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Originally Posted by Sion
I think you should do some more research.
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Agreed. Both men had at one point struggled with substance abuse. Yet, Reznor admits having a sheltered childhood. Cash, on the other hand, started working on his family's cotton farm by the age of five, had an older brother die tragically, and lived through the Great Depression. These would explain the tone of many of his songs.
It's hard to compare the two because they are classified in different genres. If you don't like country music, you won't likely appreciate what Cash did for the genre. It would be like saying "meh" to John Coltrane's version of "My Favorite Things" because you don't like jazz but loved
The Sound of Music. ("What? No singing?!")
A lot of what Cash did with "Hurt" has to do with context. Cash's version carries with it the feel of reflecting over a long and turbulent life of ups and downs. Look how hold he is... he can barely keep his hand steady. The video reveals how he isn't long for this world (and, as it turned out, he wasn't... neither was his wife, who died 4 months before he did, the year after the video was produced).
For those who don't know Cash well enough, he is known as a groundbreaking country artist who contributed a lot to the genre, much the same way Ray Charles did to pop music: they both blended several genres in their music to create something new and grossly appealing. It is for this reason that Cash is known not just as a performing artist but also as a brilliant songwriter.
I have a lot of respect for what Trent Reznor does (I was sucked in while in high school when
The Downward Spiral was released
) but he has a long way to go before he deserves the same level of respect as an artist. Time will tell if Reznor too will have such a legacy. But I'm certain he's greatly honoured by what Cash did with his "Hurt." I know I would be.
And as a side note, having no emotional response to this video sounds like a cop out simply because you like NIN better. If this really is the case, I suggest you work harder to hone your listening and viewing skills; the world is a much more enriching place when you can think critically and respond emotionally to things for what they are actually worth. The only way I would accept this answer is if you can convince me that you don't understand or simply cannot stand country music... though this version isn't heavy on country conventions per se.