bass), James Munky Shaffer (guitar), Brian Welch (guitar/vocals) and David Silveria (drums), released their first single, 'Blind', which was shown widely on late-night MTV shows. The album gave them their commercial breakthrough and saw them cited in Billboard magazine as 'the first debut hardcore rock act to top the Heatseekers chart and one of the first to crack the upper half of the Billboard 200 in the last two years.' Much of this success arose from the reputation garnered by their live work, which was then bolstered with tours alongside House Of Pain, Biohazard, 311, Sick Of It All, Danzig, Marilyn Manson and Megadeth. A second single, 'Shoots And Ladders', featured Davis playing the bagpipes. The Ross Robinson-produced Life Is Peachy continued the anger, although further breakthrough success was limited by the explicit lyrics liberally laced throughout.
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Marilyn Manson Controversial by design rather than accident, Florida group Marilyn Manson were formed in 1990 with the express intention of 'exploring the limits of censorship'. In keeping with this image, they were the first band to be signed to Trent Reznor ( Nine Inch Nails) and John A. Malm Jr's Nothing label. Support slots with the likes of Suicidal Tendencies, Meat Beat Manifesto, Murphy's Law and the Genitorturers brought them considerable local recognition, in the form of the 1993 'Slammy' awards (taking the song of the year nomination for 'Dope Hat') and sundry other baubles (not least short-heading Gloria Estefan for the Best Local Musician category in South Florida Magazine). Reznor also acted as guest musician and executive producer on the group's 1994 debut album, with half of the tracks mixed at the Sharon Tate house where NIN have also recorded. The group comprises Mr Manson (b. Brian Warner; vocals, tape loops), Daisy Berkowitz (guitar), Twiggy Ramirez (bass), Madonna Wayne Gacy (Hammond organ, samples) and Sara Lee Lucas (drums). Berkowitz departed in June 1996 (he would later sue the band for unpaid royalties and breach of contract) and was replaced by Zim Zum. Antichrist Superstar contained the American hit single 'The Beautiful People', and reached number 3 on the Billboard album charts.
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Nine Inch Nails Trent Reznor (b. 17 May 1965, Mercer, Pennsylvania, USA), the multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and creative force behind Nine Inch Nails, trained as a classical pianist during his small-town Pennsylvania childhood, but his discovery of rock and early industrial groups, despite his dislike of the 'industrial' tag, changed his musical direction completely. Following a period working in a Cleveland recording studio and playing in local bands, Reznor began recording as Nine Inch Nails in 1988. The dark, atmospheric Pretty Hate Machine, written, played and co-produced by Reznor, was largely synthesizer-based, but the material was transformed onstage by a ferocious wall of guitars, and show-stealing Lollapalooza performances in 1991. Coupled with a major US hit with 'Head Like A Hole', it brought platinum status. Inspired by the live band, Reznor added an abrasive guitar barrage to the Nine Inch Nails sound for Broken (a subsequent remix set was titled Fixed), which hit the US Top 10, winning a Grammy for 'Wish'. 'Happiness In Slavery', however, courted controversy with an almost universally banned video, where performance artist Bob Flanagan gave himself up to be torn apart as slave to a machine, acting out the theme of control common to Reznor's lyrics. Reznor also filmed an unreleased full-length Broken video, which he said 'makes “Happiness In Slavery“ look like a Disney movie'. By this time, Reznor had relocated to Los Angeles, building a studio in a rented house at 10050 Cielo Drive, which he later discovered was the scene of the Tate murders by the Manson family (much to his disgust, due to eternal interview questions thereafter about the contribution of the house's atmosphere to The Downward Spiral). Occupying the middle ground between the styles of previous releases, The Downward Spiral 's multi-layered blend of synthesizer textures and guitar fury provides a fascinating soundscape for Reznor's exploration of human degradation through sex, drugs, violence, depression and suicide, closing with personal emotional pain on 'Hurt': 'I hurt myself today, To see if I still feel, I focus on the pain, The only thing that's real'. The Downward Spiral made its US debut at number 2, and a return to live work with Robin Finck (guitar), Danny Lohneer (bass, guitar), James Woolley (keyboards) and Reznor's long-time friend and drummer Chris Vrenna drew floods of praise, with Nine Inch Nails being one of the most talked-about acts at the Woodstock anniversary show. The first non-Nine Inch Nails releases on Reznor's Nothing label appeared in 1994, and the band also found time to construct an acclaimed soundtrack for Oliver Stone's film Natural Born Killers. In the following year Reznor announced plans to record an album with circus 'freak show' specialist Jim Rose, stating with typical bombast: 'the record will confront just about every issue that upsets people. It will be non-PC in every way imaginable'. In late 1996 Reznor was working with film director David Lynch on the music score for Lost Highway.
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