From: wbeakley@dante.nmsu.edu (BEAKLEY)
Subject: Re: Sell Out!!
Organization: New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 07:02:20 GMT

Ken Higginson enlightens us with.....:


-Are we all in agreement that the Metallica of today is a far, FAR cry from
-why we really liked the back to begin with?
OH GOD, not this debate again.
*sigh*, break out the flame-throwers folks.  This one's gonna be good.

Let me start off by saying that Metallica is a much more matured, much 
more talented, and much more experienced band than it was when it started
out.  But just because it's changed, does that mean it's bad?  When they
did RtL, people were screaming "SELL OUT!" because of 'Fade to Black' and
'Escape'.  When AJFA came out, people bitched about the change is sound
after Cliff!  I listen to people now saying "Ride the Lightning is the
best Metallica album ever" (not my opinion tho  :), and yet these are
the same dweebs who screamed "SELL OUT" just a few years ago.  

-If so, what can we do about it?  It's obvious that we are outnumbered by
-people who think Enter Sandman is hard-core metal, The Unforgiven is a
-great video and a deep song, and Kirk Hammet is an awesome guitar player,
-and if you listen to the Black Album you'll see why...

Actually, The Unforgiven *IS* a deep song.  You might actually want to
give some thought as to what the lyrics mean.  Kirk *IS* an awesome
guitar player.  He definitely is one of the most technically sound players
in the music business today.  

-Metallica SUCKS!  I can't think of any other way to put it.  They have
-messed up everyone who put that band where it is today because "...And
-Justice For All" didn't sell enough.

-Would Cliff Burton think Enter Sandman is a great song?  No..  Justice was
-the end of Metallica (but a great ending..  Justice rules!)...
 
How do I put this to you in terms you're going to understand?  CLIFF IS
DEAD!!!  It was a tragedy when it happened, it affected the band greatly,
and they moved on.  Of course the Metallica sound would have been 
different if Cliff hadn't died, but that doesn't mean it would have stayed
the way it was.  Cliff had tremendous talent in writing music.  He just
kept getting better with each album.  He matured!  He did different things
(as shown by Orion and Call of Ktulu).  He wasn't afraid to do the things
that others were afraid of!  And that sense of 'fuck-it, we're doing it
anyway!' rubbed off on James, Lars, and Kirk.  When they asked Jason to
join them, it became bigger.  Metallica has always been a cutting edge
metal band, not because they can fit 1000 notes in one bar, but because
they do the things that THEY want to do.  Hell, for all we know, the next
album might be nothing but instrumental ballads!  (that IS a joke)

If you don't like the black album, then you don't have to listen to it!
Personally, I think "Nothing else matters" is one of the shittiest songs
Metallica's ever done.  Why?  Because Metallica just isn't a band that
does songs about love.  IMO it would have been an incredible song if it
had been done entirely acoustic.  But that doesn't mean MUSICALLY it's
not a superb piece of work.  

So Metallica slowed themselves down a bit, do you really want to hear
the "Master of Puppets" or "Fight Fire with Fire" style of songs for
the entire life of Metallica.  They're experimenting with different
things.  They'll undoubtably take some aspects of MoP, RtL, KEA, AJFA,
and the black album and synthesize them all into their 6th album.  We
may hear bass-heavy songs such as "My Friend of Misery" combined with 
the speed of "Battery", tossed in with a bit of the heart-rending 
guitar of "Fade to Black", added to the double-bass of "One", and 
liberally mixed with the full blown fury of "Whiplash".  We may see
more songs like "Frayed Ends of Sanity" or we may see a couple more 
ballads.  
  
-Anyway, I'm open to suggestions..  I want another instrumental, some 10
-minutes songs, and Kirk Hammett's wah-wah pedal in bits and pieces on the
-floor...  Jerk.
 
Suggestions:  OK, here's one:  PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS!  The new
album IS good, it DOES have its share of great songs on it, and it does
have its bad songs as well.  I hate to tell you this, but not every 
Metallica song is great.  Yeah, there are the classics:  "Creeping Death"
(which is fucking awesome live), "Master of Puppets", and countless
others, but that doesn't mean that they haven't had their share of lame
songs as well:  "Escape", "The Thing that Should Not Be", and "Shortest
Straw".

da Will-meister

anyone with comments, flames, etc, please send them to will@scf.nmsu.edu
as I am losing this account on Friday.  thanx

**************************************************************************
William G. Beakley				766 Creed Ave
 	  Las Cruces, NM	88005-1263 USA
will@freedom.nmsu.edu				cyclops@acca.nmsu.edu
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Crushing all deceivers, smashing all non-believers
		Never ending potency
Hungry violence seeking, feeding on the weaker
		Breeding on insanity
	- Metallica:  Battery
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