The Metallica Thread v. Reloaded

[cramx3]

Turn the Page is fantastic, an awesome cover.

I don't have that album though so I can't say if it's worth it, but what I heard of the covers I do like.

[Kotowboy]

Garage Inc = ordered

It's also on Spotify in the meantime.

[LCArenas]

Garage Inc is great! I really liked the Motörhead covers as well. Should've added one of  the Ramones covers they also do live from time to time, like Commando.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Turn the Page=

[SebastianPratesi]

I haven't listened to the whole album, but I think the "Whiskey In The Jar" version is really cool. I listened to it for the first time in 2003, I think. A few years later a friend gave me a CD of Irish music, and that was one of the songs (don't remember who sang/played on it). Nice tune!

(a rock group from Uruguay called El Cuarteto De Nos also have a version, called "Whiskey En Uruguay", on their 2014 album. Cool version too.)

[Cyclopssss]

Garage days revisited was probably the last album by them I completely dug. I dont' agree that both Load and Reload were complete toilet either, they could have made one awesome cd out of that.

[Onno]

I think most of Metallica's covers are awesome. Astronomy might be my favourite.

[Tomislav95]

I haven't listened to the whole album, but I think the "Whiskey In The Jar" version is really cool. I listened to it for the first time in 2003, I think. A few years later a friend gave me a CD of Irish music, and that was one of the songs (don't remember who sang/played on it). Nice tune!

(a rock group from Uruguay called El Cuarteto De Nos also have a version, called "Whiskey En Uruguay", on their 2014 album. Cool version too.)

Dubliners if I'm not mistaken. Thin Lizzy made it popular though.

[TAC]

Garage Inc = ordered

Still don't understand completely your beef with cover albums, but Metallica's style is so unique, I would think it'd be easier to get over.

Probably because 9 times out of 10, whenever I hear a cover version, it makes me want to listen to the original.  But as you say, the Metallica versions are so... out there.  They really seem to own the songs (while still respecting the originals).   When I hear DT cover Rainbow, it almost seems like they're just skating across the surface of the song, and it immediately makes me reach for my Rainbow album.

Well they did a great cover of Stargazer and James nailed it. But you're right in a sense that when DT covers a song, they are really just playing it..well.
Metallica seems to "Metallicize" it.

[Prog Snob]

I started listening to Metallica around the time of Master of Puppets. Justice is my favorite by far with Frayed Ends being my favorite Metallica song. Personally, I think they've become progressively worse since the Black Album. Anyone else here feel that way? I'm not here to stir up shit. I'm sure it's an opinion many Metallica fans share. 

[TAC]

I started listening to Metallica around the time of Master of Puppets. Justice is my favorite by far with Frayed Ends being my favorite Metallica song. Personally, I think they've become progressively worse since the Black Album. Anyone else here feel that way? I'm not here to stir up shit. I'm sure it's an opinion many Metallica fans share.

Pretty sure that's a universal feeling.


Also, Frayed Ends 

[Prog Snob]

I started listening to Metallica around the time of Master of Puppets. Justice is my favorite by far with Frayed Ends being my favorite Metallica song. Personally, I think they've become progressively worse since the Black Album. Anyone else here feel that way? I'm not here to stir up shit. I'm sure it's an opinion many Metallica fans share.

Pretty sure that's a universal feeling.


Also, Frayed Ends 

 

I know plenty of old school Metallicats that thought they sold out after Justice, or even with making a video for "One", so there's that group as well. Hell, my father loved the video for that because of the movie footage.

[Kotowboy]

People hate Metallica for anything.

You put acoustic guitars on Ride ? What a sellout !!!

They've had it since the beginning.


Metallica is one of the greatest Hard Rock albums ever AND it sounds phenomenal.

[TAC]

When I bought The Black Album, I felt that the sellout was clearly on. But that album has aged really well. It still sounds fantastic.

[BlobVanDam]

I watched that movie just because of One. It's a really good movie in its own right.
I didn't see doing music videos or TBA as selling out. Load and Reload more so, but they've still got plenty of great material between them if you filter it down. In retrospect, I have no problem with their evolving style at all.

[Kotowboy]

When I bought The Black Album, I felt that the sellout was clearly on. But that album has aged really well. It still sounds fantastic.

Metallica wasn't a sell out . They were a band putting out music. They continued to do this on Metallica. The only difference is that the songs were shorter and had great production.

[Kotowboy]

I watched that movie just because of One. It's a really good movie in its own right.
I didn't see doing music videos or TBA as selling out. Load and Reload more so, but they've still got plenty of great material between them if you filter it down. In retrospect, I have no problem with their evolving style at all.

Load, Reload and St. Anger were risky albums but they did them anyway.

I can't see Slayer putting out a risky album. Selling out can also mean putting out the same album every time because you know it will sell.

[Prog Snob]

I felt like they lost that edge from albums like Lightning and Puppets. That raw sound was what made them great. Yes, Black is a great album, but it's a totally different sound. I can see how people were put off by it.

[TAC]

When I bought The Black Album, I felt that the sellout was clearly on. But that album has aged really well. It still sounds fantastic.

Metallica wasn't a sell out . They were a band putting out music. They continued to do this on Metallica. The only difference is that the songs were shorter and had great production.

It wasn't Metallica. It was a HUGE shift at the time. I'm not sure how old you are but sometimes when one looks back at a band's discography perhaps there is some objectivity as to where an album sits amongst the others, but when you are present as the discographies evolve, these shifts in style are far more pronounced.

[BlobVanDam]

I watched that movie just because of One. It's a really good movie in its own right.
I didn't see doing music videos or TBA as selling out. Load and Reload more so, but they've still got plenty of great material between them if you filter it down. In retrospect, I have no problem with their evolving style at all.

Load, Reload and St. Anger were risky albums but they did them anyway.

I can't see Slayer putting out a risky album. Selling out can also mean putting out the same album every time because you know it will sell.

I'd say Death Magnetic is the first album they stopped evolving and went backwards to sell out to a certain demographic. The thrash style sounded so contrived on DM.

[SebastianPratesi]

Dubliners if I'm not mistaken. Thin Lizzy made it popular though.

It was probably Dubliners. Thanks!

[Kotowboy]

I'd say Death Magnetic is the first album they stopped evolving and went backwards to sell out to a certain demographic. The thrash style sounded so contrived on DM.

That was probably Rick Ruin's fault. He pushed for a classic sound on that album.

[TAC]

I'd say Death Magnetic is the first album they stopped evolving and went backwards to sell out to a certain demographic. The thrash style sounded so contrived on DM.

I actually agree with the bolded part. But for me, who came up with the thrashy Metallica, I welcomed it.

The biggest issue about Metallica's albums after TBA is the fact that there's so damned few of them!

[bl5150]

It wasn't Metallica. It was a HUGE shift at the time. I'm not sure how old you are but sometimes when one looks back at a band's discography perhaps there is some objectivity as to where an album sits amongst the others, but when you are present as the discographies evolve, these shifts in style are far more pronounced.

Most of the fans who thought TBA and Empire were sellout albums at the time would now give their left nut to have more like them

[TAC]

It wasn't Metallica. It was a HUGE shift at the time. I'm not sure how old you are but sometimes when one looks back at a band's discography perhaps there is some objectivity as to where an album sits amongst the others, but when you are present as the discographies evolve, these shifts in style are far more pronounced.

Most of the fans who thought TBA and Empire were sellout albums at the time would now give their left nut to have more like them

* Raises hand*

I actually liked Empire a lot when it came out. But it did get me very worried about what would come next. Turns out, I had a right to be worried.

[SebastianPratesi]

I'd say Death Magnetic is the first album they stopped evolving and went backwards to sell out to a certain demographic. The thrash style sounded so contrived on DM.

That was probably Rick Ruin's fault. He pushed for a classic sound on that album.

I see what you did there 

(At first I was going to correct you, though)

[mikeyd23]

Just dropping in to say The Black Album is phenomenal, that's all, carry on. 

[Zydar]

Yeah, it could be my favourite Metallica album.

[Bolsters]

Yeah, it is favourite Metallica album.

FTFM

[mikeyd23]

It (TBA) just always struck me as the perfect blend of what came before it and what came after it. It had those metallic, heavy, thrashy moments like their prior albums, and also had more hard rock, blues, layering, production, etc... of the Loads.

[BlobVanDam]

Yeah, it could be my favourite Metallica album.

It's definitely my favourite Metallica album.

[Stadler]

I started listening to Metallica around the time of Master of Puppets. Justice is my favorite by far with Frayed Ends being my favorite Metallica song. Personally, I think they've become progressively worse since the Black Album. Anyone else here feel that way? I'm not here to stir up shit. I'm sure it's an opinion many Metallica fans share.

I hope you know I'm not busting your balls here, but isn't it more correct to say "Personally, I think they've moved progressively farther from what I want to hear"?    To TAC's point, I was there as they evolved, and being a Maiden and Sabbath and Kiss fan, I can remember thinking, "Yeah, RTL and MOP are okay, but I wish they weren't so one-dimensional" and then hearing ...AJFA (my college roommate bought it on vinyl day of release) and thinking "okay, they still sound thin and tinny as crap, but they are evolving!" and then finally getting the TBA album and thinking "YES! THIS! This is a band that is maturing and growing into a real sound and feel!"   It was warm, it was thick, the lyrics weren't just repurposed plots from war movies, but had some DEPTH to them.

I think anyone that calls an album like "TBA" a "Sellout" is really just playing that game where a band is good as long as it's "yours", if that makes sense (like the 2,000 people that hate REM because they got into the band with Murmur and now millions of people like them).   

[cramx3]

But they cut their hair!! 

[El Barto]

I think anyone that calls an album like "TBA" a "Sellout" is really just playing that game where a band is good as long as it's "yours", if that makes sense (like the 2,000 people that hate REM because they got into the band with Murmur and now millions of people like them).   

That's a reasonable observation. As is often the case with you and me, though, I like to think my problem with it is a more nuanced interpretation. While I can't speak about REM (never liked them), where I have a problem is when people jump aboard the ship for an album that I think is a huge departure for the band (and honestly pretty crappy). If everybody jumped on the bandwagon for Justice (and plenty did) I'd actually be pretty happy about it. How would we all feel if DT became a huge success on the strength of You Not Me?

[TAC]

Right on Bart, I completely agree. I never had a problem with them getting popular. My issue is the change in style. Others may call it growth. That's fine. But if a band continues to stop making music I like, I have a right to stop following.

I can follow the line of "growth" from TBA to the first Load, but after that, I just cannot get on board.

I'm also not sure how Rush going from Hemispheres to Grace Under Pressure is "growth" either. Maybe Rush feels they did grow.

But in both cases, each band took what I liked about them and turned their backs on it.

Popularity has no effect on this discussion for me, unless the band started writing for it. And with TBA, frankly the jury is still out on that one.