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It is a shame, though perhaps not surprising, that so many music
fans should see the current Metallica/Napster debate as one of
Metallica versus the fans. Napster has gone to great lengths to
encourage this idea, and specifically that Metallica has
“sold out.” This idea is a slap in the face ““
from the beginning, Metallica has prided itself on artistic
integrity and dedication to their fans.
Metallica’s specific argument against Napster,
(BMG’s recent agreement notwithstanding) is still very
simple. The lack of artistic control or financial compensation is
not acceptable to any musical artist. Napster apologists only
obscure the issue by nibbling at the edges of the dispute.
Napster has encouraged many falsehoods regarding
Metallica’s motivations and purpose in the lawsuit. It is
untrue that Metallica is pursuing those with live concert
recordings or those “fans” who stole their music, and
it is absolutely false that fighting Napster is fighting the
inevitable.
Napster is a threat because the program made it simple for
anyone with a computer to pirate music files. The ease of
using the program knocked down the computer-skills barrier, and the
speed with which files could be transmitted and received has made
the process even more convenient.
 Illustration by CLEMENT LAM/Daily Bruin In addition, the
MP3 format eradicated the musical-quality barrier. The result
““ a 35-year-old housewife could point and click her way to
piracy at high speeds, with no confusing set-up or calibration
demands, and listen to illegal music files at CD-quality levels. No
other program exists at this point to make piracy such an easy
proposition. Understand that the Recording Industry Association of
America never expects to eliminate piracy ““ only to make it a
nuisance such that only the most dedicated will care to pursue the
activity.
Considering Metallica’s history and its rabid fans, this
newest sell-out charge as a reaction to the lawsuit should not be a
surprise. From the very beginning, Metallica has been badgered by
this unwarranted label. The band’s video tribute to deceased
bassist Cliff Burton “Cliff ‘Em All,” contains a
short clip with Cliff and lead singer/rhythm guitarist James
Hetfield discussing the accusation. The year was 1985! Metallica
“sold out” by replacing bassist Cliff Burton with Jason
Newsted after Burton’s death in a 1986 bus crash. Some at the
time suggested that Metallica could not possibly survive the
loss.
The charges were heard again in 1991 when Metallica trimmed
traditionally expansive song-lengths for the self-titled
“Black” album. This album, more than any previously,
proved that Metallica was a name for the ages. Eighteen million
copies later for the “Black” album, and 60 million
overall, Metallica stands alone in the pantheon of great metal
bands and can stand side-by-side with rock legends Led Zeppelin,
Black Sabbath and, yes, even The Beatles.
The cry was loudest in 1996; the “Load” album was
released, and it was discovered that Metallica had committed the
sin of all sins in metal music ““ they had cut their hair!
Bassist Jason Newsted answers the repetitious sell-out accusations
with simplicity: “Yes, we sell out “¦ Every night, every
seat in the house, wherever we go!”
The “Summer Sanitarium” tour that brought Metallica
to Los Angeles on July 15 gave no indications that Metallica is
slowing down or mellowing out. Seventy thousand people, literally
from across the entire western United States, gathered with one
purpose: to see the greatest metal band of all time. The spectacle,
and the music, did not disappoint. Every person has a different
take on Metallica, but there is universal consensus on one fact
““ they are one of the greatest live bands of all time.
Music critics have described the components of the music in so
many ways: “ominous strafing guitars,”
“jackhammer bass drums,” “crunching riffs,”
and vocals that range from “eerie to ballistic.”
However you portray it, the music is incomparable.
For anyone to dismiss Metallica as has-beens shows how very
little they really know. Their exploits are legendary, from the
best selling (1 million units) and most extensive box-set ever (8
hours of video and audio), to what Metallica remembers as their
most memorable show ever ““ a September 1991 date in Moscow at
the Tushino Air Field in front of 500,000 people.
Metallica is not simply about ear-blistering solos or
chest-rattling drum thumps, though these are present in abundance.
Metallica is the thinking man’s metal band; the inspiration
for their music ranges from the works of H.P. Lovecraft to Charlton
Heston’s “The Ten Commandments,” from the book
“Johnny Got His Gun” to the Christian Scientist beliefs
of James Hetfield’s family.
Look at the musician supporters of Napster ““ the only
unifying factor is a lack of artistic ability and the fact that
they’ll be long gone while Metallica’s Metal Militia
soldiers on. Metallica is so many things the traditional rock band
is not. As James Hetfield told the crowd at a mid-’80s rock
festival, “If you came to see big hair and spandex and
“˜Ooh, baby’ every other line, you came to the wrong …
place!”
But the serious artistic stance does not mean the band takes
itself too seriously. James will cheerfully deride lead guitarist
Kirk Hammet in concert as “Kirk Hamster” or
“Quirk Hammet.” They are, in a phrase, the working
man’s band. In concert, the sweat flies not only from
head-banging audience members, but from the band itself. Lars
Ulrich often ends the concert lying prone near the drum set,
completely spent from the intense drumming nearly every song
requires. James Hetfield, though injured for several shows during
this summer’s tour, soldiered on through the L.A. show with a
wrenched back.
Metallica, unlike most any other band, has retained rabid fans
by the millions because of an electrifying combination of artistic
genius, teamwork, fan appreciation and all-out musical fury.
It is a shame that a principled battle against a software
program should lead to widespread hatred and derision for
Metallica. But perhaps it’s just as well. Let those who
didn’t really like Metallica get off the bandwagon. The real
fans, like this columnist, will remain.
Let us close with the lyrics to 1981’s
“Whiplash,” from the album “Kill ‘Em
All.” They tell the band’s story far better than any
column can:
“The show is through, the metal’s gone, it’s
time to hit the road. / Another town, another gig, again we will
explode. / Hotel rooms and motorways, life out here is raw. /
We’ll never stop, we’ll never quit / ’cause
you’re Metallica.”