September 30, 2011 Playlist

The Day The Metal Died
Clifford Lee Burton (1962-1986)
Cliff Burton ~
R.I.P. September 27, 1986
"Master of Puppets" by Metallica (1986)
 
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Metallica  "Master Of Puppets"  1986 (USA)
It was 25 years ago this week that Cliff Burton was killed in a bus accident in Sweden.  He was the bass player for Metallica during the years when they were clawing their way to the top, but did not live to see his band's incredible worldwide success.  Many have speculated (including this DJ) that the metal world may have turned out quite different had he lived -- though Metallica is undoubtedly one of the most influential and popular groups of the 20th century (practically the "Beatles of heavy metal"), they never really filled the hole Cliff's death left in their lineup (subsequent bassists have not had much say in creative decisions).  Aside from instrumental virtuosity, Cliff also gave Metallica its "edge" and "heart" and a quirky everyman appeal -- he always dressed like a 1970's burnout in defiance of slick 1980's fashion trends, and was responsible for the "psychedelic and progressive seventies" influences on their early records.  Master Of Puppets was the third Metallica album and the last one to feature Cliff.  Though sometimes criticized as being a virtual re-write of their previous album, what really sets Master apart is the anthemic quality of the songwriting -- there was something undeniably fresh and exciting (and dangerous and challenging) about these heavy metal kids with their huge songs with huge riffs about huge topics like freedom, war, addiction and death.  It was a far cry from the sounds of previous decades or the squeaky-clean bubblegum of eighties mainstream pop.
Cliff Burton died while the band was on tour for this album, so there isn't actually a lot of footage of them playing these songs with Cliff -- here's a version of "Disposable Heroes" from before the record came out.  Some earlier Metalliclassics featuring Cliff (and his bass solos) include "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "Whiplash".  Metallica's biggest influence was an obscure UK band called Diamond Head -- here's Metallica's version of their song "Am I Evil".
(N) = New Release
Artist Song Album Year (label) Country
Beatallica Sgt. Hetfield's Motorbreath Pub Band A Garage Dayz Nite 2001 USA
Diamond Head Helpless Lightning To The Nations 1980 UK
DMBQ Taste The Essential Sounds From The Far East 2005 Japan
Sleep Dragonaut Sleep's Holy Mountain 1993 USA
Melvins Honey Bucket Houdini 1993 USA
 
  
Metallica Master Of Puppets Master Of Puppets
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1986 USA
Metallica The Thing That Should Not Be Master Of Puppets
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1986 USA
Metallica Am I Evil? (Diamond Head) Garage Days Revisited EP 1984 USA
 
  
Iron Maiden Invaders The Number Of The Beast 1982 UK
Motorhead No Class Overkill 1979 UK
Blood Ceremony Coven Tree Living With The Ancients (N) 2011 (Rise Above) Canada
Jex Thoth Warrior Woman Jex Thoth 2008 USA
Wife Evil Sorceress (live) Live At The Wisco (cassette) 2010 USA
Rocket From The Tombs Down In Flames / Search & Destroy (live) The Day The Earth Met The Rocket From The Tombs rec. 1975 USA
Rocket From The Tombs Anna Barfly (N) 2011 (Hearpen/Smog Veil) USA
 
  
Graveyard
Buying Truth Hisingen Blues (N) 2011 (Nuclear Blast) Sweden
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Summer Of All Dead Souls The Tao Of The Dead (N) 2011 (Century Media) USA
The Hanna Barbarians Black China Syzygy (N) 2011 (self release) USA
Bardo Pond Cracker Wrist Bardo Pond (N) 2010 (Fire Records) USA
 
  
Baby Woodrose Love Comes Down Love Comes Down (N) 2011 (Bad Afro) Denmark
Far East Family Band The Cave Nipponjin 1975 Japan
Smoke Fairies Summer Fades Through Low Light And Trees (N) 2011 (Year Seven) UK
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks No One Is (I Am Are Be) Mirror Traffic (N) 2011 (Matador) USA
 
  
Googoosh Bemoun Ta Bemounam Googoosh (N - reissue compilation) rec. 1970's (2011 B-Music) Iran
Gal Costa Deixa Sangrar Legal 1970 Brazil
Eleanor Friedberger Heaven Last Summer (N)
2011 (Merge) USA
Viva Voce No Ship Coming In The Future Will Destroy You (N) 2011 (Vanguard) USA
Neil Young & The International Harvesters
Fliying On The Ground Is Wrong (live) A Treasure (N) rec. 1984-85 (2011 Reprise) Canada/USA
 
  
Metallica Orion Master Of Puppets
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1986 USA
                 
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