Â

Tribute albums serve two purposes – they give modern bands the opportunity to cover their favorite songs by established artists, and they give unknown bands the opportunity to put themselves on the map by adding new dimension to existing classics. Of course, this is a best case scenario, and the sorry truth is that the great majority of so-called tribute albums are nothing more than an excuse for record companies to squeeze the proverbial sponge for that last drop of profit. Long story short, they usually suck.

The long list of failed attempts at “tribute” include the likes of Led Zeppelin, Kiss and Depeche Mode. Remember Toad The Wet Sprocket’s cover of “Rock & Roll All Night”? Exactly. It’s rare, but occasionally it’s done right, as was the case with the recent Duran Duran Tribute Album featuring the likes of Less Than Jake, Eve’s Plumb and Goldfinger. Now I’m not sure whose idea it was to have some of today’s best ska bands covering Duran Duran’s catalog of eighties pop, but the result is both irreverent and mockulatory, with just a touch of necessary adulation.

There’s a theory that before long every band will have to suffer through the backhanded compliment of having a tribute album honor their music. Everyone from Abba to Van Halen have been victimized. No one is safe. The latest victim? Nine Inch Nails. An interesting choice when you consider that the Nine Inch Nails catalog is only four albums deep, but more interesting still when you factor into the equation the absolute originality of Reznor’s voice and the music he creates. In other words, to cover one of his songs and make it your own is a daunting task and the majority of the unknowns who took part in this album are just not up to the challenge.

And unknowns they are. Ever heard of Tin Electric? Transient? Etherphoria? Of course not, which begs the question, why? Why choose a group of unknowns to replicate the music of Nine Inch Nails? Wouldn’t it be more interesting to hear some of today’s artists take on Reznor’s creations? How about Limp Bizkit covering “Happiness In Slavery”, or Fiona Apple’s version of “Sanctified”? Hell, I’d even like to hear what Toad The Wet Sprocket could do with “Closer”. Anyone but the assorted group of fringe bands assembled here.

In terms of the music contained on the album, I will say this – the song selection is inspired. Instead of compiling covers of Reznor’s greatest hits, the good people at Vitamin Records have selected some odd, and therefore brilliant, selections. True, “Closer”, “Down In It” and “Sin” are all represented here, but so are “Sanctified”, “Something I Can Never Have” and “Hurt”. But while the titles should be applauded, the music is another story.

“Piggy” is reduced to nothing more than an electronic mess, far removed from the moving and raw original. “Wish” is little more than a poor clone of the powerful and angry version which appeared on Reznor’s mini-masterpiece, “Broken”. Lacking any of the ferocity of NIN’s version, the Broke Box attempt at an homage sounds more like a pale imitation. Then there’s the George Sarah version of “Mr. Self Destruct”. Words simply do not begin to describe this monstrosity of music. Sarah has turned a Nine Inch Nails work of ferocious genius into a computerized compost heap. If hell is anything like that described in Dante’s “Inferno”, my personalized hell might just consist of hearing this song played over and over for all of eternity. It’s that bad.

Not all on the Nine Inch Nails tribute album had me lunging for the skip button, however. There’s good stuff here. Not much of it, but some. Transient’s version of “Closer” is worthwhile if only to hear vocalist Issa Joone repeat that infamous chorus. And the Tin Electric rendition of “Hurt” actually adds an interesting twist to an already great song by speeding up the tempo and adding bits of electronica. Too bad the rest of the album wasn’t as inspired.

By: Jason Cahill