Metallica - Cliff 'Em All (1987) + One (1989) + A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica ... Continued (1992)

 

Metallica were born on October 28, 1981 when drummer Lars Ulrich and guitar player/singer James Hetfield got together via Ulrich’s LA Recycler newspaper ad. Soon, the two had recruited Hetfield’s friend and housemate Ron McGovney to play bass, Dave Mustaine to play lead guitar, and taken the name Metallica after a suggestion from Bay Area metal scene friend Ron Quintana. Their ascent was to be relatively quick, driven by sheer work-rate, effort and a rare musical chemistry. After hitting the opener’s circuit in LA (where they supported the likes of Saxon) they recorded their first ever demo No Life ‘Til Leather. The tape-trading circuit went crazy for it, and after repeatedly well-received shows in the Bay Area, Metallica found themselves relocating there after convincing bassist Cliff Burton to leave his band Trauma and replace McGovney.

East Coast metal merchant Jon Zazula pitched the band on an album deal with his indie label Megaforce Records and 1983 found them traveling to New York in a stolen U-Haul to record their first album. Shortly after arriving in New York in April 1983, Mustaine was replaced by Exodus shredder Kirk Hammett and the boys hit the studio for the first time. The resulting debut album, Kill ‘Em All, exploded onto the scene later that year brandishing punk-encrusted, crunchy metal riffery, the likes of “The Four Horsemen,” “Whiplash” and “Seek and Destroy” that were hailed as instant classics. The stellar reception in the metal community allowed them to quickly make their second album Ride The Lightning with producer Flemming Rassmussen in Copenhagen at Sweet Silence Studios during the summer of 1984. With their writing chemistry maturing at an alarming rate of knots, classic compositions such as “For Whom The Bell Tolls” and “Fade To Black” sat proudly with the aggression of “Fight Fire With Fire” and “Creeping Death.” Q Prime Management and Elektra Records both moved quickly to take the band on by the Fall of ’84, and with the road getting busier and more international, the bands’ stature rapidly grew.

In late 1985, the Rassmussen/Sweet Silence combination provided the underpinning for Master Of Puppets, the band’s third album, which was mixed in LA with Michael Wagener and released in March 1986. “Battery,” the title track and epic instrumental “Orion” were among the astounding compositions, and having secured a support slot with Ozzy Osbourne, Master of Puppets hit the top 30 album charts and expanded their fan base beyond comprehension. It was some ascent. Metallica appeared unstoppable. But a heinous challenge was to be thrown at them when on September 27, 1986, they suffered a tragedy beyond words. On tour in Sweden, during an overnight drive the bands' tour bus skidded out of control and flipped, killing Cliff Burton. His influence on the musical growth of the band had been enormous, combining the DIY philosophies of jamming and experimenting with an acute knowledge of musical theory.

 

 

 Cliff 'Em All (1987)

1 Credits And Band Buying Beer
2 Creeping Death '86
3 Interview James And Cliff, Lars On The Phone
4 Am I Evil?/Damage Inc.'86
5 Interview With James And Cliff
6 Master Of Puppets '86
7 Early Interview With James, Lars, Dave And Cliff
8 Whiplash '83 Lead Guitar [uncredited] Dave Mustaine
9 Cliff's Bass Solos And Photos
10 More Of Band With Beer
11 The Four Horsemen '85
12 Fade To Black '85
13 Cliff Talkin' Trash With Friends
14 Seek & Destroy '85
15 Photo Of Metallica
16 Welcome Home (Sanitarium) '86
17 Memories Of Cliff
18 For Whom The Bell Tolls '85
19 Band Listening To Rock Radio
20 No Remorse '83
21 Metal Militia '83
22 Band Runs Out Of Beer - The End.

 

Line up:

 • James Hetfield : Vocals, Guitars (rhythm)
 • Lars Ulrich : Drums
 • Cliff Burton (R.I.P. 1986) : Bass, Vocals (backing)
 • Dave Mustaine : Guitars (lead), Vocals (backing)
 • Kirk Hammett : Guitars (lead).

 

 

 

 

 

One (1989)

 Introduction (Interview with Lars Ulrich)    5:43
One (Original Version)    7:44
One (Jammin' Version)    5:05

 

 Line up:

 • James Hetfield : Vocals, Guitars (rhythm)
• Kirk Hammett : Guitars (lead)
• Jason Newsted : Bass
• Lars Ulrich : Drums.

 

 

 

A Year and a Half in the Life of... Continued (1992)

01. Opening Credits - Going out on tour! - The Snake Pit - Backstage: Pre-Show
02. Sad but True (Music Video)
03. Backstage: After Show - Waking up Next Morning - Travelin' Band
04. For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live)
05. The Metalliplane - Radio Promo - Meet and Greet Fans
06. Enter Sandman (Live)
07. Music Video Awards - Gimme a Grammy - More with Fans
08. Harvester of Sorrow (Live)
09. Still Travelin' on the Metalliplane - Larz' Scuba Dive - Jaymz' Duck Hunt - Kirk's Guitar Shop - Jason's Bir
10. Sad but True (Live)
11. England - Rehearsal with Queen - Metallica Playing for a Good Cause
12. Enter Sandman (Live)
13. Jaymz Jams with Queen - Backstage: Metallica Meets Spinal Tap - The Metallica/Guns Tour - Backstage and on
14. Nothing Else Matters (Live)
15. Metallica's Final Thoughts
16. Wherever I May Roam (Music Video)
17. End Credits.

Line up:

 • James Hetfield : Vocals, Guitars (rhythm)
• Kirk Hammett : Guitars (lead)
• Jason Newsted : Bass
• Lars Ulrich : Drums.

 

 

 

Clifford Lee Burton 

 (February 10, 1962 ┼ September 27, 1986)