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Listen To Early Version Of METALLICA’s ‘The Shortest Straw’ From ‘…And Justice For All’ 30th-Anniversary Reissue
A “writing in progress” verson of METALLICA’s “The Shortest Straw”, recorded in December 1987 in drummer Lars Ulrich’s garage in El Cerrito, California can be heard below. The track will be included on the 30th-anniversary reissue of METALLICA’s breakthrough fourth album “…And Justice For All”, due on November 2 via the band’s own Blackened Recordings.
The re-release of “…And Justice For All” has been remastered for the most advanced sound quality overseen by Greg Fidelman, and will be available in multiple digital and physical configurations. Pre-orders begin today at Metallica.com where fans can see the full package details and track listing.
Pre-orders of all configurations will receive an instant download of “Dyers Eve (Remastered)” , while pre-orders of the expanded and deluxe editions will receive an additional instant download of “Eye Of The Beholder (Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London, England On October 10th 1988)” .
The “…And Justice For All” reissue will be available physically as a Standard Double 180 gram LP, Standard CD, 3 CD Expanded Edition, Cassette, Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set and digitally as a Standard album (available to stream and download), an Expanded Edition (available for download only), and a Digital Deluxe Box Set (available for streaming and download).
The Expanded Edition will include previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, previously unreleased live tracks, and an expanded booklet of never-before-seen Ross Halfin photos. The one-pressing-only Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set will include the remastered double 180g LP, a “One” picture disc, 3 LPs featuring their iconic performance from Seattle in 1989 remixed by Greg Fidelman, 11 CDs, 4 DVDs, a set of four patches, a Pushead print, a tour laminate, lyric sheets, a download card for all material in the set, and a deluxe 120-page book with never-before-seen photos and never-before-told stories from the people who were there.
Watch METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett unbox the reissue below.
“…And Justice For All” was originally released — despite what the Internet might tell you — on September 7, 1988, on Elektra Records.
While “…And Justice For All” is considered one of METALLICA’s classics, it has been criticized almost since the day it was released in 1988 for the lack of any bass guitar on the record. Jason Newsted’s playing is virtually buried in the mix — and many fans feel that drummer Lars Ulrich, who had very specific ideas for how he wanted his drums to sound, is to blame.
“…And Justice For All” was Jason Newsted’s first full-length album with METALLICA after he replaced late bassist Cliff Burton in 1986.
The album was the first by the band to sell more than a million copies and featured their first radio hit, “One”, which was also the basis of the group’s first music video.
The record was nominated for the first-ever Grammy for “Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance”, but infamously lost to JETHRO TULL’s “Crest Of A Knave”.
In a 2015 interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, one of the “…And Justice For All” album mixers, Steve Thompson, revealed that Ulrich was the culprit for the lack of any bass guitar on the record. Ulrich apparently wanted his drums to sound a certain way — even if it meant cutting out the bass.
Thompson explained: “We had to get the drum sound up the way he had it. I wasn’t a fan of it. So now he goes, ‘See the bass guitar?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, great part, man. [Newsted] killed it.’ He said, ‘I want you to bring down the bass where you can barely, audibly hear it in the mix.’ I said, ‘You’re kidding. Right?’ He said, ‘No. Bring it down.’ I bring it down to that level and he says, ‘Now drop it down another 5 dB.’ I turned around and looked at [guitarist/vocalist James] Hetfield and said, ‘He’s serious?’ It just blew me away.”
Thompson added that a terrific performance by Newsted was wasted due to Ulrich’s meddling, saying: “My only regret is that we didn’t have enough time to at least mix it the way we heard it… It was all there but I think they were looking for more garagey-type sound without bass. And the bass was great; it was perfect.”
Thompson said that he spoke out because he was tired of being blamed for the lack of bass. He remarked: “They flew us out [to METALLICA’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2009] and I’m sitting with Lars. He goes, ‘Hey, what happened to the bass in ‘Justice’?’ He actually asked me that. I wanted to cold cock him right there. It was a shame because I’m the one getting the shit for the lack of bass.”
Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that fans were extremely vocal about the sound of the album at the time of its release. “I mean, it was unbelievable, you know, ‘…And Justice For All’, ” he said. “People were saying, ‘That’s the worst-sounding record, where’s the bass, and it sounds like it was recorded in a garage, and…’ But, you know, listen, you do the best you can in the moment and then you move on.”
Photo credit: Ross Halfin / Via blabbermouth.net
Lars Not Gonna Like This… Dave Mustaine Has Some Scathing Words For Lars Ulrich
It’s no secret that Megadeth front man Dave Mustaine and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich are not the best of friends. For those who don’t know, Dave was actually Metallica’s first guitarist. He was fired from the band for alcohol abuse and was replaced by current guitarist Kirk Hammett. Dave went on to start his own band Megadeth, thus the relationship between Dave, Lars, and all of Metallica for that matter has been rocky to say the least.
How do we know that it’s still like this? Well, because Dave had some scathing words for Lars in a recent interview with Greece’s Rock Hard magazine. In this interview Dave was asked about ‘No Life ‘Til Leather’, an extended tape featuring demo versions of songs off of Metallica’s first album ‘Kill ‘Em All’. Plans to release ‘No Life ‘Til Leather’ were ultimately scrapped due to a songwriting dispute between Dave and Lars. Here is what Dave had to say…
“I’m not gonna give Lars my credit, so I’m not gonna be part of it. I wrote all of “Mechanix”, I wrote all of “Jump In The Fire”, so me giving any percentage of that to Lars Ulrich, he can pound sand. And as far as the song “Phantom Lord”, I wrote every note of that music, James wrote all the lyrics. That’s 50/50. If James wants to give his percentage up to Lars because he’s afraid of him, that’s up to him. I’m not afraid of Lars Ulrich, and I’m not giving him my percentage. And the same thing with “Metal Militia”; I wrote every single note of that music, James wrote every note of that lyric — that’s 50/50. If James wants to give Lars his percentage, that’s fine if he’s afraid of him. I’m not afraid of him. I’m not giving nothing to Lars Ulrich. Now, they took it in the past, everybody knows that — and the past is the past. But I could not willingly enter into a new agreement with these guys predicated on Lars getting credit for something that not only he did not do but he was incapable of doing — he was incapable of writing songs that good back then.”
So yeah, I don’t think Dave and Lars are going to be grabbing lunch together anytime soon. It really seems like there are still a lot of issues that have to be worked out, but of course, as is standard in the world of rock & roll, you never know what may happen. Hopefully things will get better and we’ll get to hear this tape sometime in the future!
Source: societyofrock
Dave Mustaine: Big Four Shows Without Metallica Could Happen
Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine is hoping the Big Four of thrash metal can share a stage again before Slayer retire – but he’s not sure Metallica will agree to take part. If they don’t, he believes Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax could still assemble a show.
All four ‘80s bands finally played together in 2010 and 2011, and speculation has continued since then that more events could be staged. The announcement last week that Slayer will bow out at the end of their upcoming farewell tour has given the prospect new urgency.
“I think if you asked the three of us, that our camps would probably say ‘yes,’” Mustaine told Eddie Trunk in a new interview with SiriusXM. “If Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth all wanna do it, and Metallica doesn’t, then what do we do? The Big Three? I’m sure that a lot of people would like to see that, and that may be what it is. You know, you may end up having it be the Big Three plus No. 5, if we have Exodus play with us.”
Mustaine added that he still hoped Big Four shows could be arranged, perhaps in Japan, South America and Asia, to give fans “an opportunity to see it before it goes away forever.” But he revealed he’d want the balance to be different from the earlier shows, in which Metallica had a clear leading role with longer set times and more stage space. “I would love to see it done in a way where we all got treated fairly … but I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” he said. “And it’s cool, because Slayer’s gonna go down in history, and they don’t need the Big Four to make them any more legendary than they already are. Nor do I.”
Meanwhile, in a separate interview, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian revealed that he understands the decision made by Slayer frontman Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King to quit the road five years after the death of guitarist Jeff Hanneman (which led to the hiring of Exodus guitarist Gary Holt).
“I’ve been around those guys long enough – I get it,” Ian told WRIF (via Blabbermouth). “As great as it’s been, and Gary’s a motherf––er on guitar and there’s nobody else that could have filled that role better than Gary Holt. But still, they lost Jeff, and I understand how, after that, certainly for Tom and Kerry, nothing will ever be the same. I can understand that they were able to come to what was obviously a very tough decision to say, ‘All right. Let’s put an ending on this.’”
He noted that “all the best things have a great ending, whether it’s a book, a movie, a TV series. If you don’t stick the ending, it’s almost like, what was the point in the first place? And I like the way they’re doing this, and I really think they’re gonna go out in a big way and really stick the ending.”
DAVE MUSTAINE Is ‘Sure’ He Is Gonna Be Inducted Into ROCK HALL, Says GRAMMY Would Be ‘Better’ If It Was Given To Him And Not To MEGADETH
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine says that it’s just a matter of time before he is inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Mustaine, who was a member of METALLICA for less than two years, from 1981 to 1983, before being dismissed and replaced by Kirk Hammett, was not inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with the band during the April 2009 ceremony at Cleveland, Ohio’s Public Auditorium. Despite this, he has found some solace in the fact that he is credited on the first two METALLICA albums and co-wrote half a dozen or so songs with the band which, inarguably, helped launch their career.
“I’m basically in there with the METALLICA thing; that was basically just a diss those guys pulled,” Dave told The Columbus Dispatch in a new interview. “But it would nice to be in there on my own two feet. I’m sure at some point it will happen. You can’t create a whole frickin’ music style and not be recognized for it.”
After twelve nominations in the past twenty-six years, MEGADETH finally won a Grammy Award for “Best Metal Performance” earlier this year.
Even so, Mustaine told The Columbus Dispatch that he won’t be fully satisfied until he has a Grammy with his own name on it.
“As crazy as I am, I was thinking about the Grammy the other day and [how] it was given to MEGADETH,” Mustaine said. “I was thinking it would surely be a lot better if it was given to Dave Mustaine and not to MEGADETH. I guess you’ve got to keep the fire burning.”
Mustaine told Noisey last year that he was “hoping” to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but added that “if they don’t want me in there, it’s okay. I mean, I am in there vis-à-vis METALLICA, and no matter what those guys say or what anybody believes about their induction ceremony, they wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t for me being in the band, because I was there in the beginning, so I have some satisfaction.”
METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich later explained to The Plain Dealer that Mustaine was not included because “you’ve got to kind of cap it somewhere. Dave Mustaine never played on any METALLICA records. No disrespect to him. But there [were] half a dozen other people that were in the lineup in the early days. We thought . . . the fair thing to do would be to include anybody that played on a METALLICA record.”
He added: “Dave Mustaine was in the band for 11 months, predominantly in 1982. . . . I’m not trying to play it down. I have nothing but respect and admiration for his accomplishments since.”
METALLICA invited Mustaine to attend the Rock Hall induction. He declined, citing European tour commitments, but issued a statement congratulating the band. He later explained his absence in an interview, saying: “I’m not gonna sit in the audience and watch the band I started with these two guys get inducted and me not be a part of it.”
He added: “There’s ten million people that agree [I should have been inducted]. . . You know what [Lars] said to me?! He said, [imitating Lars‘ Danish accent] ‘Only the people that are on the fucking record can be at the Hall Of Fame, man.’ And I was like, ‘Well, Hooked On Phonics worked for me; I can read my name; it’s all over [the first METALLICA album]. [Laughs] But you know what?! It’s okay, ’cause if I’m gonna get into the Hall Of Fame, there’s nothing he can do to stop me.”
Lars Ulrich Reveals His Favorite 15 Favorite Metal And Hard Rock Albums
METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich will dedicate this weekend’s episode of his Apple Music Beats 1 radio show “It’s Electric” to his fifteen favorite heavy metal and hard rock records of all time.
The list, which he initially prepared for Rolling Stone magazine, covers a wide spectrum of styles, from the Satanic lyricism of MERCYFUL FATE‘s “Melissa” to the politically charged rap-metal sounds of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE‘s “The Battle Of Los Angeles”.
“For each artist that’s part of my ultimate metal or hard-rock albums, I went for what you would call the definitive moment in their catalogue,” Ulrich told Rolling Stone. “And for a lot of these bands, they went through a kind of evolution, a kind of a growth and a lot of them have a lot of great records. So what I picked is a combination of what that album represents from the artist and what impact it had on me.”
Lars Ulrich‘s Top 15 metal and hard rock albums, presented in alphabetical order.
* AC/DC – “Let There Be Rock” (1977)
* ALICE IN CHAINS – “Dirt” (1992)
* BLACK SABBATH – “Sabotage” (1975)
* BLUE ÖYSTER CULT – “On Your Feet Or On Your Knees” (1975)
* DEEP PURPLE – “Made in Japan” (1972)
* DIAMOND HEAD – “Lightning To The Nations” (1980)
* GUNS N’ ROSES – “aPPETITE FOR dESTRUCTION” (1987)
* IRON MAIDEN – “The Number Of The Beast” (1982)
* JUDAS PRIEST – “Unleashed In The East” (1979)
* MERCYFUL FATE – “Melissa” (1983)
* MOTÖRHEAD – “Overkill” (1979)
* RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE – “The Battle Of Los Angeles” (1999)
* SYSTEM OF A DOWN – “Toxicity” (2001)
* UFO – “Strangers In The Night” (1979)
* WARRIOR SOUL – “The Space Age Playboys” (1994)
You can read Ulrich‘s commentary on each of his fifteen picks at RollingStone.com.
METALLICA‘s latest album, “Hardwired… To Self-Destruct”, came out last November, eight years after “Death Magnetic”.
METALLICA is currently on a short break from its first North American tour in more than seven years, which resumes on July 5 in Orlando, Florida.
This tour marks the first time that METALLICA has offered “enhanced” or “VIP” experiences for fans, with some willing to cough up as much as $2,500 for personal meetings, photos and autographs from the group.
Metallica: Our best album is yet to come
Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo says that Metallica have still to make their best record together since he joined the band.
They released Hardwired… To Self-Destruct last year – their first album since 2008’s Death Magnetic. And when asked about a possible follow-up, Trujillo says he feels as though they haven’t yet hit their peak.
He tells Sixx Sense: “Personally, I get excited about creativity and I’ve heard James Hetfield say it too, that we still have yet to make our best Metallica record together. And that’s a good thing.
“We’ve got more in us and I feel like, in a way, there’s a new beginning that’s happening here. These small shows we’ve been doing at Webster Hall in New York, the Opera House in Toronto and House Of Vans in London – it’s just fun.
“But what’s been great about it is we’ve been reconnecting on these small stages, and we’ve realised that we really like playing together. It’s been cool. And I don’t know. You can’t always predict this stuff – it just sort of grows and happens, and it feels good right now.”
It was filmed as the band continue the North American leg of their WorldWired tour which will resume on July 5 in Orlando, Florida. Find a full list of Metallica’s tour dates below.
Metallica 2017/2018 WorldWired tour dates
2017
Jul 05: Orlando Camping World Stadium, FL
Jul 07: Miami Hard Rock Stadium, FL
Jul 09: Atlanta SunTrust park, GA
Jul 12: Detroit Comercia Park, MO
Jul 14: Quebec City Festival D’Ete de Quebec, QC
Jul 16: Toronto Rogers Centre, ON
Jul 19: Montreal Parc Jean-Drapeau, QC
Jul 29: Los Angeles Rose Bowl, CA
Aug 04: Phoenix University of Phoenix Stadium, AZ
Aug 06: San Diego Petco Park, CA
Aug 09: Seattle CenturyLink Field , WA
Aug 14: Vancouver BC Place, BC
Aug 16: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, AB
Sep 02: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
Sep 04: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Sep 06: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Sep 08: Paris AccorHotels Arena, France
Sep 10: Paris AccorHotels Arena, France
Sep 12: Lyon Halle Tony Garnier, France
Sep 14: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Sep 16: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Oct 22: London O2 Arena, UK
Oct 24: London O2 Arena, UK
Oct 26: Glasgow SSE Hydro, UK
Oct 28: Manchester Arena, UK
Oct 30: Birmingham Genting Arena, UK
Nov 01: Antwerp Sportpaleism Belgium
Nov 03: Antwerp Sportpaleism Belgium
2018
Feb 01: Lisbon MEO Arena, Portugal
Feb 03: Madrid Wizink Center, Spain
Feb 05: Madrid Wizink Center, Spain
Feb 07: Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi, Spain
Feb 10: Turin Pala Alpitour, Italy
Feb 12: Bologna Unipol Arena, Italy
Feb 14: Bologna Unipol Arena, Italy
Feb 16: Mannheim SAP Arena, Germany
Mar 27: Herning Jyske Bank Boxen, Denmark
Mar 29: Hamburg Barclaycard Arena, Germamny
Mar 31: Vienna Wiener Stadthalle, Austria
Apr 02: Prague O2 Arena, Czech Republic
Apr 05: Budapest Sports Arena, Hungary
Arp 07: Stuttgart Schleyerhalle, Germany
Arp 09: Stuttgart Schleyerhalle, Germany
Apr 11: Geneva Palexpo, Switzerland
Apr 26: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany
Apr 28: Krakow Tauron Arena, Poland
Apr 30: Leipzig Arena, Germany
May 02: Oslo Telenor Arena, Norway
May 05: Stockholm Ericsson Globe, Sweden
May 07: Stockholm Ericsson Globe, Sweden
May 09: Helsinki Hartwall Arena, Finland
May 11: Helsinki Hartwall Arena, Finland
Source: teamrock.com
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