Some kind of monster
Aug. 4th, 2004 08:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancerjodiToday will be a nutso day, so I won't be able to pay attention to LJ much (and won't get too much work done). I'll be at a meeting from 9-11:30 (There I get to tell a bunch of hospital execs that our length of stay is increasing quite a bit - lovely. This would be a wonderful time for my boss to be here (but she's on vacation). Shortly after, I'm leaving for training at 1:00 in Needham that will last the rest of the day.
Anyway, the Metallica movie (forgive the typos, I don't have time to go back over this):
We walked down to see it at the Embassy (God, am I enjoying this walking to things too much). We got some decent seats near the back of the theater and for the Embassy, there were a good deal of people there. I saw my friend Pete and his GF up front (can't really miss his hair) but didn't get to say hi . . . I wasn't going to walk over and interrupt and they ran out of the theater before I could get out of the aisle - se la vie! It was funny being there with him - he took me to my first Metallica concert for a birthday present many years ago. But I digress . . .
I really enjoyed Some Kind of Monster. I think it did a good job at telling the Metallica story both long away past, and the most recent past. They mention their break with Dave Mustaine (and he's even in the movie, talking with Lars about it), they mention the death of Cliff and how the band never really got over that loss. They talk of their split with Jason (and interviewed Jason, too). And the detail the long process of group therapy that the band went through to get out their album, St. Anger.
Having seen the creative process that made St. Anger, its no wonder it came out the way it did. I like parts of songs, but the songs themselves don't gel together well. Its like, there will be this really rocking, headbanging part - and then the music will change to something that just doesn't quite fit. They are discussing songs to put on the album, and Lars mentions that one really has potential, and that they are Metallica so that they can clean it up and make it work. James hits the nail on the head, stating that yeah, they *did* clean things up (and resulted with "Load" and "ReLoad") . . . and do they really want to go back to that.
The band struggles with opposing egos, family committments, alcohol problems, record label requested promotions (that they don't want to be forced to do "you wash our back we won't stab yours"). In the end the band pulls it together, puts out an album, is given tribute in MTV's "Icons" (with new bassist in tow) and starts touring for the first time in many years. You want to like them - you want to believe. At least I did. I remember what it was like to be sitting in that crowd, more excited than everything, feeling that energy. I want to feel that again. I'm not sure given the Load, Reload and St. Anger crap if I can do that again (and the most recent single I've heard sucks ass too).
I'm glad I saw this soon after reading the Motley Crue book (another band that faced similar challenges, also working with Bob Rock, and also losing band members and lives). The Crue seems to be moving on to what they want to do creatively gracefully. Metallia seems just - incincere. Its like - they seem to be doing things because they are Metallica . . . not because it really moves them. With the exception of Kirk perhaps, because he's content to stay on the sidelines (except for the few times he's out doing a guitar solo).
What's a metal kid to do? You don't want to see your formal idols die, but you don't want to see them working themselves into the ground either.
If anything, this is a movie that's interesting to anyone into psychology. And to anyone that's in a band. And to anyone that wants some good laughs. Or, to anyone that wants to see Lars say that he regrets the Napster thing (to a degree), doesn't like "being the most hated man in rock and roll". Oh yeah - and to see Dave Mustaine make him cry. :)
Anyway, the Metallica movie (forgive the typos, I don't have time to go back over this):
We walked down to see it at the Embassy (God, am I enjoying this walking to things too much). We got some decent seats near the back of the theater and for the Embassy, there were a good deal of people there. I saw my friend Pete and his GF up front (can't really miss his hair) but didn't get to say hi . . . I wasn't going to walk over and interrupt and they ran out of the theater before I could get out of the aisle - se la vie! It was funny being there with him - he took me to my first Metallica concert for a birthday present many years ago. But I digress . . .
I really enjoyed Some Kind of Monster. I think it did a good job at telling the Metallica story both long away past, and the most recent past. They mention their break with Dave Mustaine (and he's even in the movie, talking with Lars about it), they mention the death of Cliff and how the band never really got over that loss. They talk of their split with Jason (and interviewed Jason, too). And the detail the long process of group therapy that the band went through to get out their album, St. Anger.
Having seen the creative process that made St. Anger, its no wonder it came out the way it did. I like parts of songs, but the songs themselves don't gel together well. Its like, there will be this really rocking, headbanging part - and then the music will change to something that just doesn't quite fit. They are discussing songs to put on the album, and Lars mentions that one really has potential, and that they are Metallica so that they can clean it up and make it work. James hits the nail on the head, stating that yeah, they *did* clean things up (and resulted with "Load" and "ReLoad") . . . and do they really want to go back to that.
The band struggles with opposing egos, family committments, alcohol problems, record label requested promotions (that they don't want to be forced to do "you wash our back we won't stab yours"). In the end the band pulls it together, puts out an album, is given tribute in MTV's "Icons" (with new bassist in tow) and starts touring for the first time in many years. You want to like them - you want to believe. At least I did. I remember what it was like to be sitting in that crowd, more excited than everything, feeling that energy. I want to feel that again. I'm not sure given the Load, Reload and St. Anger crap if I can do that again (and the most recent single I've heard sucks ass too).
I'm glad I saw this soon after reading the Motley Crue book (another band that faced similar challenges, also working with Bob Rock, and also losing band members and lives). The Crue seems to be moving on to what they want to do creatively gracefully. Metallia seems just - incincere. Its like - they seem to be doing things because they are Metallica . . . not because it really moves them. With the exception of Kirk perhaps, because he's content to stay on the sidelines (except for the few times he's out doing a guitar solo).
What's a metal kid to do? You don't want to see your formal idols die, but you don't want to see them working themselves into the ground either.
If anything, this is a movie that's interesting to anyone into psychology. And to anyone that's in a band. And to anyone that wants some good laughs. Or, to anyone that wants to see Lars say that he regrets the Napster thing (to a degree), doesn't like "being the most hated man in rock and roll". Oh yeah - and to see Dave Mustaine make him cry. :)
