Metallica Art or Trash?

Metallica's stuff is an acquired taste, I suppose.
I just never acquired it. Oh well, different
stroke for different folks.

 

Thrash!

 

well you see what i think has happend is that time has changed music. Heavy metal eg. motorhead compared to nowadays heavy metal eg. slipknot, there is a big difference
The music is the same but not, it has aged and the value has changed. LOL rather like money

p.s in the refurendum vote for the pound, you know it makes sense

 

Their music just isn't for everyone....yeah....I like it though.

 

It's whichever you want it to be. Music is real subjective like that.

brad cook

 

Couldn't have said it any better.

 

Why does it seem like it's the people who dislike Metallica are the ones who are the most obsessed with them?

As far as why Rob would join the band. He's a professionally musician, it was a gig oppurunity, so he took it.

 

Smitty, Im gonna move this over to recordings should be in recordings because it seems more like you're talking about their music on a whole.

 

St. Anger is definitely one album that is in need of a serious remix so that it is at least listenable!

Jesus Xavier Christ, even the original version of The Stooges' Raw Power (and its "companion" CD of rough mix versions on Bomp!, Rough Power) has more clarity than St. Anger!

 

This is a very non-musical thing to say, BUT - after so many years in the biz, I have a hard time getting past the personalities behind the music.

I don't mind a whacko at all --- some of the finest music I've ever heard came from eccentrics.

But I don't like pricks and that's how Metallica strikes me...(for instance, their Napster stance) - IMO , they are the RUNNER-UP PRICKS second only to THE ULTIMATE PRICKS - Guns n' Roses.

Metallica does what they do very well within a very limited musical framework where the only musical themes are anger/hate/animosity. I don't know much about Trujillo yet except that he is a fine metal player, so I give him a pass.

But as for the rest of them, I think they are the musical equivalent of Saddam Hussein and like Hussein, their schtick is running out of gas. But I respect them for toughing it through hard times and they have paid their dues. But now, they just seem to abuse their audiences as "cash cows." But, with all the marketing machinery behind them now, they always seem like a "success."

I think Newstead just didn't want put up with these jerks any longer. Bassists are always the nicest people you'd want to meet!

If you enjoy them, that's cool. I like some of their stuff, especially the Metallica song Avril Lavigne did at their MTV tribute. I was just brought up in an era when rock n' roll was supposed to be mostly about "fun" and Metallica ain't "no fun" (to use the title of a Stooges song), to me.

 

I like it and I think that the whole napster thing had to do more with the fact that their music was being stolen than it did with them wanting more money.

And I noticed the same thing as Liquid Midnight the ones that are the most obsessed with them are the ones that don't like them.

 

Which is why I don't own a single Metallica album???

Naw, I just can't wait for people to see through them.

But your contention may be perfectly right - I may just be an exception to the masses buying their depressing crud and who don't know they are jerks who only see dollar signs in their audiences.

 

I think St. Anger is the best thing they've done since Justice and Garage Days Re-Revisited. Harsh and weird sounding, in a good way to my ears. Hopefully they won't revert to the MOR schlock they've been doing for the past decade.

What is there to see through? I'm not a big fan by any means but they're one of the few bands that minimize the BS in terms of attitude and communications with the fans.

Stating the obvious here but no one is forced to buy their stuff. It just so happens that their swag is of generally a better value than most other people's (like the DVD that came with the CD, very entertaining).

As for the fun factor, some people think riding a motorcycle is fun, others think it's stupid. God bless America, you don't have to listen to them, you can voice your opinion and you can move along now.

 

And I appreciate yours comments. ihix. I think it just depends on one's frame of reference.

I just remember the days when bands considered it a privilege to play for their fans instead of jerks like big-mouthed, drunken, Hetfield/Ulrich/Hammett - the disco-frizzy-haired speed-triplet guitarist who couldnt play a riff past Nugent.

Give me a talented band who doesn't have nearly every song theme about - "We're all going to hell on crutches with a smack addiction.....doom and gloom....die mommy and daddy...Colummbine made sense"

Life is so much better than Metallica's fixation on suicide and darkness. Deep Purple/Black Sabbath did it all long ago and much better than these money-grubbers.

That just my opinion. If you like them and they inspire you to play, then that's a great thing!

 

Art? Yes, but good art? Not in my opinion.

 

Too bad The Beatles never kicked that love trip and The Stones stopped having sex.

 

God forbid we bring up Leonard Cohen's depression and Lou Reed's cynicism. While we're at it, how come Barry White doesn't sing about driving 18 wheelers in San Antone?

The first 4 Sabbath albums are divine or genius depending on your bent, Deep Purple is just pretentious pap prog rock wannabe's, IMO IMO IMO. Just opinions... the part I don't get is why you perceive Metallica as money-grubbers. If anything the way in which they have priced their merchandise vis-a-vis its perceived quality shows a rather consistent concern about giving their fans a good value. They sell lots of stuff becasue to many people it's good stuff cheap.

Here's money-grubbing IMO: The Stones suing the Verve over the use of an obscure almost unnoticable sample and taking away all of the Verve's royalties for their biggest hit.

Is this about the Napster thing again?

 

Exactly. The new CD has been on sale for 10 bucks, it comes with a free DVD, and access to a website where you can download 3 concerts worth of mp3s. Metallica took way too much heat for being ballsy enough to come out against napster. Now they are fighting file sharing in a way that will benefit the fans. I for one hope more bands and labels follow their lead.

Right again, although I'd include everything through Sabotage. Anyone who thinks Sabbath is all mindless doom and gloom just has not actually listened to the albums.

 

My arena concert days are behind me ( Nowadays, I prefer supporting local artists at local gigs rather than emptying my wallet to TicketMaster, but that's a topic for a different thread ) but Metallica is the only band I ever saw spend time talking with their fans at the edge of the stage, once the show was over. I saw them do this at two shows, the 2nd of which was long after they became big. If they still do that, I don't think they treat their fans like cash cows.

I agree with Lars's stance and efforts regarding Napster. Anyone wishing to make a living playing music owes him some gratitude. I don't care about his motives. In the long run, I believe his efforts will pay off for the rest of us musicians.

I haven't heard St. Anger, yet. Even in the days of Cliff Burton, I didn't listen to their music for the bass playing.

On a personal level, I think James Hetfield needs a good ego deflation and rehab.

I have all of Metallica's albums and I think they are past their prime on creating worthwhile music. I look forward to seeing if Apocalyptica covers anything from St. Anger before I consider buying it.

In the meantime, please check out a local band and friends of mine, HURT
http://www.hurtband.com

Support your local artists before helping Mr. MTV buy another Porsche.