Review: "And All That Could Have Been" by Nine Inch Nails

A solid live set from Trent Reznor 

By KIMBERLY REYES

Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2002

Putting out records has never been simple for Nine Inch Nails. For over a decade Trent Reznor has amended and reconstructed almost every studio recording with a follow-up single or EP of remixed versions. With his penchant for reevaluation through constant re-release, it's somewhat surprising that "And All That Could Have Been" is the band's first live album to date.

The sixteen-song set chronicles the band's breathtaking Fragility 2.0 tour across America in 2000. Unfortunately the frantic immediacy and aggression of Reznor's live show, rightfully voted best of that year by Rolling Stone, is nearly impossible to capture on CD. These songs don't deviate substantially from their original album counterparts. This is somewhat of a disappointment considering that NIN songs are basically an intricately structured electronic hodgepodge, which would seem to leave endless potential for expansion and rejuvenation of the material live. Your best bet: Spend a few more bucks for a limited edition that comes with five bonus, more intimate, takes on old material, (dating from as far back as "Pretty Hate Machine" on) plus four new songs.

While not groundbreaking, "And All That Could Have Been" reads as a comprehensive career retrospective for one of the greatest musical acts of the past decade. Considering that NIN have never offered anything in the way of a greatest hits album, this certainly hits the spot.