This was another forum post, I contributed. I actually left this one quite a while ago, but I like the way I presented my ideas...:

First of all, I believe that every album he released should be taken in the context of the ultimate objective.

With Teeth was, as Samwel stated, very straight-forward. This was the first release, after having been absent from the creative production of the music industry. It was the first album recorded after his abstinence from drugs, so it was written in a very direct fashion that is consistent of the clarity that one develops as the result of having "kicked the habit."

Year Zero was an entirely innovative idea-- if not compositionally, but creatively. The sound continues to be a very moody, layered composition that one would expect from Trent Reznor. The ideas backing the album are what bring it recognition for being progressive. The campaign behind the album was truly fantastic. For any fan of NIN, you should know that there were several mock internet sites about a hypothetical apocalyptic future. The depth in which it was organized extended beyond the creativity of any other production design that I have encountered in the music industry. The campaign involved cryptic and archaic messages that came from tour shirts and flash drives left in bathroom stalls. If this does not scream "creative", I don't know what does.

From there, Trent produced Ghosts. This was a poigniant release as its composition was not formulaic. It depicts the transient nature of the current music industry and perhaps signifies Trent's maturity in the music industry. This was almost solely comprised of sounds and textures that Trent was feeling at the time. There were no preconceived fashions that he was going for when recording; rather improvizational expressions of what was going through his mind at the time. Around this time, he made available songs, sound bites, and tools to encourage anyone who was interrested in giving a chance to taking one of his songs and remixing it into something that is individual and intrinsic to whoever makes the effort. He also encouraged people to create a film of their interpretations of the Ghosts album, in which he hosted a "film festival" on YouTube featuring the pedestrian productions. Who else in the music industry has done anything like this? It is for this reason, I believe that Trent is at the apex of his epiphany, as these are very innovative concepts. It encourages everyone to get involved in what they enjoy, not just placidly accept his music as entertainment.

As far as the Slip, it seems like Trent's creative juices are flowing and he is heavily involved in the creative and productive processes. In doing so, this album was developed as gratitude to his fans. True, newer music lacks some of the dark, moody texture that early albums possessed, but perhaps that is his maturity in the music buisness. If he continued to record albums similiar to his early work, people would say that he stagnated and his sound is stale. And for what may be perceived as lack of creativity in terms of sound production, it cannot be denied that he has developed vertical movement and progress in terms of what is done artistically and conceptually.

Don't believe everything that you hear. Look up Niccolo Machiavelli on Wikipedia. His work "Principato" (The Prince) is all about controlling the masses through manipulation of information. This is what the media does. Look up Rupert Murdoch on Wikipedia. He is a Right Wing media mogul. He owns most of the news stations and periodicals that you will encounter. It is reasonable to assume that information received through these sources will be politically-charged to reflect information favoring Republican political views. This is very subtle and covert, though sometimes can be quite blatant. Receiving news from media sources is like a cow following the butcher. The information you will receive is to coerce you into doing what THEY want. Find independent sources of information. Get first-hand accounts of what is going on. Think for yourself. DO NOT believe everything that you hear.

Time inevitably keeps ticking. Along with time comes change. This is constant, definite, and unpredictable. Everything that is good now often is overlooked in the anticipation for better things to come. As the world around us unyieldingly evolves, we lose track of what is good. Often simple pleasures are what is life-defining. These simple pleasures are frequently what we focus on augmenting into something more advanced in an attempt to make better. As these things change, they become grandiose and lose the aspects of what made them significant and special in the first place. The simple pleasures become monumentous, brash, and generate attention, thus losing the intrinsic qualities that made them individually spectacular. These changes take place so constantly that many simple pleasures gradually diminish into a blur, and eventually are forgotten.

Nostalgia is the procedure of reacquainting with life's simple pleasures. The resurfacing of what was forgotten lore allows us to become enamoured with a glimpse of a memory. Blissfully yearning for a time when something so small and seemingly insignificant was the succor for troubles.

The connundrum of this is that the time that we spend reflecting on the days of yester, and organizing the days of morrow, we take advantage of the day that is. This happens until life quietly slips and we realize that every present moment becomes the foundation for future reflection and nostalgia.

Because life is never better than it was back then, as it is now...

Justin