Kirk’s response to criticism

[DrewJD82]

I was a diehard Metallica fan from the day Ride the Lightning came out. Still one of my all-time favorite albums. And, to me, Kirk was a riff master. I didn’t give a crap about his lead playing. His ability to write killer thrash riffs (Bonded by Blood anyone?) was what made him awesome.

By the time they were no longer underground rebels and became mainstream rockstars, I could care less. They walked away from a genre they helped create, but so many killer bands filled that void and took it way further that Metallica didn’t matter anymore.

But, it just makes me laugh whenever I see people ripping him for his lead playing. He was never trying to be Yngwie or Vai, he was a thrash metal pioneer. Ripping him for leads is like ripping on George Lucas cause he didn’t make any good reality TV crime dramas.

Man, I hit Post Reply and when the page reloaded it was the first time I see that avatar, thought "Oh, new member?" and see your name. Was not expecting that.

 

[Whizzinby]

It’s funny how time works. I remember as a kid watching the One video and having my jaw on the floor. I was sort of scared, sort of fascinated. MF’er couldn’t walk, talk, hear or see? Got damn.

That breakdown is the most gangster shit ever.

Now those dudes are grandpas, shop at the Gap, learn Genesis songs on YT, and I have to explain to my kids “You see, this guy couldn’t talk, hear or see anything”

 

[Stone]

It’s funny how time works. I remember as a kid watching the One video and having my jaw on the floor. I was sort of scared, sort of fascinated. MF’er couldn’t walk, talk, hear or see? Got damn.

That breakdown is the most gangster shit ever.

Now those dudes are grandpas, shop at the Gap, learn Genesis songs on YT, and I have to explain to my kids “You see, this guy couldn’t talk, hear or see anything”

Loved One first time I heard it then the Video was Like wow amazing Concept, lyrics and some heavy AF tight playing

 

[Stone]

I was a diehard Metallica fan from the day Ride the Lightning came out. Still one of my all-time favorite albums. And, to me, Kirk was a riff master. I didn’t give a crap about his lead playing. His ability to write killer thrash riffs (Bonded by Blood anyone?) was what made him awesome.

By the time they were no longer underground rebels and became mainstream rockstars, I could care less. They walked away from a genre they helped create, but so many killer bands filled that void and took it way further that Metallica didn’t matter anymore.

But, it just makes me laugh whenever I see people ripping him for his lead playing. He was never trying to be Yngwie or Vai, he was a thrash metal pioneer. Ripping him for leads is like ripping on George Lucas cause he didn’t make any good reality TV crime dramas.

Love the New Avatar
Maybe this One Next ?

 

[Whizzinby]

Loved One first time I heard it then the Video was Like wow amazing Concept lyrics and some heavy AF tight playing

All the more amazing when you consider the song before it on MTV would be…

Metallica almost don’t get enough credit

 

[Stone]

It’s funny how time works. I remember as a kid watching the One video and having my jaw on the floor. I was sort of scared, sort of fascinated. MF’er couldn’t walk, talk, hear or see? Got damn.

That breakdown is the most gangster shit ever.

Now those dudes are grandpas, shop at the Gap, learn Genesis songs on YT, and I have to explain to my kids “You see, this guy couldn’t talk, hear or see anything”

Oh and how amazing was it to include the part

" there must be something you can do for him Father?"

"Hes a product of your Profession not Mine"

My son and daughter still talk about the good ol days when dad and his friends would Watch Videos drink and freak out on how Heavy "One" was

 

[Stone]

I think Steve Vai summed it up best when talking about other guitar players take for Example Kurt Cobain

On the face of it, Steve Vai and Kurt Cobain represent two very different spectrums of guitar playing. Yet, the former still thinks the late Nirvana frontman’s playing is some of the best out there, despite people not widely deeming him a virtuoso. Vai explained that Cobain’s brilliance lay in finding “his comfort zone with his technique” and trusting his instincts as all the greats do. He even labelled one element of Cobain’s playing as “virtuosic” in an inversion of the usual dialogue surrounding the Nirvana frontman

Vai What a dude

 

[Warmart]

The best I can do is try to imagine what it was like going from AJFA to TBA and I can fucking imagine what metalheads over he world were saying. The only point in time reaction videos would have been worth watching was if they were filmed when the those metalheads heard “Nothing Else Matters” for the first time.

OH, we were pissed, no doubt. Ginormous change and I wasn't a fan. Eventually came to appreciate the BA's production but still don't want to listen to it.

AJFA eventually became my favorite Metallica album, slightly nudging out the first of their's I ever heard, RTL. I still get just as pumped every time I hear Blackened or One.

For what it's worth, I never really liked MOP all that much, either.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

I stopped listening to anything Metallica did after ...And Justice For All. It was then that I discovered Megadeth's Rust In Peace, and I never looked back.

But really , in the grand scheme of my music listening, I didn't stop listening to new Metallica (back then) because I thought they "sucked" ("Black" "Load / Reload" whatever) after that - I pretty much stopped taking in any new music around 1991, with a few exceptions. It wasn't a conscious thing, more a natural thing. I grew up with 60's, 70's 80's music and that's where my tastes start and begin - that's what I fucking grew up with, and that will never change. The 90's and on up are mostly musical black holes for me, and it's most likely a generational thing.

In my formative years I learned a few Kirk Hamster ("we've" always called him that... even back in the 80s.. because on some 80s guitar player mag he was on the cover and his strat-style guitar headstock said "hamstercaster") solos; Fade To Black was one. It's nothing difficult or flashy (and in fact a great beginner-to-moderate skill level solo to learn) but it works.

Never considered Kirk to be a prodigy, Guitar God or shredder (esp. in the 80's when you had all these other monster players)... but a good metal rhythm guitar player and decent soloist.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

Also remember: Joe Satriani gave Kirk guitar lessons in the 80's.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

Yup. You know why Kirk actually doesn't care? Because A. he's high AF, B. he's rich AF, and C. any jackass YouTuber criticizing MIGHT be ripping shredders who can run circles around him, but instead of putting that talent into writing and recording music, they've instead spent their time being belligerent shitbags on the Internet. They spent all that time doing a video, when they could have been recording an album and putting it on Apple Music/Spotify, which is nearly goddamned free to do these days. So why worry about it? What's the point?

While I don't disagree with the above, I have to add that any YouTube ripping shredder who can run circles around Kirk isn't going to have the same opportunity of getting a big juicy record contract like Kirk did in the 80s, because the music biz is totally different (e.g. fucked and broken) today than it was when Kirk started out.

 

[laxu]

I think Steve Vai summed it up best when talking about other guitar players take for Example Kurt Cobain

On the face of it, Steve Vai and Kurt Cobain represent two very different spectrums of guitar playing. Yet, the former still thinks the late Nirvana frontman’s playing is some of the best out there, despite people not widely deeming him a virtuoso. Vai explained that Cobain’s brilliance lay in finding “his comfort zone with his technique” and trusting his instincts as all the greats do. He even labelled one element of Cobain’s playing as “virtuosic” in an inversion of the usual dialogue surrounding the Nirvana frontman

Vai What a dude

Vai sounds like someone who will find something positive to say rather than to tear someone down.

I do agree with him, Cobain was a good songwriter and an alright guitarist and that's all he needed to be for what he was doing. It would have been interesting to hear where he would have gone with his music and playing if he had lived for say another 20 years.

With Metallica we can see it, and the progress is pretty typical: they never quite reach the quality of the songs that made them legendary in the first place. It's a different thing being young and hungry vs being a suburban dad with a huge bank account. There's rare cases where a band that has been doing their thing for decades comes out with an album that stands up or exceeds their previous output.

My first Metallica album was the Black Album and that got me hooked. I think I bought Ride The Lightning next, because that's what whatever music store I went to had available. I may have borrowed Master of Puppets from a library here in Finland!

I never had this "ugh, they are not doing the same thing" phase until Load was released. In hindsight it's a kickass rock album that should have been something they released under a different band name. But back then it was a disappointment, because it didn't sound like a Metallica album.

 

[Bruce]

Was never a big fan of his playing but who won at life? I’d rather play like him and be in Metallica.

 

[metropolis_4]

I used to like AJFA but when I listen to it today the guitar tones and lack of bass ruin it for me

Holy scooped mids Metallica!

 

[Frodebro]

I used to like AJFA but when I listen to it today the guitar tones and lack of bass ruin it for me

Holy scooped mids Metallica!

Go to YouTube and search for “And Jason For All.” Somebody remixed the album properly, not sure if it was a fan who got ahold of the stems or what.

 

[metropolis_4]

Go to YouTube and search for “And Jason For All.” Somebody remixed the album properly, not sure if it was a fan who got ahold of the stems or what.

That’s pretty cool, thanks for the tip!

 

[HotRats]

Most of AJFA versions with enhanced bass have way too much bass in the mix.

There's one where the bass is not overwhelming, it's pretty low actually, and even that one makes me think that Lars was right back then going for a basically non existent bass.

It's a record with no room for bass. :)

 

[Aelred]

How many years have people been saying the Stones have done nothing interesting since Tattoo You, or AC/DC since Back in Black, or Nick Cave since Murder Ballads or…?

New bands and artists are compared to older material, so bands and artists that didn’t fade away, retire or succumb to drugs and illness get the same treatment or worse.

I don’t care for much in the way of popular entertainment these days, not just music. Those producing material for public consumption today have to face the wrath of the masses or praise of the fans as the case may be.

Remakes, reboots, prequels and sequels abound – as does attacking the audience who raises any concern about doing so. Flamewar became a common term online before the World Wide Web came along.

Spoken as someone who gave up on Metallica after Justice, fwiw. And on Rock – I prefer Schubert these days. His social media is quiet.

Flame on! Clicks Rule!

 

[KingsXJJ]

I give up and wish all peace.

 

[Whizzinby]

I used to like AJFA but when I listen to it today the guitar tones and lack of bass ruin it for me

Holy scooped mids Metallica!

Yeah it’s funny how at the time (as a kid) I never really noticed or cared about the bass mix. Now it sounds so dated. But holy crap is that album just a riff machine. One after the other.