So, I have been on somewhat of a nostalgic kick lately. Growing up, I was a fan of the standard rock they played on the radio. Then I heard Iron Maiden’s “Flight of Icarus” and I became a Maiden freak. Thereafter I heard Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” and so my journey into the depths of the heavy metal cosmos.
So, in 2008, I decide to make an MP3 disc of metal songs to listen to on my way to and from work. I had what I consider to be Metallica’s commendable works onhand, plus a few other albums by other artists. The albums from Metallica are Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, Garge Days Re-revisited, …And Justice for All, Metallica (the Black Album), and their new one, Death Magnetic.
My favorite album is arguably …And Justice for All. Having personally align myself with the progressive rock and metal genres, I find this to be their closest venture in that direction. I love the technicality of it; I love the starkness of it; and despite what Lars complains about it, I absolutely LOVE the drum sound. It just adds more grey to the greyness of the songs, if that makes any sense. The music most perfectly fits the sleeve it’s put in, with Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning coming in at close second and third, respectively.
When the Black Album came out, I instantly hated it, having been accustomed to the sustenance their flavor of San Fran thrash gave me. It was considered an insult to my intelligence and “metal heritage”. The songs slowly grew on me, and today, I can easily find the deeper gems of this album, in spite of their rounded edges. However, all the other albums between The Black Album and Death Magnetic I have considered anathema. The lone exception, to me anyway, is “No-Leaf Clover”. Why? I happen to like a symphony playing along with a metal band – its experimental nature is another nod to the progressive acts of days past.
So anyway, to get to the point of my story… I think commercial success, while it definitely has its perks, also comes with a price. Yes, Metallica saw a degree of success on their own terms. Finally releasing the video to “One” was a mind-blowing event, and introduced the youth of the world to “Johnny Got His Gun”. Now, with that cat out of the bag, and with their split with longtime producer Flemming Rasmussen, I believe they were under a lot of pressure to “produce another hit”. The thing is this though: “One” wasn’t designed to be a “hit”.
The Black Album came out in 1991, and it alienated a lot of hardcore fans. It brought on a barrage of newly-minted “metal-ings” who thought “Enter Sandman” was so cool, but “yuck! I don’t like their older stuff.” The bandwagon philosophy was in full swing. Radio drilled that song in endlessly, as well as “Sad But True”, “Wherever I May Roam”, and “Nothing Else Matters”. “One” still got airplay, of course, but now here was a generation of people who hadn’t even heard “Master of Puppets”!
Then came “Load”. that was the final nail in the coffin, I think, who still tried to hang on to that memory. Alas, the band we knew was dead. “Reload” was like some passing joke that no one remembers, and wasn’t all that funny in the first place. “S & M” had “No-Leaf Clover”, and then St. Who? I honestly don’t know if I’m forgetting any other albums in between there, nor do I care.
So where’s the cost? Well, When you buy the CD, yet hear three or four tracks from that CD constantly on the radio, you tend to not listen to that CD very much soon after. Before you know it, it’s collecting dust… but who cares? You were burned out on that one or two songs about a year and a half ago! and they STILL play them on the radio! Bah! It wasn’t until I burned the Black Album recently and was listening to it in my car that I heard true gems that I didn’t recognize 17 years ago… “Of Wolf and Man” is a killer song now that I’m listening to it with unbiased ears. Man, why didn’t they play THIS on the radio? Oh yeah…
Commercial success brings musical inequality to an artist’s work. Before, all songs had the same shine, luster, and brilliance – the standouts were, for the most part, decided by the listener. Constant radio airplay encourages an unbalanced amount of exposure to one or a few songs, while leaving other selections behind. The result is an increased risk of burnout and consequently an increased risk of dust collection and forgetability.
Moreover, there is a rise in the perception that an artist only operates on a certain wavelength, as the “hits” all resemble each other in form and function. The one notable exception, of course, is AC/DC, who has been rolling the same stone wheel since the dawn of time. I mean, c’mon… is it just me, or has the Red Hot Chili Peppers recycled “Under the Bridge” over and over (and over and over)?!? I care not if they have more than the one gear at this point because I’m just sick of hearing the crap they have out on the airwaves… I think commercial succes has cost them more dearly than most.
It was a very nice surprise digging around a familiar toybox and finding a few new toys as I did with the Black Album. It’s a shame it took me 17 years to find it though. I don’t know whose fault that is: mine, theirs, or the radio’s.
