The Fragile

The album was produced by Trent Reznor with Alan Moulder, the English producer he had worked with for years. It was recorded between 1997 and 1999 at Nothing Studios in New Orleans. Moulder mixed it and Tom Baker mastered it; the packaging is by David Carson and Rob Sheridan. The line-up moved after the touring behind The Downward Spiral. Bill Rieflin and Jerome Dillon replaced drummer Chris Vrenna, and Dillon stayed as the band's full-time drummer until late 2005. Charlie Clouser and Danny Lohner played and wrote on a few tracks, but most of the record was written and performed by Reznor alone. Against the distortion and grit of the previous album, this one rests on soundscapes, electronic beats, ambient noise and melodies used as harmony. Writers have pointed to progressive rock, art rock, electronica and the avant-garde in it, and several pieces are wholly instrumental. Three singles were taken from it: "The Day the World Went Away", "We're in This Together" and "Into the Void". The running order here is the original's as printed.