Seeing a different side of Trent Reznor

Outside of "Head Like a Hole," I've never been much of a fan of Trent Reznor or Nine Inch Nails. I've admired his adoption of cutting-edge technology and marketing, and outspokenness on digital-rights issues, but his music has never made a dent in me. But after hearing this provocative interview with NPR's "Fresh Air," I think I'll take a second look. 

I was struck by Reznor's rich musical background, the demons he's conquered and continues to fight, his refreshing honesty, and his willingness to explore new territory (like "The Social Network" and "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" soundtracks). He's a complex man with big ideas, but in this interview he often comes across as likable, even warm -- a sharp contrast to his public persona. 

The worst musicians are those who strike it big but lose their will to stretch themselves and their audiences. Reznor does both, and that's something to celebrate. 

The live 'album' may be dead but live recordings are not

"Soundcheck" has a fun episode lamenting the death of the live album, presenting various theories as what led to them becoming a rare breed. 

One reason not mentioned is the proliferance of live concert podcasts tossed online, either by musicians themselves or through deep concert archives from outlets like "Soundcheck" or NPR's "All Songs Considered." Why pay for something when good-quality versions approved by the artists are readily available? 

"Soundcheck" also invited listeners to share their favorite live albums, which got me to thinking. Here's my top 5, which could change at a moment's notice:

• "The Mavericks: Live at Royal Albert Hall." I too saw the Mavericks perform from just offstage at the Royal Albert Hall and it's probably the most amazing concert I've attended. My wife and I had just landed in London, by chance happened to walk past the famous hall and noticed The Mavericks were playing that night, and were able to snag just-released tickets -- to a sold-out show -- about 30 feet off the stage. This recording, while from another show, captures a lot of the same magic I remember.
• "Roxy Music: Live at The Apollo." I've seen Roxy live twice about 20 years apart, including an L.A. show that was part of the same tour at the Apollo show. As much visual as aural. 
• "Elvis Costello: Live at the El Mocambo." A young Elvis plunges through a wild set that's nonstop energy. One of those live shows that captures an artist on the way up. 
• "Cheap Trick: Silver." A "Soundcheck" caller name-checked this one too, and I prefer it to the renowned "Cheap Trick: Live at Budokan."  "Silver" has more variety, trots out the band's children for some touching performances and is a wonderful celebration of a terrific band's 25-year catalog.
• "The New Pornographers in Concert," a free stream from NPR's "All Songs Considered" of a 2010 concert from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. If you've never heard the Pornographers, give the show a listen. Great show from a band that deserves much more public acclaim.  

Audacious ideas for 2012

This week's 14-minute Harvard Business Review Ideacast is well worth your time as it summarizes the magazine's "2012 List of Audacious Ideas." 

Among the grand thoughts are:

• Blowing up the concept of investing in a country's GDP growth, instead of debt. Sounds boring but leading economist Robert Shiller argues it would profoundly rethink global investment and could have minimized the current global economic crisis. 
• Getting real about any manned mission to Mars oor further expansion into space. Not gonna happen without revolutionary breakthroughs in space travel, journalist Gregg Easterbrook argues. Instead of blindly funding NASA, a better alternative would be to invite the private sector to help discover new ways to explore new worlds. 
• Changing how we handle death by having everyone conduct "end of life" conversations with a loved one. The result, argues journalist Ellen Goodman, would be improved interpersonal relationships and improved health care. 
• Closing off portions of oceans and seas for extended periods, ala letting farmland go fallow for a few years to regain nutrients, so that overfished areas can recover before their ecosystems are destroyed.   

Big challenges beckon big thoughts.